Sheffield United vs Millwall

72 UTB
MANAGER...
GARY ROWETT
He marked his 100th game in charge of
Millwall earlier this month, but Gary Rowett
believes he is only just getting started
as Lions boss.
This former Burton, Birmingham, Derby and
Stoke manager is relishing the challenge he
has taken on in south London, with 47-yearold
Rowett convinced his Millwall side are on
an upward curve as they look to add winning
consistency to their promise.
“We have got ourselves into great positions
in a lot of matches this season, but we haven’t
always converted those positions into wins,”
says the coach who has overseen 438 games in
a management career that started in 2012.
“We want to play forward with quality, pace
and precision and there is more to come from
us. We’ve got to be ambitious. We want to
be ambitious.
“We’ve always said that we want to be a team
and a club that can sustain that top half of the
table challenge, which as we know is a tough,
tough challenge with a lot of the teams in there.
“We need all of our players available; we
need a little bit of good fortune with injuries,
and we need to click a bit in that final third and
if we do we will have a very good chance in and
around those areas.
“The aim is to be as competitive as we can,
we want to be proud of the team, we want to
do as well as we can, our aim is of course to be
pushing for that top 10.”
Rowett’s extensive experience in the dug-out
should be a big asset for Millwall as they look
to sustain a push for a top six finish, with this
former Birmingham and Derby defender now
embraced into the fabric of the club he has led
since October 2019.
Much of Rowett’s time in charge was spent
without the club’s vocal fans backing his side
and he believes their presence this season can
be crucial to the Lions’ ambitions.
“I’m aware that to get longevity at any club is
a massive challenge,” he added. “There is that
thirst in modern day football for success, so
to get to 100 games at a club like Millwall is a
proud moment and shows a relative amount of
success in what we’re trying to do.
“It feels a little bit like we’re just starting and
that is a good thing because two years in a job,
with all sorts of challenges, can feel a lot longer
than two years. There is a real chance to build
something here, which I’ve always wanted to
do. Let’s see how it goes.
“I’m mindful that this is the Championship you
can lose the next seven and be out. It keeps
you on your toes.”
With stability off the field at Millwall backed
up by the presence of Rowett on the touchline,
the travelling fans arriving at Bramall Lane
tonight have every reason to feel optimistic
after their long trip from London.
SHEFFIELD UNITED vs MILLWALL