章 292: Decisive Victory Over Opponents
Before the match against Liverpool kicked off at home, Larsson, back with the team, posed for a photo, holding his Ballon d'Or and grinning widely. The stands at Lion's Den were filled with enthusiastic fans applauding and shouting Larsson's name.
The Lions' fan group unfurled a banner in the south stand, featuring a striking hand-drawn portrait of Larsson.
Once the photo session wrapped up, Larsson made a point to walk over and hug Aldrich.
"Boss, thank you. Words can't express my gratitude."
"No need for that. It's what you deserve, Henrik. I should be thanking you. You've set an example for your teammates and brought fame and glory to Millwall."
The television cameras focused on this heartwarming moment, as Martin Tyler remarked, "Aldrich Hall and Henrik Larsson, this mentor-student duo has achieved greatness together. In the past, it would have been hard to imagine a 26-year-old player showing such emotion in front of a 21-year-old coach, but the real story at Millwall is one that constantly challenges tradition."
After the hug, Larsson composed himself and turned to Aldrich, flashing a smile. "Boss, I'm going to win this for you today!"
Aldrich chuckled. "Of course, that's what you should do."
Larsson returned to the pitch, preparing for the kickoff. Before passing the ball to Trezeguet, he turned around and shouted to his teammates, "Millwall!"
"Charge, charge, charge!!"
His teammates growled back with fierce determination.
Liverpool, Liverpool! In their earlier matchup, they parked the bus at Anfield, leaving Millwall to go home frustrated.
Had Millwall won that match, perhaps they wouldn't have faced so many Parking the bus teams in subsequent games.
In truth, they lost, leading other teams to adopt Liverpool's winning strategies. The players at Millwall didn't despise their rivals; while they would occasionally grumble about their opponents' defensive tactics, their greater frustration lay within themselves.
Why did they lose to Liverpool back then?
They underestimated them, were careless, and were ultimately undone by Owen's last-minute penalty. It was that simple.
They were always looking forward to a second showdown with Liverpool.
Today, that moment had finally arrived!
Millwall fielded a full-strength squad, with none of last season's treble-winning starting lineup missing. This was a good sign.
Liverpool's strategy today was almost identical to their first encounter. Evans didn't mind the external criticisms; the points were what truly mattered. Although Liverpool was far from leaders Manchester United, their more realistic goal of securing second place was still within reach, so they couldn't afford to slip up against a competitor like Millwall.
This intense defensive counter-attack strategy posed challenges for any strong team, but Millwall was prepared. After months of practicing their tactics, they had reached a level of fluidity, utilizing the space on the pitch for intricate passing and creating cover for teammates while hiding lethal attacking threats.
On the field, Millwall led the assault, while Liverpool took a defensive stance before transitioning to look for Owen up front.
The 18-year-old sensation, England's golden boy Owen, had taken on the attacking mantle for Liverpool this season.
It was rather peculiar this season—strong teams lacked standout forwards. Millwall, having been distracted by European competition, saw their goal-scoring among strikers distributed fairly evenly, which kept them off the top scorer charts. The same went for Manchester United; Arsenal's forward line contributed less than half their total goals. This indicated that the strong teams had diversified their scoring options, and it also reflected the increased emphasis on defense in the Premier League.
Owen, who once shocked England with his breakthrough talent, now ranked among the top scorers, boasting a scoring rate of about 0.5 goals per match—meaning he'd net one goal every two games. This efficiency didn't even take into account the actual time played, which would make his goal-scoring record even more impressive.
In the previous match, it was Owen's penalty that had sealed Millwall's fate. He was set for tighter marking today, and with the home advantage, Nedved and Larsson led the attack, wreaking havoc on Liverpool's defense!
As the match began, Aldrich urged his players to pick up the pace, keeping the tempo at an incredibly high level—a speed they regularly achieved in training. His players kept up, while Liverpool always seemed a step behind.
With their minds sharp and focused, players were ready to make quick decisions on passes, movements, whether to dribble, or take a shot.
Thus, the game fell entirely under Millwall's control. Pirlo, today, shed his "asleep" persona, proving highly active in orchestrating play, making precise passes, and directing Millwall's attacking threats.
Within half an hour, Millwall had attempted ten shots. Though none found the back of the net, they steadily chipped away at Liverpool's confidence.
By halftime, the score was still 0-0, but Liverpool players were gasping for breath after scrambling to clear opportunities, relying on relentless running and positional play to keep the goal intact. It was practically a miracle they hadn't conceded.
