Millwall boss on Fortuna Sittard loss and the positives he can take from pre-season programme

Millwall manager Gary Rowett was able to take plusses out of the club’s pre-season programme despite signing off with a 2-1 defeat to Fortuna Sittard at The Den.

Tom Bradshaw put the Lions in front in the first half, converting Danny McNamara’s pass.

Alen Halilovic scored a terrific equaliser for the visitors on the stroke of half-time. Kevin Nisbet’s penalty was saved by Ivor Pandur before Tijjani Noslin grabbed the winner, reacting quickly after Millwall keeper George Long had also kept out his spot kick.

Rowett said: “It was very different to the Charlton game – there was less atmosphere in the stadium and so it didn’t feel quite so much of a game. Nevertheless it was still a good workout. They moved the ball quite well and give you a different test, tactically and technically off the ball.

“In the first half we worked our shape quite well. The times when we turned the ball over and got into good areas meant we probably should’ve come in at half-time two or three goals up.

“We were a little wasteful in our finishing. The goal was a good one. Bradders ends up switching play – which is what you’ve got to do against a four (at the back) and open spaces. Danny makes a good run and the ball is cutback to Bradders for a really good finish. Bradders, Nizzy and Dunc looked quite good as a front three, they caused problems.

“I gave Casper a chance to play with Billy this time, to give him an opportunity to build some kind of relationship with him.

“When we were calm on the ball and played through the lines quickly we mixed the game up quite well and got into some good areas. The goal comes from probably a poor bit of defending. It’s a great finish but we should play with a bit more aggression and intensity.

“We go in at 1-1 and second half we get the penalty through some more good play and probably should go 2-1 up. The keeper makes an excellent save. After that the game fizzled out. That was the disappointment. We made a lot of changes and I’m not blaming the players that came on the pitch. We changed formation to try and get on the front foot a little bit more but we kind of went into ‘let’s just get through the last 30 minutes mode’. That was the disappointment – I want to see a little more intensity and energy to the way we play.

“But I’m also realistic to know these games can be hard to inject into it yourself.

“The positives are that we’ve scored a good few goals in pre-season and virtually all of the forward players have pretty much been in the scoring and some good partnerships are building.

“It’s only George Honeyman who is injured. I’d love to go and win the last three or four games and look incredible, so everyone thinks you are going to get promoted but the reality is it doesn’t quite happen like that in pre-season.

“We’ve got hard work this week. I’ve told the players they better be ready for Monday. We need to get a little more out of it than we did the game today and be ready for Middlesbrough. I’m sure we will be.”