MILLWALL boss Gary Rowett is not a fan of water breaks in football.
After the restart in June, there was a break midway through each half. The idea was to ensure players could rehydrate during summer fixtures after three months away from the game.
There have been instances of coaches taking a tactics board on to the field to deliver instructions to players. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is in favour of them, and said that it could offer a commercial opportunity, with TV advertisements during the mid-half interval.
In their first game back against Derby, Millwall twice conceded just after the breaks in each half in their 3-2 defeat.
“I’m not a big fan of it,” Rowett said. “I think sometimes pre-season it’s a necessary evil when you might be playing in 30 degrees. For the health of the players in those games it’s necessary. But if it’s not extremely hot then I don’t think it’s necessary.
“I think it was designed just to help players cope having to play so many games [in a short time frame]. But a short break of a minute in middle of a half has not really made a lot of difference.
“All it does is give the opportunity to the team that’s ahead to slow down the game and to buy time. From the perspective of winning we’ve done it ourselves. From the perspective of losing it makes it really, really difficult towards the end of the game to chase the game.
“So I’m not a massive advocate of it longer term.”
Image: Millwall FC