บท 438: Two Goals, Two Minutes: A Staggering Comeback
Having roamed the football landscape for more than five years, Aldrich had encountered countless giants, their diverse faces etched in his memory like images in a cherished album. However, the individual who commanded his deepest respect and admiration was Bobby Robson.
In his younger years in Portugal, he had witnessed Robson's training sessions and had eagerly followed his success at Barcelona, especially during the season when Ronaldo dazzled the world.
The veteran coach embodied the essence of a true gentleman and a daring football adventurer. His profound football knowledge could indeed turn the tides—last season, after losing five key players, Robson managed to guide PSV Eindhoven to the Champions League qualification rounds, a testament to his capabilities. During a season battling against Capello, Barcelona began with a thrilling match against Atletico Madrid and went on to create moments of magic and wonder, with Robson daring to implement a near 2-3-5 formation for an unforgettable comeback.
Aldrich had led his team to victory against Robson's squad in the highly anticipated UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final, but that achievement didn't fill him with arrogance or make him feel superior to Robson. On the contrary, there was a certain charisma about Robson that Aldrich deeply admired.
In the coaching world, many strong and iron-fisted leaders existed, such as Van Gaal, often depicted by the media as a tyrant, while Robson represented a completely different approach—one that Aldrich aspired to embody. Describing Robson as a "philosopher-coach" would not be an exaggeration.
There was a level of sophistication; some coaches relied on iron-fist tactics under pressure, creating an atmosphere full of aggression. In contrast, others, like Robson, could maintain an air of calm, making football a joyful, spirited experience without losing the passion.
Upon Robson's return, Aldrich readily expressed his warm welcome to the media, believing that the old coach's presence could infuse fresh elements into English football, leading to a more vibrant landscape. However, he candidly acknowledged that Newcastle United had limited abilities and wouldn't quickly rise to championship contention; even Ferguson or Wenger couldn't instantly transform the squad into title contenders without the necessary tools.
In this intricate environment filled with study, learning, and competition, having a knowledgeable and experienced opponent was beneficial for the Premier League as a whole, as well as for its teams and managers. A long-term perspective was imperative; a league full of disorganized teams can hardly expect to give rise to soaring eagles.
In the previous two seasons, Everton barely escaped relegation at the end of the campaign. This season, however, they were determined to reinvent themselves, as if they had come to a profound realization. Instead of playing it safe and risking another lackluster finish, they opted for an all-out approach against their opponents, embracing the notion that it was do or die; they'd find out their fate after 90 minutes.
So far this season, whether against strong teams or weak ones, they refused to be conservative. They managed to unsettle the bigger clubs, drawing with Manchester United at home and nearly upsetting Tottenham at White Hart Lane. When facing opponents they were expected to beat, they showcased their attacking prowess, winning 4-1 against Southampton and 4-0 against a newly promoted team, followed by a solid 2-0 away victory over Sheffield Wednesday. Of course, this aggressive style could lead to harsh defeats against teams adept at counter-attacking, as seen in their 0-3 loss to Aston Villa.
Yet Everton was beyond caring about that now. They believed their approach could yield results!
With 10 points after seven matches, they found themselves in mid-table, a far cry from past seasons when they would be battling relegation just a month and a half in.
At Goodison Park, Everton maintained their aggressive tactics, visibly fierce!
When facing Millwall, Everton committed more than five players to their attacks, resembling a pack of wolves on the hunt.
Perhaps having been accustomed to overwhelming their opponents in the first seven rounds, Millwall struggled to cope with Everton's frenzied approach, finding themselves two goals down within the first 15 minutes!
Aldrich stood on the sidelines, visibly furious. Over the past month, his team had enjoyed a string of victories, often securing wins by the 60th minute. This had made the players too damn comfortable and complacent, and the sudden onslaught from their opponents left them utterly bewildered.
Millwall opened with a proactive press, expecting Everton's formation to pull back, compressing their advance space as usual. But Everton defied expectations, relying on equal numbers to defend. When Millwall's initial attack failed, Everton quickly countered with a coordinated rush, flooding forward to overwhelm the passing lanes and support options. They launched an unstoppable quick break and scored.
Millwall restarted play, only for Everton to press even harder, refusing to pull back. With their forwards and midfielders pushing up aggressively, Makelele's forward pass was intercepted, sparking yet another counter. Within one minute, Millwall conceded twice in quick succession!
Goodison Park felt like a festive celebration, filled with laughter as if Christmas had come early.
In this match, Everton had surprisingly employed Millwall's own tactics, using a high-press strategy. However, it wasn't a team-wide approach; rather, it was localized pressure that Millwall had never faced before. Caught off guard by the intense pressing in specific areas, they struggled to adapt. Breaking through this kind of defense was simple: a bit of composure, quick ball circulation, and clever movement could easily sidestep the pressing and create attacking opportunities.
