Gary Rowett explains challenge facing Millwall ahead of Luton clash and praises matchwinner Aiden O’Brien
BY ALEX GRACE
Gary Rowett has outlined what his Millwall team will need to do if they are to make it back-to-back home wins when they host Luton Town on New Year’s Day.
The game kicks off at 12.45pm and it means Millwall could move into the Championship play-off places with victory over the Hatters ahead of the 3pm fixtures.
The Lions have beaten Leeds, Brentford and Preston – all in the top eight – at The Den. But they have dropped points in SE16 to some of the less fancied sides with a recent defeat to Barnsley and being held by Wigan Athletic.
“The reality is you cannot win every game,” said Rowett. “Every team has their own challenges. When we are the underdog we rise to the occasion, like you’d expect.
“We are a team that likes turning over the bigger teams or the teams above us. The challenge is then, like we found against Barnsley, is that the teams below when there is a slight expectation on us, we have to find the same desire and drive off the ball as well as on the ball.”
Millwall have taken 11 out of a possible 15 points against teams above them, compared to just eight from 18 available against teams below them.
Rowett said: “It will be a challenge against Luton. They are a good side but they are below us in the table but we have to work equally as hard.”
Aiden O’Brien scored the winning goal against Brentford, his third in three games at The Den. He started in place of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Rowett praised the Republic of Ireland international.
“He deserved a start,” said the Lions boss. “He would have started against Cardiff but he was ill.
“He deserved to start today on the basis of his training performances. He has shown a real appetite to be at the club and play.
“I felt as though it was a formation that would suit him in a front three because occasionally playing off the left he loses his discipline sometimes because he wants to be central – he is a 10 or a nine really.
“Sometimes when you lose your discipline it is a good thing because it creates movement in the front areas. It was a good finish and he like a lot of others is trying hard to stake their claim for a place in the side.
“He has shown in his career that he can score goals. He has a very good record for not an out and out striker. Him Jed and Bradders linked the play very well in that formation. He needs to be in off the line to play his best football.”
