By John Kelly
ALEX Neil isn’t a fan of the expansion of the play-offs this season.
The top two sides in the Championship will still be automatically promoted to the Premier League, but the teams that finish in seventh and eighth will enter the end-of-season knockouts.
The sides finishing fifth to eighth will play in two eliminators with the winners going forward to face the sides who finish third and fourth.
If they had been in place last season, the Lions would have faced either Middlesbrough or Derby County in the semi-finals.
League One and League Two remain unchanged.
“Honestly, it’s not my preference. I quite liked the six,” Neil said.
“I think it spreads it a little bit too thin. Because what you can find is third and eighth can be the difference of 20-odd points. The fact that it gives that team [in eighth] the opportunity to go up over the course of the season – I’m not convinced on it.
“I don’t think the play-offs were broken. I think the play-offs are one of the best things in the English pyramid.
“I thought they served their purpose.”
Millwall reached the play-offs in the second tier for the first time in 24 years last season. Neil was asked what would be success for the side this season.
“I think it depends on what happens between now and the end of the window,” Neil said.
“But equally, we reached the play-offs last year for the first time since we’ve been in the Championship. I know the play-offs are slightly changed but I think everyone at the moment will be aiming to try to get into those play-offs and if you can go one further then great.
“If we can get into the play-offs I think that would be a good aim for us this season.”
