“We thrive off a bit of chaos” – Millwall manager Gary Rowett wants direct but cultured play

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Gary Rowett reckons Millwall have added a bit more “chaos” to their approach play – as they look to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to six games at Reading tomorrow.

The Lions head to Berkshire off the back of their biggest victory of the campaign, putting four goals past Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Millwall had 10 different players have at least one shot against the Owls, writes Richard Cawley.

The Lions went with a front pairing of Kenneth Zohore and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson last weekend.

Rowett said: “It can feel a bit more negative compared to a 5-2-3, but you always have two strikers up there. We have maybe tried to be a bit too controlled and deliberate at home.

“What we did on Saturday was try and play forward quickly, put the opposition under pressure. For the first 20-25 minutes it didn’t look particularly cultured because we didn’t do it with any quality. As the game went on we started to do it with more quality and won some first headers and landed on second balls. That ended up with us producing an attacking, front-foot performance.

“We need to play directly but in a good, cultured way. Maybe not make too many passes across the back, go backwards or try to play through Woodsy [Ryan Woods] too much. That has maybe stopped us creating enough.

“We’re the sort of team and club who thrive on a bit of chaos. I want us to create a bit more chaos in our home games and score more goals.”