Conor Chaplin and Massimo Luongo both struck by the 12th minute of the game while Nathan Broadhead made it 3-0 before the break.
While Wes Burns hit the post, Bartosz Bialkowski was also called upon to make saves.
With the 3-0 setback against Coventry City on Saturday, the Lions have now suffered back-to-back defeats.
It’s Edwards’ third game in command, and he’s not pleased with how Millwall’s players performed.
“The entire performance was poor the entire night, particularly the first half,” he told Sky Sports. We didn’t need any warning about what they’re capable of. We discussed and prepped for everything they did in the first half in the lead-up to the game.
“But we start the game and we’re a yard or two off in every situation; our fundamentals were off.” And, similar to our game on Saturday, it felt like as the first one went in, it really impacted our confidence, and it looked like there was only one team in the game from there.
“They were clinical, as they have been in many of their games this season.” We have five or six bodies on the edge of the box for Luongo’s goal, and it gets through them. But we still set up tonight knowing that it would be a concern, that they fill the box well, that they’re clinical, and that when you defend your box like that, you’re always going to lose to be in trouble.”
Edwards said he delivered some home truths in the dressing room at half-time, the first time he’s had to be harsh with the players.
“I suppose that’s part of the journey of coming in and working with a new group,” Edwards explained. You have to go through different experiences to learn about your players and your squad, and as painful as these evenings are at the time, they are valuable to observe as well we have to learn lessons from that
“I think even talking to some of the guys who have previously worked here and in the Championship, we feel like it’s a strong league this year, with them [Ipswich] being an example of that.” And if you get the fundamentals incorrect, you’ll have many more terrible evenings like that.
“And this group, the fundamentals, work ethic, body language, duels… it needs to be better.”
“I’m looking for a reaction to what we’ve discussed in terms of getting the basics wrong and what seemed to happen to our belief after that first 10 minutes and then the first goal.” Because this will not be simple. That is the only way I can handle losing football games the game goes, and I can accept coming to a team who are on fire. Conceding great goals and losing football matches I can accept. I can’t accept the manner of that first half in particular.
“We’ll have ups and downs over the next month because it’s a busy one but it can’t look like that again.”
Edwards was also asked if the goals his team conceded might have been avoided.
“They were avoidable,” he claimed. As I already stated, we appear open on the second goal when they first build up, which was an issue for us over the weekend. As a result, we must improve our ability to deal with it. However, once we are in and near our goal, there are enough players to deal with it if you look at all of the previous times.
“It’s the calibre of your defence.” That’s how it felt in every position on the field, especially in the first half. It appeared to be a case of man-for-man, their players did the basics but also showed the moments of quality. We were sloppy on the ball as well.”
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