‘Poorest I have seen it managed’ – Millwall boss on Birmingham’s time-wasting

Millwall manager Gary Rowett believed Birmingham City’s time-wasting on Tuesday evening was poorly managed by the refereeing officials.

The Lions suffered a 1-0 defeat at The Den, with Lukas Jutkiewicz’s 27th-minute strike the difference.

Rowett’s side stayed fifth in the Championship table but are only two points clear of seventh-placed Blackburn, who have two games in hand over the South Londoners.

“Sometimes it can sound like sour grapes as a manager who has lost the game,” said the Lions boss.

“I have no problem with Birmingahm or John Eustace doing it – at the end of the day, they can do whatever they want.

“That’s why there are people who are in different colour tops to essentially manage the game and those situations.

“I’ll be honest, it’s probably the poorest I have seen it managed from my perspective.

“The goalkeeper gets warned after 54 minutes, and the fourth official said to me: ‘Don’t worry, he’s dealing with it.’

“He went and had a word with him, turned round, let him take another 20 seconds and let him keep doing it all game.

“They did a triple substitution where it was let’s see who can take the mickey out of the ref the most and waste time.

“I don’t blame them. We have had games this season where, as a manager, you think: ‘We’re getting away with, so we will just keep doing it until someone says stop.’

“It has to be stamped out. It’s one thing not getting penalties against Coops when he gets dragged to the floor, but you have got to manage those games.

“Would it have made any difference? I don’t know. But it just allowed them to disrupt any momentum that we had.”