Millwall are reportedly close to signing Barry Bannan from Sheffield Wednesday while pushing for the Championship play-offs.
The Lions currently sit 5th in the table and things are looking great at The Den. A dominant 4-0 win over Charlton Athletic earlier this Saturday means they have won three of their last four and lost just one of their last seven in the league.
In fact, the one loss was away to league leaders Coventry City last matchday thanks to a Haji Wright 78th-minute winner. They managed to compete and get back into the game despite going 0-1 down early on.
- READ MORE: Millwall analysis: How Alex Neil has led Lions to best domestic start in nearly 20 years
And now, it could get even better for them. Barry Bannan has been linked with a move away from Sheffield Wednesday this transfer window. The Owls are in a delicate administrative situation and could reportedly move on from a few players to ease their finances.
Manager Henrik Pedersen subbed him off in added time during a 0-2 loss to Bristol City. Every single one of his teammates went to him in what looked like a farewell as he cried on his way out. Even home fans at Ashton Gate joined the cheers.
How could signing Barry Bannan push Millwall over the hump?
Experience and leadership
Bannan is 36 years old and has been at Hillsborough since 2015. He went to the play-offs in each of his first two seasons there, got relegated, spent two years in the third tier and led them to promotion back to the Championship.
His first taste of second-tier football actually came in 2009, when Aston Villa loaned him to Derby County. He’s been through and seen all there is in the Championship.
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At Millwall, a team that has seemingly always fallen short in the end during their quest for play-off football, that’s invaluable. Since returning from League One in 2017, the Lions have finished eighth in four different seasons.
And what better time to sign a veteran who is still delivering than now, when it looks like this could finally be the year in which they actually make it to the play-offs. If there are any doubts the way things are now, signing Bannan is definitely a way to ensure that they don’t fall short again.
Touch of quality in midfield
Speaking of which, Bannan still has a lot left in the tank, both in terms of energy and quality. The Scotsman has featured in all 28 of Sheffield Wednesday’s matches so far this season, averaging 88 minutes per game. Of all outfielders in the league, he ranks 18th in minutes played (2,454).
He is also basically the Owls’ only spark of technique, considering the poor squad they have gone into the season with.
But among all players in the division, he excels in a number of different creative statistics.
Key Bannan stats:
- 45 crosses completed (Ranked #3)
- 8 through balls attempted (Ranked #3)
- 52 chances created (Ranked #4)
- 111 long passes completed (Ranked #4)
- 317 passes in the final third (Ranked #5)
- 9 big chances created (Ranked #9)
Considering that nearly all of Alex Neil’s centre-midfield options are more physically-gifted and hard-working players, who often lack creativity, having Bannan in the squad would be a breath of fresh air.
Casper De Norre, Billy Mitchell, Will Smallbone, Massimo Luongo, Luke Cundle and Derek Mazou-Sacko all average under 1.0 chances created per game in the Championship this season. Bannan, however, averages 1.9.
Tactical fit
To no surprise, Millwall play a very direct style of football that is reliant on long balls and set pieces. They also have tricky and skillful attacking midfielders such as Femi Azeez and Camiel Neghli to try and take defenders on down the wings.
As well as, of course, target-man kind of strikers in Mihailo Ivanovic and Josh Coburn to fight for direct passes and crosses.
A player of Barry Bannan’s calibre to fuel their attacking options and provide service in the air or on the ground could make for a great fit.
Millwall struggle to score a little (1.2 goals per game), but do just enough to keep them relatively safe around the top-6. Adding Bannan to the mix could make their attack better and more efficient just from his passing and crossing alone.
Key Millwall stats:
- 14 set-piece goals (Ranked #2)
- 14.9 open-play crosses per game (Ranked #5)
- 20.9 crosses attempted per game (Ranked #6)
- 5.2 corners per game (Ranked #10)
- 0.4 through balls attempted per game (Ranked #19)
It does feel like Bannan could easily improve what Millwall already do and also add a few other layers to their attacking strategy. Stats-wise, it looks like a great fit that would take him from almost certain relegation to fighting for a Premier League spot next season.