章 301: Cream and Chocolate
At the post-match press conference, Aldrich appeared late. He had spent time in the locker room summarizing the game with the players, trying to motivate them and erase the psychological blow from conceding a goal just before the final whistle.
It wasn't that the 2:1 scoreline was unacceptable to the whole team, but they had played with more energy and seriousness than in any previous match. It was only natural to feel a psychological gap when a comfortable 2:0 lead turned into 2:1.
2:0 and 2:1 were two completely different situations.
Italian media were more interested in Aldrich discussing Juventus' performance in this match. They nitpicked and felt that, despite the decent result for Juventus, the team had failed to display the aura of a Serie A powerhouse.
"If Juventus had to win or draw, that would be disrespectful to Millwall. We gave everything to achieve this victory; it's what Millwall deserved. Juventus performed well, scored an away goal, and the aggregate score is only a one-goal difference. That's the reality. They can't just stroll away with more than that. Based on this, when Millwall faces Juventus in the next round, I still believe the probability of advancement is 50%. Although we lead on the scoreboard, Juventus has the advantage of playing at home in the next leg, so both teams' opportunities are equal."
The Italian media still carried a sense of superiority. Even though they considered Millwall not a small player, Juventus represented Serie A, and facing the English Premier League champions, there should be a clear advantage.
The mood at Fleet Street was quite complex.
Before the final whistle, they were ready to sing praises for Millwall. If they could secure a 2:0 win at home against Juventus, the next round would be much easier. But conceding a goal before full-time had flipped the situation upside down.
A reporter from Fleet Street furrowed his brow and asked, "When your team was ahead 2:0, why did you choose to send on two defensive midfielders and play negatively? If you had maintained the pressure, perhaps you wouldn't have conceded that unfortunate last goal. Who knows, you might have even finished off the match while Juventus pushed for an equalizer."
With a serious expression, Aldrich replied coolly, "I don't think my choice was wrong, and I don't want to argue about it because it's unnecessary. I am the head coach, and I am responsible for the team. The opinions from the outside are irrelevant to me. But I want to point out that typically, Millwall's average running distance over 90 minutes ranges from 10,000 to 12,000 meters. Today, our players likely increased that by 2,000 to 3,000 meters. When you look back at the process based on the results, there will always be different voices. No one can provide a right answer; maybe if I had let the team keep attacking, we would have scored. Or maybe we would have conceded more. Who knows? only god knows, and neither you nor I are God."
Fleet Street reporters stopped pressing Aldrich and then turned their focus to Juventus.
"When Nedved scored, he was fouled by Torricelli. He was injured at the time; the opponent's action clearly warranted a red card, yet the referee only showed a yellow. What's your take on this? Will you complain to UEFA?"
Aldrich pondered for a moment before responding.
In reality, the situation was a bit delicate.
If, hypothetically, Nedved had not scored, Aldrich believed the referee would have been inclined to show a red card.
But since the goal stood, with Juventus trailing and the entire team pleading for Torricelli, there were no excessive conflicts, and the referee issued a yellow card. The Millwall players did not protest.
This was perhaps a reflection of Aldrich's style.
It's hard to say whether that style is right or wrong.
Determining whether this style is right or wrong is quite difficult. Aldridge just doesn't like his team paying too much attention to referee decisions.
A competent or excellent referee should be "invisible" during a match.
If players became used to pressuring the referee or protesting, it wouldn't give the team an advantage. The referee has thoughts and authority; he would resent those who protested. This could trigger a psychological bias, resulting in harsher penalties against the protesting side. Once that happens, the players' mentality would shift dramatically, diverting some of their focus onto the referee, which is detrimental to the match's progression.
In regular matches, it might not be a big deal, but if such a situation arose in a crucial game, the team could collapse under pressure.
The one who should protest is the head coach. Aldrich had spoken with the fourth official after Nedved returned to the field, but the ref's decision could not be reversed. That was a fact.
"The referee has his own standards for issuing penalties. Although we feel that Torricelli's yellow card was too lenient, aside from this controversy, he performed well today. Millwall will not complain to UEFA about this matter. Torricelli immediately apologized to Nedved afterward, and Nedved accepted his apology. They exchanged jerseys. That foul was indeed dangerous, but you can't eliminate this phenomenon from football. I remember a long time ago, I called on the FA to increase penalties for dangerous actions, but both the FA and the British football media scoffed at my views.Millwall exists in England, and if the domestic football circles are turning a blind eye to this kind of dangerous play, what's the point of Millwall complaining to UEFA? It's truly a sad joke."
