Latest news with #RomainEsse
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Lions will target promotion push, says boss Neil
Alex Neil has set his sights on a sustained Millwall promotion challenge next season after agreeing a new deal at The Lions surged up the Championship table following Neil's arrival in December and finished in eighth place, missing out on the play-offs by just two the 44-year-old, who guided Norwich into the Premier League a decade ago and oversaw Sunderland's League One play-off success in 2022, believes Millwall can build on their momentum next season."We're not here just to make up the numbers and be a bit unfortunate," he told BBC London 94.9. "Our plan and hope is to take that next step and be a team that's going to compete to try and get out of this division."We're not going to do it by outspending our opponents, we're going to do it by gradually building and if you do it that way, it gives you a little bit more longevity."It's easy to find a bit of money to get there but, if the foundations are built on sand, it doesn't last particularly long."Irrespective of how next year goes, I think it's a really exciting time to be a Millwall fan – we've got so many good young players, so many assets on the horizon coming through."One of the Lions' best homegrown assets, midfielder Romain Esse, departed for Crystal Palace within weeks of Neil's arrival – but the squad regrouped to secure a sixth top-half finish in eight manager added: "The camaraderie, togetherness and drive and determination of the players was vital – and the supporters as well, in some of those away games where we really needed points."Certainly by the end of the season we started to create that at home as well, winning five on the bounce. You need to put the team first, even if at times it doesn't suit your own narrative."I felt that's what the players did for me, for each other, for the fans and that's a great starting platform."
New York Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Romain Esse ‘knows why' he was substituted vs. Liverpool, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner claims
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says Romain Esse knows the reason he was substituted in the final day draw with Liverpool just 20 minutes after being brought on from the bench. Esse, a £12million signing from Millwall in January, was introduced after 79 minutes, replacing Will Hughes only to be taken off in the third minute of stoppage time despite showing no apparent sign of injury, with Glasner appearing not to look at the forward as he walked over to his place on the bench. Advertisement 'He knows why, that's enough,' Glasner said when asked why he substituted the 20-year-old, before he then expressed his dissatisfaction with certain individual performances. Glasner also criticised some of his players for not being sufficiently focused or determined, with strong words in his press conference after the 1-1 draw. 'I'm not really pleased with our performance. Not in general but a few players didn't play 100 per cent for the team (in) how we want to play. I didn't like to see this. 'That's why we got the draw, there were so many situations we could have won this game. I don't forget our start to the season where it was similar (with Palace failing to win any of the first eight games), we missed our chances because of a lack of determination and this is (the same) today. 'On the other side, it's an unbeaten end to the season, a (Premier League) points record (53), and winning the FA Cup. It's a fantastic season overall but hopefully we learn from this game that when we meet for pre-season we don't make the same mistakes again. 'We always can find excuses, it's easy to find excuses and we would have been relegated if we (had done). There's always a reason for something but we prepared in a professional way and arrived yesterday. If someone doesn't want to play (then they should) tell me and he could have stayed at home. 'When we go to Liverpool and play at Anfield I expect 100 per cent focus determination and commitment, this was not every single player here today. A few things today I don't accept. 'It's maybe a bit unfair when you see it in the big picture over the season I know now why we are where we are and if we have the mindset from today next season we will struggle again. 'Not everybody played 100 per cent for the team. A little bit of ego trips and a few situations. That's what I don't like. We have definitely not reached our ceiling as a team.' Advertisement Glasner did, however, praise Ismaila Sarr after he scored his eighth Premier League goal of the season to put Palace ahead before Mohamed Salah's 84th minute equaliser, while also singling out Tyrick Mitchell as a strong performer. He pointed out the similarities with how his team has played all season, finding space down the flanks in transition. 'The goal was 100 per cent Crystal Palace football,' he said. 'We lose the ball, then we go in a great counter press and then it's habits. T (Tyrick) Mitchell wins the ball, he knows our No. 10 is free. I expect we are that we are that focussed. 'There was time for only two or three touches, T found him, he had an excellent game, then he (Sarr) runs one on one against the keeper. 'But not everyone had this focus to find the free player with two or three touches that you need when you play against the champion. I know it's not the individual quality, it's just we didn't have the focus — not everybody — but the goal was fantastic, how it happened, how Ismaila finished but you can find many of these goals.' (Top photo of Oliver Glasner: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Crystal Palace 4-2 Wolves - the fans' verdict
