Millwall boss frustrated at quality of set-pieces in derby defeat to QPR

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has bemoaned his side’s lack of quality from deadball moments in last night’s 2-0 defeat to QPR.

And the Lions chief has also been left scratching his head over the way the R’s were allowed to take a quick corner, Stefan Johansen meeting minimal resistance as he stroked the west London outfit’s second goal past Bartosz Bialkowski.

“There were a couple of things that were frustrating last night,” Rowett told the South London Press. “At 0-0 we squandered about six set-pieces, of which not one of them got into an area where we should at least try and attack it. That, for us, is a massive strength and we can’t afford to play with that lack of accuracy, in terms of delivery.

“And then to concede the [second] goal, you watch it back and it is like schoolboy defending from everybody. Not one person reacts and not one person organises. I know we work very hard on certain things, I know we give lots of good information and ultimately you need the players to carry that out on the pitch.

“That was my disappointment, if you look at that one moment then we could watch it 100 times and 100 times you’d be saying: ‘What on earth are we doing?’. It’s the Championship, not non-league football where people are working all day and you can forgive them for being a little bit lacking in concentration – this is our job.

“It’s moments like that are the reason we’re not winning games of football, because we’re not doing the right things often enough.

“That was hugely disappointing because that is not what we are about and not what I’ve tried to build a team to be about. I’m sure the players will be disappointed when they see it back