Latics suffer set-play woes

Photo: Max Flego

TUSSLE . . . Millwall's Steve Morison (right) tussles for the ball with Athletic skipper Peter Clarke.

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TEN new players started this game for Athletic and it only took 11 minutes for an 11th to be introduced.

Nicky Law replaced injury victim Jamie Reckord when this contest between line-ups at the opposite ends of the familiarity spectrum was in its early stages.

Later, Marc Klok and Darius Osei - the latter man, shipped in from Stalybridge while raw as mincemeat but with a serious frame and fearlessness - made it 12 and 13, as manager number six inside 18 months rang the changes.

By then, Millwall were 3-0 up and had put their collective bat under their arm and declared. Neil Harris knows what his side are about. Play-off finalists last year, their XI contained no new faces but plenty of aggressive, in-your-face know-how that Athletic couldn't cope with.

A slow start last season cost them a shot at automatic promotion. It is difficult to imagine that they will not be in the mix for a return to the Championship in 2016-17.

Stephen Robinson is smart enough to know what he was dealing with here.

Both these clubs started pre-season training in late June; the difference is, at that stage Athletic had five contracted senior players and no coaching staff.

Robinson's first outing as Athletic manager came 42 days after a Northern Ireland team he helped to coach were knocked out of Euro 16, at the same stage as England, by way of a Gareth Bale goal.

And this tough opening-day fixture came only 28 days after he had been officially appointed to the role, during which time new signings have arrived at a rate of more than one every two days.

Athletic are by necessity feeling their way into the season. The narrow tactical set-up was in accordance with having no width or pace in the squad other than substitute Osei. That situation will be rectified in the coming days. A side fluent and fully in tune with itself may take a little longer.

Robinson set up boldly here, with two up front in Billy Mckay and Lee Erwin. Neither made much of an impression, though, against a pair of brutish centre-backs.

At the other end of the field at The Den on this baking hot afternoon south of the river, familiar failings were at play.

Twice Athletic conceded goals from corners to Millwall in the penultimate fixture of last season. Harris's side scored 12 from such positions last year, more than any other. Aiden O'Brien and Byron Webster proved themselves masters of the craft on Saturday, after Lee Gregory had opened the scoring from the penalty spot when Cameron Burgess hacked down the lively Ben Thompson for the most clear-cut spot-kick imaginable. At that stage, Millwall were well on top.

The second and third goals came at crucial junctures.

Robinson's side, set up with the unorthodox but at times effective Ousmane Fane shielding the back four, had started rockily but even with Morison bullying and going close with a cheeky 45-yard chip and a header Connor Ripley did well to turn aside, they recovered.

Law struck a free-kick narrowly wide as the tide threatened to turn and the new boss will have been finalising his inaugural team talk by the time David Worrall's 45th-minute corner led to a ricochet in the box and a crisp finish from on the penalty spot by O'Brien.

Two-nil became 3-0 a mere 49 seconds into the second half. Again it was a Worrall corner from the right that was its origin; again, the ball was not cleared initially; and again, Webster was more alert than his would-be marker in sliding in and poking home a third.

Burgess had a tough introduction to League One and the excellent Morison nearly had a goal when charging down his clearance.

The on-loan Fulham man then directed an Ollie Banks corner off-target when reaching for a difficult header when Athletic went on the attack.

When Banks went off, there was some confusion over who would take set-pieces.

Law took on the task of crossing situations and Klok with those near the box, first testing Jordan Archer in the Millwall goal with a surprise near-post effort and then shaping a 25-yard free-kick two feet wide of the near post.

Osei almost capped his lively cameo with a goal when showing balance and poise in the box before shaping a side-footed effort wide of the goal.

Athletic aren't there yet, but it was always a long-shot at such a difficult venue with such an unprecedented turnover in staff.

IN A NUTSHELL: Athletic made errors and were ruthlessly punished.