We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Wolves at Selhurst are some of your comments:Palace fansAl: A great night and a sad one. Great to get record points and Eddie Nketiah netting two goals. Romain Esse looks dangerous. Tears around the ground when Wardy went off in a final goodbye. He was so emotional. Just the champions to beat next at their home. We'll try to get 10th place and then next season begins at Wembley Great performance from the lads that didn't play in the final. Nketiah showing how good a striker he is, with great movement and finishing. Esse with a Zaha-esque run to set up the first goal. Franca and Devenny came on and impressed. Eze scored a simply class I feel sorry for Nketiah. Hopefully he will get more of a look-in next season. He is Party atmosphere from the first to the last minute continued from Saturday's FA Cup win. Great to see Wardy lead the team out for one last time under the lights at Selhurst Park, with an emotional speech at the end. It brings an amazing career and historic season to an end. A team of Joel What fabulous momentum to end the season with. Here's hoping our stars stick with Palace, especially as we head into fansScott: Poor and absolutely shocking. This was not a good performance. Give new players a chance for sure, but we didn't have any players who were good except for Strand Larsen. I'm not happy with the full-time scoreline. A poor performance on the What has happened? We clearly got complacent after the six-game run. We need to win on the final day and then move on from this inconsistent Wolves had a long rest before this match but were out-fought and out-thought. I was surprised at Palace's intensity after their massive FA Cup win - they dominated in tackles and challenges. They were a level above. Wolves' defence parted in a way that I hadn't seen since Gary O'Neil's management. A shocking Typical end of season results. We are safe so the last few games are treated as warm downs or practice matches. End of season performances don't always translate into how the next season will go but we have been mostly poor over the past three or four seasons, twice having to change manager to avoid the drop. I hope it's not third time unlucky next season.
Evening Standard
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Evening Standard
Crystal Palace 4-2 Wolves: Eagles continue FA Cup celebrations as Eddie Nketiah brace seals win
Palace drew level three minutes later. Romain Esse dazzled on the left during his first Premier League start for the Eagles, going on a slaloming run before picking out Nketiah in the area, who powered the ball into the bottom-right corner.
BBC News
06-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'This could be our greatest ever window'
On Wednesday we asked what you made of Millwall's business in the transfer Lions made three deadline day signings and a total of eight came through the door at The Den during the window, while homegrown favourite Romain Esse left his boyhood club for Premier League Crystal Tristan Crama, Aaron Connolly and Luke Cundle have settled quickly in south-east London - with the latter scoring on his debut against Queens Park Rangers a day after joining the club - while the club broke their transfer record to sign Camiel are some of your responses:Billy: Excellent business, forward thinking and risk taking, but shows a big step in the right direction!Alan D: Great window for Millwall but we need to be patient because we signed a lot of younger players. We are on 40 points already after 30 games, so we can now afford to go for it and take risks the rest of the season to win games. What's great is we can now make five subs of the same quality which is great for the manager. Over to you now When Neil Harris decided to step down there seemed to be a fight going on behind the scenes. Thought it was going to leave us in a bad place but give credit where credit is due, the club looks like it's in a stronger position than ever before after the transfer In 55 years as a Millwall fan I've never known a transfer window like it. Positive intent for the first time in years by signing so many youngsters rather than old has-beens on the way down. Exciting times ahead, hopefully.S Lock: Millwall never sign significantly in the transfer windows but this month seems a lot different. The signings look good for future Lions teams. We have one of the oldest squads in the Championship, so these new players have definitely addressed that. The jury is out on whether it will be Brave new direction where ownership and management are openly demonstrating to younger players: "Come and develop your skills at Millwall and we won't stand in your way should a Premier League team make a fair bid for your services." Accepting their role as a feeder club just may end up bringing in such talent that they may get themselves Really impressive. The strategy is clear to see and a change in direction was desperately needed. A lot is made of the 'Millwall way' which I think belittles us in many ways. Hopefully, this marks the new dawn, and we can watch footballers who have some technical E: It is good to strengthen the squad but eight signings in this window seems excessive. There now seems an overload of wide players. I am concerned that they will not all get enough game S: I think most Millwall fans will agree with this statement - I thought I was dreaming. The amount of young, promising talent we have signed is mind blowing. This sort of thing never happens at Millwall. Full marks to chairman James Berylson, director of football Steve Gallen and new manager Alex Neil. I'm sure they won't all be successful [signings] but it's such a positive move by the club. Almost unprecedented. The only window I can liken it to is when John Docherty signed Tony Cascarino et al in 1987. And what happened then? We got promoted to the promised Unbelievable. Through my 35 years of supporting this wonderful club we have always sold our talent and have seen them replaced with free agent journeymen. Now our recruitment policy is to invest in youth that can not only impact the team but also increase in window could arguably be our greatest ever, as all seven permanent signings have the potential to impact the first team but more importantly bring attacking flair into the the start of exciting journey, which is unfamiliar to Millwall fans. Sure there will be bumps along the way but good times seem to upon us all at the M: We must be dark horses for a play-off position now?
