Nigel Spackman must be questioning the wisdom of his return to football management after a five-year gap.

With the season still in its infancy, his new-look side is already being booed by Millwall's demanding supporters.

Midfielder Spackman played for half-a-dozen League clubs during his playing career, including Chelsea, Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers.

His first job in management, at another of his old clubs Sheffield United in succession to Howard Kendall, lasted less than a season in 1997-98.

It was the same story at Barnsley three years later, where Spackman again survived for only nine months after taking over from Dave Bassett.

Now Spackman has dipped his toes back into the murky managerial waters in south-east London at the expense of a career in the media.

It is once more proving to be an unpleasant experience in the wake of Millwall's relegation from the Championship alongside Albion under primarily David Tuttle and then belatedly Colin Lee.

Last Saturday's goalless draw against Blackpool left the Lions with only three teams below them, two points worse off than the Seagulls, and the fans in bleak mood.

Millwall are unbeaten at The Den since Albion's 2-0 win there at the beginning of April but consecutive clean sheets at home came as scant consolation to supporters starved of attacking excitement.

They made their feelings plain at the final whistle, Spackman conceding: "I can understand the crowd's frustration and booing.

"We're at the wrong end of the table, but we have played some good football - though in the end it's about winning matches. We know we needto win at home.

"I think our fans are a very knowledgeable crowd. They like the passion, they like the way the game is played and they can see we are actually playing some good football.

"They are applauding that but at the end of the day they want to see a win and I would have taken a scrappy win but we didn't get it."

Spackman refused to blame a lengthy injury list, led by Darren Byfield, for the Lions' shot-shy showing.

Kevin Braniff, operating as a lone striker, got little joy out of a Blackpool defence securing their first shutout of the campaign.

The multitude of new signings made by Spackman since his appointment in May include three players with Albion connections.

The Seagulls had a £100,000 bid rejected by Clyde for striker Tom Brighton during the March transfer window.

Brighton has made the journey south to Millwall since then on a free transfer but is currently ruled out by an ankle problem.

Byfield attracted Albion's interest at one stage last season when he was banging goals in for Gillingham, while former Paris St-Germain fullback Zaoumana Bakoyoko had a trial with the Seagulls during the close season.

Spackman brought in two more players prior to the close of the transfer window last week.

Ipswich's teenage midfielder Liam Trotter is on loan for three months and ex-Wycombe Wanderers defender Danny Senda has signed a short-term contract until January.

Another recent acquisition is fitness coach Ade Mafe, a former world class sprinter.

But Millwall have been slow out of the blocks so far, particularly away from home where they have lost three out of three.

The honeymoon period for Spackman is definitely over.