The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 21: Red card!

Larsen's debut for Millwall was undoubtedly spectacular!

After scoring the second goal, the entire Den erupted in cheers. They applauded and celebrated for Larsen, with fans in the nearest stand rushing forward, seemingly eager to flood the field and bury Larsen in a sea of supporters. Fortunately, a security barrier held them back.

Amidst the cheers, Aldrich turned to the beaming Jensen and said, "Did you see that?"

Jensen responded enthusiastically, "Of course! He's simply unparalleled; his ability to seize opportunities is incredible!"

Aldrich grinned widely, then turned to clap for the players on the field, urging the young men to keep pushing forward.

In the league opener, with just 60 minutes played, Millwall was already leading 3-0. The players on the field felt uplifted, and when they glanced at the composed Aldrich on the sidelines, their gazes shifted with newfound determination.

The different tactics employed in each half were proving effective!

This was more than enough to earn their admiration.

Peter Dawson, feeling deflated at this moment, had already conceded three goals, and with less than thirty minutes left, he knew his team had no chance.

He waved his hands for the team to regroup, finding a balance between offense and defense, hoping to avoid further counterattack goals.

Inside, Peter felt a bit indignant; two of the goals conceded were from counterattacks and one from a set piece.

He noticed that Millwall's two forwards had extraordinary speed, easily outpacing the slow-turning center-backs of Shrewsbury, giving them ample space and distance to initiate runs, practically gifting them one-on-one opportunities.

This was only the first match of the season, and Peter feared his team might crumble under pressure, setting a negative tone for the entire year.

At this moment, he reassured himself: losing meant dropping just three points; it wasn't a huge deal.

If they lost not only the game but also their morale and spirit, then this season would indeed be troublesome.

With a three-goal cushion, the opposing attacks began to wane, and Aldrich's tense nerves finally relaxed.

He checked the time; the match had reached the 70th minute. He turned to the bench and called out, "Patrick, warm up for five minutes."

The young players on the bench all looked toward Vieira. The tall Vieira immediately pulled on his training vest, excitedly running out to warm up, while the other players appeared slightly disappointed.

The next five minutes on the field passed without incident. Once Vieira finished warming up, Aldrich had already requested a substitution. Before Vieira stepped onto the pitch, he called him over, placing a hand on his shoulder and quietly asking, "Did you see how Pavel played in the previous 75 minutes?"

Vieira nodded. After joining Millwall, Aldrich had tailored a training plan just for him.

Positionally, Vieira and Makelele overlapped, but in terms of area of activity, Makelele was stronger vertically, sweeping through the midfield and defense, while Vieira excelled horizontally, capable of organizing attacks. However, this was more applicable to a more seasoned Vieira.

Seeing him nod, Aldrich continued, "When you come on, tell Pavel to push forward, operating in the attacking midfielder zone, while you take his position. Do you remember the passing options from that position during attacks?"

Vieira nodded again, then stretched his body and jumped a bit. At that moment, a throw-in paused the game, and the assistant referee displayed the substitution number.

David Trezeguet, who was making his first appearance for Millwall at a young age, was substituted off.

He performed well today; although he had few opportunities to touch the ball, his long-range shot, movement, and the fact that he scored a goal were all worthy of praise.

Therefore, as he left the field, the Millwall fans applauded him enthusiastically. Aldrich welcomed him off the pitch and pointed toward the stands, making it clear: "This is our hero!"

Trezeguet looked pleasantly surprised and a bit shy as he walked back to the bench, celebrating by high-fiving each of his teammates.

Just as Aldrich had pumped up Trezeguet to garner more support, he turned around just in time to hear a whistle. Aldrich incredulously watched as the referee pulled out a red card, and the recipient of the card left him utterly astonished.

The player shown the red card looked aggrieved and protested to the referee, while nearby, a Shrewsbury player lay on the ground, clutching his leg in agony.

Aldrich stared in shock at the player who had just received the red card.

It was none other than Vieira, who had barely been on the pitch for a minute!

Aldrich realized that the coach's perspective from the sidelines might capture more of the action than a TV broadcast, but the breathtaking moments may not always be visible.

What had happened?

