Millwall boss asked if confidence an issue after Championship defeat to Leeds United

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has talked about injuries not helping him to pick a settled side after today’s 3-0 home defeat to Leeds United.

The defeat to the Whites leaves the South London club 18th in the Championship standings.

Millwall have won four of their last 15 league matches and Rowett was asked if confidence had been affected. He responded: “I don’t know – it’s very difficult to pinpoint and say yes or not.

“We’ve had quite a lot of disruption to the team – it’s been quite difficult to put out a team consistently the same.

“We’ll be without Matty Sarkic for a while, that’s a little bit of a blow for us. Joe Bryan was out today again, that’s another blow. Our captain Hutchy is unavailable. I know you have to put up with that, it’s what teams have to do. But for a small squad like us, that has a big impact.

“As for over a bigger course of the season, if there is a lack of confidence then we’ve got to work hard to get that confidence back. That is my job as a manager. I’m also aware our home form hasn’t been as strong as it has been previously. That’s something we’re keen to try and get back. There is no magic wand.

“My focus is on trying to get us back to winning games of football.

“I said to the players after the game that the only thing you can do now is take some of the good bits out of the game, roll our sleeves up and come out fighting on Wednesday – put in a big performance against Rotherham. Rotherham aren’t going to just let us do what we want. We’re going to have to start like we did (against Leeds) but maintain it and add that little bit of quality. We started poorly last season, had something like 13 points from 10 games – it’s nothing new to us – but it is something you’d like us to do a bit better at the start of the season.”

Leeds scored their goals on the counter – converting all three of their shots on target.

Rowett said: “We have to be aware that teams like that, Norwich, Leicester and Southampton have those players with that ability to go and hurt you.

“You’ve got to make sure you don’t make mistakes. We made a mistake for the first goal where we can do a little bit better not to go down and keep the ball. The second goal we get the press wrong and they end up in a good position – the lad ends up scuffing the shot and it falls to the only player around, missing our two players.

“The third one we make a poor decision on the edge of the box and it gives them a chance to transition. They are the moments in the game. That’s the Championship. If you don’t get those moments right you have an opportunity to lose the game.

“I’d like to see us turn that pressure into bigger chances. We had the one for Bradders and maybe he will feel he could go across the keeper. We didn’t make enough opportunities from the set-pieces. I can’t sit here saying I’m really disappointed with the performance. I’m really disappointed with the scoreline and losing a game of football – but there were a lot of things we were fairly well matched-up with Leeds.”