章 154: Kings of London!
Manchester United narrowly defeated Leeds United, while Newcastle United faltered at home. With the Premier League season drawing to a close, three teams remained in contention for the title. Newcastle and Manchester United were level on points, but United held the top spot on goal difference, with Millwall trailing the two by two points and their chances of victory seeming remote.
On the way back to London, Aldrich received a text message from Ferguson.
"Great job!"
Aldrich calmly replied, "Congratulations to Manchester United on winning the league title."
Ferguson responded again, "It's not over yet; anything can happen. Manchester United won't make the same mistake as last year."
Aldrich put away his phone, deciding not to dwell on it further.
For the players of Millwall, the true colors of Fleet Street soon became clear.
"What a great victory! Millwall reignites the hope for the championship!"
"Millwall: England's Ajax!"
The next day, major London newspapers published reports about Millwall and Newcastle, given that it was the most watched match of the week.
Just like Ajax is known for its young talents, Millwall had also showcased several promising young players this season, labeled 'gems' by the media.
Trezeguet needs no introduction, and players like Larsson, Nedvěd, and Makelele have shed their youthful façades; their maturity on the pitch no longer allows anyone to view them as mere rookies.
Players like Shevchenko, Ballack, Vieira, and Elger had also come into the spotlight after their debuts.
In the match at St. James' Park, Capdevila and Van Nistelrooy began to capture the public's attention, and it wasn't unfounded to compare Millwall to England's Ajax.
This season, Ajax had achieved remarkable success, reaching the Champions League final for the second consecutive year, even though their 53-match unbeaten streak was broken two months ago.
The day before the final match, Aldrich was having breakfast while reading the newspaper. Previously, experts had predicted Millwall's chances of winning the title at a mere 2%; today, that probability had risen to about 13%.
This probability was not fabricated; it was derived from a scientific prediction method by bookmaker, calculating the chances of both Manchester United and Newcastle failing to win, while Millwall secured a victory. There was no need for fluctuations because if the two contenders failed to win, a win for Millwall would ensure they topped them on goal difference.
After tossing the newspaper into the trash, Aldrich continued his breakfast routine. He had training sessions during the day, a pre-match preparation meeting, and then attended the press conference before the closing match. Aldrich maintained a calm demeanor, seeming unbothered when reporters asked about the championship, stating lightly that he cared only to perform well in the last game.
On May 3rd, the Den stadium hardly saw any away fans.
Although 99% of the away supporters resided in London, very few were interested in coming to the Den, even considering today's match could be described as a London derby.
Millwall vs. Queen's Park Rangers.
The latter was especially unlucky, having been relegated a week early.
Aldrich kept the same lineup from the previous match. Most of the starting players sat in the stands as they conserved energy for the FA Cup final a week later.
The atmosphere in the stadium was electric with noise, and a massive banner in the south stand stood out.
This large display was creatively designed.
At the bottom was a map of Greater London, marking the locations of various Premier League clubs.
Above it was the blue lion from Millwall's crest, fierce and strong.
In the center were bold words.
"10w2d, Kings of London!"
Before the match began, a single voice erupted from the stands.
"Kings of London! Kings of London!"
There were seven London teams in the Premier League this season:
Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, West Ham, Wimbledon, Queen's Park Rangers, and Millwall.
In London encounters, aside from Millwall's single draws against Tottenham and Arsenal, they had won all nine other London derbies they played.
With only one match left—today's closing match—fans didn't believe the already-relegated Queen's Park Rangers would trouble Millwall, treating this match as a guaranteed victory.
They felt that with a record of 10 wins and 2 draws, Millwall had undoubtedly enhanced their standing in London.
Kings of London!
No other London teams could refute that.
Thus, Millwall earned a nickname in the media: the "Internal War Specialists."
This internal war had London as its backdrop.
During home games played in London and away derbies held within the capital, Millwall exhibited stellar performances.
However, when they left London, they were susceptible to defeats against teams like Nottingham Forest and struggled against Leeds United and Aston Villa. Consequently, while they only lost one match during the 37 rounds of the league, their numerous draws in away matches outside of London directly impacted their total points tally.
When Aldrich entered the pitch, the crowd erupted in cheers. He remained calm as he waved at the stands. The FA had brought a replica of the championship trophy to the Den, yet most important officials had gone to the riverside stadium, where Manchester United held the reins of the title race.
As both teams took the field, Aldrich continued to sit on the bench, his expression unchanged.
The final match kicked off simultaneously. Almost immediately, Queen's Park Rangers showed signs of a lackluster performance, their players were visibly disheartened, worrying about their futures with the team heading to League One next season; no one knew if they would stay or go come the summer.
