章 205: End of the Streak
In a thrilling clash against one of Europe's top teams, Millwall's entire squad felt invigorated after securing a victory on the road. Undoubtedly, this was a confidence-boosting, milestone match.
After the game, Fernández stated at the press conference that everything was still in play and that Paris Saint-Germain would strive for a comeback in the second leg.
However, the attending journalists disagreed, viewing him as merely putting on a brave face. Even the French reporters believed PSG failed to create more opportunities on home soil, raising doubts about how they could perform better in London.
Some reporters leaning towards Marseille bluntly asked, "If you don't win the league this season and fall in the semifinals of the European Cup, will you resign in disgrace?"
This question infuriated Fernández, and he angrily left the stage.
When it was Aldrich's turn to be interviewed, the atmosphere changed abruptly. Most French reporters fell silent, with only a few fixating on Trezeguet's squandered golden opportunities, seemingly aiming to spark discord within the Millwall camp.
Aldrich dismissed their concerns lightly: "David didn't score today, which is normal. He contributed significantly to both our attack and defense. If he had vanished on the pitch, or scored a goal but then disappeared during defense, I would criticize such a forward severely. Fortunately, David wasn't like that—he played excellently today, just a bit unlucky."
The French journalists' faces turned dark; anyone with a bit of sense could tell Aldrich was subtly mocking the two forwards from PSG, even if he meant no harm. But the reporters didn't hold back.
English journalists remained quiet, with a few who understood French sharing Aldrich's comments with their peers, prompting silence among the French reporters.
Then it was time for the English journalists to pose their questions.
"Coach Fernández believes they still have a chance to turn things around. What do you think?"
"Of course they do. We've only played 90 minutes of a 180-minute match, and the scoreline isn't overwhelmingly in anyone's favor. Paris Saint-Germain absolutely has opportunities. Besides, our next match will be at Wembley. Even though it's in London too, it significantly diminishes their home advantage. The second leg will be full of suspense and variables, and we'll take the next match very seriously. If we underestimate them, today's victory could mean nothing."
...
Upon returning to London, Millwall was met with enthusiastic cheers from Fleet Street.
Calls for a place in the finals grew louder, as various newspapers highlighted Millwall's stunning away victory against the defending champions.
On the other hand, Manchester United suffered a crushing defeat at Westfalenstadion in Germany. After their unsuccessful attempt to retain the league title, their hopes of advancing in the Champions League seemed to dwindle. The media in Fleet Street was skeptical about United's future since they hadn't managed to escape the league pressure. With Liverpool only two points behind, they needed to give it their all in the remaining matches,If they don't finish in the top two of the league, they'll be left with no choice but to compete in the UEFA Cup next season.
In the weekend's league match, Aldrich rested his key players and led a younger squad to face Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
The stadium was filled to capacity.
This season was supposed to be Newcastle's best chance at claiming the league title, especially after being so close last year only to lose to Millwall, allowing Manchester United to take the trophy. Shearer's signing was expected to bolster their team, but the current situation had them feeling quite disillusioned. Now, their battle was for second place.
To this day, Newcastle's fans felt deep resentment towards Millwall.
Had Newcastle United not been swept by Millwall last season, particularly in that important clash toward the end of the season, they were utterly convinced they would have hoisted the league trophy.
This sentiment was something fans of any big club could relate to.
Millwall's fans also thought that if they had maintained a perfect record against weaker teams last season, they would certainly be champions.
Liverpool, Arsenal… strong teams often see defeats against lesser opponents as mere accidents, not realizing this is simply the nature of football; the strong remain strong, but that doesn't guarantee victory in every match.
Kevin Keegan's exit came early in the year as Daglish took over.
He led Blackburn to the title during the season when Millwall was still in the second division. Daglish had faded into the background, and Aldrich did not get a chance to face him then.
Today, however, they finally had the opportunity to cross paths.
Daglish had improved Newcastle's defense since taking charge, though their attacking prowess didn't match Keegan's exciting playstyle. At least in terms of points, Newcastle was only four points behind Manchester United, still hopeful for second place.
Their competitive spirit was palpable.
As the players entered the pitch, Newcastle's squad formed two lines, welcoming Millwall onto the pitch.
However, the fans in the stands observed with a cold gaze.
In the top tier of English football, it's traditional for teams to welcome a champion as they enter away grounds, a custom dating back to the Busby Babes era when strong Chelsea claimed their first league title and visited Old Trafford. Sir Matt Busby graciously had his players form a guard of honor for the champions, showcasing respect for their prowess. This created a gentlemanly tradition in English football where league and European champions receive such honors during matches that aren't yet concluded, though there are exceptions.
Overall, this kind of hospitality should not be seen as shameful; instead, it showcases good sportsmanship. Losing the title gracefully without pretending to ignore a champion they sincerely admire is commendable.
