Adam Barrett looks set to take charge of Saturday’s clash with Southampton.
The Lions have been without a manager since Gary Rowett left the club on October 18th.
Assistant manager Barrett has been in caretaker charge since Rowett’s departure and has so far taken charge of three games, Drawing two against Preston and Watford while losing one to Blackburn Rovers.
A number of names have been linked to the job most notably, Kevin Muscat, Michael Beale, John Eustace and Neil Warnock.
The latter is reportedly set to make a sensational return to Loftus Road after QPR sacked Gareth Ainsworth following their 2-1 defeat at home to Leicester – their sixth defeat in a row.
Bristol City have also parted ways with their manager Nigel Pearson. It has been reported that both clubs are interested in some of the names on Millwall’s shortlist.
Interviews have already taken place with more scheduled for this week. It is still not known what the timescale is for the Lions hierarchy to make an appointment. They have said that they are determined to carry out at comprehensive search before naming their new boss.
The Lions have two more matches, against the Saints on Saturday and then Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough next weekend before the international break.
Gary Rowett has left Millwall after he and the club ‘mutually agreed to part company”
The former Birmingham, Derby and Stoke manager leaves the club three days short of his four year anniversary. He was the second longest serving boss in the Championship, behind Coventry’s Mark Robins.
Lions chairman James Berylson said “We greatly appreciate Gary’s efforts throughout his time in charge and he departs with the best wishes of everybody connected with the club. While my time working directly with Gary has been short, I have thoroughly enjoyed all our interactions and feel that he leaves us having enhanced the club’s on-pitch status during four successful years in charge.”
Rowett himself said in the statement. “Firstly, I would like to thank the fans for all their support during my time at the club. The atmosphere they create is truly unique.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed being manager of Millwall and depart with a feeling that the club has progressed during my tenure. As is sometimes the case in football, the time just feels right to part ways.
“I would like to thank John Berylson, James, Steve Kavanagh, Alex Aldridge, my backroom staff, and everyone behind-the-scenes for their hard work and support.
“Finally, I’d like to extend my gratitude to the players, who I thank for the blood, sweat, and tears they have put into their efforts. It has been a successful and enjoyable four years.”
Anyone who is not associated with the club or anyone who doesn’t follow Millwall will look at this and think it’s a strange decision. However, any of us that follow the club will not be surprised. The only thing that has surprised me is the timing of the announcement three days before the end of the International break.
Looking back on the last four years, Millwall have improved. I don’t think there is anyone who will say that Rowett has not taken the club forward. A team that used to be a bit of floater between the Championship and League One are now an established top half Championship team.
Rowett took the team on from where Neil Harris left off in 2019. The last four years have been successful. The League finishes of 8th, 11th, 9th and 8th show just how close the Lions have come and how consistent the former Burton manager has made the club.
He leaves with a record of 196 games, 76 wins, 57 draws and 63 defeats. That’s a win percentage of 38.8. You compare that to Kenny Jackett and Neil Harris who both had long stints in charge. They both managed to secure win percentages of over 40 – however, both had two seasons in the third tier.
Rowett will go down as one of Millwall’s most successful managers in the second tier and rightfully so. He has done very well to get the club into play-off contention year after year considering the budget and the standing of the club in the middle of their Championship rivals.
People will ask where did it go wrong? For me, it was the Blackburn game at the end of last season. That took a lot of out not just the team but the manager too. He has not been the same since that game. He has not looked the same, the energy was not the same and the motivation looked to have gone slightly and it only takes that motivation to fall tiny bit for the wheels to come off.
This season started so positively with that win at Middlesbrough on the opening day but things have turned quite a bit since then. The 4-0 defeat to Reading in the League Cup followed by the Norwich game and what happened at Carrow Road left everyone waiting to see when not if there would be a change in the dugout.
In terms of what happens now, the club say “a comprehensive recruitment process is underway.” This is only the sixth time in the Berylson ownership of Millwall that they have had to search for a new manager. If you look at previous five recruitments the club have always taken their time before making these appointments.
Adam Barrett is taking caretaker charge until a new manager is appointed. I would say this decision was taken due to the fact we are now heading into a three game week – a sign that this process may not be that quick and that the club will take their time appoint a new manager.
Well, one conclusion I’ve come to so far this season is we need to sack off the Sunday lunchtime kick-offs.
Two Sunday early kick-offs and two defeats. However, if you compare the two games, there is a big difference in performance levels, application and desire. The Norwich performance was a complete farce. No commitment or fight or application.
Sunday’s clash with Leeds was a little bit different and I think we also need a bit of perspective. Nine of that starting eleven have played in the Premier League. Six of them did last season for the Yorkshire side. Be in no doubt this Leeds side will be up there at the end of the season regardless what any of us thought coming into this game.
I can not agree with anyone who says to me Leeds were there for the taking, I’m sorry but that is people who are in dreamland. Daniel Farke is a two time winner of this league, he knows what he is doing, yes they’ve had a slow start but the quality was always there and it was only going to take a certain period of time before they got going and clicked.
The front four that started on Sunday, Gnoto, Sommerville, Rutter and Piroe, there is not a better front four in the league in my view. They will score goals and they will cut through teams as we saw for their opening goal. A superb team move. From our point of view it’s not the way to defend but you’ve also got to admit it’s a great move and they’ve cut us apart.
