Millwall boss Rowett knows Watford in stronger shape from side they dispatched 3-0 at The Den

Gary Rowett says that Watford will be a “very different” proposition from the side that were mauled 3-0 at Millwall earlier in the Championship campaign.

Tom Bradshaw scored a first-half hat-trick for the Lions as Slaven Bilic’s side had no answer to the physicality and aerial dominance of the hosts.

But since then the Hornets have lost just once, winning five and drawing two of their eight matches.

Watford are fourth in the table heading into the Boxing Day meeting at Vicarage Road.

“We played really well that night and we caused them problems with our intensity and the way we stepped on to them – we didn’t give them much chance to breathe early on in the game,” Rowett told the South London Press.

“They are a very good side with a really big, experienced manager in Slaven Bilic, who is a great guy. You can see the influence he’s had on that team – they have started to be very consistent. They have got some excellent players, the likes of Joao Pedro, Ismaila Sarr and Keinan Davis – it almost seems silly some of those players are in the Championship, but that’s where they are.

“Their recent form shows they are a Premier League side with parachute money, trying to find their way to the top end of the Championship.

“Our challenge every single week is we have got to go to these places and get results in different ways – sometimes you have to play your way through to results, sometimes you have to dig out a result, sometimes you have to fight your way to results and sometimes you have to get a result skillfully. There are so many different ways to do it – there is no one cap fits all.

“We know what the challenge is, you have to keep those type of talented players quiet and that is half the battle. We look forward to the game, we relish it – but I’m sure we’ll be facing a very different Watford team to the one we played at The Den, what feels like months ago now.”