Chương 247: Fury on the Field
After scoring, Giggs didn't celebrate wildly; instead, he remained surprisingly calm. Millwall hadn't fielded their strongest lineup, while Manchester United was in full force. The equalizer didn't warrant an extravagant celebration.
Beckham was visibly excited. He is eager to prove himself and this season he has secured a starting position at Manchester United. He performed well in this game and sent many threatening passes.
However brilliant he was, he couldn't stop the emergence of more gifted young players at Millwall. Those younger than him were receiving more acclaim, especially after Millwall clinched the Premier League and the FA Cup double last season. In domestic player rankings, Beckham was often overshadowed; only when the English media named their best XI without any options for midfield wingers did he make the cut, alongside Shevchenko and Larsson as strikers. In the running for Best Young Player, Pirlo was an uncontested winner. Even though his assist numbers didn't match Beckham's, his contributions and importance to the team were irreplaceable.
It seemed that the more successful Millwall became, the more it made Beckham reflect on his situation—getting kicked out of Millwall didn't seem like just a matter of bad luck.
Aldrich watched quietly from the sidelines as Manchester United scored, betraying none of his emotions, yet he couldn't suppress a sigh inwardly.
The progress of Manchester United's players was astonishing. Their movement, tenacity, teamwork, and individual skill all showcased their growth.
Giggs posed a greater threat to the goal, Beckham worked hard to compensate for his defensive lapses, while Scholes had found his groove after transitioning from a second striker to a midfielder. Calm and composed, even though his tackling was abysmal, he was improving in defensive awareness and technique.
The first half ended quickly as both teams returned to their changing rooms.
As the second half reignited, Millwall's attack became more fluid and oppressive. Fully immersed in the game, Millwall unleashed an impressive display of teamwork.
Gattuso, Ballack, and Nedvěd exchanged passes from the box to the opposite end, causing Manchester United's formation to stretch and contract. Occasionally, the full-backs joined the attack, and the wingers dropped back to maintain midfield connectivity, maximizing the width of the field to exploit gaps in Manchester United's defense.
Millwall averaged creating a threatening shot with every ten passes.
Gronkjaer, who had been operating down the flanks in the first half, forced Irwin to focus on thwarting his runs. But in the second half, Gronkjaer was even more unpredictable, sometimes cutting in with the ball, other times heading down the line. Every time he got the ball, he sent a rush of nerves through Irwin.
For the first sixty minutes, Millwall's attack was heavily right-sided, with Gronkjaer being the focal point. Van Nistelrooy occasionally received crosses from the wing but was far from scoring.
This kind of attack was Millwall's specialty—focusing on one side to draw the opponent's defense away while creating vulnerabilities on the other side.
During one of Gronkjaer's incisive runs towards Manchester United's defensive flanks, Nedvěd received a pass from Ballack. Noticing Stam shift to block Gronkjaer's path inside, he instinctively threaded a direct ball to the other side.
The elusive Larsson appeared, causing Neville and Palister to freeze.
This season's top scorer had been quiet for most of the match, but now he was striking fear into their hearts with his sudden presence!
Larsson charged into the box, guiding the ball as Palister rushed to close the shooting angle. Larsson accelerated toward the byline, breaking through Manchester United's entire defense before delivering a perfect cross. Stam was a moment too late in his lateral move, and Van Nistelrooy slipped in front to poke the ball into the net!
"Millwall is back! That elusive team that keeps opponents guessing who will attack next and who will finish it off is finally here! Look at their attack—fluent and delightful, purposefully using the switching play to tear through the opponent's defense, catching them off-guard to shift the focus of the attack. Larsson had a shot at goal but selflessly laid it off for the younger player. Van Nistelrooy didn't waste the opportunity, smoothly finishing the ball into the net from close range. Millwall takes the lead again!"
By the time Van Nistelrooy scored, it was the 64th minute. Aldrich began planning substitutions; there was no need to fight tooth and nail in a friendly match.
Moreover, he hadn't sent out his full-strength squad, knowing they would face a formidable opponent in just a few days—their Premier League opener against Arsenal.
Van der Meyde came on for Gronkjaer.
Duff replaced Larsson.
Lampard took Nedvěd's place.
The new formation shifted to 4-2-3-1, with Ballack and Gattuso anchoring the midfield.
Red Devils fans in the stands ground their teeth in dissatisfaction.
"Damn, The Lions are underestimating us too much."
Only leading by a single goal, and here he was, substituting off two starters.
Facing a full-strength Manchester United was a blessing; Aldrich could get his rookie players to focus on defense now that they weren't playing against a weak team.
"Is this your habit?"
Benítez asked with a smile after the substitutions.
Aldrich thought for a moment and replied, "I guess so. Three years ago, Millwall built our foundation on defense. From then on, the very first thing any player signing for the team had to learn was defensive skills, regardless of their individual defensive abilities, at least they needed to develop a collective defensive mindset."
Had Benítez not pointed it out, Aldrich might not have realized that teaching new players how to defend was his priority.
It became part of his coaching style.
As soon as Millwall made the substitutions, their formation tightened, and Manchester United was not pleased.
