Monk on warpath as Boro are bullied
GARRY MONK was left stunned as Middlesbrough were strong-armed out of the points at The Den.
Goals from Jed Wallace and George Saville set the Lions on their way to victory despite Stewart Downing pulling one back for Boro.
Monk was left angry and frustrated by his side’s failure to cope with Millwall’s direct approach.
He said: “At the risk of repeating myself, it’s just naive, it’s extremely naive.
“We know coming here it’s going to be direct play, we’ve prepared the players all week.
“We expected that battle, that physical element to it, in terms of competing for those second balls, very direct stuff.
“To then be so naive and lose a lot of those battles in that first half in important areas and again in leading to the goals, it’s naive, schoolboy stuff. I’ve said it too many times this season.
“It’s never through a lack of effort within the group. It’s just comes back to naivety. I feel like a broken record at the moment. Schoolboy errors, so avoidable and basic stuff.
“And you don’t expect that from the level of players we’ve got but unfortunately it’s happening too many times this season but we have no other choice but to work and try and come through it.”
For Millwall it was another win against a side in the top half of the table following their 3-1 success against Sheffield United in their last home league game.
Happy manager Neil Harris said: “Top teams don’t particularly like coming here this season.
“We have to make it hostile, intimidating. We have to play aggressive football with and without the ball. We play very good football too with the first goal in particular.
“We haven’t got players that are worth millions of pounds, but I think I’ve got a lot of players growing in reputation at this level because they are very good footballers.
“I thought we made a top Middlesbrough side look really ordinary today at times.
“The only disappointment for me today is that we didn’t keep a clean sheet.”
CHRIS HUGHTON admits Brighton need to quickly find a formula for regularly scoring goals after their winless run stretched to seven Premier League games.
Albion are one of the lowest scorers in the division with just 14 goals in 18 matches this season and only one in their last five fixtures.
But they had plenty of chances to make a breakthrough against the high-flying Clarets.
Glenn Murray squandered the best – a first-half penalty he sent soaring over the bar.
But Anthony Knockaert also hit a post and Lewis Dunk had a header cleared off the line.
The out-of-form Seagulls remain without a victory since the first weekend in November and boss Hughton knows his side must get more clinical in front of goal.
He said: “Particularly when you’re going through your better period in the game where we certainly did in that first half, in that stage there was only one team likely to score,. “What happens when you don’t score in that period, it gives the opposition a little bit of a lift. When you miss chances – when you miss a penalty – it gives them a lift.
“They’re a very good side at the moment and you can see why they’re in the form they’re in.
“We’ve just got to find this formula to get the goals that we need to win football matches.
“I’m disappointed because it’s a game we should have won.”
Seagulls striker Murray blazed over from the spot in the 36th minute after he was adjudged to have been bundled over by Burnley defender James Tarkowski.
Despite the miss costing the Seagulls two valuable points, Hughton refused to blame his top scorer.
“When somebody misses a penalty or they score an own goal, it is all part and parcel of the game,” Hughton added.
“There’s really no point in saying anything because he’ll be so disappointed himself.
“And Glenn’s one that’s normally very reliable.”
Albion dominated for long spells at the Amex Stadium but Sean Dyche’s Clarets could have won it late on through Chris Wood as they missed a chance to move to fourth in the table.
It was the first top-flight meeting between the two clubs and Hughton made four changes following the midweek defeat to Tottenham at Wembley in a bid to end his side’s slump.
Murray was one of the men recalled and he headed an early opportunity straight at Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s low shot then forced a rare first-half save out of Mathew Ryan in the 21st minute before the hosts almost edged ahead moments later.
Frenchman Knockaert connected well with Pascal Gross’ delivery from the right, only to see his effort rebound off the post with the diving Pope beaten.
Albion continued to press and defender Dunk was unlucky with a header which was nodded off the line by Phil Bardsley.
Dyche appeared to be agitated with numerous decisions going