Millwall travel to Bristol City
Niche Cache. Not sure Crocs is going to play much this season, but a long way too go.
Lukas Jensen: “I think that’s what a Goalkeeper’s Union is. As much as you are teammates, you’re competitors, but it’s the opposite way around as well. If I’m not playing, I’m going support Max and Max is going do the same thing. We’ve actually spoken about this because, you know how it is going into a new season, both want to play. I want to be the one starting, I’m coming off a long-term injury, you never know what’s going to happen, but all I can do is put myself in the best place possible. Me and Max, we spoke about how we are going to support each other because that’s what the GK Union does, and how you’re going to get the best out of the starting keeper is if he has supporting keepers around you. So that’s what we’re going to do. Max is a great guy, as much as he’s a great keeper. We sit next to each other in the changing room, we’re really good friends. And even in training we talk about all the stuff going around in the football world so we can have some really good conversations. I don’t have a bad word to say about Max and he’s a great guy as much as he is a great keeper.”
Lukas Jensen: “I think that’s what a Goalkeeper’s Union is. As much as you are teammates, you’re competitors, but it’s the opposite way around as well. If I’m not playing, I’m going support Max and Max is going do the same thing. We’ve actually spoken about this because, you know how it is going into a new season, both want to play. I want to be the one starting, I’m coming off a long-term injury, you never know what’s going to happen, but all I can do is put myself in the best place possible. Me and Max, we spoke about how we are going to support each other because that’s what the GK Union does, and how you’re going to get the best out of the starting keeper is if he has supporting keepers around you. So that’s what we’re going to do. Max is a great guy, as much as he’s a great keeper. We sit next to each other in the changing room, we’re really good friends. And even in training we talk about all the stuff going around in the football world so we can have some really good conversations. I don’t have a bad word to say about Max and he’s a great guy as much as he is a great keeper.”
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League Cup. Millwall travel to Cambrige Utd.
Crocs in goal?
https://us.soccerway.com/game/cambridge-utd-lnb8EJRp/millwall-6uz2cJBL/?mid=YTDf23iK
Crocs in goal?
https://us.soccerway.com/game/cambridge-utd-lnb8EJRp/millwall-6uz2cJBL/?mid=YTDf23iK
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And yes Crocombe starts in goal. Chance to remind the Millwall gaffer what he can do.
Though Millwall are top of the Championship after 2 games, and are yet to concede a goal. So Jensen looks likely to be no 1 GK for awhile.
Though Millwall are top of the Championship after 2 games, and are yet to concede a goal. So Jensen looks likely to be no 1 GK for awhile.
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Match highlights. Bad day for Millwall. Player hits the post from a virtual open goal, which had it gone in makes it 2-2.
Crocs should have held onto the ball to stop the 5th goal, but the real blame for that one comes from a team mate with a horror clearance.
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coochiee wrote:
Match highlights. Bad day for Millwall. Player hits the post from a virtual open goal, which had it gone in makes it 2-2.
Crocs should have held onto the ball to stop the 5th goal, but the real blame for that one comes from a team mate with a horror clearance.
some not great defending from Millwall had their defence opened up and/or left Crocombe exposed
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Niche Cache. Crocs in goal against Wrexham tonight. But he'll need to do better, than he did on the weekend.
.......looks like Max Crocombe could be back in those Championship line-ups for the foreseeable future after sitting on the bench behind Lukas Jensen for the first couple matches.
.......looks like Max Crocombe could be back in those Championship line-ups for the foreseeable future after sitting on the bench behind Lukas Jensen for the first couple matches.
Crocs was solid yet unchallenged in the 1-0 League Cup win against Cambridge last week but that’s not what changed the situation. What changed it was that Lukas Jensen (who missed all of last season recovering from an achilles tear, including a set-back midway through) lined up a goal kick at training during the weak and ripped his quad muscle.
Alex Neill, Millwall coach: “We lost Lukas Jensen yesterday. He was doing a goal kick, pulled his quad, so he’s going to be out for a considerable period. He’s not going to be back any time soon.”
Two things have happened since then. The first was that Millwall faced Southampton and got thrashed 5-1 with Crocombe between the sticks. Not the best showcase for Crocs after Jensen had kept consecutive clean sheets – they’d been 1-0 up after Mark Sykes converted after 15 minutes too. In Crocombe’s defence he didn’t get a lot of help – there were some very sloppy moments from his backline and who knows it could’ve been a different tale had Kyrell Lisbie not hit the post at 2-1 just before half-time. The third goal was a penalty that Crocs dove the right way for but couldn’t reach. He saved a 1v1 as the game was getting away from them, that was good stuff. But the fifth goal squeezed under him (after a weak defensive clearance) and that was not good stuff.
The second thing that happened was that Millwall responded to Jensen’s injury by signing 23yo Filip Marschall from Stevenage who kept 19 clean sheets in League One last season. He’s a former Aston Villa junior. Never played Championship (though he did make one Conference League appearance three years ago, his only senior appearance for Aston Villa) so all things being fair this should be a case of ensuring Crocombe has a decent back-up ready to go rather than seeking to replace him. But it does mean he’ll need to perform to keep his spot. As it should be.
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Haven't seen highlights but Millwall go down 3-0 to wrexham (no Cacace).
Sofascore has him facing 4 shots on target, 3 of which were goals....
Sofascore has him facing 4 shots on target, 3 of which were goals....
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durandurante wrote:
18 goals in 6 games for club and country, yikes...
Darren Bazeley should start Alex Paulsen instead now. More athletic, top corner saves.
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Endorsed by
A much need turnaround performance, clean sheet in a 4-0 win.
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Endorsed by
PKB wrote:durandurante wrote:Darren Bazeley should start Alex Paulsen instead now. More athletic, top corner saves.