Aldrich was absolutely furious, angered by his players' complacency!
On the field, they displayed a lazily relaxed demeanor, as if they were just here for an easy slaughter.
Conceding two goals in quick succession had left the Millwall players thoroughly enraged.
In the first seven rounds, they had only let in one goal. Today, they had given up two in a single minute. A complete humiliation!
On the Everton side, with a two-goal lead, the players began to show some differences in opinion.
Two goals up—should they keep pressing forward? But could they hold if they pulled back?
With eleven players on different pages, the quality of their pressing dropped, and their defensive structure started showing holes.
Millwall, once they adjusted their mentality and started treating Everton with the respect they deserved, began to quicken their passing, exploiting wide lateral shifts to exhaust their opponent's defense and pry open spaces.
In the 19th minute of the first half, Millwall executed a beautifully coordinated attack, establishing a pendulum-like move. Starting from the right with Schneider, the ball was transitioned through Pirlo and Nedved before shifting to the left. After cutting in, Ronaldinho bypassed a defender and laid the ball back into the center, where Henry made an angled pass to Larsson on the right. Larsson cut inside, curling a shot into the far corner—one back for Millwall.
After scoring, Larsson grabbed the ball to take back to the center circle. No player from Millwall celebrated; expressions remained serious.
For them, falling behind to Everton was unacceptable—absolutely intolerable!
As Everton's players saw their two-goal cushion whittled down to one, their thoughts aligned; they decided to press forward and attack aggressively.
They launched into the same aggressive strategy, flooding forward after the restart. But Millwall kept their composure this time. Their attackers stayed back, focusing on interceptions across midfield and defense. Southgate anchored the defense, cutting off passing lanes, and Millwall responded with a swift and decisive counterattack.
Henry, Ronaldinho, and Larsson charged forward from midfield like wild horses set loose. Nedvěd didn't follow—he wasn't slow, but someone needed to stay back as support.
Zambrotta pushed forward with the ball and passed it to Nedvěd, who had found open space. Nedvěd, with his back to the goal, quickly laid it off to Pirlo. Pirlo controlled the ball and, from a standstill, sent a long diagonal pass to the left side of the penalty area. Ronaldinho steadied it with ease, then delivered a powerful low cross across the goal. Henry outpaced the defenders and tapped it in with the inside of his foot.
"What an incredible match! Everton scores twice in one minute to take the lead, only for Millwall to respond ten minutes later with two goals in one minute to equalize! Millwall doesn't stop to celebrate—Henry grabs the ball, runs back, high-fives Nedvěd and Pirlo, then places the ball on the center spot. There's plenty of time left. So, what will Everton do now? Will they defend or press forward?"
Before kickoff, if Everton's players had known they'd still be level by the 20-minute mark, they'd likely have taken it in stride.
But after leading by two only to see Millwall claw their way back, the mood was completely different.
"Attack! Just keep going!"
By halftime, Aldrich's expression had finally eased a bit, the score now 2-4 with the home side ahead.
In the locker room, however, he remained stern, criticizing the team's first ten minutes as it exposed one of Millwall's weak points: the need for better adaptability and mental resilience.
They're used to having control, but struggle against the unexpected. When it's a top team, they're naturally on guard, but when a weaker team disrupts their game rhythm, it often causes a momentary lapse in their composure.
The first half was intense and dramatic, but the second half lacked any sparks.
Everton, seemingly shaken from their 2-0 lead turning into a 2-4 deficit, played timidly—afraid to attack and concede more, but unwilling to simply defend.Their game lost all its tactics.
Millwall missed several chances, and Aldrich made substitutions while deliberately slowing down the tempo to drain the opposition. Yet, with Everton's unenthusiastic pressing, it didn't really wear them down, and the game became a half-field drill in breaking through their defense.
At the dying moments of the match, Pedretti made a late entry and scored a long-range shot that deflected in, sealing the score at 2:5.
Millwall secured their eighth consecutive victory of the new season, while in another match concurrently taking place, Manchester United surprisingly drew against a promoted side at home, remaining unbeaten but falling four points behind Millwall.
A week later, Millwall continued their winning streak with a 3:0 away victory against Coventry, while Manchester United faced another shocker, drawing 3:3 against Southampton.
Both teams unbeaten this season found themselves six points apart on the league table.
In a column, David Miller of *The Times* remarked: "This could be a recurrence of the 96-97 season, with Millwall pulling away from the pack—giving no chances to their rivals! Fans hoping for a more thrilling and competitive Premier League may be disappointed; the title race could be settled by January. As Millwall gears up for their tenth-round fixture against Arsenal, combining their Champions League commitments with successive standout performances against top-tier teams, the league might as well announce an early conclusion. The only suspense left is: how far can this Millwall side go? Will they surpass their remarkable achievements of 1997? How deep can they venture in the Champions League?"
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