The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 152: Keegan's Defensive Woes

In the first half of the season, Newcastle United's performance was nothing short of magical, but as the second half began, it seemed that the Hollywood of Tyneside started churning out flops.

Newcastle had initially led Manchester United by ten points, but by the second to last round of the league, their advantage dwindled down to just three points. Should that lead dissipate, they would instantly be surpassed by Manchester United, who had a significant edge in goal difference.

Aldrich's team played away at St. James' Park, where the Magpies' fans appeared a bit anxious in the stands. They hoped their team would clinch a victory in this high-stakes clash, especially since Millwall didn't seem particularly strong in their lineup.

However, in their first-half encounter, Millwall had taken down the visiting Newcastle United with a dominant 2-0 victory, even with a largely reserve squad.

The form of Newcastle was worrisome; they lost to Manchester United in March and to Liverpool in April, leaving their consistency in question.

A trend analyzed by experts concluded that every time Newcastle appeared close to stability, they'd falter in high-stakes matches, crushing their rising morale.

If they could manage to defeat either Manchester United or Liverpool, they might have been on the pathway to an early championship win, as the sustained form and the boost in confidence would have vastly different outcomes.

After Aldrich took his place on the sidelines, he quietly awaited the start of the match.

Kevin Keegan, ever the gracious host, approached him with a smile, veiling his intentions as he casually brought up next month's FA Cup final, hinting at how tough Liverpool would be to face.

He seemed to cheer for his old club but was subtly reminding Aldrich to focus on the FA Cup rather than the league title.

Aldrich exchanged some pleasantries in return, and once the conversation lull hit, they both parted ways.

"What's the point of chatting with him?" Jensen muttered disdainfully.

Aldrich replied helplessly, "I didn't want to talk to him either."

As the players took the pitch, it was obvious that Millwall's squad was considerably younger. Newcastle, however, had made notable changes since their earlier encounter.

"Welcome to St. James' Park! I'm Martin Tyler. If today's 37th round Premier League match determines the champion, that's hardly an overstatement. If Newcastle can beat Millwall, Keegan's team will likely clinch the title early, regardless of how Manchester United performs. At least the control is still in Newcastle's hands. Unfortunately for Millwall, this has been a strong season for them, but they've lost their grip on the title race at the last minute. Now, let my partner Andy Gray introduce the starting line-ups for both teams."

"Keegan acknowledged the defensive issues his team faced, so he brought in David Batty from Blackburn this winter. This tough-tackling midfielder aims to solidify Newcastle's defense. In attack, Keegan also secured a reliable partner for Ferdinand in Asprilla, who famously ended AC Milan's 58-match unbeaten run. Newcastle's starting formation today is a 4-4-2 with the following line-up: Goalkeeper: Srnicek. Defenders: Watson, Barton, Albert, Beresford. Midfielders: Beardsley, Batty, Ginola, Clark. Forwards: Ferdinand, Asprilla. Millwall, on the other hand, has opted for mostly reserve players, so fans eager for a star showdown might be disappointed, as we hardly recognize any familiar faces in the Lions' squad today, which is set to a 4-3-3 formation. Goalkeeper: Butt. Defenders: Zambrotta, Materazzi, Elguera, Capdevila. Midfielders: Gattuso, Vieira, Ballack. Forwards: Solskjaer, Van Nistelrooy, Shevchenko. It remains to be seen if Hall will again implement the counter-attacking strategy that led to victory in their previous encounter—stay tuned!"

Aldrich felt comfortable today; he was focused on using this match to improve the team while allowing them to showcase their own style.

In contrast, Kevin Keegan was on edge, trying to maintain a fa?ade of calm.

In his perspective, if Millwall could adopt a defensive counter strategy even while playing with a half-strength team at home, they were certain to retreat defensively here, away against a full-strength side.

Thus, he switched from the 4-1-4-1 formation used in their last matchup to a 4-4-2, a less aggressive move, aiming for Beardsley and Ginola to create opportunities with their individual talents. The one-on-one contests between forwards Ferdinand and Asprilla versus Materazzi and Elguera should favor his team.

Once the match began, Newcastle was determined to maintain their championship advantage, throwing everything they had into the game rather than testing their opponent.

Beardsley breezed past Capdevila before crossing the ball, while Materazzi effortlessly headed away Asprilla's attempt.

As the ball switched to Millwall, their midfield advantage immediately became evident.

Vieira and Gattuso were positioned deep, while Ballack roamed extensively in the middle, supported by Zambrotta and Capdevila pushing forward. Solskjaer and Shevchenko dropped back to help. With their dominance in midfield, they quickly transitioned into the attack.

Differing from many teams that stagnate in positional play, Millwall's players utilized more overlapping runs and movements to confuse their opponents, leading to fluid and dazzling attacking sequences that excited the crowd.

Aldrich chose not to station himself along the sidelines, both to avoid adding pressure on his players and because he didn't wish to endure the fervor of the Magpies' supporters.

It wasn't that the fans were mocking or insulting him.

After all, with Millwall trailing five points behind Newcastle, the Magpies' supporters were more focused on their own team.

Their enthusiasm poured into supporting Keegan, whose name echoed through the stadium and sent shivers down Aldrich's spine.

