Max Crocombe (Millwall | England)

Millwall up to 3rd with an important 3-1 win away at Hull (5th). Crocs on the pine

Middlesbrough (2nd) a game in hand, but are only 1 point now ahead of Millwall.

Crocs on the pine as Millwall (4th) travel to Ipswich (3rd). Big game

https://us.soccerway.com/game/ipswich-thqhB2MB/millwall-6uz2cJBL/summary/lineups/?mid=tKweRuxH

 1-1 draw. Ipswich stay 3rd (69 pts & game in hand) & Millwall 4th (69 pts).
Another big game for Millwall after the FIFA break, travelling to Middlesbrough (2nd, 71 pts) 

Millwall (4th, 69 pts) travel to Middlesbrough (2nd, 71 pts) in a huge game. Remembering 2nd gets automatically promoted. Coventry (1st, 80 pts) look a lock in to go up to the EPL.

Massively important 2-1 win for Millwall in the early game.
Crocs on the pine. Socceroo Rile McGree a full match for Boro (3rd, 71 pts).

Millwall (72 pts, GD +10) go 2nd for now. But Ipswich (4th, 69 pts, GD +28) with 2 games in hand, will likely overtake Millwall in the next week.

Worth noting that their entire history Millwall have only spent two seasons in the English top flight. 1988-89 and 1989-90.

So promotion if it happens will be a big deal.

Millwall (2nd) host Norwich

Crocs on the pine. 
Mo Toure who scored a few for the Socceroos against NZ last September, on the pine for the Canaries.

Bad day out for Millwall who lose 1-2 at home.
Toure off the pine at HT, and assisted both Norwich goals.

Millwall slip to 4th on GD. Them Middlesbrough (3rd) and Ipswich (2nd) all on 72 pts.
But Tractor Boys with 2 games in hand in pole position for that 2nd automatic promotion spot behind Coventry (1st, 84 pts)

Millwall travel to West Brom. Almost must win to stay in the race for 2nd.

https://us.soccerway.com/game/millwall-6uz2cJBL/west-brom-CCBWpzjj/?mid=xKzkNlc4

0-0 draw. Crocs on the pine.

Millwall (73 pts) go 2nd, but Ipswich (72 pts) have 3 games in hand & Boro (also 72 pts) 1 game in hand.

London derby. Millwall (3rd) host QPR (11th)

Ipswich (5 games left) with a game in hand on Millwall (4 games left)

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360966638/coventry-returns-premier-league-after-hardfought-draw

The result put Coventry 11 points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town and 13 ahead of third-placed Millwall.

Millwall lead QPR 1-0 after 3 mins.
Crocs on the pine.

Millwall won 2-0, to go up to 2nd.
Though Ipswich (3rd) who now have 2 games in hand host Middlesbrough (5th) tonight.

Millwall (3rd) travel to Stoke (17th).

https://us.soccerway.com/game/millwall-6uz2cJBL/stoke-city-hSUajdSS/?mid=IBXDrdPs

Ipswich (2nd) travel to Charlton.

Crocs on the pine as Millwall win 3-1.
They go 3 pts clear of Ipswich (2 games in hand) who play at Charlton tonight.

Millwall (3rd) travel to relegated Leicester (23rd).

Ipswich (2nd, with game in hand) won a few days ago at Charlton so now edge Millwall on GD.

1-1 draw. Took a 90th min goal to save Millwall from losing.
Socceroo Harry Souttar with Leicester's goal.

Crocs on the pine.

A 2-2 draw between Southampton (5th, 77 pts) and Ipswich (2nd, 81 pts).
If the Saints had won, they would still have been a chance of automatic promotion going into the last round. Ipswich an 87th min equaliser.

So down to the final round this weekend it's a 3 way fight for 2nd spot, and the other automatic promotion spot behind Coventry.

Ipswich host QPR (14th, nothing to play for)
Millwall (3rd, 80 pts) host Oxford (relegated, nothing to play for)
Middlesbrough (4th, 79 pts) travel to Wrexham (6th on GD, 70 pts). Both Hull (70 pts) or Derby (69 pts) could overtake Wrexham for the last playoff spot.

All down to the last round, re 2nd spot and automatic promotion. Ipswich favoured.
Millwall (3rd) host Oxford.

Crocs on the pine as Millwall win 2-0.
Unfortunately for them Ipswich win 3-0 to lock in 2nd spot.

Millwall (3rd) to play Hull (6th) in the playoffs.

Playoff semis.

Millwall will face Hull, and Southampton will meet Middlesbrough.

Millwall travel to Hull, 1st leg promotion semis

0-0 draw. Advantage Millwall for leg 2 at The Den

Crocs on the pine.

Millwall host Hull City semi final 2nd leg. 0-0 in the first leg.

https://us.soccerway.com/game/hull-city-S66R0t75/millwall-6uz2cJBL/?mid=W89yLHrm

Millwall have not played in the Premier League since it was founded in 1992 -- their only seasons in English football's top tier came in 1988/89 and 1989/90 when it was the First Division. 

The south London club, who finished just one point behind Ipswich, are in the second-tier play-offs for the first time since 2002.

Heart break Millwall fans.
A 0-2 loss and their season is over

Crocs on the pine.

Patterson with a howler for the second which killed the game off. Not that Max would've wanted that at all, but I can't help but feel a degree of schadenfreude.

Off contract now.

You would however think with Patterson heading back to Sunderland and Millwall remaining in the championship, that he must be a good bet for an offer from Millwall.

 If they had gone up it would have been unlikely.

Extended Highlights. About 7.40 mins in is the 2nd goal.

Niche Cache

Let’s stick with the information gifted to us by those wonderful Retained/Released lists that they do in England because there’s been a twist in Max Crocombe’s tale with his name completely absent from those who will “leave the club following the expiration of their contracts” and those who “remain in discussions over new contracts” which suggests that his case falls under the “all other First-Team squad members remain under contract for the 2026/27 season” banner. Millwall never stated the length of his contract when he signed but other outlets had suggested a one-year deal. Seems very possible that he would have signed something like a 1+1 with an automatic trigger for appearances (he played 23 Championship games for them, exactly half of the campaign). That would explain the discrepancy... but whatever the situation is, he remains a Millwall player.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be there next season, transfers do happen, although Alex Patterson’s loan has ended and if they had reservations about Crocombe at this level then they’re certainly not going to lean upon a 21yo George Evans (most recently on loan with Hartlepool in the fifth tier) while Lucas Jensen only played three reserves games all last season due to injuries. Best case scenario here would be that manager Alex Neil is more trusting of Crocombe having now been through a playoff campaign (albeit on the bench) and he therefore gives Crocs and Jensen the chance to scrap it out for the number one status. Worst case scenario is that they bring in another loanee or even a permanent keeper ahead of both of them to leave Crocs stranded as a backup. Patterson might be available again although Sunderland would probably rather offload him permanently and it’s doubtful that Millwall could afford that fee. Gotta see how things unfold... but it does mean that Crocombe is not a free agent heading into the World Cup.

Crocombe will have suitors, he was having a great season and was unfairly dropped IMO.

Plenty of teams in the Championship would have seen his quality and no doubt his agent will be making contact with clubs.