Capítulo 337: Shining New Generation Players
As the first half came to a close, the score remained unchanged, and both teams walked into the locker room.
During the halftime break, Aldrich made minimal adjustments, simply asking for a more structured approach in their offensive play.
There was little to critique on the defensive side; in fact, the opposing team hadn't managed a single shot on goal. Millwall completely dominated the match, keeping their opponents under pressure throughout the first half.
As the second half began, Millwall continued to assert their control on the pitch. Sheffield Wednesday, in response, intensified their marking and disruption of Ronaldinho. Physically, Ronaldinho was somewhat at a disadvantage, struggling in challenges as the opposing team aggressively utilized their bodies to interrupt Millwall's attacking flow.
Noticing this situation, Nedvěd approached Ronaldinho and whispered a few tactical pointers.
The two players swapped roles from the first half; Nedvěd returned to his primary playmaker position while Ronaldinho reverted to a winger, focusing more on direct threats towards the goal rather than on organizing play. Once he entered the opponent's box, foul play would always carry its risks for the defenders.
With the forward players heavily marked, Millwall's full-backs became the focal point of the attack. Pirlo is more mature than last season and has a stronger sense of rhythm in directing the game. Millwall's attack, while not as explosive as it was two years ago, still maintained constant pressure. Even if their opponents manage to neutralize some threats, Millwall are likely to launch secondary and tertiary attacks, continually challenging Sheffield Wednesday's defense and testing their composure. Under such relentless pressure, it wasn't long before Sheffield began to crack.
Schneider, positioned as a full-back, was thriving. His timing in joining attacks had become second nature.
His skilled footwork combined with an efficient style allowed him to wreak havoc on the right flank, consistently creating threats during the second half.
In the 63rd minute, Schneider cleverly passed the opponent's full-back, reached the baseline and cut the ball back to the edge of the penalty area. Nedvěd deliberately leaked the ball to make Pirlo look like he was preparing to shoot, prompting Sheffield Wednesday's defense to tighten up and contain him. But to the surprise of everyone in the stadium, Pirlo cleverly flicked the ball forward, allowing the advancing Nedvěd to bypass the entire defense at the perfect moment - and the ball arrived on time!
The ball bounced so high that Nedvěd had no choice but to jump and head it immediately, as the approaching keeper would have undoubtedly denied him any chance of regaining possession had the ball hit the ground.
Facing the goal, Nedvěd saw the ball flying in his direction, and it was difficult for him to exert force from this angle. So he jumped up and cleverly passed the header to the right, meeting the unmarked Larsson who was rushing into the penalty area.
Larsson didn't wait for the ball to touch down; he unleashed a stunning volley!
The ball rocketed into the upper left corner of the net like a cannonball, leaving the goalkeeper helpless to react.
After scoring, Larsson embraced Nedvěd tightly!
"What an exquisite goal! Schneider's layoff to the edge of the box didn't come as a surprise, nor did it catch anyone off guard when Nedvěd chose not to shoot due to defenders blocking his angle. However, when he let the ball pass, we all expected Pirlo to take a long-range shot. Instead, he executed a stunning lob pass that pierced through Sheffield Wednesday's entire defense. The most astonishing part was that, despite turning away from Pirlo, Nedvěd instinctively charged forward right after letting the ball go, almost as if he had eyes in the back of his head, knowing that Pirlo would find him. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Nedvěd chose to head the ball to the more reliable Larsson, who gratefully accepted the gift, unleashing a powerful strike that crashed into the back of the net! Millwall leads Sheffield Wednesday 2-0!"
Aldrich nodded in approval but felt a slight regret; neither Ronaldinho nor van Nistelrooy had participated in this goal, which was still a collaboration of the key players on the team.
However, there was no need to rush such matters; with more matches ahead, once the integration happened, it would naturally fall into place.
As the game reached the 70th minute, Millwall made substitutions.
Aldrich brought on Klose for Nedvěd and replaced Larsson with Van der Meyde, shifting to a 4-4-2 formation.
"It seems that Hall is already looking ahead to the next match after securing a two-goal lead, resting Nedvěd and Larsson in preparation for next week's clash with Manchester United."
As the commentator had suspected, Aldrich indeed wanted his two key players fresh for the home game against Manchester United in a week.
Shifting from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 provided a balanced formation, allowing Millwall to adopt a more conservative playstyle, with full-backs having more freedom in their movements, while the wingers took charge of the offensive duties.
With a two-goal cushion, Ronaldinho began to express himself, treating defenders with flair and skill, dribbling as if he were toying with them.
Aldrich permitted Ronaldinho to showcase his creativity, but with a caveat: he had to provide support for his teammates.
As Ronaldinho attracted two defenders on the left side, he quickly delivered a backward pass to the center. His tight marking freed up space elsewhere on the field, allowing Pirlo to receive the ball and once again combine play towards the right flank.
Van der Meyde, now more robust than when he first joined the team last year and showcasing the efficiency gained through practice, received the ball. With a smooth touch, he maneuvered past the opposing full-back, reached the byline, and delivered a high cross. Klose leaped high in front of goal to connect with a header, sending the ball into the net.
