GARY Rowett is setting the bar high this season – and says Millwall will be looking to be in amongst the top teams from the start of the Championship campaign.
The Lions are notorious slow starters. When Rowett took over from Neil Harris last October the side were 17th in the second tier.
Millwall were closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs near Christmas the season they were promoted from League One in 2016-17. The following season they were in 17th place after half the campaign before surging up to sixth with two games left.
Millwall finished eighth last season but Rowett was in no mood to hand out plaudits, saying they should have bigger ambitions.
“That’s just the challenge of where we want to try and be, whether it’s this season, next season or any other season,” Rowett said. “From the start of the season you have to try and look towards those top positions. You have to work to try and be in there.
“We’re not suggesting we will be – you’ve got to work incredibly hard to get the type of performances we got out of last season.
“That’s the challenge, that’s always where you set the bar. That will be our hope and we’ll work towards that.”
Millwall returned to pre-season training last Thursday, after just a three-week break since the last game of 2019-20.
Rowett was happy with the shape of his squad on their return.
“I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised,” he said. “I felt as though with three weeks’ break some players would be coming back and mentally not looking like they’ve quite had enough. But actually the players have settled really well back into training.
“The spirit has been excellent, the work has been excellent so far. It’s probably a bit too early to judge but certainly there’s no problem with the tight turnaround. The players are just pleased to be back again.”
Three big-spending teams – Leeds, West Brom and Fulham – were promoted to the Premier League last season, with Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich taking their places in the Championship.
But he wouldn’t be drawn into predictions about how he sees the league panning out.
Rowett said: “I see it as exactly the same. I’ve been asked this question probably every season and every season I see top teams. The gaps are slowly getting closer and closer all the time. I just think it’s such a competitive league.
“I don’t think there’s any way you can call any aspect of it other than concentrate on what your team has to do, concentrate on what you need to be successful.
“Which is consistency of performance, a high level of performance week-in, week-out and see what that leads to.”
Image: Millwall FC