章 454: The Lions' Unstoppable Roar
Leeds United 0:8 Millwall!
In the final match of Round 13 of the Premier League, the team ranked third in the standings faced off against the league leaders. This was supposed to be the match that Premier League fans were most excited about that day, and naturally, the media focused on Elland Road. However, when the match ended, Aldrich walked into the post-match press conference, and silence fell over the room.
In the stillness, all the journalists present stared at Aldrich with complex expressions.
No one congratulated him on his victory, nor did anyone express sympathy for Leeds United.
In the hushed silence, all the reporters in attendance cast complex glances at Aldrich. No one congratulated him on his victory, nor did anyone express sympathy for Leeds United. Instead, after the intense shock wore off, the reporters—who had initially felt detached from the score—unanimously felt a chill run down their spines, a singular thought echoing in their minds: this is terrifying!
Before the match, even those who sensed Leeds would struggle had hoped for a glimmer of hope, considering their previous undefeated record against Millwall last season. Yet, even if Leeds were to lose, they shouldn't have succumbed so disgracefully, so helplessly, so easily... The third-placed team in the Premier League, Leeds, was completely overrun at home! Last season, Arsenal, also a third-place finisher in the Premier League, had already faced a 5-goal defeat at The Den.
Every day, the question lingers: Who the hell can stand in the way of Millwall?
Expectations for Arsenal were dashed, and for Leeds United, even AC Milan's visit to Wembley led many to believe Millwall would likely encounter their first draw of the new season. Losing? Unlikely. Millwall had only ever lost once in European competition, and that was away from home. Relying on Millwall to lose a European match in London? That was simply unrealistic.
This 0:8 defeat was not just Leeds United failing to fulfill the pre-match bravado of their fans; it directly transformed the media's perception of Millwall.
They were indeed strong, that was a fact.
But being this strong was hard to believe, and now they had to accept it.
Who else could they rely on?
Manchester United?
Before today, perhaps there had still been some hope for Manchester United, but now, the vast majority believed the Premier League was over!
Yes, this season's Premier League was done, the championship was not in question, and the only mystery surrounding Millwall was: Could they set a new record?
As Aldrich took his seat and saw no journalists asking questions, he said calmly, "If you don't have any questions, then I'll take my leave."
The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere of the press conference shifted dramatically.
Just a second ago, there had been silence.
Now, every journalist in attendance raised their hands, eager and almost frantic to ask questions.
Aldrich spoke rapidly, answering questions almost without taking a moment to think.
"Did you expect a score of 0:8 before the match?"
"Of course not. If I had said before the match that Millwall would win against Leeds United by eight goals, everyone would have thought I was crazy. But I always believed my players could defeat our opponents and achieve victory."
"If you hadn't substituted Ronaldinho and Pirlo at halftime, would the final score have been even greater?"
"Those things that didn't happen can't be speculated upon. I don't make assumptions."
"Why did you substitute those two players at halftime?"
"I have my reasons. I'm focused on the entire team, carrying the weight of the club's past and present while shouldering the future. Every decision I make comes from a holistic perspective."
"You said before the match that you liked Leeds United, but during the game, you sarcastically applauded Leeds for Smith's foul. When Smith insulted you as he left the field, do you still like Leeds United?"
As the question shifted to the spitting incident involving Smith, Aldrich didn't answer immediately but fell silent.
The reporters gazed at him without blinking.
After nearly half a minute of silence, Aldrich finally spoke softly: "No one is perfect, and neither is any team. I appreciate the youth, passion, and drive of Leeds United. However, I detest Leeds United's performance on the field today, especially in the second half—dirty, ugly, too cowardly to face competition like real men. Football is not about fists, not about savagery, not about brutality. I regret Smith's behavior; did he think that spitting on me would dirty me? Would it make me filthy? Before countless Premier League viewers, he sullied his own image."
"Mr. Hall, will you forgive Smith's actions?"
"Forgive? I'm neither angry nor resentful towards him. Forgiveness? That's a strange question. If you see a thug on the street, do you care much about him? My life continues, my work continues. Sorry, Smith? Tomorrow, I'll forget him, until the next time I encounter Leeds United, then he will come back into my view."
"No, Mr. Hall, my question wasn't clear. I meant to ask if you would forgive Smith for his malicious fouls on the field?"
Aldrich's expression turned cold as he replied softly, "Whether I forgive him is unimportant. What matters is whether the Premier League can tolerate such behavior, which directly led to my player Makelele's injury. Millwall will lodge a complaint with the FA, requesting an investigation into the malicious fouls by Leeds United players during the match. I don't want to hear any more excuses about English football's intense physicality that distort the truth. If you can't even distinguish between malicious fouls and intense competition, then English football is a joke. Tomorrow, someone will say I'm talking nonsense and unqualified to critique English football, but let those people shut their mouths; either lead your team to defeat me, or you'd better not provoke me. I don't care if you're a legendary figure from the England national team or a past icon of any top club. First, understand one fact: Millwall is the Premier League champion, representing the pinnacle of English football. Millwall's performance in European competitions over the past three years proves we are the embodiment of English football. Not qualified? Who in English football is qualified to criticize such despicable behavior?!"
