The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 397: Four Teams, One Crown

The next day Old Trafford.

Aldrich sat upright in the stands, impeccably dressed, alongside the similarly young Villas-Boas.

The first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final between Manchester United and Juventus was about to kick off.

As the television broadcast camera caught sight of Aldrich in the stands, the commentators quickly took notice.

Andy Gray even joked: "Hall seems full of confidence after the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich. He's here now to look for potential opponents for the final! Come to think of it, yesterday's semi-final result was better than any they've had in the past against Monaco or Juventus. Last time they visited Germany, they swept away Dortmund. Clearly, Hall feels he'll have the upper hand in the second leg at Munich's Olympic Stadium."

Aldrich's presence at Old Trafford to watch the game wasn't just for scouting potential final opponents; that was still a distant thought. The real suspense was whether they could overcome Bayern Munich first.

However, he was indeed there to observe Manchester United, as he needed to make a bold decision: whether to deploy substitutes in the FA Cup semi-final.

The FA Cup semi-final was scheduled for midweek, following the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. This posed a significant physical challenge to his starting lineup. With three titles on the line, Aldrich needed to be meticulous in his tactical approach.

Meanwhile, about an hour's drive away in Liverpool, at Melanie's home, her brother was cursing Manchester United's performance while watching the game. When he spotted Aldrich at Old Trafford, he shouted upstairs, "Sister, Aldrich is in Manchester!"

Melanie, expectant and ready to give birth in less than three months, appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down at the living room in surprise. "Did he call you?"

"No, he's on TV, watching Manchester United at Old Trafford."

Fuming, Melanie turned and stormed back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

It hurt her that, despite being less than an hour away, Aldrich hadn't come to see her.

However, both of them were still in a standoff, neither willing to back down or compromise; Melanie had no reason to blame Aldrich either.

Villas-Boas sat next to Aldrich, relentlessly seeking advice on various aspects of the match. Aldrich patiently responded to his inquiries. At Old Trafford, Manchester United conceded the first goal, as Conte's stunning strike delivered a crushing blow to the hearts of all Red Devils fans.

"Manchester United is in trouble," Villas-Boas remarked.

Without missing a beat, Aldrich replied, "This squad, shaped by Ferguson, is at its peak. They're at that sweet spot in terms of average age, with experience from high-level competitions and a mature team chemistry. What's the most frightening part of this? Do you know?"

"What?" Villas-Boas asked with curiosity.

"Their mentality! The resilience! That matters far more than paper strength. Many star-studded teams crumble after conceding the first goal, but look at Manchester United; they show no signs of backing down. Their unbeaten run over the past two months has been stunning."

In a nutshell, it came down to mentality, something Aldrich struggled with every season.

Millwall saw old players leave and new ones come in every year, particularly young talents. While developing their technical skills could follow a routine pace, nurturing their mental resilience was far more challenging. Luckily, with Nedved, Southgate, and Larsson, three captains to lead the way, Aldrich couldn't imagine what would have happened if they hadn't remained with the team over the years. Even with numerous young talents, they wouldn't have fared well in critical matches without that mental toughness!

At Old Trafford, Manchester United equalized in the 91st minute thanks to Giggs' goal, ending the first leg with a 1-1 result at home.

Although Ancelotti, stepping in for Lippi at Juventus, felt disappointed after conceding, he still had reasons to be happy; they not only avoided a loss in the first leg but also secured an away goal, giving Juventus a very optimistic outlook towards reaching the final.

Once the Manchester United game concluded, the tide turned in Fleet Street; Manchester United was now seen as underdogs while Millwall gained traction. With both Premier League teams having played their first legs at home, with United drawing and Millwall winning, the prospect of Millwall reaching the final seemed much greater, and the call for an all-English war began to fade.

Over the weekend, as the Premier League's 33rd round rolled in, Aldrich led his main squad into battle against Martin O'Neill's Leicester City.

While Aldrich and O'Neill were friends off the pitch, on the field, they were ruthless rivals.

Leicester City, under O'Neill, had unfortunately lost to Tottenham in the League Cup final earlier that season. However, they still had a chance to vie for a UEFA Cup ticket in the standings. O'Neill continued his traditional approach, allowing his team to play defensively and counterattack at home.

Millwall, still feeling the effects of their intense midweek Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, performed poorly, leading to a disappointing 0-0 draw.

Aldrich maintained his composure post-match, shaking hands with O'Neill.

Both left the pitch somewhat discontented.

After all, they both wanted to win.

In the same round, Millwall received a piece of good news and some bad news.

Manchester United also struggled with the effects of playing in Europe, drawing 0-0 against relegation-threatened Blackburn, which meant Millwall maintained their two-point lead over United.

However, both Chelsea and Arsenal managed to win in their local derbies.

Chelsea triumphed over Wimbledon with a 2-1 victory away.

Arsenal secured a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane!

The race for the Premier League title had taken on a curious turn.

Millwall held the top position, two points ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal!

With just five rounds left in the league, who dared to say Millwall was the favorite to lift the trophy now? They still had to face Chelsea and Arsenal directly, and while they enjoyed home advantage, they had to juggle their European commitments too!

