章 72: The Tactical Twist
Whether you ask Millwall fans or Manchester United supporters, no one could have predicted such a shocking start to the match.
In just 12 minutes, Millwall was leading Manchester United 2-0 away!
After scoring, Larsson jogged towards the East Stand, where a sea of ecstatic Millwall fans stood up, raising their arms and cheering wildly for him. They were so overcome with joy that it was hard to describe how they felt inside.
Two goals, two goals—hell yeah, we're two goals up against the damn Manchester United!
His teammates rushed over, and Larsson turned to point at Nedvěd. The two embraced, while Pires pumped his fists toward the stand, signaling Millwall's dominance.
"Andy, are we dreaming? The best team in the Premier League history is facing a newly promoted side for the first time, and in just 12 minutes, they're two goals down at home? Is this Manchester United? Or have the players switched jerseys?"
"What an incredible goal! Martin, look at this attack from Millwall. It started with Makélélé winning the ball, then it went through Neil, Pires, Nedvěd, and finally to Larsson. It was a beautiful team play—five players executed a flawless combination, passing the ball perfectly without lingering too long on it. The United defenders didn't even get a chance to foul! And look at Trezeguet's movement; he not only scores but also creates space for his teammates. Bruce was still haunted by the first goal, so he fixed his eyes on Trezeguet and lost his position. Larsson's move and shot were top-notch. Wasn't Manchester United trying to buy Larsson all summer? What are they waiting for? A player like that is exactly what they need!"
"But United can only field two forwards. With Cantona returning from suspension, are they really going to bench Cole, who cost them £650,000?"
"Ha! Ferguson can't sit still! Look at his face; it's not a pretty sight."
As Aldrich and his coaching staff cheered from the sidelines, he was truly relishing this moment.
At Old Trafford, over sixty thousand Manchester United fans were stunned into silence.
To quiet down this noisy stadium was an achievement in itself!
Once the celebrations faded, he glanced at Ferguson, who stood with a grim expression at the side of the pitch, clearly dissatisfied with his players' performance.
Aldrich quickly averted his eyes, maintaining a calm demeanor, but inside he couldn't help but smirk.
Old fox, don't think you can just sit there chewing gum for 90 minutes and take the three points easily!
In comparison to Manchester United, Millwall felt like a grain of sand in the ocean, but if they took us lightly, they would pay the price!
Ferguson's face was stern. He couldn't help but shoot a glance at the relaxed Aldrich, whose stylish suit made him look like a fashionista. Yet it was undeniable that he had considerable tactical knowledge.
Ferguson never underestimated Millwall; he had been keeping an eye on their players, like Nedvěd. If it weren't for the fact that United already had Keane and Butt, and that Scholes was on the bench, he might have inquired about the feasibility of a transfer for Nedvěd.
Last season, Millwall's attacking five-man front line had been firing on all cylinders, with Nedvěd being the crucial link in the middle. Before the match, Ferguson instructed Keane to focus closely on the Czech player, not expecting Millwall's attacking strategy to have found a new avenue this game.
An unexpected point of attack: the fullbacks!
Last season, Millwall had never allowed their fullbacks to venture forward boldly.
But just now, Lucas Neil launched an attack from the left, running forward and linking up smoothly with Pires, effectively disrupting United's defense. Although the final pass was made by Nedvěd, without Neil's advance to draw Keane's attention, it's likely that Nedvěd would never have had the chance to assist.
Millwall's attacking play was not only maturing in the midfield but now included elements of fullback aggression, making their tactics even more varied and unpredictable.
Aldrich was indeed a crafty one; behind that humble smile hid a dagger aimed right at the enemy's heart!
The tactical struggle on the pitch was essentially a game of offense versus defense, with each side equal. The deeper the killing move was hidden, the greater the chance of success.
It was unrealistic for Millwall to break through United's defense relying solely on their front five, especially with United's two tenacious midfielders, Keane and Butt, who would minimize Nedvěd's organizational role. Given that this situation would recur against future opponents, who would also strategize to limit Nedvěd's effectiveness, Aldrich had emphasized advancing fullbacks during summer training this season.
The value of fullbacks will continue to rise over time, and quality fullbacks will become increasingly hard to find. The main reason is that forwards and midfielders are heavily marked, reducing their space to maneuver, while fullbacks have ample space and time to create assist opportunities.
Ferguson began pacing the sidelines, and his players were seething with anger.
Especially Bruce, who bears at least one and a half responsibilities for the two goals conceded.
