The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 364: The Youthful Storm

After the match against Leicester City, Aldrich invited O'Neill to his office for a chat. He opened a bottle of fine wine, and they both settled onto the sofa, their minds swirling with thoughts.

"Our pre-season expectations seem rather foolish now. Leicester City's ambition to make a name for themselves in the Premier League faces immense challenges. Even if the players are dedicated and focused, a lack of skill cannot be masked by team spirit."

O'Neill drank his wine, a heavy bitterness settling in.

Aldrich nodded in agreement. Leicester City's performance thus far had been polarizing—strong against tough teams but utterly unable to capitalize against weaker ones, making it tremendously difficult to earn victories.

When weaker teams focused on defense against Leicester City, even with the Tony and Gudjohnsen duo, they still found it hard to break through.

Once an opponent counter-attacked, Leicester City's defensive prowess paled in comparison to their opponents' attacking strength.

"Yeah, you want to bring Leicester City into the upper echelon of the Premier League, but let's be honest, it's nearly impossible. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea—even Leeds United—have stronger squads. The strength of a team fundamentally relies on the individual capabilities of its players. While it's not an absolute rule, take Spurs and Everton from the past two years; both had decent squads, yet they couldn't gel as a team. Leicester City's attack is somewhat competent; they could hold their own in the Premier League with enough goal-scoring and limiting attacks from mid to lower table teams. But the higher they climb the table, the more crucial defense becomes. Teams at the top not only have solid attacks, but it's also about whose defense can withstand pressure and who can contain their rivals in critical matches."

O'Neill seemed to ponder this for a moment, then suddenly became enthusiastic, asking Aldrich for the tactical board. He started discussing strategies with him.

Aldrich was more than happy to engage. With the game concluded, he wasn't keen to head home just yet. Having someone to talk tactics with was a welcome distraction.

O'Neill's main focus was on the role of the attacking midfielder.

His coaching abilities were beyond doubt. In the past, when Ferguson announced his retirements, O'Neill was always a top candidate to succeed him. However, the first time he chose to manage the Scottish giants Celtic, and the second time he stayed with Celtic as Ferguson changed his mind.

O'Neill particularly mentioned two teams: Arsenal and the newly crowned World Cup champions, France.

One had an attacking midfielder, while the other did not.

Aldrich calmly informed O'Neill that the only tactical difference between the two was that Arsenal had weakened their central offensive play by relying on speedy wing attacks. On the other hand, France compromised their forward line.

The commonality? Double holding midfielders.

The purpose was clear: to bolster defense.

This, he asserted, was also the trend moving forward. It wasn't that people didn't want to see talented attacking midfielders showcasing their magical skills; it was simply that in an increasingly utilitarian landscape of football, a single holding midfielder couldn't be relied upon. If the opponent had an exceptional attacking midfielder against your lone defensive midfielder, the one-on-one success rate would be alarming, rendering the defensive line nearly useless.

Arsenal chose to forego an attacking midfielder, focusing their attacks on the wings, with support arriving from the midfield.

France, having weakened their front line, could be said to play in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation; one could also argue it was a 4-5-1, where the double holding midfielders provided protection for the outstanding Zidane.

In the past, O'Neill's tactics didn't include an attacking midfielder either, relying on wing play for counter-attacks. But now he wanted to set up with one, although the effectiveness was far from ideal, especially since he lacked quality players in that role. Losing the ball when organizing an attack would leave his defense vulnerable.

Aldrich suggested considering using the commonly seen single-wing system in Italy—maintaining two holding midfielders, adding an attacking midfielder, and a wide midfielder. The focus of attacks would be down one side, while the attacking midfielder could drop back to support defensively. At least the system would be relatively balanced.

For smaller teams, the luxury of dual wings was unattainable without adequate players, so they had to play to their strengths. While the attacking potency might be somewhat diminished, they wouldn't be left in tears if caught out on the counter.

He and O'Neill discussed this up until 9 PM, then went out for dinner, continuing their tactical discussions at the table.

After the league match, a week of double fixtures awaited. Millwall was off to Europe, facing off against Graz in the fourth round of the Champions League group stage at Wembley.

In the previous round, they had obliterated the opposition with a 7-0 victory. For the rematch, Aldrich fielded several young players, downplaying the challenge at the pre-match press conference: "If Millwall can win this match, we'll secure advancement to the knockout stage. The difficulty isn't high; I'll be sending out many young players for experience."

Aldrich followed through, revealing his starting lineup.

**Goalkeeper:** Keller.

**Defenders:** Ferreira, Neil, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole.

**Holding Midfielders:** Pedretti, Gattuso, Lampard.

**Wingers:** Van der Meyde, Gronkjaer.

**Forward:** Klose.

This couldn't even be considered a reserve squad; three unfamiliar names were now in the media spotlight.

Young full-backs Ferreira and Cole made their Champions League debuts, while Pedretti had long been dubbed the "Little Makelele."

