Capítulo 468: Millwall's Unyielding Spirit
When Manchester United took an early two-goal lead, the players decided to shift tactics, instinctively pulling back and opting for counter-attacks. With 80 minutes left on the clock, Ferguson was absolutely livid with their decision — but were they truly wrong?
This group is seasoned, honed in the top leagues and crowned champions of Europe. They made the call based on hard-earned experience. So, were they really mistaken?
Not necessarily, but it certainly wasn't as strategic as their manager's approach, especially in terms of the overall game plan.
Fergie had already given them an earful in the first half and likely added a few "reminders" at halftime. Maybe, but probably not — after all, they were in the lead.
When the second half resumed, and despite the scoreline of 4-2 with 30 minutes to play, the players hesitated to take initiative, strictly adhering to Ferguson's tactics. The previous success of his plan motivated them to continue.
But in the 66th minute, everything changed. Pirlo's pass once again found Larsson, who broke free from Silvestre and scored against United. Only then did Ferguson jolt awake.
Though the build-up to this Millwall goal differed slightly from the second, the pattern was unmistakable.
United's attack was shut down, leading to Millwall's counter. The ball pushed forward—four attackers against four defenders.
As United's forwards scrambled to fall back, the ball was already in the net. Two identical concessions.
It was like a cold slap in the face for Ferguson, who clenched his jaw as he rushed back to the sidelines, finally realizing the problem.
Millwall didn't celebrate. They ran back to defend immediately.
In that moment, Ferguson looked at Aldrich, whose piercing gaze met his.
"Finally figured it out, old man?"
Ferguson's face tightened, suppressing his anger. He couldn't blame the players; this oversight was on him.
The second half had revealed a different reality from the first.
In the opening half, Millwall's first goal had come from patiently breaking down United's defense in a structured attack. United couldn't do much to counter that kind of pressure—it felt like a slow, inevitable defeat. Ferguson's plan had aimed to avoid precisely this.
But in the second half, both of United's goals came from the same pattern. The dangerous part lay in the defensive imbalance:
A 4v4 matchup.
Pirlo, Larsson, Ronaldinho, and Henry.
Vs.
Johnson, Neville, Stam, and Silvestre.
Where was the issue? It was obvious. When United conceded two goals in a 4v4 situation, was it really surprising?
With that much space in the back, the attacking side had room to work their magic.
Ronaldinho was in his element, close to euphoria. It had been a long time since he'd encountered such open space for advancing, allowing him to show off his skills with complete freedom.
And on Manchester United's attack?
It was a 6-vs-6 setup.
Ferguson could only feel a growing sense of regret.
At both 3-1 and 4-2, United held a two-goal lead.
Yet they found themselves in a 6-vs-6 scenario on offense and only 4-vs-4 when defending.
The numbers were balanced, but the open field remained the same; a 6v6 was much tougher to break through than a 4v4.
When did this change happen?
The 51st minute, when Aldrich ordered the team to attack.
During the first half, United's front attackers had stayed forward, reducing their defensive duties, and another goal quickly followed. With less time remaining, United opted to secure their lead, so the shift went unnoticed.
But from the 51st minute in the second half, this setup became glaringly obvious on the field.
Ferguson should have noticed sooner. But after Millwall's second goal, Giggs quickly scored again, and in his joy, he missed the warning signs.
Realizing the problem, Ferguson quickly took action.
He immediately ordered Keane and Scholes to fall back!
This didn't contradict Manchester United's initial strategy of maintaining offensive pressure; instead, it was a shift to regain control. By adjusting to have a 6-on-6 balance during Millwall's attacks and a 4-on-4 during Manchester United's offensive plays, Ferguson aimed to even the field.
By the 70th minute, Aldrich noticed and confirmed Manchester United's changes, clenching his fist in excitement. He was certain that, from this moment on, the game would belong entirely to Millwall—unless some absurdly lucky charm was watching over Manchester United.
Ferguson stood on the sidelines, anxiously observing the scene unfolding before him. From the 70th minute onward, Manchester United struggled to produce a single decent attack. Yes, nothing!
Why?
Because Millwall held the advantage in midfield with three midfielders against United's two, throwing the 6-on-6 concept off balance. Millwall had an extra midfielder; Manchester United had an extra defender.
With United's four defenders against Millwall's three forwards, Millwall's three midfielders pressed Keane and Scholes relentlessly. If Beckham and Giggs fell back to help defend the midfield, Millwall's backline would push up, pressuring United into their defensive shell, disrupting United's initial plans for a 4-on-4 attacking balance.
Beckham and Giggs, now uncertain whether to stay wide and maintain an offensive stance or drop back to support defense, hesitated. It was in this moment that Millwall scored their fourth goal.
Milwall were absolutely bossing the midfield. After patiently working the ball around, Pirlo fired from outside the box, a thunderous strike that hit its mark!
The fans in the stands went absolutely wild!
If there's ever a moment in football to drive you crazy, it was right here, right now!
Ferguson was now completely at a loss, but he didn't lash out or shift the blame onto his players.
If there had to be a reason, it would be the undeniable strength of Millwall's lineup, coupled with the unsettling presence of Aldrich.