Last season they had played against a full-strength side and conceded six goals at home. Now, with Millwall fielding a semi-strength team and still trailing, they noticed almost none of the familiar faces from last year, except for stalwarts Southgate and Schneider.
If they lost again, the Red Devils would have no pride left.
Thus began a furious assault from Manchester United, which suited Aldrich's strategy perfectly.
With Duff and Van der Meyde on the field, they regrouped with the full-backs and midfielders to form a localized defensive system.
Yet, their individual defensive capabilities left much to be desired.
Their personal defensive ability is indeed lacking, especially when Van der Meyde was easily broken through by Giggs as soon as he came on the court. Schneider waited patiently for Giggs to get past Van der Meyde, and then quickly stepped forward to poke the ball out of bounds. .
That's where Schneider's defensive ability shone through—Aldrich had always admired this German player.
Originally an attacking player, he had transitioned to full-back despite lacking defensive skills, yet he was smart enough to form effective defensive combinations with his teammates, achieving a synergy greater than the sum of its parts.
Unless faced with particularly fast wingers like Giggs, Ginola, McManaman, or Figo.
But even in such situations, Schneider would become a wall. While opponents might easily weave past him, behind his wall, teammates would be ready to intercept, demonstrating his exceptional game reading ability. Other players lacking football intelligence might rush in recklessly, failing to intercept, and thus get easily bypassed, creating wider gaps in the defense.
Millwall found themselves under heavy fire from Manchester United, yet with their compact formation, they denied opportunities, particularly as Manchester United lacked a powerful striker, preventing their wing-based strategy from reaching its peak.
Beckham's free kick slid past the goal.
Scholes' late shot was deflected out for a corner by El Gra.
Sheringham wasted a header from close range, with Butt comfortably collecting the ball.
Keane surged forward; Scholes, after receiving the ball in the box, shot but Butt made a world-class save, pushing the ball out for a corner!
The Red Devils unleashed a barrage against Millwall's goal, driving their formation higher and higher.
In the 83rd minute, several transitions from defense to attack by Millwall had been thwarted by the opposition's pressing defense, but this time, they finally created an opportunity.
Southgate's clearance went to the wing, where Duff managed to get a head on it while contesting with Beckham. He headed it back to Zambrotta, who then bolted forward.
Zambrotta's long ball sailed over the top as Duff surged ahead, confronting Neville. As the ball came down, Duff controlled it with his left foot; it seemed a bit heavy, but rolled neatly past Neville. As he braked to turn, Duff had already matched his pace, and when Neville attempted to tug on Duff's shirt, he suddenly accelerated and broke free.
As Duff raced with the ball, his speed increased, leaving the United defense in disarray.
When he reached the edge of the box, Neville was at least five meters behind him.
Palister had to step up to block, causing Stam to feel uneasy.
He understood Millwall's tactics better than any other Manchester United player.
If the center-back advanced now, the opponent would definitely receive a pass, leading to enormous gaps on defense.
His performance earlier in defense was quite impressive, tirelessly covering positions and intercepting a number of Millwall's dazzling attacks, but now, caught off guard during this counter, Manchester United has just as many defenders as Millwall!
Keane has returned to guard Lampard, Owen, who had not charged just now, now covers Van der Meyde, while Weghorst is between Stam and Pallister. It was reasonable for Pallister to block Duff, but Stam felt it was a wrong decision as it opened up space between the two centre-backs.
Predictably, Duff opted to pass, slowing down Lampard, who keenly anticipated taking Palister's spot, allowing him to receive the ball with ease, before quickly setting it up for Van der Meyde.
The Dutchman feigned a move to deceive Irwin, made a seamless play towards the byline, and delivered a gorgeous cross.
The ball was indeed aimed for Van Nistelrooy's head, but Schmeichel intervened, his hand popping the ball away.
Just when the Red Devils thought they could breathe again, the ball landed in a shocking position for them.
Right outside the left side of the box, Lampard made a powerful shot on goal that rocketed in.
This time, Schmeichel didn't move for the save; as he watched the ball sail back out, he angrily kicked it away.
After the shot, Lampard was taken down by Keane, the ball may have gone in, yet it sparked conflicts among the players from both teams.
Aldrich angrily pointed onto the pitch shouting, "Damn! How can there be this kind of play in such a match! He had no chance to touch the ball and just charged at him! Referee, remember my words, if the FA doesn't punish him heavily, it'll be favoring Manchester United! We won't let this go!"
Reality, however, didn't give Aldrich the chance to "not give up."
After Keane tackled Lampard, he was left clutching his knee, a pained expression on his face as he signaled for a substitution to the Manchester United bench.
Aldrich was left speechless after protesting.
What now? Lampard managed to get up for a moment before sitting back down, visibly frustrated, and it seemed he wouldn't be able to continue.
Yet Keane appeared to be in worse shape;
such a tough guy wouldn't go down easily, and if he did, it surely wouldn't be a quick recovery.
Ferguson's face turned ashen...
Manchester United was on the verge of not just losing the game but also losing a crucial player, especially since Keane was the new captain of the Red Devils after Cantona's retirement!
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