章 122: 3-0, Tottenham!
The stands at White Hart Lane, home to the Spurs fans, fell into a silence.
That kind of fierce and relentless attacking style was supposed to be our football!
When did it become something the thugs from Millwall could pull off?
After Nedvěd scored, Brady in the away section was so excited that he took off his shirt. It was only early February, but he didn't mind the cold as he waved his shirt and joined the fans in chanting Nedvěd's name.
"Lionhearted Warrior, Pavel Nedvěd! Lionhearted Warrior, Pavel Nedvěd!"
The away fans chanted in unison.
Over the course of one and a half seasons, Nedvěd had captivated all the Millwall supporters. Even many neutral fans regarded him as an idol.
He perfectly embodied the image of a player that English fans cherished.
This season, the number of Millwall fans had been increasing dramatically. It wasn't just because of their aesthetically pleasing style of play; their lightning-fast counterattacks and smooth ball movement had drawn more attention, which was undoubtedly aided by the frequent live broadcasts of Millwall matches in the Premier League. Many stars on the team had also become favorites among neutral fans.
Larsson, Nedvěd, Schneider, Pires, Trezeguet—these five main attacking players consistently shone, rapidly boosting their profiles.
The only regret was that 22-year-old Schneider, despite his outstanding performance, had not been called up by the German national team. Aldrich sometimes expressed his disappointment to the German Football Association before FIFA matches. The issue with the German national team was its old-fashioned hierarchy—no matter how well young players performed, they often struggled to be included until they reached a certain age.
Spurs' coach Francis was having a headache. He could see where the problem lay.
The Spurs' defense was primarily focused on Nedvěd, which weakened their support on the wings and allowed the unheralded Italian youngster more space to control the game.
Before the match kicked off, Francis urged his players to limit Pirlo's influence.
In the last seven minutes before half-time, Spurs constricted their midfield and focused on restricting Pirlo's room to maneuver, which led to three errors from the 17-year-old Pirlo. Thankfully, Makelele was positioned behind him to cover, saving the team from conceding a goal.
The first half ended with Millwall leading by one goal as they headed to the locker rooms.
In the locker room, Aldrich took a moment to talk to Pirlo, preparing him mentally. Pirlo had played far too easily at the beginning of the half, unmarked and organizing attacks as if in a practice session. But once Spurs started to pay attention to him, he struggled to keep up mentally; he got flustered when the ball came his way.
He was still young, and Aldrich didn't expect him to transform into a master overnight. It was all about taking his time; at this stage, mental state was far more important than technical skills.
Many talented players have been crushed by the intensity of matches, and much of it stems from psychological factors, unrelated to their technical abilities.
As the second half began, Spurs thought they had found the key to counter Millwall's attacks by implementing aggressive pressure on Pirlo.
Pirlo, the seemingly sleeping rabbit, awoke and began to toy with the Spurs players. He darted around the midfield, receiving the ball without holding on to it and releasing quick passes in various directions.
Makelele provided support, and as Spurs lowered their defensive pressure on Nedvěd, he also found more space to maneuver.
With a crisp pass, Pirlo sent the ball directly to Nedvěd, who quickly advanced it. The four-man attacking unit of Millwall moved in perfect synchronicity like a well-oiled machine.
In their eagerness to limit Pirlo, the midfielders committed too eagerly, allowing Pirlo's pass to slice through their ranks. Francis, witnessing this, jumped up in fury.
Nedvěd feigned a shot before threading a perfect pass into the penalty area. It was a combination they could execute even with their eyes closed during training.
Pires, over the past year and a half, had been trained by Aldrich to play simply and effectively and had developed a habit of making incisive cuts.
Though not particularly fast, he excelled at exploiting spaces behind defenders. Before the defenders could react, he was already in position, and with a subtle touch, he sent the ball curling into the far corner after meeting it at a tight angle.
The ball arched beautifully, seeming to fly past the goal line, but Walker lunged desperately, only to find that the ball curled into the back post netting.
"What a beauty! Pires's goal is definitely in the running for the Premier League's goal of the week, probably rivaling Nedvěd's earlier long-range strike. Andy, it looks like Millwall's tactics have shifted again today. Have you noticed that 17-year-old Italian kid?"