The Fleet Street journalists familiar with Millwall couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hall's so mischievous!"

Undermining the opponent, it appeared he was indeed fielding a youthful lineup, indicating a sign of arrogance and underestimation.

But then they looked at his starting formation.

This was a 4-5-1!

With three holding midfielders ready to fight and scrap, this was a clear enticement for the opponent to commit to attack.

Graz, already out of contention for advancement with three consecutive group stage losses, had suffered a humiliating defeat in their home match. Their trip to London felt like just going through the motions.

Yet could they really ignore the media coverage in London, which portrayed Millwall as overwhelmingly powerful, suggesting they were disdained and only pieced together a second and third team?

The Austrian champions were furious.

At Wembley, they took the initiative, attacking fiercely.

Unfortunately, this was precisely what Millwall wanted, and it served Aldrich's comments and lineup purpose.

Sitting in the dugout, he rested his chin and watched the game unfold. Just four minutes into the first half, the hyper-aggressive Graz was caught off guard by Millwall's counterattack.

Pedretti intercepted the ball just outside the penalty area, switched play to the wing for a counter, and Ferreira wasted no time sending it forward to Van der Meyde.

Van der Meyde elegantly dribbled past the opposing full-back before slotting in a perfectly timed through-ball for the onside Klose.

Klose didn't let his teammate down, calmly finishing into the bottom corner to put Millwall ahead 1-0.

However, the attendance was lower than the last match.

After the 7-0 rout of Graz before, the Lions fans generally expected another walkover in this rematch.

The game was indeed appearing one-sided, but it was also a testament to Aldrich's tactical mind games.

If Graz does not take the initiative to attack, it will be difficult to break through their defense. After all, they are also the league champions. If they insist on defending, can Millwall really win easily when half of the starting lineup does not appear?

Even after conceding, Graz didn't lose heart and continued their offensive.

Thirteen minutes later, Gronkjaer broke through two defenders on a counter. After a one-two with Klose right outside the box, he found himself one-on-one, skillfully lifting the ball over the goalkeeper into the net.

"Gronkjaer has scored too! Millwall is two goals up in less than 20 minutes. This looks like another rout; Millwall's youthful storm is still rolling on, and even the familiar Gronkjaer is just 21! Pedretti, Ferreira, and Cole; will these three debutants become the backbone of the Lions?"

As Gronkjaer embraced Klose, Aldrich stood up, calling for Lampard to come over and adjust his position. He needed him to play a zone-to-zone (box-to-box) role in the counterattack.

A brief exchange was all that was needed. Aldrich then scanned the field for Ashley Cole and Paulo Ferreira but couldn't find them in the defensive lineup. Only when he turned to the crowd of celebrating players did he finally spot both.

To his astonishment, both full-backs had charged up to join the celebration after Gronkjaer's goal...

As the players returned, Aldrich pointed at the duo and signaled them over.

He brought them to the forefront and encouraged them to make daring forward runs in the upcoming play, just like they had practiced in training.

Meanwhile, the Graz players and coaching staff were nearly brought to tears. With Aldrich's fierce demeanor, it was evident he had no intention of letting up.

Graz began to feel the heat; falling two goals behind made them recall the nightmare from their previous meeting just two weeks prior. Would they undergo a replay of that horror?

They tightened their formation, setting up defenses and intentionally marking Gronkjaer, Van der Meyde, and the already-scoring Klose.

Aldrich foresaw this need, which was why he positioned midfielders to assist both the wings and central zones.

Before the half ended, Lampard's late effort was parried by the goalkeeper, and Klose followed up with a rebound, extending the lead to 3-0.

In the second half, Aldrich substituted Duff for Gronkjaer and brought Henry on for Van der Meyde.

Yet in the second half, Graz defended with far more resolve, their goal line under constant siege but standing strong as a human wall, and ultimately, the score settled at 3-0.

At the match's end, Aldrich approached the opposing coach for a handshake, but the coach, humiliated and angry, saw it as a slight and stormed off in a huff.

Aldrich wore a resigned expression, settling for a handshake with the assistant coaches before turning to walk down the players' tunnel.

"Defending champions Millwall remain unstoppable. With four victories, they have two matches remaining. Next, they will travel to Moscow to face Spartak before hosting Inter Milan at Wembley. Having already amassed 12 points, Millwall has essentially secured their place in the knockout stages unless they lose both remaining matches—an unlikely scenario, especially considering their superior goal difference."

In a post-match interview, however, Aldrich shifted his tone dramatically, praising the Austrian champions Graz highly. After all, the match was over, and with no chance of facing each other for at least half a year, Aldrich naturally chose to show the opponent due respect. The pre-match disparagement was merely a tactic to secure victory.

The reason Aldrich did not field his main squad in this Champions League match was clear to all involved—the Fleet Street journalists knew: he was conserving energy for the upcoming London derby!

In just three days, Millwall would head to West London to take on the Premier League leaders, Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge!