章 48: Millwall: A New Era
For the better part of the season, Millwall's fans have become the happiest group in League One. They are able to simply enjoy the joy and passion that football brings.
Under Aldrich's leadership, Millwall has undergone a remarkable transformation. The team's style has completely divorced itself from the traditional English game of long balls and aerial duels, sparking a youthful revolution that has filled the fans with pride.
On the afternoon of the thirty-second round of matches, the Lion's Den continued to boast a full house. As both teams lined up to enter the field, the stadium erupted into a thunderous applause that echoed throughout.
Millwall bears no grudge against Middlesbrough — they are merely rivals. Now, with Millwall firmly ahead, the fans have graciously welcomed their opponents.
Before the match, the broadcasting camera focused on Aldrich, the handsome young manager who is a rising star in English coaching circles. Polite and exceptionally skilled, no one questions Aldrich's coaching ability anymore. In fact, Millwall's tactical system has started to attract attention from football columnists; their analysis doesn't readily offer conclusions since true tactical experts believe Aldrich's renovation of the team is still a work in progress. However, abandoning the blindly frequent traditional wing play for a more dynamic approach, incorporating wing assistance and occasional incursions into the box, has already been refreshing.
As the players made their way onto the field, Aldrich walked over to the opposing coaching bench where he was greeted by Brian Robson. The two embraced warmly and exchanged friendly banter.
"Aldrich, if you lose this match to me, so be it. After all, you're ahead by so many points."
"Sure, Middlesbrough can attack boldly; Millwall won't put up defenses."
"Can you not be so annoying?"
"Thank you, that's the best compliment I could ask for."
After sharing a smile, Aldrich and Robson parted ways, each returning to their respective sidelines.
Compared to their earlier encounters in the first half of the season, the only change in the starting line-up for Millwall was the introduction of David Beckham. Everything else remained the same, including their formation.
Middlesbrough continued with their counter-attacking five-three-two setup, while Millwall retained their well-honed four-four-two.
The dynamics of the match unfolded in a nearly identical pattern to their previous league encounter: Millwall dominated, while Middlesbrough remained conservative in defense.
Aldrich stood on the sideline, wondering if he was about to repeat the mistakes of the first half of the season.
Of course not! Millwall was far more matured than three months ago, and the players' synergy was vastly improved.
The midfield trio of Pirès, Nedved, and Makélélé worked seamlessly, combining fluidly in the midfield area. With Larsen dropping back to support, Millwall comfortably retained control of the ball.
Being patient and maintaining possession does not mean they are being conservative; rather, creating opportunities without easily relinquishing the ball is indeed a strategic form of conservatism.
Aldrich's first lesson to the team was to learn how to play the back pass! When there are no good options available up front, midfield players under pressure need to have the awareness to pass the ball back.
If you don't lose possession, you secure your unbeaten status.
The much-hyped top-of-the-table clash didn't ignite the expected fireworks as the match commenced.
Dubbed "the defensive forward" by Aldrich in front of coaching colleagues, Cavani was constantly darting between Millwall's defense and midfield, attempting to disrupt the team's rhythm.
However, his one-man show bore little fruit, as he was effectively manipulated by Millwall's midfielders.
Blake, Masto, and Higdon, comprising Middlesbrough's midfield, lacked the courage to push forward across the halfway line. They seemed to be waiting for something, entirely indifferent to the passage of time on the scoreboard.
Millwall was tactically flexible enough to adjust and exploit the dense defense, no constant instructions from Aldrich were required.
Pirès moved inward, engaging in tight combinations with Nedved while the two strikers made runs to draw defenders' attention, creating space for a teammate to take a long-range shot.
Twenty minutes into the first half, Nedved's long-range effort nearly opened the scoring, only for it to hit the crossbar and bounce into the stands.
Middlesbrough continued their retreat into a defensive shell, yet small gaps and distractions in their formation were evident.
Pirès had a long-range shot from outside the box saved easily by keeper Miller, who quickly launched a long clearance toward the front line in hopes of creating a counter-attacking opportunity.
The ball landed just past midfield, where Makélélé confidently kept Cavani at bay. No matter how hard Cavani pushed, Makélélé was unfazed.
As the ball descended, Makélélé redirected it right into Beckham's path. Positioned near the right midfield line, Beckham took a moment to adjust before unleashing a long-ball cross into the Middlesbrough box.
