The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 357: Time-Wasting Tactics

In the final moments of the game, Millwall simply couldn't get forward. It wasn't that the attack was ineffective, but the players couldn't maintain the high tempo sprinting required to support the game. After falling behind 0-2 against Inter Milan, Zambrotta and Schneider frequently sprinted and showed incredible running intensity. By this time, the two defenders were already exhausted. Now, as the game entered the final stage, Aldrich replaced Ronaldinho with Gattuso, indicating that he changed tactics, which clearly showed that he wanted to strengthen the defense.

Aldrich took a seat, sipping water while keeping an expressionless face as he observed the game.

Inter Milan faced a barrage of attacks in a matter of thirty minutes, and the players seemed frantic. However, their attempts to attack through the center yielded little success. With Gattuso anchoring the central defense and Nedved dropping back to assist, Millwall was hardly concerned about Inter's centralized assault. The tightly packed defensive zone made it incredibly difficult for the superstars of Inter Milan to find opportunities.

Coco joined the attack, participating in a central offensive play, but with more players crowding the middle, there was no space for passing and movement. Inter Milan's missteps became frequent; Baggio's through ball was intercepted by Makélélé, who sent a diagonal pass to the unmarked Van der Meyde on the right flank.

The Dutchman received the ball and sought to thread a through pass to his compatriot, Van Nistelrooy, who managed to stay onside. However, he mishandled the ball just outside the penalty area, the ball bouncing too far away, allowing Pagliuca to come out and safely collect it.

At this point, Inter's two fullbacks pushed forward for an attack. Zanetti carried the ball down the wing, combining well with Dejan Stankovi? to break the defensive line set up by Nedved. Zanetti continued down the touchline and, as he reached a 45-degree angle, sent in a cross before Zambrotta could challenge.

Materazzi cleared the header. Inter regained possession outside the box, and Cauet let loose a shot, but it was blocked by Butt. Ronaldo stepped in to poke the ball before Southgate, but his angle was tight. Butt made an unorthodox save, deflecting the ball with his arm.

In the ensuing chaos, Baggio surged forward and seemingly used his knee to nudge the ball into the Millwall net.

"Goal! Inter Milan has pulled one back! Baggio's goal has given them a glimmer of hope. With just four minutes remaining, the score is now 4-5, with Inter trailing Millwall by only one goal!"

The atmosphere in the stands at the Meazza surged back to life as Inter fans roared, urging their team to keep pushing—score, score, and score again!

It was an insane match.

Aldrich stayed composed despite the goal conceded.

As Millwall prepared to restart the game, Nedved simply passed the ball back, not moving forward. Millwall opted for short passes to run down the clock; they were exhausted. With a lead, close to the end, this strategy felt justified. While outsiders might criticize Millwall for time-wasting, they saw it as maintaining control and patiently looking for opportunities.

With Inter pressing intensely, Millwall maintained possession in their own half for nearly a minute before Schneider launched a long pass forward.

Van Nistelrooy successfully received the ball but was immediately dispossessed by West, who cleared it out of bounds with a strong kick.

At that moment, the referee signaled for a substitution.

Millwall made their last substitution with a clear intention—wasting more time.

Ferdinand came on for Van Nistelrooy, who'd scored twice today.

Inter players urged Van Nistelrooy to hurry off the pitch, with the referee asking him to move faster as well. Van Nistelrooy shook hands with the official, then pretended to jog, but his steps were slow. By the time he left and switched with Ferdinand, at least thirty seconds had passed.

Inter were livid, especially with the ball still firmly in Millwall's possession.

Nedved held the ball, looking around for his teammates before slowly returning it to Van der Meyde after what felt like an age.

As soon as Van der Meyde touched the ball, several Inter players rushed in to press, but he sent it back to Nedved.

Inter players charged at Nedved again, yet the Czech accelerated, taking them by surprise.

His decision caught the opponent off guard.

He broke through the entire defense along the sideline! However, if he changed direction and started to cut inside, he would definitely be intercepted halfway because this route would take him further away from the goal.

Nedved continued down the line, reaching the corner flag, safeguarding the ball and fending off the Inter defenders. No matter how fiercely they tried, they couldn't dispossess him. Simeone, in frustration, shoved Nedved from behind. The referee blew the whistle, signaling a foul and granting Millwall control.

"Two minutes of stoppage time have passed, and Millwall has hardly allowed Inter Milan any possession in the past three minutes. If Inter can't even secure the ball, how can they hope to equalize?"

For a set-piece attack, Millwall had just two players forward: Van der Meyde kicking off, and Nedved set to receive.

Baggio moved over to Nedved, prompting Van der Meyde to delay the kick, signaling to the referee: the opponents were too close!

The referee warned Baggio, who grumbled that Millwall was wasting time.

Ignoring him, the referee continued his focus on the match while Baggio had no choice but to retreat.

As expected, Nedved took possession and skillfully maneuvered toward the corner flag, which drew loud boos from the Inter Milan supporters at the Meazza.

