Millwall boss gives his verdict on 2-1 win at Sheffield United – and a tactical dilemma
BY ALEX GRACE
Gary Rowett described Millwall’s response to defeat against Luton Town after they followed up with a 2-1 victory at Sheffield United as “super”.
The Lions took all three points in Yorkshire after Jake Cooper’s 92nd-minute winner secured back to back away wins for the first time this season. Rowett had called on his side for a response after last Saturday’s abject display against the Hatters.
“We asked the players for a really honest performance, a hard-working performance, and we knew if we did the right things tactically we would cause some problems,” said Rowett. “You saw for the first half an hour at a place like this that it’s a difficult place to come – there was a fabulous atmosphere and they won the last home game. You know if they start brightly that all of a sudden it’s a very, very difficult game.
“For half an hour we were absolutely brilliant. We counter-attacked with transition, we got our wing-backs in dangerous positions, our three forwards caused problems and we were really, really good. We made a mistake before half-time which was disappointing because I felt we deserved to go in 1-0 up.”
Sheffield United were reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute when Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off for a second bookable offence.
Rowett said: “I was tempted to go to 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 and put another forward on but you look at Sheffield United, good players, and every time the ball broke to them they just kept getting in good positions and were looking like they might get something. I just felt as though it was a game where freshness might win us it rather than a tactical change. I’m sure it was a very good game to watch for the neutral but for both managers and dugouts I’m sure it probably wasn’t quite the game that you want.”
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A Quote from the media “This season, George Saville, George Evans, Maikel Kieftenbeld, Ryan Leonard and Billy Mitchell are all ahead of Thompson in Rowett’s midfield plans?????????”
How can this be – it shows what a poor judge of a player Rowett is. It is maybe more that he the supposed manager has signed them or has connections with them from the past – but they are not better than Thompson – none of them. If Rowett is allowed to squeeze Thommo out it would be a club tragedy.