Middlesbrough's defenders, just recovering from the previous defensive standing, were caught off guard — within ten seconds, the ball soared back over their heads.
Trezeguet skillfully slipped between Pearce and White, and although Miller charged off his line, he was only halfway there when he spread his arms to cover more ground. With Trezeguet now unmarked on the left side of the goal, he duly headed the ball into the Middlesbrough net without breaking stride.
Miller loathed Millwall!
In the earlier encounter, Pirès's strange curler was still fresh in his memory. This time, with Miller having come off his line, he could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed over his head. He stretched out his hand in vain, realizing he had missed his chance, and ended up awkwardly tumbling to the ground, a sight of pure humiliation.
"Goooooal! David Trezeguet scores a stunning header! The assist comes from young Manchester United star Beckham, who has been on loan at Millwall this season. In the last month, he filled in magnificently for the injured Schneider. His accurate passing has been unforgettable. Who would have thought he'd assist a forward from that position? The pass was exquisitely timed, and Trezeguet's decisive leap and header were simply sensational! Congratulations to Millwall; they now lead the match and hold a commanding advantage on the field. Despite Middlesbrough's strong capabilities, making an impact here seems unlikely!"
With his goal tally reaching eighteen for the season, Trezeguet gleefully sprinted back towards the defense, directly embracing Beckham.
The fans were ecstatic, with some even holding signs that read: "Aldrich, please sign Beckham!"
Aldrich could only chuckle to himself; he too desired to secure arguably the biggest star in English football for the next five to eight years. However, the shrewd Ferguson wouldn't let him have it so easily.
From the moment Beckham joined on loan, he had transformed from a raw newcomer to one of Millwall's star players, with his impressive performances garnering increasing recognition. Aldrich described Beckham as a star player, but not one ranked among the top five in terms of talent, not even amongst the attacking players.
Among those who frequented the training grounds, at least half of the female fans showed up just to see Beckham; the rest were more focused on Nedved, Schneider, and others. Being an English citizen, there was no doubt Beckham was the main attraction.
When did Beckham become famous? Perhaps it was when he was under ten years old.
In English football, last year, he played a pivotal role for Manchester United's 1992 batch, winning the Youth FA Cup, which propelled him into the limelight.
Aldrich shook off distracting thoughts, cheering for his team's goal, and glanced at Brian Robson not far away. The latter was unaffected by the conceding of the goal, simply pacing the sidelines with no words or commands for his team.
Robson was powerless; he had done everything he could and knew further exhortation was pointless. It wasn't that Middlesbrough was underperforming; Millwall had definitively evolved from the team he had faced in the first half.
With hundreds of professional matches under his belt, Robson could see the confidence and energy radiating from the young Millwall players, coupled with their tactical intelligence and composure. At that moment, he felt a sentiment similar to what Wenger must have experienced: Aldrich, your team has an immensely bright future ahead.
After the restart, Middlesbrough retained their strategy, launching long balls as soon as they regained possession. Their ability to create threats depended heavily on the forwards' effectiveness.
But such offensive attempts were utterly ineffective against Millwall, with possession effortlessly returning to their feet.
With the team ahead, the fans were thoroughly entertained, singing and celebrating like it was a party, joyfully arm in arm in the stands.
With an assist under his belt, Beckham's confidence surged, and on this grand stage, he longed to showcase more of himself. Thus, after sticking closer to the midfield line for the past thirty minutes, he now boldly surged forward.
Aldrich frowned slightly at this sight from the sideline. During tactical briefings prior to the game, he had instructed Beckham: "Don't venture up too far. Your primary duty is to help Thuram defend, ensuring our right flank is secure. As a deeper-lying attacking pivot, feel free to attempt long-range passes."
Initially, Beckham had adhered to this guidance along the flank; Middlesbrough's defense didn't really regard him as a concern. However, when he suddenly surged forward, it caught them off guard.
Nedved broke through Masto's defense in the middle, surprised to find Beckham making an unexpected run forward. He had planned to take a long shot but instead pushed the ball laterally to the right, creating an opportunity none anticipated. Middlesbrough's center-back Wicks tried to intercept him, but Beckham's pinpoint through ball snuck into the right side of the box, linking up with a well-timed run from Larsen. At the edge of the box, Larsen half-turned and swept the ball towards Middlesbrough's goal.
Trezeguet, anticipating a defensive clearance by Pearson, dove in just in time to direct the ball into the net!
Millwall surged ahead 2-0 at home!
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