Millwall players urged to ‘step up’ as Gary Rowett breaks down derby defeat to QPR

Gary Rowett has challenged his side to “step up” following Tuesday night’s disappointing 2-0 defeat against Queens Park Rangers at the Den.

Second-half goals from Callum Willock and Stefan Johansen were enough to condemn the Lions to their fourth defeat in five matches.

But Rowett was adamant that there was not much between the two sides and bemoaned Millwall’s inability to make the most of their own “good moments”.

The Lions boss said: “It was really disappointing simply because I didn’t think there was massive amounts in the game. First half our build-up play was good, we just needed to add a few more incisive forward passes. At times when we did go forward we got into good areas, but [other] times we just kept going backwards and got a little bit bogged down. But I wasn’t overly displeased with some of the play first half. Certainly we warned the players at half-time because there was a couple of opportunities QPR had around the edge of the box.

“We warned them about Chair and Willock, we spoke about it all week, but they’re very good in those areas and the first goal comes from exactly that. We’ve got a really good shape and then I think one of our players jumps out, they play around it, he takes a touch and puts it in the bottom corner. That first goal is very disappointing from our perspective.

“If I was disappointed with the first goal then if I watch the second goal back, I really don’t know what we’re doing.We do a lot of work at set-pieces, I know for a fact that’s not something we would work on. There’s about four players not even looking at the ball, they just play a quick one round us very, very easily and Johansen just drifts into the box, takes a touch inside the pitch and finishes it off.

“Again, as a manager, you’re sitting there and it’s quite disheartening to be 2-0 down at that point because I think they’ve had two shots in the second half and that really was it.

“We’ve then had some good moments ourselves and couldn’t find that goal that makes it interesting, but the Championship’s a tough league – if you go a goal down, it makes it very, very difficult. If you go two goals down, nine times out of 10, you’re losing the game. That was the disappointment.”

The Lions have been one of the most defensively solid teams in the Championship for the majority of Rowett’s tenure, but Millwall have looked uncharacteristically soft at the back this term and gave away two poor goals against Michael Beale’s side.

And Rowett pulled no punches in his assessment after the match when he was asked what had changed.

He continued: “It’s difficult to pinpoint that and I’m certainly not going to go into the exact details. Sometimes when you’ve knocked on the door of the top-six for three seasons, and like I said we’ve lost players in the summer, we’ve got to take a gamble and see if we can step forward in a different way. The challenge with that is that you don’t want to lose some of the things you’ve been very good at. That’s the challenge.

“At the moment, we’ve had a little mix of not being quite resilient enough and not quite being creative enough. We need to find a better balance. It’s as simple as that. Listen, that’s what I get paid to do. I’m still the same manager that took us to the edge of the top-six, now I’ve got to show a different side to make sure we start to climb the table again.

“Whatever shape you play you’ve got to defend well and you’ve got to attack well, so if you’re not defending well and you’re not scoring goals then you’re hoping someone steps up with that little bit of confidence. That’s why I’ve given the front three a little run – we showed some good signs against Burnley and Cardiff, [but] tonight, perhaps we didn’t show as many good signs but you’ve got to give them that opportunity to go.

“I always felt today, if it was 0-0 that the likes of Benik, Tyler and George Honeyman coming on could give us that fresh energy. At the moment, we haven’t scored enough goals. I’ve got to look at the way we’re playing, but individuals also have to look at why that is, they’ve got to step up.

“I’m certainly ready to step up with what I’m doing and the players have to push forward and show that quality, because I believe we’ve got more quality than we’ve shown. I can keep saying it, but if it keeps happening, then I’m just sounding like a mad man at the front here and I’m obviously talking a load of rubbish!”