The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 128: Retro Tactics

The League Cup final was about to commence, and Aldrich was in the locker room delivering his final pre-match pep talk. The players were well aware of Aldrich's style; he wouldn't waste time discussing tactics just before the game—those preparations had been completed over the past week.

The locker room was enveloped in silence as the players put on their jerseys, laced up their boots, and stared solemnly at Aldrich with pride and determination.

Aldrich approached Keller with a serious expression and asked, "Do you want the championship?"

Without hesitation, Keller replied, "Yes!"

Aldrich then moved to Sothgate and continued his inquiry, "Do you want the championship?"

"Boss, it's all I dream about!" Sothgate exclaimed.

Aldrich went to Stam next and asked, "Do you want the championship?"

"Of course I do!"

...

He repeated the same question to every player in the locker room, and naturally, the answers were unanimous.

No one wanted anything less than the championship.

Once the questioning was done, Aldrich stood in the center, speaking in a deep voice, "We all want the championship, desperately so. But what will it take to secure it? Is it Henrik? Or David? Pavel? Robert? Bernd? Claude? I'll tell you: it's both yes and no!"

Aldrich pointed towards Keller and shouted, "Today, you are the star!"

"And you too!"

"And you!"

"You, you, you... all of you are the most important players. Together, you form the most powerful team. Why? Because we are united! We are one cohesive force, our fists are aimed at our enemies, and while each of us may not be perfect, we complement each other effectively. This makes us flawless and much stronger than we seem, right?"

Aldrich's piercing gaze swept across each player, and they all nodded firmly in agreement.

They all understood this well. After nearly two years under Aldrich, they had come to deeply appreciate the value of teamwork. The football philosophy he instilled in them was evident on the pitch, leading to a strength greater than the sum of its parts.

"Remember, glory belongs to the collective and to each of you. Today, we face a final match. What happens on the pitch is unpredictable, but let's consider for a moment: what if we can't score? Don't panic! Maintain your focus on the game; don't let the fear of losing the championship overwhelm you. Trust your teammates, trust yourself. And what if we take the lead? Stay calm; the game can change in an instant. Until the final whistle, anything can happen, and we must not let victory slip through our fingers. Fight until the end, and then we can celebrate without restraint. What if things go south? What if we fall behind and the opponents score first? Remember, adversity is the best stage for a player. Stand firm under pressure, display the determination and willpower to turn this around—this is how you prove yourselves. Can you do that?"

As soon as Aldrich finished his speech, the locker room erupted in a deafening roar.

"Yes!"

Aldrich proclaimed, "Alright, Lions, let's charge forward!"

With that, Aldrich stepped out of the locker room, followed energetically by the players, who marched out with blazing spirit.

As they emerged from the players' tunnel onto the field, Aldrich approached Aston Villa's head coach Brian Little for a polite greeting.

Knowing they wouldn't have another chance to meet until after the match, they exchanged pleasantries beforehand as a formality.

When Aldrich returned to his coaching position, he lifted his head and surveyed Wembley Stadium. The venue was packed to the brim, with a sea of blue in the stands and patches of dark red. Clearly, there were far more Millwall fans in attendance than Aston Villa supporters.

An estimated forty thousand Millwall fans filled the stands, compared to just over ten thousand for Aston Villa. After all, this was London, and Millwall enjoyed a sort of half-home advantage.

Brady was in the stands, leading more than three thousand Lion Roar fan club members, all holding up deep blue scarves in unison. The scarf design was quite simple.

"1995-1996, Millwall club badge, Millwall name."

The message was straightforward: they wanted this scarf to become the most commemorative piece of the day.

Today, Millwall's fans were rather quiet in the stands, focusing on singing without even glancing at the Aston Villa supporters.

Most fans were filled with anxiety, tension, excitement, and conflicting feelings about the outcome.

Millwall had made it to Wembley, marking a historic moment.

Even if they lost, it would be their best performance in domestic cup competitions.

In their hundred and ten years of history, they had never finished as a runner-up in any cup!

But who remembers the second place?

Here we are; we absolutely want that damn championship!

Grandfathers, fathers, family members, and children—the countless eyes in the stands represented not just individuals but a legacy of expectations spanning generations.

Millwall, let us strive for even more pride!

The referee team led both teams onto the pitch.

"Welcome to Wembley Stadium! On this sunny afternoon, we are about to witness the birth of the first championship trophy of the English season. No doubt it is a historic moment for Millwall, having reached the final, creating the best cup history in the club, while Aston Villa is back in the League Cup final for the second time in three years. They should be more composed, as they know how to handle such high-stakes matches. The players are already lined up for a photo op, and soon we'll introduce the starting lineups."

