Scathing Millwall verdict issued on £10k-p/w player - Alex Neil needs to "get rid" in January transfer window | OneFootball

FLW's Millwall Fan Pundit Lucas Ball has launched a scathing assessment of on-loan goalkeeper Steven Benda.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Millwall are in an excellent position to challenge for automatic promotion to the Premier League, having put themselves towards the very top end of the table in the first half of the campaign.

Having been many people’s dark horses over the summer, following missing out on the top six and the play-off places on the final day of last season away at promoted Burnley, the Lions have again been excellent in the opening couple of months of this campaign under the management of Alex Neil.

It hasn’t all been a success story thus far, with FLW's Millwall fan pundit picking out one player in particular who has perhaps underwhelmed in South Bermondsey so far this season.

Steven Benda singled out for Millwall criticism for 2025-26 season performances

In the summer, Steven Benda made the switch across the capital city to join Millwall on a season-long loan deal from Fulham, beginning the season as first-choice goalkeeper due to an injury to Lukas Jensen.

In his nine Championship appearances, the 27-year-old German kept just three clean sheets before being ruled out due to a groin injury and then returning to full fitness to find himself on the bench.

In those games, Benda conceded 12 goals and did have some notably poor performances in a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Middlesbrough as well as a 4-0 defeat to Coventry City.

With a save percentage of just 57%, according to FotMob, Benda has the worst record in that regard in the entirety of the Championship this season, and FLW’s Millwall Fan Pundit Lucas Ball has called on the club to try and send him and his estimated £10,000 per week wages (as per Capology) back to Fulham in January if they are able to do so.

Lucas told Football League World: “Our worst player so far this season has been Steven Benda, by a mile.

“He started the season as number one, after joining on loan from Fulham, and has been awful. I’d quite happily send him back to Fulham in January if there is an option to break the loan early.

“He's not a Millwall type player at all, either. He doesn’t seem to really have any character or grit about him to play for a club like ours.

“Mistake-ridden, not particularly strong with the ball at his feet. I could go on but he’s just not a Championship goalkeeper. He’s been terrible for us.

“He didn’t instill any confidence in the back-line and you can see that in the games when the team was defending. They seemed nervous a lot of the time and if they let a long shot then there is a decent chance it goes in because he wasn’t saving much.

“I think he actually has the worst save percentage out of any goalkeeper in the Championship this season. Compared to Max Crocombe as well, who has come in and done really well and actually has one of the best save percentages.

“It’s not all about stats but, you know, sometimes they just aid what your eyes are telling you and this is one of the occasions.

“He’s not a Championship-level goalkeeper. If we can get rid of him in January then we should, with Lukas Jensen now on the road to recovery and Joel Coleman is obviously there as third-choice.

“Hopefully he doesn’t have to play any games. In terms of budget, as well, if we can re-allocate some of what we are paying on his wages and loan fee then there is probably better money to be spent elsewhere than him. Hopefully we don’t see him wear the shirt again.”

Steven Benda has had a limited career - his time at Millwall though looks over

Having come through the academies of Heidenheim and 1860 Munich in Germany before moving to Swansea City, Steven Benda has had a limited impact in the EFL.

The German actually did begin his professional career well from a team perspective as he made 24 appearances for a Swindon Town side that were crowned League Two winners in the curtailed 2019/20 campaign, halted due to COVID-19.

Following that, though, he has only ever made it into double figures for league appearances in a season just once in his career since, filling in at Swansea City for 21 games in the 2022/23 campaign.

Benda had a bit of a break when joining Millwall as he was expected to get first-team football whilst Lukas Jensen was out injured, but the shot stopper has struggled in south London.

Now, at the age of 27, there will be major question marks as for what next for Benda, with Millwall’s goalkeeping stocks are soon to be replenished by the return to full fitness of Jensen, who has recently played for Millwall’s under-21's side and is nearing a comeback to the senior ranks.

New Zealand international Max Crocombe has also stood in to do a fine job, with only seven goalkeepers in the second-tier having a better save percentage than the former Burton Albion man - there's set to be multiple stoppers ahead of Benda in the pecking order soon, and it's going to leave him surplus to requirements for Alex Neil.