Bartosz Bialkowski not anticipating Ipswich Town recall – and why Millwall loan has worked so well

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Bartosz Bialkowski has expressed his desire to stay at Millwall – and reckons there is no role for him at Ipswich Town.

The Tractor Boys are second in League One table and already have Will Norris on loan from Wolves to back up Tomas Holy.

Bialkowski joined the Lions on a temporary deal before the season started.

“I don’t think they are gonna call me back and play me,” he said. “We need to wait and see what happens.

“I came here for a year and whatever happens, happens. I’d like to stay here. I’m really enjoying my life here – the work with LT [Lee Turner] the goalie coach as well.

“As a footballer when you go into a new place you’re doing everything you can to blend into the group and make the club better. That was it.

“The lads are fantastic and the atmosphere is very good, especially at home. The fans can be our 12th player.

“On the one hand it doesn’t bother me [that his long-term situation is not clear] but in the other it’s my future. I’m 32, I’ve got a wife and kids – I’ve got to look after them as well.

“If you get a chance you’ve got to secure that future.

“I’m playing, I’m playing well and hopefully the two clubs can do something about it.”

Bialkowski (3.5) is only behind Forest’s Brice Samba (3.5) for average saves per match.

Lions boss Gary Rowett told the South London Press recently that he wanted the Poland stopper to be less active.

“He keeps saying about that,” said Bialkowski. “The gaffer tells me: ‘We’re trying to make you work less’. And in the last couple of games maybe I didn’t have that many saves to make.

“It isn’t about the number of saves, it’s about the time of the saves. I definitely like to be busy, because it helps you to concentrate more. When you don’t have a lot to do, you need to find a way to stay focused – that’s the hard bit as a goalkeeper.

“With experience I have learned to do that.

“It’s not easy when you don’t have much to do. Then it is about talking all the time – to players and even yourself.

“We’re playing well at the moment. The new gaffer has put some new ideas into the team and we bought into it.

“We’re trying to dominate the games more – especially in the final third. We’re trying to create more chances and we’re doing that.

“We created some really good chances at Birmingham and should’ve scored some of them. But it’s a positive thing, at least we’re creating something.”

Millwall host Forest tonight.

Bialkowski said: “They are definitely going to be up there at the end of the season. But at home we don’t need to fear anyone. It’s the same away, we don’t fear anyone either, but here it is difficult for opposition teams to come and get anything – we beat Leeds early on in the season.

“We can win.”