Yet today's guard of honor amused the commentator.
"Newcastle United is welcoming the new Premier League champions at St. James' Park, which is fine as it's part of our English tradition. But the majority of Millwall's players on the pitch today are substitutes. They look embarrassed as if the welcome was meant for someone else."
Indeed, the Millwall players felt a bit embarrassed.
They were part of the champions, but as bench players, they felt they were only basking in the glow of others' achievements.
Aldrich was comfortably seated on the sidelines, sensing no issues. Team pride is for everyone. Even if you're not in the starting eleven, your contributions still matter, and he really couldn't stand fans arguing about who's more important. It's fine to compare abilities, but in a team, every player plays a role. Just imagine—let's see how 11 starters do for an entire season without hitting any bumps; if they pull that off, it'd be quite the miracle!
Aldrich had little in common with Daglish, and even as fellow coaches, there seemed to be no connection.
It was curious.
Aldrich is just that way. Even if Robson isn't the best coach, they can still have a good chat. He gets along easily with Martin O'Neill and has many more friends in the industry like that.
But with certain colleagues, first impressions showed no potential for common ground; unless necessary, he had no desire to engage.
It was perhaps a matter of personal affinity.
Furthermore, with Daglish's connection to Liverpool, he likely didn't want a relationship with Aldrich, who had publicly humiliated the Reds on the pitch and mocked them in interviews.
Liverpool held a near familial significance for Daglish. Without the Hillsborough disaster, their decline would have been far slower, and Daglish might have achieved even greater heights in his coaching career.
As Aldrich watched Newcastle's starting lineup, he turned to Benitez, asking, "What do you think their tactics will be?"
Benitez replied, "Keegan's attacking style worked well; they just need to tighten their overall defense. I don't expect any drastic changes."
Aldrich shook his head, replying, "They'll likely revert to the traditional 4-4-2, wings flying in tandem. Do you believe it?"
Benitez raised an eyebrow, "Really? Going back to that?"
Aldrich shrugged, "This way, both midfielders can focus solely on defending while the attack remains with the wings."
"Let's see."
As the match kicked off, Benitez observed and sighed, "This indeed seems to be a suitable tactic for today's game."
Newcastle did indeed execute a 4-4-2 formation, with both a tall and quick forward leading the charge.
Shearer teamed up with Ferdinand.
Interestingly, the other forward, the unfortunate Asprilla, was seen as partly responsible for the collapse of Newcastle after ending Milan's unbeaten streak. He had joined Newcastle in the winter for half a season before being criticized by the media as one of the reasons for their late-season failure, with claims that his arrival disrupted their attacking system, preventing crucial goals in key matches.
Keegan insisted Asprilla was a genius, perfectly suited for Newcastle, but once he departed, Daglish took over, and Asprilla was promptly benched.
Daglish, having previously collaborated with Shearer at Blackburn, knew how to utilize him. He preferred a traditional tall striker to partner with Shearer, and Ferdinand naturally secured a starting position, combining efficiently with Shearer.
"The players seem off today, like they can't keep up."
Benitez whispered to Aldrich.
Aldrich noticed too, but didn't feel the need to yell at the players; it would be pointless.
Unlike their relaxed demeanor against Liverpool, the young players on the pitch genuinely seemed to be struggling physically.
They had traveled to Paris on Tuesday, returned late Thursday, rested for half a day, and were now back at away matches. Honestly, Aldrich himself felt a bit dazed. Even if most of the players hadn't featured midweek, the travel fatigue would weigh on them. Aldrich didn't mind, as he needed his players to get accustomed to this kind of midweek travel rhythm, letting their bodies gradually adapt.
Manchester United's poor performance this season also stemmed from similar factors, with their younger players struggling to cope with the demands of European travel while also facing heightened attention and pressure.
The match was far from pretty, but Newcastle's individuals posed a significant threat.
Shearer and Ferdinand each contributed, as Newcastle led 2-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Aldrich adjusted his formation and subbed on a few players, but in the end, both teams managed to score once, concluding the match with Newcastle securing their well-deserved three points.
Millwall's unbeaten league streak of 31 matches came to an end.
Given they were already crowned champions, it was unreasonable to expect a victory in every match. Fleet Street understood without mocking them, as Millwall was due for another match next week, facing a crucial FA Cup semifinal at Old Trafford. Their schedule had indeed been packed.
The FA Cup semifinal is held at a neutral venue, where Millwall will compete against Middlesbrough for a ticket to the final at Wembley.
Following that, they had league matches, and in a week's time, their UEFA Cup semifinal's second leg will commence. Having already wrapped up the league title, Millwall had the bandwidth to manage the demanding schedule, and Aldrich wasn't facing the same challenges as at the end of last season.
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