The saying goes, "Control the midfield, control the game," and with Manchester United unwilling to push Johnson up to press their midfield, they naturally fell behind.
Could a three-back, three-midfield formation hold off Millwall?
Not necessarily, but switching to a three-man back line in a positional game has already shown its flaws, as AC Milan's crushing defeat demonstrated to every manager watching. Especially when Milan's back three were all top-class defenders.
Aldrich clenched his fist with eyes closed.
It was 4:4, and the game wasn't won yet. Eight minutes remained.
After Pirlo's goal, there was no celebration. Millwall's players, disciplined like a military unit, turned and jogged back to their half, with Henry retrieving the ball from the net, showing no excess emotion.
The Manchester United players stared in disbelief, with hints of unease beginning to creep into their eyes.
What kind of monster was this Millwall team?
Ferguson sighed on the sidelines, motioning for his players to shift to a defensive counterattacking strategy. The offensive threat would lessen, but at least Millwall's potent midfield would no longer be free to orchestrate and humiliate Scholes and Keane. Watching that was painful, stirring a strange pang of sympathy.
Seeing United adopt a defensive stance, Aldrich signaled Klinsmann for a substitution.
In the 85th minute, Millwall made a bold switch.
Klose came on.
And who went off? Materazzi!
"Holt's swapping a defender for a forward! What's he thinking? Doesn't he fear a United counterattack? Or is his drive for victory tipping into madness? It's 4:4! A draw!"
Yet, the Lions' fans responded to Aldrich's change with resounding cheers.
They might have hoped for a 0-0-10 formation, cramming in all the forwards.
One minute later, Aldrich replaced Gattuso with Lampard.
This substitution appeared minor, but Aldrich's sharp gaze was fixed on Lampard.
He needed to know how well Lampard would execute tactics with so little time left.
As the game neared its end, Manchester United focused on defensive counterattacks. Ferguson made two quick substitutions: Solskjaer took position upfront, ready to pounce on any counter opportunity, and Irwin bolstered the defense, knowing Millwall had added a forward.
Fatigue or United's full attention restricted the influence of stars like Ronaldinho, Henry, Larsson, Nedvěd, and Pirlo by this stage.
Millwall needed a game-changer to secure victory. Could Klose be that hero?
When Aldrich subbed Klose in for Materazzi, wasn't Manchester United caught off guard? Klose headed straight to the front line, yet could United really overlook the threat he posed? He could be the decisive figure only if he had the power to overpower Stam or Johnson — but right now, he didn't.
So bringing Klose on was merely a diversion.
The real strike was about to come from the next player Aldrich sent in: Lampard!
When it comes to defense, Lampard might not match Gattuso, but in attack, he's definitely superior. Coming on, he not only helped Millwall secure a tighter grip on midfield control but also created scoring opportunities of his own.
With stoppage time just around the corner, Millwall carved out a solid chance up front.
Ronaldinho noticed the crowded box, making it impossible to break through with his usual dribble. United was playing with a five-man backline now.
He drifted wide, received the ball on the left, and started to dribble. Beckham came charging from behind and brought him down. The referee called Beckham for a foul, awarding Millwall a free-kick.
Ronaldinho quickly got to his feet, pressing the ball down. Without even straightening his back, he launched a swift pass.
The ball darted toward the middle.
Scholes marked Pirlo, who was in a good position but opted to let it pass through. Nedvěd surged forward, Keane close on his heels, and the ball rolled right to Lampard, with Giggs too far to close in on Larsson, leaving him free for a clear shot.
With no one marking him, Lampard went for a long-range shot.
From the sidelines, Aldrich, chin up, muttered under his breath.
"That's it, that's the shot I want! Hit it hard!"
The shot came from just two meters outside the box — prime range for a quality strike, unlike a forty-yard effort that relies on pure luck.
The entire crowd rose to their feet, their eyes locked on Lampard's long-range shot. The ball soared like a missile, slicing through Manchester United's defense, heading straight for the goal. But the angle was a bit too central!
It was a bullet of a shot, barely off the ground, whizzing past van der Gouw's right side. The keeper threw himself down, both hands stretched out, but despite getting a hand to it, the power behind that shot was too much to stop.
Lampard's hands went straight to his head as he saw the ball bounce away, but before he knew it, the ball was back on its way toward the goal.
It slammed into the back of the net before rolling down the goalpost.
All the Manchester United players stood frozen, completely shell-shocked.
From the midst of the crowd, Henry scrambled to his feet, arms wide open as he sprinted frantically along the sideline! It was Henry! As the ball bounced back into the penalty area, he launched himself forward, his foot connecting with the ball to send it flying back into Manchester United's net. In that moment, Manchester United had plummeted from heaven to hell!
Keane, who'd opened the scoring for United, furiously kicked the goalpost, muttering through gritted teeth, "Why? Why? Why? Why!"
Why wouldn't Millwall be crushed?
0-2, 1-3, 2-4!
Why the hell won't you give up?!
Why won't you collapse?!
Why won't you surrender?!
Why... why... why...
After Henry scored, Aldrich slowly raised both arms, his fists clenched tightly. He brought them down with force, then looked up. The calm expression had vanished, replaced by a beaming smile full of life.
The moment to break the record for consecutive wins in Europe's top five leagues was right in front of him!
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