'It doesn’t bother us' - Millwall boss Gary Rowett hits back at doubters after Middlesbrough win
Gary Rowett, the manager of Millwall, celebrates after the match Feb 2023
Millwall boss Gary Rowett watched his side kick off the new Championship season with an impressive away victory over Middlesbrough.
Gary Rowett is happy for Millwall to continue flying under the radar in their quest for a Championship play-off spot after starting the season with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Romain Esse's 79th-minute strike secured victory at the Riverside for the Lions, who missed out on a top-six place on the final day of last term after their capitulation in a home defeat to Blackburn.
The Lions have strengthened with the addition of five senior players this summer, yet when most pundits were making predictions of who would be challenging for promotion this campaign, Millwall rarely featured on their lists.
Rowett accepts that his club might not have as high a profile as some of their Championship rivals, but is hoping they once again punch above their perceived weight over the course of the next nine months.
Rowett said: "It doesn't bother us - we enjoy that underdog tag. We've had four seasons where we've been very, very close to the play-offs, and the last two seasons have gone to the last game.
"If people write us off, maybe that's people who haven't looked at our squad. I think we've strengthened well and I think we've got a good squad.
"If you look at this division, it's always easy to pick the big-name teams or the teams that have come down from the Premier League, and I understand that. Nine times out of 10, those teams bounce back up because they have the quality and the resources.
"I'd expect a club like Middlesbrough to be ahead of us in people's thoughts of what's going to happen at the end of the season, but that doesn't stop us from being what we are.
"People label Millwall a certain way, but if you look at today, yes we defended diligently, yes we transitioned well, but we actually played some really good football as well and we've got some talented players."
