Millwall boss left frustrated by “big moments” going against his side – and rues inability to punish opposition

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Gary Rowett reckons it has been a familiar story for his Millwall side in recent weeks that big moments have not gone their way.

The Lions have suffered back-to-back Championship defeats for the first time under the experienced boss.

Millwall had drawn their previous five fixtures before the recent reverses and their last victory was at Preston on October 28.

Jed Wallace had a big chance in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at The Den to Derby County but David Marshall denied him with a one-handed save.

Rowett said; “I can look at the last four or five games and think back to Thommo’s header, I think it was against Cardiff, and I can look at chances we had against Reading that we didn’t manage to take.

“I was told officially that we should’ve had three out of the four penalties – not just one [at Blackburn].

“I don’t think we’ve had the rub of the green in the last three or four games but at the same time – with that early chance of Jed’s – we have had opportunities in games and big moments. Last season we were maybe taking those moments. I can think back to the away games at Derby, Swansea and Bristol where we had one chance, we’d take it and then be really resolute for the rest of the match.
We’d be impossible to break down.

“At the moment we’re not taking those chances, which is meaning that certain parts of games we’re having to stretch and almost be open. I thought we looked a little bit desperate at times against Derby and therefore you end up leaving space.

“Any team in this division has the chance to do what we haven’t been doing, which is take their chances. Derby had one chance in the game and took it. We get punished when we’re playing well and we’re not punishing the other teams when we’re not playing well. That’s obviously not a good recipe and it’s something we’ve got to eradicate and change very quickly.”