The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 398: Triple Crown Glory

In this FA Cup semi-final, Millwall and Manchester United had the same goal: to settle matters within 90 minutes. In the knockout stage, if the score was tied after 90 minutes, it would go to extra time rather than a replay.

Neither team wanted to extend the match into extra time, even though Millwall was fielding a reserve squad.

Inevitably, pressure leads to slips, and Manchester United was no exception.

After attacking relentlessly for 30 minutes without scoring, Millwall seized an opportunity in the 32nd minute.

A long clearance from Neil was intercepted by Klose, who turned and laid it off diagonally to Gronkjaer on the flank. With a powerful sprint, Gronkjaer took the ball and charged down the wing. As Butt came to defend against him, he passed it centrally to Lampard, who quickly returned it to Klose. Without breaking stride, Klose pushed the ball into space behind the defense.

Van Nistelrooy was level with Stam, but while Stam had to turn, Van Nistelrooy maintained his forward pace, successfully evading the offside trap. He calmly slotted the ball into the near post, leaving Schmeichel powerless as he dove.

Millwall took a 1-0 lead over Manchester United.

"Van Nistelrooy has scored! Millwall opens the scoring!"

Fans at Elland Road, supporting The Lions, erupted in jubilation, and some even began chanting for a treble!

If Millwall could defeat Manchester United today, the prospects ahead looked bright.

Ferguson's expression darkened on the sidelines.

He realized that he and Wenger might have made the same miscalculation. Both had been fooled by Millwall's use of substitutes.

Even as reserves, Millwall's players were fiercely competitive, capable of holding their own. Particularly, Aldrich had tailored a defensive counter-attacking tactic for them, ensuring reliable performances. Conversely, if they committed to an aggressive attacking style, they risked being overwhelmed by stronger teams.

Ferguson cursed under his breath.

Damn it, I should have brought Van Nistelrooy to Manchester United sooner!

Watching Van Nistelrooy celebrate after scoring, Ferguson felt a mix of envy and irritation towards Aldrich.

Such an outstanding striker is not even in the starting lineup at Millwall? This is so strange!

Had Manchester United signed him before this season's breakout, Ferguson might have reaped rewards. But now, without a starting position, Van Nistelrooy preferred to be a substitute at Millwall, where at least he played comfortably, evidenced by Klose's assist—clearly, they had a telepathic connection.

Aldrich felt conflicted over Van Nistelrooy.

With the starting lineup injury-free, Van Nistelrooy had to settle for a place on the bench.

As he aged, Van Nistelrooy's desire for a starting position grew more intense.

Keeping him would lead to locker room problems sooner or later - which is the last thing Aldrich wants to see.

But letting him go raised the question—where would he end up?

Lower-tier teams were beneath Van Nistelrooy's aspirations. Aldrich secretly hoped that a top club abroad would come calling, sparing him the pain of facing Van Nistelrooy every season in the Premier League.

After all, before this, players such as Vieira, Pires, Stam, Toni, Gudjohnsen and others had left Millwall and made their mark in the Premier League, creating some powerful opponents for Millwall to a certain extent!

After conceding that goal, Ferguson instructed his players.

They had to keep attacking; to retreat now would mean conceding defeat.

But the attacking and defensive systems needed to be balanced. They couldn't be caught off-guard by counter-attacks like earlier when they faced Arsenal. Giving opponents vast spaces for counter-attacks allowed them to exploit weaknesses, with rapid, precise ground passes cutting through the defense, leaving them exposed.

After adjustments, Manchester United slowed the game down a bit, reinforcing their midfield and building pressure on Millwall.

However, Millwall's defense was rock-solid, allowing nothing through to the opposition.

With a 1-0 lead, Millwall entered the locker room at halftime.

Aldrich praised the team's performance and urged them to keep pushing in the second half.

Before leaving the locker room, the team rallied with a loud cheer of "Take down Manchester United!" to lift their spirits.

As luck would have it, Aldrich crossed paths with Ferguson in the tunnel, and Ferguson, with a hint of annoyance, said, "What's with Millwall trying to play like Arsenal? What happened to your old 4-3-3?"