18 goals in 6 games for club and country, yikes...
Alex is Playing at a much lower level than Max, when Alex was playing at a higher level in Poland he got pumped , and after todays school boy mistake for Motherwell he’s not a very popular boy
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durandurante wrote:
A much need turnaround performance, clean sheet in a 4-0 win.
Yes a much needed clean sheet. Will take the pressure off Crocs to keep his starting role, whilst Jensen is out (possibly long term it sounds)
Though promoted Bolton are going to be one of the strugglers this season in The Championship. Equal lowest goals in the comp (with 4) this season to date.
Though promoted Bolton are going to be one of the strugglers this season in The Championship. Equal lowest goals in the comp (with 4) this season to date.
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Crocs in goal for a 3-1 loss. For what it's worth his Soccerway rating for the lowest for any player in the game.
Millwall 12th
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Niche Cache
Crocombe has played five Championship games this season. He’s made 13 saves and conceded 13 goals (from 8.94 xGOT). The numbers look worse because of those first two matches, he was okay despite a few concessions he might’ve done better with in these two most recent outings. The questions are whether that’s enough to keep Lukas Jensen on the pines when he returns (it’s not) and whether he can remain the preferred option to Filip Marschall in the short term (debatable).
Crocombe has played five Championship games this season. He’s made 13 saves and conceded 13 goals (from 8.94 xGOT). The numbers look worse because of those first two matches, he was okay despite a few concessions he might’ve done better with in these two most recent outings. The questions are whether that’s enough to keep Lukas Jensen on the pines when he returns (it’s not) and whether he can remain the preferred option to Filip Marschall in the short term (debatable).
Crocombe’s been bumped around throughout his time at Millwall. He was initially made the backup behind a loan keeper, then earned his starting stripes, then lost them when they signed a new keeper in January. He started three games at the World Cup only to return to his club and get stuck behind a different goalkeeper... who then got injured and now Crocombe’s starting except they made another new addition in the position at the end of the transfer window as cover and now that fella’s being talked as a contender to overtake him. When Anthony Patterson came in, it took a couple weeks of adaptation before they were ready to deploy him. We could be in a similar overlap period with Marschall, who knows. The difference is that, unlike the harshness of the Patterson switch-up, this time Crocombe’s own sketchy form is leaving the door open. He’s skipping out on the upcoming All Whites tour (a decision that may have been made for him) yet the last game before the window is against arch-rivals West Ham who just put six past a good Wrexham defence so that could be make or break for Max.
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Football League World in the UK recently ranked all of the 2026/27 EFL Championship's main goalkeepers. Out of the 24 keepers, Max came in at #19.
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The level of goalkeeping in the Championship is almost certainly as high as ever, as Max Crocombe, despite being New Zealand's first choice at the recent World Cup, can only rank this high.
The 33-year-old has been a safe pair of hands at Millwall in the absence of Lukas Jensen, though at 33 and only now playing at this level, having previously endured spells with the likes of Salford City, Grimsby Town, and Burton Albion, the Kiwi has surely hit his ceiling.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/all-202627-efl-championship-clubs-main-goalkeeper-ranked-from-worst-to-best/
[edit: typo]
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/all-202627-efl-championship-clubs-main-goalkeeper-ranked-from-worst-to-best/
[edit: typo]
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From memory he had one of the best save percentages in The Championship for a long stretch last season. But then the gaffer bought in Patterson (they had worked together previously at Sunderland) and Crocs rode the pine up to the World Cup. Patterson now at Wrexham, I see is ranked 12th on that list of Championship keeprs
Crocombe had a poor WC. Letting the ball bounce from a corner against Belgium the nadir.
He showed the same hesitancy to come out against Boro yesterday. Caught in no man's land to concede their 2nd. Though his defenders could also have done better. Some Millwall fans saying he should be dropped for new signing Marshall, until Jensen returns. That comment above that the English 2nd tier is the top of his ceiling feels very on point. He has done bloody well to be fair to go from National League stuff at Grimbsy to start regularly at The Den. He's got the most out of his natural talent.
Goal keeping not currently one of strongers suits with the AWs. Paulsen having hs own struggles in Europe, but yeah he has a big upside (hopefully).
Crocombe had a poor WC. Letting the ball bounce from a corner against Belgium the nadir.
He showed the same hesitancy to come out against Boro yesterday. Caught in no man's land to concede their 2nd. Though his defenders could also have done better. Some Millwall fans saying he should be dropped for new signing Marshall, until Jensen returns. That comment above that the English 2nd tier is the top of his ceiling feels very on point. He has done bloody well to be fair to go from National League stuff at Grimbsy to start regularly at The Den. He's got the most out of his natural talent.
Goal keeping not currently one of strongers suits with the AWs. Paulsen having hs own struggles in Europe, but yeah he has a big upside (hopefully).
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18 yr old Harry Kane on loan at Millwall!
Apparently this derby game in years gone by, was nasty with the two sets of fans. Over 50 Hammers fans getting life time bans from the club after one match.
Might explain what looks like an empty away end at this Upton Park fixture for 14 years ago??
Might explain what looks like an empty away end at this Upton Park fixture for 14 years ago??
https://twitter.com/thenichecache/status/2101205075645583494https://twitter.com/thenichecache/status/2101205075645583494
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Bad news for Crocs. He's dropped to the pine for Marschall. Not a huge shock given Crocombe's form has been very patchy.
This could even be the end of his time at Millwall, with Jensen to soon return from injury.
Millwall lead West Ham 2-1 at 75 mins.
Edit - finished 2-2
This could even be the end of his time at Millwall, with Jensen to soon return from injury.
Millwall lead West Ham 2-1 at 75 mins.
Edit - finished 2-2
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