GARY Rowett insisted Millwall “will improve” – and is philosophical about the absence of two of his main strikers this season.
Millwall have let in eight goals in 11 games – only Middlesbrough (5) and Swansea (7) have conceded fewer.
But the Lions have only scored 10 goals, with just Boro and Luton (both 9) netting fewer of the top 16 teams in the division.
Rowett signed Troy Parrott and Kenneth Zohore in the summer but the former hasn’t played yet in the league, while the latter scored on his only start.
Parrott should be back after the international break, with Rowett hoping Zohore has at least a month’s worth of games in him after he recovers from injury before his loan ends on January 16.
Rowett said: “Our main two signings in terms of trying to give us more in the attacking area of the pitch have both been unavailable.
“We’re a team that will get better, we will improve. We’ve missed quite a lot of chances that have not been that difficult chances in games.
“We’ve shown that we’re a hard team to beat. Defensively we’ve been superb, what we want is to try to get the balance right [with attack] because that’s the only way you get into the top six in this division.
“That’s our aim, but that doesn’t mean we should be automatically entitled to do it. We’ll just keep trying to do it.
“Over the first quarter I’ve been satisfied, that would be the best way to describe where we are, but there is certainly room for improvement.”
Parrott has yet to make his league debut, while Zohore was injured on his only Championship start.
“It’s part and parcel of the game, and I certainly don’t want to diminish the value of the other attacking players in the squad,” Rowett said. “Everyone is doing their bit and everyone is desperate to kick on.
“But you’ve got two very, very talented players in different ways. One in Ken who’s been there before and done it with Cardiff and showed in the small glimpses that we’ve had that he’s the type of striker that can make a difference.
“And Troy is a younger striker with more potential.
“It’s difficult to look at the effect missing those two has had, but it’s part and parcel of the game, part and parcel of the Championship.”
Image: Millwall FC