He hadn't even had the chance to ask Jensen when Peter, seeming infuriated, rushed toward him, only to be held back by the fourth official.

"What's your player doing? What the hell does he think he's doing? Attempting murder?"

Aldrich paid no mind, and only after discussing with Jensen did he understand the sequence of events.

After Vieira stepped onto the field, Shrewsbury executed a throw-in, and then created a wall pass on his side. Vieira seemed to either be nervous or afraid of underperforming; in an attempt to stop the opponent from advancing any closer to the box, he went for a tackle, failing to get the ball and instead kicking the Shrewsbury player's leg. However, it wasn't a malicious foul, so the Shrewsbury player's injury wasn't serious.

By the time Aldrich pieced together the events, Vieira was already at the sidelines, accompanied by team captain Southgate, looking distraught and regretful, with his head down, unable to meet anyone's gaze.

Aldrich welcomed him as he came off, saying gently, "Patrick, don't take it to heart. You're still young; nobody's perfect from the start. Making mistakes is normal; it's part of your journey to becoming a top player. Don't lose heart, or it'll lead to people underestimating you."

Vieira looked up at Aldrich with a complex expression, not seeing any blame in Aldrich's demeanor. Instead, he received a reassuring smile.

His spirits slightly lifted, he nodded before walking into the players' tunnel.

Once back on the touchline, Aldrich glanced over the field. Without needing to prompt, Nedved had already returned to his original midfield position.

With a three-goal lead, Aldrich intended to allow Nedved to showcase his attacking prowess; however, now weakened by one man, everything reset back to square one.

Without needing further reminders, Aldrich turned to beckon Babou on the coaching bench.

Babou seemed to have guessed the reason Aldrich had called him over, and after walking over, he asked, "Patrick?"

Aldrich nodded, saying, "Go comfort him. Don't let him feel discouraged; make sure he doesn't give up on the idea of playing in midfield. This is my fault; I was too hasty in his training."

Babou, who was responsible for Vieira's training in the first team, nodded solemnly and then headed into the players' tunnel to find Vieira.

Aldrich wasn't angry over Vieira receiving the red card; instead, he felt a sense of responsibility.

This was a very young team, yet he had been overzealous, which was a foolish mistake.

Originally, out of the starting eleven, apart from 17-year-old Lucas Neal, who had gained experience playing in the youth and reserve teams last year, the other players had professional match experience. Even Trezeguet, who was not yet 18, had a couple of years of league experience in Argentina.

But Vieira had joined AS Cannes' first team just last year and wasn't even a defensive midfielder. Arriving at Millwall, he was learning new defensive techniques and cultivating defensive awareness; he was still a blank slate, and Aldrich had rashly thrust him into the English League One.

Realizing that players like Ballack and Gattuso lacked professional league experience, Aldrich felt that after this match, he would probably need to rethink the season plan and focus more on carefully developing these young talents.

Maybe it was the fact that Millwall was down to ten men, but Shrewsbury pushed hard with their attack in the remaining time.

Aldrich understood the situation—it was unacceptable to be struggling so much with a player advantage.

However, despite the challenges, Millwall's defense held firm and didn't concede any goals before the match ended. Shrewsbury, lacking standout individual talents, found it tough to break through with their team play. In the end, just as the match was winding down, their goal was breached again, leading to yet another setback.

Pires received a return pass from Larsen just outside the penalty area, striking the ball with his right foot, and it soared into the top right corner of the Shrewsbury net like a cannonball.

4-0.

In the opening match of the 1994-95 English League One season, Millwall decisively defeated visiting Shrewsbury 4-0.

After the match, Aldrich did not shake hands with Peter, who also had no intention of doing so. Both coaches quickly disappeared from the touchline.

While passing through the mixed zone for interviews, Aldrich refrained from mentioning the pre-match conflict with Peter. In light of the resounding victory, he simply understated that the players had performed unexpectedly well and noted that Shrewsbury was a resilient team...

Aldrich hardly praised his team but generously heaped compliments on Shrewsbury.

Only after he left did the reporters realize: this fellow was indirectly praising his own team.

He had elevated the opponent, only for them to lose by four goals to his team!

Aldrich, that cunning man!