In contrast, Millwall's youthful squad was brimming with spirit. They wanted to prove themselves and showcase their skills, and they weren't overly concerned with whether their opponents were willing to compete.
It was like a pride of lion cubs facing a flock of sheep, and the match became an absolute rout.
Solskjær scored a hat-trick within just thirty-five minutes.
In the second half, Aldrich substituted him off, and as he walked off the pitch, he formally applauded all sides of the stands; his gesture was undoubtedly a farewell, although the fans hadn't yet connected the dots.
Substitute Phillips wasn't suitable as a winger, making things a bit congested in the center with Van Nistelrooy. However, Queen's Park Rangers lacked any fighting spirit, hoping merely for the match to end. Van Nistelrooy managed to squeeze in a goal, and then Aldrich substituted in Pirlo, wanting him to adjust for the next big match—the FA Cup final, where Aldrich intended to start him.
He gave Mills twenty minutes to gauge his performance: strong defensively as a right back, but disappointing in attack.
Ultimately, when the final whistle blew, Shevchenko and Ballack added to the tally, crushing the hopeless QPR with a total of six goals.
The players jubilantly gathered to thank the fans, and the suited players in the stands also came onto the pitch to express their gratitude for the unwavering support throughout the season.
The riverside stadium showdown came to an end, with Robson failing to lead Middlesbrough against Manchester United. They fell behind early and were finally defeated by three goals, after missing out on the league title last season; United had reclaimed their championship this season.
On the other hand, the outcome was surprising. After losing to Millwall, Keegan's team faced Tottenham at home for their final match, but it ended in a resilient draw, as Tottenham aimed for a European qualifying spot.
Although Tottenham ultimately didn't secure a UEFA Cup entry, they helped Millwall leap to second in the table.
In their Premier League debut season, Millwall finished as runners-up, just two points off the top spot.
Not winning the title meant no grand celebrations, especially as their season wasn't over. With the fans' applause ringing out, Millwall's players and coaches exited the field.
Aldrich gave the players a break to recharge, instructing them to return in three days to prepare for the FA Cup final.
That evening, he watched TV at home with Benítez, their conversation revolving around football.
Manchester United, undoubtedly the highlight, drew attention for their incredible comeback to claim the title, especially after Ferguson had let go of several key players and made no signings in the summer—this remarkable turnaround against Newcastle was dubbed astonishing. United had only signed a backup goalkeeper for free, a move that seemed more about numbers than necessity.
Millwall became the second focal point. Football analysts and English legends unanimously acknowledged Millwall's surprising performance, displaying notable consistency throughout the season, but in comparison to Manchester United, they simply lacked experience. United had successfully integrated veterans like Schmeichel, Cantona, and Keane, who had been the core of the team for years. They maintained calm in high-pressure situations, helping youngsters like Beckham flourish quickly. On the other hand, very few players in Millwall had championship titles; their inaugural Premier League season saw them momentum stall in the second half, where squandering draws at home against Aston Villa and Leeds denied them the chance to pull off a miracle.
Newcastle faced harsh criticism for their collapse. They had built a vast lead earlier, finding themselves thirteen points ahead of Manchester United before facing Millwall and ten points ahead in early February.
However, they lost several critical matches in the second half, failing to gather a single point.
They lost to Manchester United, Liverpool, and Millwall; even a single draw might have meant they could have brought the championship trophy back to St. James' Park.
In reviews of other teams, Arsenal's revival seemed illusory, Liverpool had a strong squad but lacked the spirit to challenge for the title, and Aston Villa showed significant progress while Leeds' rapid decline was unexpected...
In individual player reviews, the Premier League Golden Boot went to Shearer, closely followed by Larsson, who had a higher efficiency having played seven fewer matches yet scoring just five goals fewer than Shearer.
Nedvěd was named Best Foreign Player, even beating out Cantona as the FWA Footballer of the Year. Trezeguet topped Fowler to become the PFA Young Player of the Year, while the Professional Footballers' Association named Larsson as the Footballer of the Year.
Most Millwall players featured prominently in awards from various media outlets.
To be fair, Aldrich felt it was a bit unfair; he would have rather shared the honors with defenders like Southgate, Stam, and Makelele. This wasn't to say that attacking players weren't impressive, but he hoped the accolades would also recognize collective achievements. The excess adoration of attacking players was unhealthy.
After a two-day break, Aldrich returned to the Den, taking a seat in the stands alongside Melanie, as they were there for a match.
Aldrich supported the home team: Millwall.
Melanie supported the visitors: Liverpool.
This was the FA Cup final, but not the one taking place four days later at Wembley; rather, it was the final for the Youth FA Cup.
In the first leg of the final, Millwall had drawn 1-1 away to Liverpool, and today marked the second leg with Millwall having home advantage.
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