After Manchester United resumed play, Ferguson was shocked to find that whenever Millwall got a chance to attack, their tactics tilted toward the left, targeting Bruce's defensive position!
From the sidelines, Aldrich watched as Pires took a step inward, easily shaking off Bruce to take a long shot. Although it went wide, he nodded in approval.
Hit where it hurts!
After all, Bruce was thirty-four years old.
His body couldn't keep up; he turned slowly, and his footwork was sluggish. Even his judgment sometimes wavered. The first two goals scored by Millwall had been right on his side, which had been part of the tactical assignment before the match. Naturally, the biggest soft spot in United's defense was the combination of young Gary Neville and aging Steve Bruce!
In contrast, Pallister and Irwin were quite calm, as Millwall wouldn't actively seek to challenge those tougher opponents.
After Millwall took the lead by two goals, United didn't mount an immediate counterattack. On the contrary, Millwall's momentum surged, frequently opening up opportunities down the left flank.
Neil overlapped, and Nedvěd moved in that direction as well, with Pires joining them. The three worked some beautiful one-touch passes in a tight space. After two attempts to cut inside, Pires started to draw Neville closer. So when Pires received the ball for the third time, Neville was prepared to block his inside route, but Pires calmly passed the ball to the left side, just as it seemed the ball was about to cross the touchline. Neil, making his forward run, took a decisive touch and charged toward the baseline.
From the baseline, Neil crossed the ball into the box.
Trezeguet once again got ahead of Bruce and headed the ball, but unfortunately, the angle was too tight, and the header went wide.
After completing the cross, Neil immediately sprinted back to fulfill his defensive duties.
This season, Aldrich had been clear with several of his fullbacks before the season began. Neil, Zambrotta, and Capdevila, who would be joining the first team in the second half of the season, would all share playing time. Rotation was necessary since they were young, allowing them to run as hard as they could in each match.
Watching the left flank dominate the attack, Aldrich cast a glance at Beckham.
See that?
This is the future of football: fullbacks need to run up and down between attack and defense. Do you really think wingers don't need to defend?
Look at what Millwall is doing to the right side!
If you could keep up with Neil's pacing and become familiar with this up-and-down style, you could not only compensate for Neville's lack of experience but also earn yourself a better reputation!
Playing football isn't just about having nifty footwork; everyone has to do their dirty work!
Ferguson studied Millwall's attacking tactics closely from the sidelines for ten minutes and quickly grasped their strategy. Then, taking advantage of a dead ball, he began relaying instructions to his players.
Opportunity and risk coexist.
Beckham couldn't drop deeper to defend, and Ferguson couldn't scream at him from the sidelines and expect him to transform instantly. Instead, he would have to rely on the midfield players to help fill the gaps in defense.
After confirming that Makélélé rarely ventured forward to assist, Ferguson instructed Butt to mark Nedvěd while Keane would shore up the right-side defense.
Just when Neil prepared to cooperate with Pires again by advancing, he took a big touch and was decisively intercepted by Keane. The ball was subsequently passed directly to Beckham.
"Stop daydreaming, kid! Get up there!" Keane yelled after seeing how leisurely Beckham was handling the ball.
Beckham felt a bit dazed after the 2-0 deficit; he awkwardly noticed that pushing forward wasn't feasible, and retreating to defend was also a challenge. If he attacked, he left space behind him, and retreating couldn't match Neil's sprinting or Pires's advantageous position behind him.
But now that he had the ball, he noticed the space before him open up.
That's right; with Neil pushing forward, there wasn't a fullback to guard the left!
Shouted on by Keane, Beckham took the ball forward. Though not as quick as Giggs, he wasn't slow either, as the space in front gave him plenty of room to work with.
Seeing Beckham approach, Makélélé noticed Nedvěd tracking back with Keane and swiftly rushed to support the left side, planning to halt Beckham's attack.
Recognizing Makélélé rushing toward him, Beckham quickly controlled the ball, remembering his experience from last season at Millwall. He understood how excellent Makélélé's defensive skills were, and his smart move was to pass the ball before his opponent got too close.
But who to pass to? Keane was tightly marked by Nedvěd, and a direct pass into the box would lead to another futile effort.
At that moment, someone waved from the center, and Beckham quickly delivered a low ball over.
Butt decisively surged forward after receiving Beckham's pass, heading straight into the opponent's box.
Butt with the ball, Giggs on the left, Cole and McClair in the box—Millwall was outnumbered here, with only Thuram, Stam, and Southgate to defend.
United were set to counterattack—four against three!
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