Millwall boss doesn’t believe rule change hands Southampton, Leeds and Leicester an advantage

Gary Rowett has had his say on the Championship rule change which means clubs can name nine substitutes for the 2023-24 season – and does not believe it hands any kind of significant advantage to the likes of Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City.

Clubs in the second tier will have two extra bench slots but can still only replace five players.

Leeds, Southampton and Leicester have dropped down from the Premier League and their resources ensure they will have deeper squads than most at the level.

But Lions boss Rowett told the South London Press: “I don’t really think there is a massive advantage, either way. It allows you to keep, more or less, all of your squad together.

“We’re travelling now with 20 players. Usually, two players might miss out. They are sat at home thinking ‘what have I done wrong’. From a managerial perspective, it allows you to keep everyone a part of it and together. We went from five subs to seven – it didn’t make any real difference.

“Now we’re going from seven to nine. You can only put five on. Nobody can chuck five forwards on – the tactics wouldn’t work. Realistically, it doesn’t have a massive material impact on smaller teams, bigger teams or teams with more options.

“You have to be clever with the way you use it regardless now, with how many interventions you can make.”