A fan-free Den means Millwall have lost intimidation factor – Gary Rowett on home form + Lions’ play-off prospects

Millwall will aim to end their seven-match winless run at home in the Championship in tomorrow’s night Den meeting with Blackburn Rovers – with manager Gary Rowett conceding that playing at their empty home ground is a boost for opponents.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced English football to resume without supporters at matches.

And the Den has long been seen as a mental test for visiting sides due to the atmosphere generated by Lions fans.

Millwall have drawn four and lost three of their last seven league outings in SE16.

Saturday’s 1-0 win at Hull City made it 30 points banked on their travels compared to 32 on home turf.

Rowett said: “I look at someone like Sheffield United in the Premier League, who are a team that thrives off the passion of the crowd.

“I know a lot of sides do, but some sides are very technical and it doesn’t really affect them with a crowd. In fact sometimes you could argue it helps them with no pressure from the crowd – they can play slower with the build-up and they’ve not got the fans getting a little bit edgy at one or two misplaced passes.

“I know it’s the same for everybody. But over the years I’ve brought teams to The Den and that was part of the fear factor. You were always worried how your team would react to the hostile environment and atmosphere. It wasn’t a ground on a Tuesday night that some of the bigger teams relished coming to.

“Alongside that the team often made it a really tough game physically.

“You can speak to opposition teams and I spoke to a Derby player who said you haven’t got that intimidation factor that you’d normally have at The Den.

“That’s just the facts of the matter, I’m not saying we’re worse off than anyone else. We have to find a solution – we haven’t lost many by the way. We just haven’t managed to turn a lot of the tight draws into wins.

“Away from home we’ve played with a lot more calmness and less pressure. It’s something every team has to navigate.”

Millwall are two points behind sixth-placed Cardiff City.

“What I’ve been impressed with from the moment I walked into the club is the team’s mentality is fantastic,” said Rowett. “Even against Middlesbrough we didn’t lose the game because they didn’t try hard enough or their mentality wasn’t good.

“We lost the game because we made a couple of mistakes and maybe didn’t show the quality needed in the final third at times.

“But for every game the reaction, drive and attitude is a very positive one. What I like is that we’ve lost a game and we’ve always bounced back and got the next result. It shows the group have a great mentality.

“Everyone is in the same position – no-one can string enough results together to get away safe into the play-offs apart from the top teams.

“We’re one of these teams who are striving to get back-to-back results that could make all the difference.

“At this stage of the season it is very, very unpredictable and quite hard to win games.”

TOP PHOTO: BRIAN TONKS