Fleet Street was buzzing with excitement!

In the nation's most scrutinized sport, the top league experienced such chaotic scenarios, igniting the nerves of countless people. Even if the press merely reported trivial matters, sales would soar.

Strangely enough, the managers of the top four teams seemed indifferent to the title race, discreetly maintaining a low profile.

No one was attempting to put pressure on their opponents; it felt like an unseen battlefield.

The reason was simple: two tigers vying for dominance, and their opponents were clear. With four teams grappling for supremacy, it didn't matter if it was Aldrich, Ferguson, Wenger, or Vialli; who were they playing psychological games against?

At this point, it wasn't about taking down the opposition.

It resembled how Ferguson shattered Keegan to the point of mental collapse, leading to Newcastle's downfall. Who did Ferguson hope would collapse now?

All we can do now is focus on our own work, make sure the team is fully engaged in the game and avoid mistakes.

Everything depends on who can be more stable.

The team that makes mistakes will fall behind, and the consequences can be devastating.

The Champions League will expand to 32 teams next season, and with only three Premier League spots left, no one wants to fucking participate in the Europa League.

Yet Ferguson still made headlines in the media, but not attacking any specific opponent; his ire was directed squarely at the FA.

The FA had arranged the FA Cup semi-final between Millwall and Manchester United at Leeds United's home ground, Elland Road.

Ferguson was furious, seeing this as the FA favoring Millwall.

From a popularity and geographical perspective, it might be seen as neutral for Millwall without any advantage.

But playing in Yorkshire posed a significant challenge for Manchester United.

The animosity between Leeds and Manchester United is notorious, stemming not from football but from bloody wars over the throne between Lancashire and Yorkshire centuries ago. This hostility has persisted and manifested in various fields, not limited to football alone.

No matter how Ferguson lambasted the FA, or even received a fine, the game would still go on as scheduled.

This season was reaching its final phase, and with each match becoming more critical, the clash between Millwall and Manchester United, regardless of their rival, would be a highly sought-after event. One of the teams would inevitably be eliminated from one of their competitions after their direct encounter.

When the Millwall lineup was revealed at Elland Road, everyone was astonished!

Manchester United fielded most of their main players, featuring an impressive attacking line-up.

Millwall, however, sent out an entirely substitute squad!

Goalkeeper: Keller.

Defenders: Mills, Ferdinand, Neil, Ashley Cole.

Midfielders: Gronkjaer, Gattuso, Lampard, Duff.

Forwards: Klose, Van Nistelrooy.

If we look at the tactical setups, both teams are strikingly similar, both fielding a 4-4-2.

From the arrangement of one attacking and one defending in the midfield, to the roles of the wingers, and the arrangement of the two forwards, it feels almost identical.

But with Millwall fielding a reserve team, their game plan is clearly focused on defense and quick breaks, letting Manchester United take the offensive.

Aldrich and Ferguson, noted as "ideal adversaries" by the press, stood side by side on the touchline.

Ferguson was completely baffled by Aldrich's intentions!

By the situation, Millwall should undoubtedly be in a better position than Manchester United.

Having won the first leg of the Champions League, their spirits were high. Even though they had drawn in the league, Manchester United did too; Millwall remained in the lead.

In this match, Manchester United was going all out, but it felt like Millwall was hinting at a deliberate surrender.

Perhaps that wasn't the case; after all, Arsenal had been taken down by this very lineup at home, hadn't they?

Aldrich's daring choice to go with all substitutes earned him external admiration.

But if they lost in the semi-finals, he would surely be criticized as a fool.

His reasoning was quite clear.

If he sent out all his main players, it would be detrimental for the upcoming multi-competition battles. The first-team players had already played two matches in the last week, necessitating careful management of their stamina.

Secondly, if Millwall launched an assault, Manchester United's balance in tactics would be affected, making it a fierce battle akin to the one against Bayern.

With United on a two-game winless streak, the unfavorable situation from the first leg of the Champions League would likely distract them. The fact that Millwall deployed substitutes would undoubtedly provoke them into launching an attack.

Millwall's substitute formation of 4-4-2 emphasized counterattacking play rather than frontal assaults.

Sure enough, Manchester United rushed forward right from the get-go at Elland Road, eager to score early and seize control, aiming to conserve energy while wearing down their opponents and achieve maximum results with minimal costs.

Aldrich, watching the shaky defense from the sidelines as Yorke and Cole were lively, remained calm.

Ferdinand and Mills had progressed remarkably this season, displaying leadership traits. The more they faced high-level strikers, the quicker they would develop.

This kind of match was also what Gattuso and Lampard needed.

In the first few minutes, Manchester United's combination of wing and central attacking tactics hadn't yielded significant results. The effort was loud but ineffective, producing more flowers than fruit.

Beckham's crosses were now deemed masterclass.

His crosses were no longer just aimed for a forward's head but directed to lead forwards to score!

However, the partnership of Ferdinand and Neil in central defense proved to be very solid, compressing their inner defense to deny the adversary any opportunities, especially Ferdinand, who was in stellar form today.

Seeing his team withstand Manchester United's attacking pressure, Aldrich displayed an approving expression. His gaze intensified with determination.