BROMSGROVE’S own Gary Rowett has had a tough start to the season in East London.
His Millwall side managed to pick up two wins in their first three games — a 2-0 victory over Stoke City and a 3-2 victory over Coventry City, both at the New Den.
But since then, it’s all been downhill. Back-to-back defeats away at Sheffield United and in the League Cup to League One Cambridge United were a sign of things to come.
Despite those reverses, The Lions did then manage that victory over Coventry, but three consecutive defeats were to follow, defeats in which Rowett’s side could even muster a single goal.
They firstly were defeated away 2-0 away at recently relegated Norwich City courtesy of a Josh Sargent double.
They then lost 1-0 at home to relegation favourites Reading with Senegalese defender Naby Sarr grabbing the winner.
A tough trip to Turf Moor was to follow, and the visitors would once again come away empty-handed. Second-half strikes from Vitinho and Jay Rodriguez were enough to seal a 2-0 victory and three points for Burnley.
The losing streak ends at three
The poor run of form came to a halt on September 3rd with a comprehensive 2-0 home victory over Cardiff City.
Goals from young defender Charlie Cresswell and a late strike from former Premier League striker Benik Afobe were enough to secure a massive three points and relieve some of the pressure on manager Gary Rowett, who was infamously sacked by Birmingham City back in December 2016.
The Championship this season looks closer than ever.
The likes of Norwich, Watford, Burnley, and Sheffield United – all of whom have played in the Premier League at some point throughout the last two seasons – are the contenders for promotion. But outside of those four, the division looks evenly matched.
The newly promoted teams from League One, Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic, and Sunderland — who are next up for Millwall — have all made decent starts to life back in the second tier.
That makes the battle to avoid the drop all the more interesting, with no clear favourites for relegation as things stand. Rowett and company will be hoping to avoid any more losing streaks and ensure that they keep their heads firmly above water as the season progresses.
What’s up next for The Lions?
The first thing on the agenda is a trip to the Stadium of Light, which on paper looks to be a difficult test.
New manager Tony Mowbray, who recently took over from Alex Neill, the man who controversially left the Black Cats for Stoke City, has hit the ground running.
His side decimated fellow promoted side Rotherham in his first game in charge, scoring three unanswered second-half goals.
They then travelled to local rivals Middlesbrough and were unlucky to slip to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
After that long trip North, Millwall have back-to-back home games.
The first of which is a London derby against Queen’s Park Rangers. In the second, the Lions host Blackpool.
The double-header marks a great chance for Rowett’s side to pick up six points and make their way up the Championship table.
Thanks to the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the English football calendar has never looked busier.
Players in the Premier League and the Championship especially can expect to play a huge amount of matches in a shorter space of time, with most weeks featuring at least two fixtures.
It remains to be seen how that will affect clubs with smaller squads, such as Millwall.
Last season, the club from the New Den missed out on the playoffs by just six points, and Rowett and his coaching staff will be hoping to bridge that gap this season.
The club have made a host of impressive signings, including Zian Flemming, Benik Afobe, George Honeyman, and the highly rated Callum Styles – who was linked with a move to Scottish champions Celtic in the summer.
We will have to wait and see whether those signings can propel the club to the top six, but the sooner they start looking up the table — rather than over their shoulders — the better.