As the second half kicked off, both teams continued their battle, but Millwall maintained their relentless pace, pressing Liverpool's defenses until the 70th minute when Liverpool finally couldn't hold on.
Defensive lapses appeared, as Shevchenko cut in and instead of shooting, he passed to the front post, missed by Trezeguet—yet Nedved, unexpectedly trailing at the back post, found the net with powerful precision. The exhausted Liverpool defense exchanged puzzled glances, and not a word of complaint passed among teammates.
Who exactly was responsible for marking Nedved?
Against a team like Millwall, known for their dizzying off-the-ball movement, it was nearly impossible to stick a player on just one marked individual. Should one follow Nedved around the pitch?
"From a neutral fan's perspective, Millwall's style is beautiful football, but it's terrifying from the opponent's view. They stretch the opposing defense with rapid lateral ball movement and disrupt the connection between midfield and defense with deep attacking runs. Andy, why can't Millwall maintain this level consistently?"
"Players—11 unique individuals—are what make the difference. Hall maximizes everyone's strengths and melds them into a cohesive unit. Like Pirlo, no one can replace him. During that last attack, he made two essential passes: the first shifted Liverpool's defense sideways, the second sliced through the line, creating a deep offensive threat. If you look at those passes in isolation, any decent player can replicate them, like Ballack, whose technique is just as refined. But Ballack can't replace Pirlo because he wouldn't be able to make such back-to-back impactful passes in quick succession, nor can every forward possess Shevchenko's keen timing to execute precise runs and calmly deliver. Nedved's vast movement confuses defenders, and if they're not careful, he capitalizes on that to score. These players are unique; thus, Hall's team might switch out two or three players but will play a completely different match. That's the key."
Sitting on the bench, Ronaldinho was profoundly shaken.
He found it curious; when watching matches from the VIP box, even though Millwall played beautifully, he could usually anticipate the trajectory of the football. However, watching from the sidelines today felt entirely different—he couldn't keep pace with the players on the field, unable to predict where the ball would go or what direction the play would take.
After the goal, Aldridge walked to the bench and called Ronaldinho over. Ronaldinho's eyes lit up when he thought that he might play, but Aldridge said sincerely: "You will have enough time to sit here and watch in the future. But don't just watch; learn and think. Watch our wingers and attacking midfielders." How to move the field, when to support teammates, when to play the role of decisive playmaker, Ronaldinho, in my plan, you are not to be Nedvěd's replacement, nor to be a pure winger. To be a starter, you need to master the role transition in the game."
Ronaldinho's excitement waned, and he nodded seriously, then sat beside Aldrich to ask how to make those transitions.
Aldrich carefully and patiently explained the players' roles throughout the match.
Ronaldinho was a versatile attacking player; he could do it all—dribble, assist, score, and initiate attacks.
You couldn't ask him to balance it all; that would only make him mediocre.
Sticking to one role would waste his talent.
Thus, he needed to learn to play with greater awareness and intelligence, integrating into Millwall's tactical framework, fully unleashing his abilities while also elevating those around him. Given his position, he'd need to learn how to switch fluidly between an attacking midfielder and a winger—not merely swapping spots but transforming his impact on the game.
Ronaldinho listened intently beside Aldrich, who had become the person he trusted most during his days in London. He felt a genuine respect and affection for this young man who was changing his life.
With Liverpool conceding the goal, their conservative tactics crumbled. Their formation began to push forward, while Millwall's high tempo never let up. In a swift counter-attack, Larsson cut in from the left, played the ball back, and Nedved, charging in again, blasted it into the Liverpool net, sealing the victory.
The match concluded with Millwall triumphantly defeating Liverpool 2-0 on home soil.
Liverpool's familiar strategy had led to a different result this time, leaving them without a single opportunity. With this match, Millwall delivered a powerful rebuttal to extreme defensive tactics!
If other teams plan to sit back and defend, they better reconsider. Surrendering control of the game to Millwall is extremely risky; once they concede even one goal, the situation can swiftly tip in Millwall's favor.
Post-match, Aldrich shook hands with Evans, quickly conducted interviews, and hurriedly left the club.
With the worldwide tour of the Spice Girls set to begin, Melanie was on a few days off and would return to London tonight. Aldrich was eager to welcome her back, having not seen her for quite a while, keeping her in his thoughts.
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