The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 23: Damn it!

Most of the clubs in England have been using stadiums built in the late 1990s since the 21st century, a change brought about by the Taylor Report following the Hillsborough disaster, which mandated that football clubs must have seated stadiums. Consequently, in the early 1990s, most clubs had to rebuild their stadiums. Millwall originally had such plans, but they were halted by Aldrich because the proposed new stadium would only have a capacity of twenty thousand, and despite the cost not exceeding twenty million pounds, Aldrich dismissed it.

Sunderland, the Black Cats, is in a similar situation; their Light Stadium is still under construction, while their old ground, Roker Park, had a capacity of just over ten thousand, making renovations and expansions virtually impossible. This was also the status quo for English club stadiums in the 1990s. After decades of development, the area available for stadium expansion had diminished significantly, with many stadiums surrounded by residential buildings, forcing clubs to seek new land for their construction projects.

Millwall and Sunderland have little animosity between them, and the Black Cats' fans are quite restrained. When Aldrich stood at the side of Roker Park directing the game, the stadium felt somewhat quiet. Occasionally, when Aldrich turned to glance at the fans in the stands, he noticed several curious glances directed at him, but there was little hostility.

Once the match began, Aldrich realized he had underestimated the situation.

From nearly the first minute, Millwall had seized control of the game.

Though Sunderland was playing at home, their attacking efforts lacked intensity. Their traditional long ball tactics meant the ball often flew from Sunderland's half to Millwall's defensive zone. When the opposing forwards failed to retrieve the ball, it turned into an opportunity for Millwall to launch their attacks. Sunderland's defense was extremely conservative, with defenders compacting and four midfielders lingering back. Although Millwall was the more proactive side, only five players managed to cross half the field during attacks, resulting in few coordinated plays and a lack of fluidity, as Sunderland continually disrupted their passes.

Aldrich frowned as he looked towards Sunderland's coach, who was equally an unknown figure in the coaching world.

Conflicted thoughts ran through his mind: Is this a tactic to feign weakness? Are they trying to lure Millwall into an aggressive push forward?

After watching a bit longer, Aldrich returned to the bench and muttered, "What the hell! What is Sunderland doing?!"

This is their home ground! Playing so conservatively, do they only want a draw?

Jensen leaned in and whispered, "I just overheard some fans talking behind us. It seems there are internal conflicts within Sunderland. That coach next door is new this season."

Aldrich was aware that they had changed managers this season but was unsure about the internal situation in the team. He turned to Jensen and said softly, "Could Sunderland be doing this on purpose? Trying to lure us into committing more players forward in attack?"

Jensen shook his head, hesitant to make any judgment.

Regardless of the situation, this could lead Aldrich to alter his tactics, and if the match ended in a defeat, the consequences would be significant.

Aldrich continued to watch the field, and during a confrontation for the ball, Trezeguet lost out, allowing the ball to be headed away from the penalty area by an opposing defender. Pirès emerged at the edge of the penalty area and shot on the volley!

The stands erupted in a chorus of gasps.

Aldrich straightened up to observe the beautiful strike but saw the ball sail just above the crossbar and behind the net.

He opened his mouth and sighed silently.

The pace on the field wasn't fast, but the situation was tense; ground assaults couldn't get going, and crosses from the wings posed little threat in the penalty area. Even the few attempts at goal were very forced.

Thirty minutes had passed in the first half, and Aldrich confirmed that Sunderland was only aiming to hold onto a draw at home, or perhaps they were genuinely trying to lure Millwall out of position. If Millwall didn't significantly press forward, they wouldn't change their conservative tactics.

Aldrich felt a bit helpless; he and his team truly couldn't afford to lose at this stage. It wasn't about league points being particularly important; losing would deal a heavy blow to team morale and have psychological effects.

Gradually, Aldrich calmed his inner anxiety. He was an open-minded person; if the objective was a draw, then as long as they didn't concede, he shouldn't be too anxious. If he underestimated the opponent and rashly changed tactics, they might fail to secure even a draw, which would be counterproductive.

Watching the state of play, Aldrich furrowed his brow once again.

The two forwards at the front, Larsen was constantly making active runs to pull defenders out, while Trezeguet seemed to become increasingly despondent, matching against the opposing defenders in a physical clash, trying to take shots even knowing that opportunities were slim.

With no change in tactics, Aldrich could only employ different pieces on the chessboard.

He turned back and beckoned Solskj?r.

Solskj?r had been focused on the game when he noticed the coach signaling to him; he appeared surprised and pointed to himself as if to ask, "Me?"