Aldrich, however, was unfazed. This tactic was a common one in football; once the game concluded, no one would admonish Millwall for employing it. It simply looked a bit unsightly now.

Moreover, it served to wear down the opponent's morale; their formation had to retreat, and if the lines were stretched too far, any ball possession would require high precision.

Nedved shielded the ball again, but this time Simeone and Galante worked together to snatch it away, sending a long clearance forward.

Lampard managed to clear the ball with a header from his position, and soon after, the referee blew the final whistle, leaving Inter Milan in utter disappointment at having been turned over.

"The thrilling back-and-forth battle has come to an end. Both teams showcased their brilliance in each half. Inter Milan triumphed in the first half, but Millwall struck four goals in quick succession during the latter half, seizing victory from Inter's grasp. The group's progression now seems straightforward; while both Inter and Millwall are favorites to advance, the stumbling Inter team must decisively overcome their remaining two opponents after today's loss. They can no longer afford any defeats; another loss could leave Inter, theoretically, with only 12 points. They still have a clash with Millwall ahead, but fortunately, their other two group rivals aren't particularly strong. Congratulations to Millwall on their victory! We initially thought the reigning champions had lost their edge, and yet they responded with five goals away from home, which certainly validates their status as favorites in the Champions League."

At the end of the match, Millwall's players beamed with smiles. Many young players were particularly thrilled with this victory, given they had played against Inter Milan, notably featuring superstars like Ronaldo and Baggio.

Aldrich stood up to shake hands with Hodgson. They exchanged no further words.

His expression revealed no signs of joy.

With nine goals scored in the match and countless highlights, the audience witnessed what they deemed a classic clash.

Yet Aldrich was unable to share that excitement.

He cared more about the fact that they had conceded four goals. Scoring five can be attributed to numerous factors, but most importantly, Millwall was not the match's master; they adjusted their tactics based on Inter's aggressive offense and frail defense. Behind the game, Millwall had not dominated; they merely relied on individual talents and determination to sway the match's outcome.

As he walked into the locker room post-match, Aldrich calmly addressed all the players: "Today's victory is precious. I'm delighted with your fighting spirit, but the Champions League has only just started. We've made a great start and cannot afford to become complacent."

He didn't need to sound too harsh, as it was enough to keep the players grounded.

As for the four goals conceded, he would discuss that further when they returned to London for training.

During the post-match press conference, Aldrich faced Giancarlo's sharp questioning and remained silent for half a minute.

"While Millwall scored five goals in today's match, the defense conceded four. This figure nearly matches your total goals conceded across all six group matches last season. Does this indicate a significant decline in the quality of Millwall's defense?"

After a period of silence, Aldrich responded calmly: "Our defense isn't in poor shape; it's more about the match itself. After going down 2-0, we had no choice but to attack, which piled pressure on the defense. When it was 3-1, I realized if we couldn't hold firm, we'd need to see who could score more goals."

"Inter conceded four goals in the second half, what was the reason?"

"Football isn't a science; it's hard to pinpoint all the causes behind a goal scored or conceded. Factors like morale, mindset, and performances at crucial moments all come into play. I can't articulate it in words, but overall, Millwall adapted to the game better in the second half and performed well. We started slowly in the first half and quickly fell behind 2-0, and it wasn't until the second half that we freed ourselves from the pressure. Considering we were away, and trailing—the odds were against us—we managed to perform at an elite level."

Aldrich did not view this victory as meaningful, particularly not as an indication that Millwall had bridged the gap from last season's level.

If it were last season's Millwall, they wouldn't have given as many opportunities to the opposition, even when playing away. The ultimate result hinged on the players' finishing touches rather than a consistent dominance to secure the victory over their opponents.

After wrapping up the press conference, Aldrich prepared to return to London but received an invitation from Moratti.

To send the entire team back to London, Aldrich and Moratti dined together at a high-end restaurant in Milan.

The restaurant was nearing closing time and was sparsely populated, yet photographers trailed after the duo and captured the image of Moratti and Aldrich seated together.

The two had often communicated over the phone, meeting once during the summer. Today was just a casual gathering between friends.

Moratti sought Aldrich's advice on managing a club, particularly about team management.

He hoped to glean insights from Aldrich to help mold Inter Milan into a Serie A powerhouse swiftly.

Moratti had ample finances and was deeply invested, so their discussion did not dwell too much on financial aspects of club management.

Aldrich openly shared his experiences, emphasizing the importance of squad stability, team consistency, and a dependable tactical style.

If there are frequent significant changes among players, the head coach, or the tactical approach, the team is bound to suffer adverse effects.

In essence, Aldrich wanted to convey to Moratti to exercise patience and grant the head coach more trust, allowing him to build the team according to his vision.

However, this perspective was tough in Serie A, where head coaches lacked the managerial authority akin to that in the Premier League, impacting transfer dealings significantly. Head coaches in Serie A, regardless of their status, often clashed uncomfortably with management over signing players.

Regardless of whether Moratti absorbed this feedback, the next day's news headlines in Milan announced: "Moratti in Private Talks with Hol to Discuss Transfers for Nedved and Zambrotta..."