"3-0, who still doubts Millwall's strength? Andy, have you noticed that Millwall's playing style has become more diverse?"
"Martin, you're right; Millwall's gameplay has displayed even more versatility. This evolution stems from Ronaldinho—his ability to attract the attention of two or three defenders allows our play to exploit gaps, especially today with Klose making his debut, who makes our crosses far more threatening, giving Van der Meyde an opportunity to shine."
After scoring, Klose celebrated with a front flip near the sidelines; it was his first league goal, after all—a cause for celebration.
Aldrich subsequently substituted Lampard in for Pirlo, then sat back and observed the match unfold.
Jansen beside him chuckled, "It seems we have a tradition here: debuting forwards usually score. Shevchenko also scored on his debut as a substitute, and now Klose has followed suit."
"Ha! That's a great tradition; I hope we can keep it going," Aldrich replied with a smile.
As the match drew to a close, Klose controlled the ball just outside the box, using his body to fend off the opponents' attempts to dispossess him. Just before being surrounded, he set up Lampard, who finished with a powerful long-range shot to secure a 4-0 lead.
"Klose, seeing him come off the bench today and make an impact in just a few minutes explains why Millwall felt bold enough to sell two of their main strikers in the summer and why Hall is openly talking about winning the league. Do they need strikers? Not at all, they need quality strikers? Just take a look at Klose—one goal and one assist don't do justice to what he brought to the team. If Van Nistelrooy had not wasted the two excellent opportunities Klose gave him, Klose could have easily scored a hat trick of assists! And he can score goals himself. I still remember Trezeguet's first game in the Premier League three years ago; his performance today was nowhere near as impressive as Klose's. "
At the final whistle, Aldrich shook hands with the opposing coach, his expression remaining unruffled, before heading down the tunnel.
Millwall's convincing 4-0 away win in their league opener was hardly a surprise.
Against a team of Sheffield Wednesday's caliber, securing victory—and a dominant one—struck as insufficient evidence. Especially since Millwall comfortably maintained control over the match tempo, any defensive issues they might have had remained invisible in this game, leaving no conclusions to be drawn.
The true test would be the next round when they would face Manchester United at home.
After the match, Aldrich entered the locker room to congratulate Klose, then hurried through an interview in the mixed zone before leading the team back to London.
At the conclusion of the first round of the league, Millwall was positioned first on the table with a commanding 4-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
As the much-anticipated new Premier League season began, round one's results were disappointing.
Out of ten matches, five ended in draws, with four of them scoreless.
The most thrilling match saw Manchester United nearly getting defeated by Martin O'Neill's side at Old Trafford, ultimately finishing 2-2. In the post-match interview, O'Neill proclaimed his disappointment, asserting that Leicester City had ample opportunity to claim victory.
The league had just started; the current standings held little significance.
During the preparation for the match against Manchester United, Aldrich specifically arranged for Ronaldinho and Nedvěd to work on their positional play and coordination in tight spaces during training.
Before the season commenced, Aldrich viewed Manchester United as their leading rival in the league. In the lead-up to their direct confrontation in the second round, the pre-match press conference was particularly lively.
"What do you think of Manchester United's draw with Leicester City at home? Do you still think they are a rival to Millwall?"
The journalists were beginning to voice skepticism about Manchester United's capabilities.
Aldrich replied calmly, "United underestimated their opponents, failing to recognize Leicester City's strengthened squad this season. If you don't take your opponents seriously, you must be prepared to face the consequences. Millwall won't make such mistakes. The result of United's last match doesn't undermine the reality of their strength. If I were to conclude that United was weak because they couldn't defeat Leicester, that would be foolish and detrimental to my team's mindset."
"This is your fourth season facing Ferguson. In the past two years, Millwall sold key players like Solskjær and Stam to United. There are rumors that Ferguson is interested in signing van Nistelrooy this summer. Have you discussed this?"
With the transfer window still open, anything could happen.
Had Klose caught the attention of several teams?
Absolutely, and not just one.
Did Manchester United want Millwall's players?
Of course, they did.
Aldrich addressed this bluntly: "Having my players pursued by other clubs is normal, as they are incredibly talented. Millwall once sold players out of necessity, but since we won the Champions League, the appeal of other clubs has shifted. My players are more inclined to stay with Millwall; here, they can achieve greater success and we trust each other."
"Although you say that, Millwall still let go of several key players over the summer."
"That's different; some players left for reasons unrelated to performance. I'm confident their departures won't severely impact the team."
Aldridge's statement today sends a clear message to the outside world.
Even if Millwall lets players leave, they will only sell those who they have players to replace.
The main teams such as Capdevila, Trezeguet, Shevchenko and Helguera all have suitable substitutes to ensure that the team will not face personnel gaps due to departures.
As for absolute key players, Aldrich wouldn't sell them to Manchester United.
Ferguson had been pursuing Larsson year after year, and Aldrich was now disinterested in even responding.
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