In traditional English football thinking, matches should be filled with intense physical confrontations, not focused solely on playmaking and breaking through defenses with beautiful passes. One-on-one confrontations are mainstream, and valiant tenacity reflects an inner spirit. However, when aggression turns into brutality, that's another matter altogether, and there isn't an obvious distinction. Therefore, Aldrich felt helpless but could do nothing about it.
Without delving into Millwall's historical status in England, even traditional powerhouses cannot change the status quo by themselves. If the FA truly adopted Aldrich's suggestions, that would be a significant issue. Criticism would pour in like a wave, and people would accuse the FA of siding with Millwall, crafting regulations that cater to their style.
So, nothing changes. The status quo remains the same. Different factions coexist peacefully. If something is rashly altered, it often triggers a widespread conflict of interests.
By the time Aldrich returned home, it was nearly midnight. He couldn't sleep, sitting on the sofa in the living room, lost in thought.
2:1.
What tactics should the team use for the second leg in Turin?
His mind was still preoccupied with the Champions League.
This was understandable, as this season, Millwall's key players had primarily focused on the Champions League.
Even though they currently ranked third in the league, everyone seemed unconcerned. Firstly, there was confidence—they believed they wouldn't fall behind. Secondly, there was allure: they had already clinched the Premier League title last season, and this was their first foray into the Champions League, naturally making them prioritize success in the latter.
It was like having tasted a cream cake; when chocolate cake appeared before them, they naturally shifted their attention to the new treat.
Perhaps their current performance in the league wasn't as good as last season, but it was undoubtedly better and more stable than the season before that. The players didn't feel that the gap with Manchester United was insurmountable.
However, when the players aimed to concentrate on performing well in a match, the preparations and the physical toll of the match would still affect at least two league games.
Aldrich was well aware that, in terms of priority, this season's Champions League took precedence over the league! Not to mention the players; even he viewed the Champions League as more important!
Millwall's squad depth determined that they couldn't deliver a 100% performance in both competitions. Since the Champions League had not eliminated them, it was only natural to prioritize the Champions League.
2:1 was a painfully tricky scoreline.
It placed the head coach in a situation where making a decisive choice on the extreme route was impossible.
Whether he was determined to go for a solid defensive approach or take a significant risk and go all out, neither could be chosen in the context of an aggregate score of 2:1.
Ding-dong.
Just as Aldrich was deep in thought, the doorbell rang.
He checked the time—it was already 11 PM. He wondered who might be visiting at this hour.
Walking to the door, he found it was his neighbor across the hall. He opened the door and curiously asked, "Yvonne, is something wrong?"
Yvonne appeared to have just showered, her typically ponytailed hair now falling gracefully over her shoulders, radiating a fresh fragrance in her casual homewear.
She held a plate of waffles, smiling, "You can't sleep, can you?"
Aldrich invited her in and chuckled, "Yeah, uh, just thinking about the team."
Yvonne set the plate on the coffee table and said, "I usually know you're worried about the team when you're still awake at this hour."
"Why's that?"
"Because when the team loses or doesn't perform well, you tend to stay up late. I live right across from you, after all."
"A peeping Tom, huh? I'll have to sue you."
"Whatever. I made some waffles. Whether they're good or not, you'll have to eat them anyway, heh."
Aldrich picked up a piece and took a bite; honestly, it didn't taste particularly special, but he exaggeratedly expressed enjoyment, exclaiming, "Mmm, whoever marries you truly is a lucky guy."
Yvonne smiled dismissively and, after sitting down, asked, "When do you plan to sleep?"
Aldrich poured her a cup of tea, then sat back on the sofa, crossing his legs, "I don't know. I've got a lot on my mind, so I just can't seem to feel tired."
"Perfect, I can't sleep either. I'll keep you company here."
"Well, you should at least find something to do, right? How about helping me clean up? Haha."
"Dream on! Let's find a movie to watch."
With that, she got up and rummaged through the DVD rack next to the TV, eventually finding a recently released film she hadn't seen yet.
As the film's title appeared on the screen, Aldrich lamented, "Alright, if I watch this movie twice, I guess it'll be daylight by the time I'm done."
Yvonne settled on the sofa beside him, her expression calm and serene as she watched the movie.
**Titanic.**
A popular new film from the past few months.
Aldrich hadn't seen it in theaters. If he watched a movie with the players, it wouldn't be a film like this; it was more likely to be an action-packed blockbuster or a sci-fi film. Melanie had also been too busy, so he missed the chance to watch it when it first came out. He had only purchased the DVD and kept it at home since then.
As Aldrich continued to ponder about the team, the presence of a beautiful woman watching the movie beside him surprisingly allowed him to focus; perhaps subconsciously, he considered Yvonne as family, so he didn't mind her presence.
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