"I've been keeping an eye on him for an hour now. He seems like an invisible man, but if Millwall's midfield didn't have him, you wouldn't see the beautiful attacking combinations they've been executing. He doesn't provide direct assists or score himself, but his most tangible effect is liberating Nedvěd. Nedvěd doesn't have to start the attack from deep; he can now position himself closer to the goal, significantly increasing his threat. The assist just now broke down Spurs' defense because they clearly weren't prepared. One moment the ball was in the backline, and the next it was at Nedvěd's feet. Before they could react, Nedvěd passed it back, and Pires scored."
"Every football coach understands one fundamental truth: that football moves faster than the players. Previously, Millwall seemed to defy this principle, racing against time with their quick attacks and counterattacks. Now, they have returned to it; Nedvěd no longer has to sprint from the back to orchestrate the attack. Instead, he appears directly in the danger zone just before the finishing touch, making Millwall's offense even smoother and faster."
With a two-goal advantage, Millwall's Pires added his eighth Premier League goal to his tally.
Aldrich stood calmly at the sidelines, smiling, while Francis wore a sullen expression.
His adjustments seemed like patching up one leak after another. While limiting Nedvěd's impact did lessen Pirlo's ease, it fully unleashed Nedvěd's threats in the attacking third, which was equally disastrous.
What the hell are we going to do?!
In this era, it's not that there aren't offensive players who execute large-scale defensive tactics; the philosophy of total football is built on that foundation.
But in English football, it still hasn't become mainstream for wingers and forwards to fall back extensively.
Francis could only stand on the sidelines shouting for his players to press back, at least urging Sheringham to get involved in defending against Pirlo near the halfway line.
As a result, Spurs' shape began to contract.
For a prolonged period following this, the star player on the pitch became Makelele.
Whenever Spurs tried to penetrate the midfield during their attacks, Makelele would quickly anticipate and intercept.
This left Martin Tyler gushing during the commentary.
"Makelele is a key player who can reshape the game!"
In defense, Makelele's role was to protect space, and in attack, he safeguarded possession. If you looked at the pass completion rate rather than just the number of passes made, Makelele had the highest success rate in the team over the past year and a half, exceeding 84%. His passes after interceptions ensured the ball stayed with them, creating a solid tactical balance for Millwall.
Spurs' formation had become somewhat flattened. In the final ten minutes of the match, Francis waved his hand, signaling his players to ramp up the pace and be more aggressive in their attack; the center-backs pushed up to put pressure on the midfield, considering there was only one striker in the box.
Several long balls came to nothing, and Millwall's swift counterattacks were thwarted in midfield.
With just three minutes left in the match, Millwall launched another counterattack. The Spurs players pushing forward had yet to make it back, but their midfield had already formed a defense around Nedvěd, and the fullbacks closely marked Pires and Schneider.
Pirlo received the ball, glanced up once, then looked down and delivered a delightful long pass.
The ball glided gracefully, sailing over the midfield and landing near the Spurs penalty area line.
Caudalwood turned and sprinted, but Larson had already dashed in ahead of him.
Larsson was thoroughly impressed by Pirlo; just as he made his diagonal run to beat the offside trap, Pirlo's precise long pass arrived right on time. If he had been a second slower, Larsson would have been offside. If he had been a second faster, he wouldn't be waiting for the ball to drop but rather chasing after it.
At the edge of the penalty area, Larsson executed a flawless chest control as Cauldwood charged in with a sudden diagonal halt. With finesse, Larsson evaded him and changed direction, driving straight into the box. Facing the rushing goalkeeper Walker, Larsson, who had previously missed at least two golden opportunities, made sure not to miss this chance. He calmly directed the shot into the far corner and then turned to jog back to the defensive line.
White Hart Lane fell silent.
The Lionhearted fans were so excited they nearly leaped onto the pitch.
The Lions scored three goals!
Now, Millwall's fans had raised their expectations as well. Besides the Hammers and Chelsea, neither Charlton nor Crystal Palace was worth mentioning. The Crazy Gang of Wimbledon was a thing of the past, and Queen's Park Rangers would likely be unseen next season. In North London, the lofty Arsenal and Spurs were their neighbors, and their match was a local derby.
Fantastic! We'll stomp all over you!
After scoring, Larson ran towards Pirlo, pointing at him with a beaming smile.
Pirlo was ecstatic; he had made a great assist on his debut, significantly boosting his confidence.
Aldrich clapped from the sidelines, and before the match ended, he made two substitutions to run down the clock.
Post-match, he shook Francis's hand amicably. They exchanged a few words when they met in the first half of the season, but today, Francis wore a dark expression. After a wordless handshake, they parted ways.
Millwall had triumphed over White Hart Lane with a glorious three-goal victory!
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