GARY Rowett says that it was “the right time” to bring George Long into the starting lineup for the Championship game.
The decision came as a major surprise given that Bartosz Bia?kowski has been the Lions’ first-choice goalkeeper for the last two seasons, with the former Polish international on the bench for Saturday’s win against Blackpool.
Long had a fairly easy afternoon despite conceding in the first half, making just one save against the Tangerines.
“Bart was a difficult one,” Rowett said after the game.
“Firstly, I think he’s been outstanding as a person and as a goalkeeper. I can’t speak highly enough of him. I think the way he supported George Long was absolutely incredible, he put the team before himself.
“I’ll be honest with you, I’ve had 18 months where I’ve been saying to Longy, ‘be patient, you might get a chance, be patient, you might get a chance’. He’s been outstanding in training, you watch him every single day. The strikers want extra finishing [practice], he’s there throwing himself around. He’s a top quality goalkeeper.
“I just felt that I needed to do something to see if I could change some dynamic. We’re very quiet, our back three, and Longy is very loud, he’s very vociferous. He demands a lot from people.
“That was it really, it wasn’t down to performances, it was just down to me trying to be fair. I think I can be called many things as a manager, but I think I’m pretty fair and I felt it was the right time to give him an opportunity. I thought you could see his composure on the ball, his ability to play out from the back, long or short, and he’s made a couple of good saves as well.
“He’ll feel good today. He’s had to be really, really patient, and sometimes you can only say it for so long without it sounding like hot air, so I thought today was the right time.”
Photo: Millwall FC