Super man remarked of Gary Rowett, “He’s a top, top manager,” in the days preceding the manager’s Millwall exit

The defender also discussed his own affection for the “unique” club, Millwall, and their recent form.

Days before Gary Rowett left Millwall, Jake Cooper praised the manager as a “top, top manager.”

On Wednesday, the 49-year-old manager and the Lions came to an agreement to sever relations, albeit some were taken aback by the announcement’s timing.

As the former London club manager approaches his fourth year at The Den, NewsAtDen questioned Cooper about Rowett on Monday.

Cooper stated prior to Rowett’s exit that the “gaffer knows what he wants, and he sets us up really well tactically.” With the way he observes the opposition and how we position ourselves to counter them or utilize our own strengths to bring out the best in each player, he is an excellent tactician.

“It’s gone by so quickly, even though it’s been a long time. He must be among the league’s longest-serving managers, so good for him.” It’s fantastic that we have him on board since he is an excellent manager and coach.

“He brought in additional game input when he arrived. That wasn’t as common previously, so we started discussing games more and how we could do better both in the positive games where we did well and the negative ones where we didn’t. He began by outlining for us what he wanted from that side of things, which was a wise move from the moment he entered. As I mentioned, quite tactical and comprehensive.

When asked about the erratic league results, Cooper—who has been with Millwall since 2017—made it plain that he wanted the Lions to start playing at their best and realize their full potential.

“I think it’s been okay,” he remarked. As a team, we would have to say that we’ve been really up and down. I would argue that my own particular performances have also reflected that. We’ve done well away from home, but I believe we could have done better at home, where The Den still needs a lot of work.

“Aside from the Norwich match, we’ve performed well in every away game, and we’ll try to maintain and improve on that. How we concluded the second half of our home game against Hull, and hopefully carry that into the upcoming games.

A good number of our new players are acclimating to one another. I believe we have a pretty strong team; we simply need to unite and move forward. In the end, it’s just a mindset.

When you go and win a game, you feel like we’re a really good team in the division and then you soon get put back in your places in this league and when the games come round so quickly, you can’t rest on any of your laurels or get ahead of yourself in any kind of way.”

In August, Cooper announced he was signing a new long-term contract in an emotional open letter to the fans.

He feels that at this point, Millwall is the only place he should be.

Regarding the team, the center defender remarked, “I just think it has its own unique identity.” Of course, every club has a special place in the hearts of its supporters, but ours are particularly special since they hold the club in such high regard. Loyalty, in my opinion, plays a major role in why all of the individuals who follow us value what we stand for.

As I previously mentioned, John Berylson, the late owner, was incredibly committed and loyal to the club. It seems to be genuinely based on that, and it’s wonderful to be involved with. Once you’re inside, it’s a terrific environment to be a part of because the staff and club members stand by them. My family and I had a wonderful time signing that extension.