Another thing to remember, Leeds had three shots on target and scored three goals, it doesn’t look good from our point of view but what it does indicate, is that they were clinical – something that Millwall have not been for sometime. It was not a 3-0 game anyone who was watching will tell you that.
The second and third Leeds goals were always on the cards due to the changes made by the manager at the 60 minute mark. It was always going to leave us open to a rapid counter and that is what happened.
Tonight we face a Rotherham United team who have not won away for 18 games. This is a side that are similar to ourselves in terms of trouble in front of goal. So, tonight don’t expect plenty of goals, this will be a tight and nervous affair. Both teams need a win. For Millwall, as the home team the expectation will be to go out and get the result.
Home form has been a worry for a while now, selling out the ground has not helped generate results. Luton, Blackburn, Bristol City and Leeds have all left SE16 with at least a point when the ground has been sold out. A full house and a packed out Den has lost that fear factor that it has had in recent years.
2023 has been a disappointing one at home. However, there is still plenty of time left to turn that around. That change needs to start happening tonight.
I’ve seen many different tweets and responses since the Leeds game calling for the managers head. Gary Rowett has done a fine job at our club. Yes, the football might be hard to watch at times, but so far he’s got it right more often than not.
Lets back the team and the manager. A few wins and things will look a lot different. After all, tonight is only game number seven.
League football returns this weekend and it’s the game that we were all waiting for as
Millwall host fierce rivals Leeds United on Sunday lunchtime live on Sky Sports.
As Gary Rowett’s lions play their first game of the season against one of the relegated Premier
League teams.
The Lions will be looking to improve on a spirited point away at Birmingham City. Where
Daniel Farke’s Leeds side will be looking to kick start their season after a so-so start to it
following after a 0-0 draw against Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Ones to watch
This Leeds side is the second youngest squad in the Championship in terms of average age and are packed with loads of vibrant, Premier League experienced players. The main one to keep an eye on is Italian striker Wilfried Gnonto, who after a lot of unrest surrounding his future has stayed at Elland Road to help guide the club back to the Premier League.
Leeds also strengthened their attack in the summer by adding striker Joel Piroe from Swansea City who is regarded as one of the best strikers in the division and are hoping to have Crysensio Summerville back following an injury at the start of the season. In addition, former Millwall loanees Jamie Shackleton and Charlie Cresswell could come back to haunt their former side at the Den. Tottenham loanees Joe Rodon and Djed Spence who have previous Championship experience could prove to be a handful going forward and defensively resolute at the back.
The difference makers
Striker Kevin Nisbet will be looking to continue his goalscoring form for Millwall after netting 2 in 2 following a deflected free kick last time out. Additionally, it would be exactly a year ago on Sunday since Zian Flemming opened his Millwall account against Blackpool. Could Sunday see him open this season’s account and get his season up and running?
The last time we met
You would have to cast your minds back to January 2020 for the last time these two sides locked horns in an entertaining 3-2 win for Leeds at Elland Road. Gary Rowett was into his first season and his Millwall side took the lead to half time. However, a courageous comeback from Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side saw them take all 3 points in what would be their league winning season.
What the bookies think
Despite the home advantage and Leeds’ strange hoodoo against London based football clubs over the years, bookmakers SkyBet have the visitors down as the favourites to claim all 3 points with 11/8 being priced up for a Leeds win. With a Millwall win coming in at 2/1.
Gary Rowett was left frustrated by his side’s lack of quality after Millwall were held to a 1-1 draw by Wigan Athletic at The Den.
Zian Flemming’s volley cancelled out Will Keane’s opener as Kolo Toure earned a point in his first game as a manager.
“It’s a lovely move and a lovely goal, but I think the frustration was that it was the main bit of quality in the game, said Rowett.
“I think if you’re going to open a game like that up and you’re going to win a game like that, you need to show a bit more. But it’s a lovely move. It ended up out to Danny [McNamara], a lovely little clip into Bradders [Bradshaw], a nice chest. I think because he’s hit it early and clean, it’s not allowed the goalkeeper to move.
It was the ninth time that Flemming has found the net this season and the Lions boss was keen to praise the Dutchman.
“We spoke about it before, it’s the sort of quality that Zian has got, and the rest of the players have got as well. I think that was the frustration with the game today.
“Of course, playing against Wigan, it’s another new manager we’ve faced, they’re going to have a little bit of a lift and play at a level probably higher than they’ve been playing in the previous games. You have to accept that and you have to do a little bit more to win the game.
“We conceded a really poor goal, I think that’s the frustration. They have a shot. I think Longy [Long] dives, it deflects back to their lad, who prods it home. We don’t seem to get too many of those ourselves.
“Then we responded quite well after that. Benno [Bennett] started to take on the full-back and started to really cause him problems. It was a good ball in that Vogi [Voglsammer], we spoke about him getting in the box more, he really should score. It’s a good opportunity for him, it comes at him quick and we end up equalising.
“At that point you think ‘okay, let’s put our foot on the gas a little bit and start to attack a little more’. They had moments in the game where they kept the ball and kept us from building any momentum, but I felt that when we went and pressed them, we actually got the ball back. I think it was just down to quality today, we just didn’t really show the extra bit of quality to win the game.
“I’m stood here and I said to the players afterwards, ‘we got a point, that’s all we deserved really, it’s no disgrace but it’s all we deserved’.”
“We’ve got to do a little bit more than that to win at home like we have done so many times this season.”
Gary Rowett was left frustrated by his side’s lack of quality after Millwall were held to a 1-1 draw by Wigan Athletic at The Den.