Millwall boss on switch to 4-4-2, Den pitch being relaid in the summer and professionalism of Alex Pearce and Matt Smith
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Millwall manager Gary Rowett has explained why he switched back to 4-4-2 for the 2-0 win over Reading on Saturday.
It proved a successful move for the Lions as Matt Smith and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson scored for South Londoners.
Millwall have also played 5-2-3 since Rowett came to the club.
And he has praised club captain Alex Pearce and Smith for their attitudes when it comes to their starting opportunities.
Pearce was substituted off in the first half of the win over Luton – as the 5-2-3 system failed to click and Tom Bradshaw came on to support Smith.
Pearce was on the bench for the victory over the Royals.
Asked about reverting to 4-4-2, Rowett said: “If we feel as though we can get a lot of crosses in the box and hurt a team that way – and we felt we could against Luton and Reading – then we’re always going to want to play Matt.
“If you play Matt then I think it showed in the Luton game that we’ve got to try and help put more bodies around him – it’s just a more effective way to play with Matt.
“The better we get in a 5-3-2 then he can play as a central striker.
“We saw against Luton in a 5-2-3 that we have got to pass the ball well to get up the pitch. On our pitch at the moment we have found that difficult – that’s just been down to the weather, nothing else.
“We’re getting it relaid at the end of the season and that will be fantastic for next year.
“At the moment it is quite hard to make passes to get into those areas. You lose one defender and add a striker, it can make you a little more progressive.
“We’ve found a little balance but it is not going to work every time. I’d love to go and pick the same team every week but it doesn’t work like that.
“But we’ve got good characters like Pearcey who understand when I have to make that formation change – and also the likes of Matt.
“I spoke to Pearcey at the weekend and his comment was: ‘Gaffer – it’s what is best for the team’. That is another unique situation. He wants to play every game and Matt Smith wants to play every game. But they understand it.”
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