Sothgate exchanged flags with Aston Villa captain Hugo Ehiogu, then shook hands with the referee team. After that, they returned to their teams for a pre-game photo.

Afterward, Millwall's players gathered in a circle, bending down to embrace each other.

Somewhere along the line, this had become their routine: the captain leading the morale boost before the match.

"Millwall!"

"Charge!"

Sothgate led the players in chanting three times, then they all stood tall and prepared for kickoff.

"Today's Millwall starting lineup is quite familiar: Goalkeeper: Keller; Defenders: Thuram, Stam, Sothgate, Neal; Midfielders: Schneider, Makelele, Nedved, Pires; Forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet. Their formation is a 4-4-2. In contrast, Aston Villa's starting formation is somewhat surprising: Goalkeeper: Ox; Defenders: Nelson, Ehiogu, Simic, Wright, Staunton; Midfielders: Draper, Taylor, Koscik; Forwards: Milosevic, York. It seems that Aston Villa's coach, Little, is quite cautious of Millwall's attacking prowess, opting for a five-defender formation, likely a 5-3-2. However, forward York is known for his passing skills, so he might cover a lot of ground, which could make it a 5-4-1. We'll keep an eye on it when the match starts."

Aldrich was taken aback by Aston Villa's lineup.

This was a team that finished fifth in the Premier League; they certainly wouldn't usually play so conservatively with a 5-3-2, which was clearly a tactical adjustment for this match.

Aston Villa's midfield and defense consisted of seasoned players; although they might not be standout stars, they definitely played at a mid-level Premier League standard.

In terms of forwards, one was Savo Milosevic, a typical striker capable of scoring with both headers and kicks, though lacking in other skills and requiring service from teammates. He partnered with Dwight York, known for his ability to link play and deliver passes. York was the same player who later partnered with Andy Cole at Manchester United. With a strong physical presence, he could withstand pressure from defenders to maintain possession.

It seemed that Brian Little intended to leverage counter-attacks to secure the League Cup trophy.

As the match kicked off, Aldrich observed the unfolding situation on the pitch, his brows furrowing slightly.

Aston Villa indeed fell back into a compact defense with a strong structure. The three midfielders guarded the area just outside their penalty box, refraining from hasty challenges, while the five defenders held a staggered line. Simic played more like a deep-lying defender, ready to defend against Millwall's late runs or penetrating passes that sought to breach their defensive line.

This defensive strategy wasn't particularly innovative or advanced; one could even describe it as retro, resembling the early Italian "catenaccio" style.

Like Mediterranean fishermen, it wasn't just one but two who cast their nets into the sea to maximize their catch, ensuring that no fish slipped away.

In a chain defense, the role of the deep-lying center-back was akin to that second net, nabbing any loose balls or attacking players that broke through the first line.

Millwall's attack was colorful at first, demonstrating patience. However, after several penetrations were thwarted by the packed defense, their formation began to push forward inadvertently, with more and more players joining the attack, culminating in a siege of Aston Villa's half.

The stands erupted with cheers as Millwall's fans sensed victory was within reach.

But Aldrich felt a cold sweat beading on his forehead; something didn't feel right.

Motivating the players during preparation had encouraged a vigilant and aggressive mentality on the pitch.

However, it seemed that this was precisely what Aston Villa wanted.

From the beginning, they adopted a defensive stance, unafraid of Millwall's relentless assault.

With the Millwall attack pushing too aggressively, their defense began to appear vulnerable. Even with three players ensuring coverage, could Makelele, Stam, and Sothgate really cover the entire backline?

Aston Villa's Milosevic and York were using single-player tactics in their counter-attacks, but the space left for them to operate was vast. If they seized the opportunity, it could spell disaster.

Aldrich yelled for the players, instructing the two full-backs not to attack too frequently. This was a final, and defense should always be the priority.

Yet as Thuram and Neal pulled back, Millwall struggled even more to penetrate the defense, as if sinking into quicksand.

With less pressure from Millwall, Aston Villa didn't commit many players to attack either, using straightforward long balls or direct passes to send the ball to the front lines and letting their two forwards take it from there.

Watching this unfold, Aldrich kept reminding himself to stay calm.

This was a battle of patience; the first team to lose composure would expose their weaknesses to the opponent.

Especially against a counter-attacking team like Aston Villa, they often found their best opportunities after the opposing team lost their cool in a frenzy of attacks, landing a lethal blow that would secure victory.