Gary Rowett: A play-off push was at end of my three-year plan for Millwall – but players here are excited at challenge
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk
Millwall could move into the Championship play-off zone this weekend – with Gary Rowett admitting a promotion challenge has been mounted far more quickly than he anticipated.
The Lions were 17th when the 46-year-old succeeded Neil Harris, who went on to take charge at Cardiff City.
But if Millwall win at QPR tomorrow they would leapfrog their former manager’s team into sixth place with just one round of fixtures to go.
Rowett said: “If I look back at the interview process I had to deliver a three-year plan – this was almost like the third year, getting into the top six or at least getting really close to the top six.
“Probably mid-table solidity, without the fear of being in the bottom positions [was the initial aim].
“But when you come into the club and you see the level that the players work at and how committed they are, it’s hard not to start looking up – which I think we did early on.
“But if I look back 30 games ago, for me to say we’d be in this position now then I’d be lying. It is a massive testament to the players and staff behind the scenes – how hard everyone has worked. It’s an exciting end.
“It’s probably going to come down to us needing to win both games. And we know that, the players know what we’ve got to do.
“If you saw the dressing room before the last two games they are just excited at the challenge. Sometimes it’s better to be just outside it with nothing to lose.”
Mason Bennett’s goal clinched a 1-0 victory over Blackburn on Tuesday night to move the SE16 outfit up to seventh.
But Rowett just wished it had been a packed Den celebrating a vital three points.
“It’s a great end to the season. The only thing that disappoints me a little bit is that after the Blackburn game it felt like a bit of an anti-climax to the end.
“Firstly because Cardiff had won and secondly because there are no fans there. There are two games left and you walk off the pitch to nothing. It’s such a shame, isn’t it? At both ends of the table there are going to be some corking games to finish it. But the fans aren’t there to see it. There is disappointment tinged with the excitement.”
Rowett has not been in contact with Harris recently. The Lions legend won promotion to the Championship in 2017 and the following campaign the South Londoners narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
Chopper ended his four-year reign in October before taking the Cardiff job in late November after they parted company with Neil Warnock.
“It’s really hard for me to be hoping they [Cardiff] don’t make it, because Neil really helped me when I first got the job,” said Rowett.
“We want to get in there, no doubt about it. We’re desperate to get in at the expense of Cardiff, Swansea or Preston. But if we don’t get in there, I wouldn’t be too disappointed if Neil does. That’s the genuine truth.
“It’s game on and we’ll all go about our business looking to win games of football and see where it takes us.
“So many times we thought we were out of it but the lads have just never given up.They should be given huge, huge credit that we’re sat in the position we’re in.”
Millwall last reached the Championship play-offs in 2002.
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