Millwall boss Rowett on ‘small margins and little details’ that are vital to Championship success

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has given his verdict on Yuta Nakayama‘s speculative goal which consigned his side to defeat at Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

The Lions head to Birmingham City tonight looking to bounce back from a 1-0 reverse at the weekend which halted a Championship run of four straight victories that had lifted them into the play-off positions.

The Japanese international looked like he was intent on crossing but instead his long-range hit soared over George Long in the ninth minute.

The result took the Terriers off the bottom of the table.

Rowett told the South London Press: “One thing initially you think is that at a place like Huddersfield, at the minute, if we can get through those first 20 minutes then you know there is going to be a bit of frustration that sets in and they are going to have to come out and open up.

“The freakish nature of the goal gave them something to sit in and defend.

“We had about 60 per cent possession, which is very unusual for us, and it was really whether we could break them down.

“Whilst they defended very well, we needed a little bit more quality to our creativity to do that. That’s what happens sometimes.

“We spoke to the players on Monday about one or two things we could do better and one of them was our shape just got opened up a little bit and that side became open, which allowed the lad to take a touch and step another 10 yards where normally he wouldn’t be able to do that.

“It’s always easy to be critical and it wasn’t necessarily being critical, it was just if we’d done that a little bit better then he wouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.

“They are the small margins and little details we want to make sure we get right more than we get wrong. I would say probably in the last six games I can forgive the players one or two things because they have been fantastic.

“The aim is to put that to bed quickly, move on, work on what we can do better and get back on another positive run.”