Aldrich's voice resonated, leaving the audience in shock.
The reporters widened their eyes at Aldrich, whose serious expression barely concealed his anger.
Was he really going to make an example out of Smith?
That was the first thought that crossed their minds.
However, it didn't take long for everyone to dismiss that idea.
If Aldrich were to engage in a personal vendetta against another player, it would be too petty, contradicting his earlier comments where he ignored Smith entirely. Wouldn't that be akin to slapping himself in the face?
Clearly, the situation was more complex than that.
Soon, everyone realized that Aldrich was actually using this as an opportunity to pressure the FA, advocating for stricter penalties to minimize the chances of Millwall players facing malicious fouls.
There was no denying it; in terms of technical and possession advantages, Millwall was the best team in the entire Premier League. In other words, they dominated matches, and if their opponents couldn't withstand them with conventional means, they would inevitably resort to unconventional tactics, even if it meant committing fouls. This was a natural occurrence.
In the past, when technical teams faced powerhouses, if the technical team was in the lead, the powerhouses would simply charge through to limit their opponents. This had always been the case.
Although the barrier between technique and strength had been completely broken, leading to a fusion and evolution of new player types, certain methods remained unchanged.
The following day, the football headlines in England were dominated by Leeds United's stunning 8-0 defeat at home to Millwall. Not only did Leeds suffer an unprecedented loss, but they also faced humiliation, transforming Elland Road into a "hell on earth." Fleet Street even produced a short film to document the tragedy that unfolded that day.
From the moment Leeds fans excitedly flocked to the stadium, full of confidence during pre-match interviews, to their reactions as they watched goal after goal slip away, the atmosphere turned grim. By halftime, some fans left the stands, and large sections were empty even before the match concluded. The sight of die-hard fans shedding tears added a layer of sorrow to this tragic day.
Also making headlines was Alan Smith's unethical act of committing a malicious foul and spitting at Aldrich.
The FA immediately announced an investigation into Smith's foul.
After returning to London, Aldrich instructed the club to prepare two reports: one to be submitted to the FA, detailing Leeds United's frequent fouls during the match, particularly focusing on Smith's malicious foul and the injury sustained by Makélélé.
The second report was discreetly given to Fleet Street, urging the media to keep a spotlight on the issue.
In truth, the second report had nothing to do with the match itself. However, at Aldrich's behest, club staff worked overtime to produce a credible document.
This report essentially compiled the trends of the Premier League over the past few years and its trajectory compared to Serie A, the current leading league in the world.
Undoubtedly, the Premier League today is characterized by a rising trend fueled by foreign stars. Millwall was a pioneer in this regard, alongside Chelsea, which also made significant contributions to the league.
Without a steady influx of high-caliber foreign players paving the way, how could the outdated player selection mechanisms and the shortage of local talent support the Premier League's ambitions? There were no longer British stars like Gascoigne, Lineker, Hoddle, Barnes, or Keegan to uphold the league's reputation. Beckham? Even the British public hadn't forgiven him, as evidenced by the media's lukewarm support for him in the run-up to the Ballon d'Or awards.
While international football has been moving towards an encouraging attacking trend, does the Premier League intend to remain stagnant?
If so, how could they continue to attract more overseas stars to play here?
Come to England to recover from injuries?
The newly appointed CEO of the Premier League, Scudamore, declared at the start of the season his intention to promote the league worldwide.
If the Premier League cannot manage and prevent such malicious fouls with strict oversight, who can guarantee that what gets promoted globally is not the ugly side of English football?
At the same time, Serie A had already shown signs of decline due to excessive pragmatism, where teams were willing to do anything for victory, resulting in many dull and tedious matches. The prevalence of fouls and aggression exceeded acceptable norms, leading to a growing injury list featuring a series of star players, with one recovering only for another to be sidelined. Serie A's attendance numbers dropped, audiences dwindled, and sponsors grew hesitant, compounded by continuous scandalous controversies. This was no longer the glorious and thriving image of Serie A.
With Fleet Street stirring the pot, Millwall applying official pressure, and various complex relationships at play, although Aldrich did not achieve the optimal outcome, he at least found some psychological comfort.
Smith's punishment was issued: in addition to a substantial fine, he was banned for ten matches, and the Referees' Committee announced it would not tolerate malicious fouls on the field.
It sounded righteous, but upon closer examination, it felt like nothing more than a hollow proclamation.
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