Millwall boss Gary Rowett believes Championship matches will be ‘very different’ without supporters.
The Championship is set to resume next weekend after more than three months off due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Nottingham Forest facing Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
But second tier action will return without fans with all games played behind closed doors, and that could make a big difference for some teams, according to Rowett, whose Millwall side sit just two points off the top six following their thumping 3-0 win at Forest prior to the suspension.
“I think we are going to see very different matches,” he said on Sky Sports’ Football Show.
“We have studied the Bundesliga and a lot of the games have been more technical and slower.
“The ball is in play a lot more. Home advantage is not an advantage, quite clearly.”
Rowett also discussed how fake crowd noise could make a difference for players if the EFL decide to use it.
“I watched Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich game and they had the sort of fake crowd in there and it felt like the tempo was higher in the game,” he added.
“I think we are all realising just how important the fans are and how integral they are to the game.
“As players, you all say the same in that you don’t hear the noise and some of the comments but actually, when you take it away, it is just the whole game.
“And that’s the hard bit but players will be chomping at the bit.”