"Keegan, King! Keegan, King!"

It was undeniable that Keegan was hailed by Newcastle fans as the savior; Aldrich merely wished to be insulated from it.

Just as other fans couldn't stomach Millwall supporters revering Aldrich either.

Keegan rose from his seat, fists clenched, gazing incredulously at the unfolding scene.

"What's going on here?"

Did Millwall come for the three points?

He had misjudged a critical aspect of the match.

Defense was not merely a passive means of success, nor did attack necessitate disregard for it.

Millwall dominated the rhythm of the match with their midfield control.

Newcastle had only managed to push forward a couple of times before being forced into passive defense, a disadvantage that became increasingly apparent.

The aging Beardsley and the French gentleman Ginola, unable to drop back effectively, allowed Millwall's midfielders to play too comfortably.

Vieira, Gattuso, and Ballack occupied the space between both penalty areas, passing the ball fluidly and quickly while attacking from the middle and the flanks.

From his position on the sidelines, Aldrich noticed Millwall's upper hand and casually turned to Jensen, saying, "That guy's tactical views next door are clearly outdated. If the game is still based on man-to-man defense, he'll never clinch the championship. The future trend is to contest every inch of the pitch."

Just as they spoke, Ballack and Van Nistelrooy made quick runs into the box, disrupting Newcastle's backline. Vieira surged forward and, before Batty could intercept, sent a diagonal pass into the area for Solskjaer, who charged in unchecked and slotted the ball home into the near corner.

"Millwall leads! Scoring is super sub Solskjaer, who started today as a winger. We've witnessed how Millwall's wingers frequently sliced into the penalty area during the first twenty minutes, leaving Newcastle struggling to cope. Hall is showcasing his impressive tactical adaptations, but we must point out that Newcastle still hasn't resolved a core issue: do they even know how to defend? This is starkly obvious against a team with established attacking prowess; just like their home game against Manchester United and their away game at Liverpool, they are being dominated right here at home by Millwall."

After Solskjaer's goal, he wore a broad smile, embracing each teammate in celebration, his demeanor calm, almost like a farewell.

Aside from Aldrich, no one on the team knew he would be leaving in the summer.

Magpie fans adored Keegan, but such affection often leads to being blind to the harsh realities.

Commentators had been lamenting Newcastle's atrocious defense for months.

They even ridiculed it, likening it to American football defense—players would only fan out toward the ball-carrier, lacking any understanding of a cohesive defensive system.

Kevin Keegan was at his wits' end, with rumors surfacing that he was searching for a defensive coach to patch this gap.

This only added to the absurdity perceived by outsiders.

Hiring a defensive coach might teach players some technical skills, but the essential problem wasn't that the players lacked skills. Could you say that Barton, bought for ￡4 million last summer, didn't understand defense? Otherwise, why would you buy him? Keegan needed to teach the defenders to band together and defend cohesively, yet his plan to hire a defensive coach showed he still hadn't grasped the underlying issues.

Keegan's face turned ashen, perplexed as to why Vieira was so far from Batty when passing, why Barton and Albert allowed Solskjaer to ease into the box, and why Watson didn't tightly mark Solskjaer...

Too many questions flooded Keegan's mind.

Aldrich simply clapped and watched the match with his chin propped in his hands.

The attacking players' movements constantly disturbed the defenders' focus; any minor incident could pivot their attention.

You couldn't fault Batty for following Ballack until he entered the penalty area before turning to mark Vieira, nor could you expect Watson to track Solskjaer's speed after being drawn out wide by Capdevila.

The bottom line was that Newcastle's defense was horrendously inadequate.

Keegan should study how Aston Villa defended, understanding how they managed to minimize Millwall's attacking threats.

This match was decidedly one-sided, the ball predominantly camped in Newcastle's half. They were not only struggling defensively but also found it challenging to transition to attack, as Millwall's forwards relentlessly pressed, and their midfield players quickly retreated to block passing lanes, excelling in the aftermath of losing the ball.

Had Van Nistelrooy not squandered two opportunities, the scoreline would likely have changed before half-time.

In the second half, Keegan replaced a defender with Gillespie, intent on attacking as if he needed his team to score—he was desperate for an offensive response!

He felt that failing to launch an offensive could jeopardize their position at the top of the table.

At the very least, they needed a draw.

In the sixtieth minute of the match, Aldrich substituted Barak and moved Pirlo to the attacking midfield position.

Initially, Aldrich hadn't intended for Pirlo to play there, but given Newcastle's unbalanced style, which lacked the defensive structure typically seen in Italian teams, Pirlo found himself with ample space. His passing ability would be instrumental in breaking through the opponent's defense, especially with Millwall having withdrawn one of their defenders.

In the end, Keegan was undone by defense. Pirlo entered the game and immediately delivered a deft pass to Shevchenko, orchestrating a similar play. Shevchenko darted into the box, shaking off the turning defender and taking the center-back by surprise.

A well-placed shot saw the Magpie's net breached once again.

This goal effectively kicked Newcastle off the top of the table.

Manchester United scored early, taking a 1-0 lead against Leeds United. Although the score remained unchanged, by the time the news reached here, Manchester United would likely choose a more conservative approach to maintain their top position.