Aldrich nodded, and Solskj?r immediately stood up and came to Aldrich's side. He assumed he was going to be brought on, even though there were still thirty-five minutes left in the first half.

Aldrich only gestured for Jensen to give Solskj?r some space before having him sit beside him.

Solskj?r felt bewildered and awkwardly took a seat in the assistant coach's spot. He heard Aldrich, still gazing at the field, softly ask, "Do you want to play?"

Of course!

Solskj?r nodded emphatically, replying, "Absolutely!"

"What will you do when you come on?"

"Score!"

"How will you score? The ball won't just roll to your feet, nor will it just fly into the opponent's goal if you touch it casually."

Solskj?r fell silent, and Aldrich then turned and looked at him seriously, saying in a low voice, "Ole, you are a smart player. Even sitting here, you can utilize your football wisdom. While you're here, observe the game carefully. Your sole purpose for coming on is to score! But how will you score? Where are the weaknesses in their defense? You need to think about what to do when you step onto the pitch."

Solskj?r's eagerness to enter the game diminished somewhat; he sat quietly next to Aldrich, keenly observing the situation on the field as Aldrich explained to him where the opposing defenders were vulnerable during attacks. In situations where they didn't have a numerical advantage, flexible movement to position himself effectively could create dangerous situations.

Soon, the first half ended with the score still at 0:0.

Back in the locker room, Aldrich praised the team's performance in the first half but didn't make any tactical adjustments. It was clear that Sunderland had more players in defense; unless Aldrich pushed Nedved further forward or enabled the fullbacks to assist in attacks, there would be no way to break through their numerical advantage in defense. However, that would be risky; under the goal of reinforcing the defensive system, Aldrich wouldn't take such a gamble.

Before the second half began, Aldrich detained Trezeguet, who was preparing to come on, and they walked at the back together, their pace slowing.

"David, you are a forward, the kind of player who attracts the most attention on the field. Your goals can crush the morale of the entire opposing team, not just affect a single player. In the second half, don't get caught up in battles with their defenders; evading them, getting past them, and winning the ball—none of this matters. The only thing that counts is putting the ball in their net. If you do that, you win. Everything else, whether you win or lose, is insignificant. Do you understand?"

Aldrich spoke to Trezeguet in a calm tone. Trezeguet rubbed his smooth head; he knew he hadn't performed well in the latter part of the first half, primarily because he had been too focused on going up against the opposing defenders. Young players sometimes act impulsively and get stuck in rigid thinking; this is entirely normal.

"Boss, I understand," Trezeguet replied firmly.

Aldrich patted his back encouragingly, "Good, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just play according to the pre-match strategy, and go now."

After Aldrich's guidance, Trezeguet's movement and involvement improved significantly at the start of the second half.

However, perhaps due to Sunderland's defensive foundation already being solidified from the first half, they still denied Larsen and Trezeguet any opportunities.

It wasn't until the 55th minute that Larsen received a ball just outside the penalty area, deftly flicking it over, and it leaped into the back post of the penalty area. Trezeguet, understanding the situation, drifted to the back post and headed towards goal!

Before this, Trezeguet's runs had clearly evaded the defender marking him, and facing such a good opportunity, Trezeguet powerfully directed his header toward Sunderland's goal.

Aldrich stood up, eagerly watching as the ball flew toward Sunderland's net, thinking inside: It's in, it has to be in!

Bam!

The ball struck the near post hard and deflected out of play!

"F*ck! What kind of damn luck does Sunderland have?!"

Aldrich cursed under his breath, visibly displeased.

Trezeguet knelt on the ground, holding his shaved head in disbelief, feeling despondent after the missed opportunity.

In the seventieth minute of the match, Aldrich substituted Trezeguet with the warmed-up Solskj?r. He didn't need to give Solskj?r much instruction, and as he walked over to Trezeguet, who seemed somewhat reluctant to leave, Aldrich comforted him, "David, I'm generally satisfied with your performance today; you just lacked a bit of luck."

"Boss, give me ten more minutes—no, just five! I can score," Trezeguet insisted like a stubborn child.

Aldrich smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Stop being childish. There are still forty-four matches left in the league. I could let you play a full ninety minutes in every game, but then you'd probably only make it half a season. Is that what you want?"

Trezeguet had to concede to reality; he knew that proper rest was necessary, especially since Millwall was about to enter a week of double fixtures.

Aldrich didn't return to the coaching seat; he stood at the side of the pitch, hoping to keep the players alert and continue with the tactical plan. With only fifteen minutes left in the second half, Aldrich felt that if they could secure a draw, he had nothing to regret.