Millwall boss Gary Rowett details interesting tactical tweak ahead of Sunderland game

Rowett deployed Jamie Shackleton and Callum Styles in the wing-back positions against Cardiff even though both players are considered as natural midfielders.

“I think you have to be wary of trying to pick the right team for the right game always,” Rowett explained.

“I think that what Callum and Shacks gave us at the weekend was something a little bit different, it was almost like two midfielders playing as wing-backs. Obviously they’re very comfortable going forward, and they also stepped into the inside positions quite well and gave us a little bit more flexibility when we pass the ball.

“It was something I wanted to have a look at. Obviously Shacks has played right wing-back in the Premier League for Leeds on numerous occasions and Callum played there for virtually a whole season under [Valérien] Ismaël when Barnsley got to the play-offs.

“It’s not like they’ve never played there, they’re well-versed in those roles. It gave us more of an attacking threat I felt and that’s something that I need our wing-backs to do. If you’re going to play with wing-backs, there’s no point if you’re going to end up with five defenders sitting deep. You’ve got to get them forward, you’ve got to get them in attacking positions and they’ve got to have an input in the final third.

“Those two certainly did on Saturday but Danny [McNamara] and Scotty [Malone] have done it on a number of occasions too. I just felt that, in the early season, we haven’t taken the handbrake off in those areas yet, so that’s why we did it.”

On the defensive side of things, Rowett said: “It depends, because you might have an opportunity to drive teams back and make them defend more.

“There’s different ways to defend. Sometimes by keeping the ball for a little bit longer it gives you a chance to take the pressure off you when you’re away from home.

“There’s no ‘yes, that’s what we’ll do in that game and that’s what we’ll do in that game’, it’s always a flexible thing. You watch the opposition and try to see where their weaknesses are and what they need to do.”