Aldrich couldn't help but laugh at that. After all, Millwall's 4-3-3 had been absolutely lethal in '97 when they won the league, and the current squad played the same way. It seemed everyone had slapped a 4-3-3 tag on Millwall!

Walking alongside Ferguson, he raised an eyebrow and quipped, "When I started coaching in '94, we were a solid 4-4-2. While I was all about counter-attacks, Arsenal was still stuck with five at the back. So why are you saying I copied Arsenal?"

Ferguson fired back sharply, "Sure, you played 4-4-2 in your first Premier League game at Old Trafford in '95. But come on, does that 4-4-2 compare to what you've got now? You guys were like fearless warriors back then, and now? You look like a chap who's had a—let's say, a 'procedure'—lost all his manly spirit!"

Aldrich was laughing so hard he could almost shed tears. "I have to say, 4-4-2 is just a formation; the real key lies in how you execute your tactics. Sure, our bench and the way we set up the midfield to collapse and counterattack might seem a bit cunning."

"But look at the results!" Aldrich continued, "Arsenal have conceded nearly 20 fewer goals than United this season!"

"True," Ferguson replied, "but United has scored 20 more goals than Arsenal!"

"Then why do you have the same points in the league?" Aldrich retorted. "Do you really think you can look down on Arsenal?"

Ferguson was silent.

Once they exited the player tunnel and parted ways, Ferguson suddenly turned, glaring at Aldrich.

Damn it! I'm criticizing Millwall's tactics today!

Aldrich was sly beyond measure, diverting the topic!

Feeling upbeat while coaching from the sidelines, Aldrich noticed that Manchester United had not lost their composure in the second half.

This steady resilience was rare. To Aldrich, a team's strength wasn't just about how many goals they scored or conceded, but rather how they maintained their composure in the face of adversity. That composure was a direct reflection of their true capabilities.

The stands at Elland Road seemed to be filled with local supporters, as loud chants reverberated through the air.

It was a song both Manchester United and Leeds United fans sang, directly aimed at each other.

Aldrich scanned the crowd and noted that Millwall seemed to have gained a slight advantage from this neutral ground.

However, he felt that the Leeds supporters might be doing more harm than good by being present!

The chants were adrenaline boosters for the Manchester United players!

Unsurprisingly, Manchester United intensified their efforts, but their strategies became rigid. Beckham's crosses found good spots, but they were stifled by Ferdinand and Neil. Scholes' long-range shots consistently fell short.

Time ticked away.

In the 75th minute of the second half, Aldrich substituted Duff for Van der Meyde.

It seemed that Millwall was on track to secure a narrow victory and advance to the final. However, in the 88th minute, Giggs stepped up. He picked up the ball on the left flank, cut inside, and smoothly weaved past Lampard before deftly dodging Mills' challenge. His rhythm was impeccable as he surged into the box, executed a sudden stop and turn, and cleverly evaded Ferdinand, distracted by Cole's forward run. With a tight angle, he unleashed a powerful shot into the net!

"An extraordinary display by Giggs! He weaved through three defenders to score a stunning goal—Giggs has saved Manchester United!"

Aldrich, witnessing the goal conceded, let out a resigned chuckle, clapping his hands to rally his players and refocus their spirits.

Giggs' goal was reminiscent of Nedved's stunning strike in the Champions League, a feat that is almost impossible to replicate. It is similar to Maradona's iconic goal after dribbling past five defenders. Such performances are moments of pure brilliance, inspired by the intensity of the battle. Especially when breaking through, every change of direction, acceleration, touch and evasion is almost an instinctive decision. Don't forget, it also requires the opponent's movements to be perfectly coordinated. Even if you let Giggs try this goal 10 times, he may not be able to guarantee another goal.

Aldrich wasn't disheartened; although he'd prefer not to go to extra time, if it came to that, so be it. The longer the game dragged on, the more it favored Manchester United, especially with their league and Champions League commitments.

Ferguson clapped for Giggs' goal, but his joy faded within a minute.

As Millwall restarted the game, Manchester United pressed forward, only to find Millwall calmly passing the ball around. Van der Meyde received a pass from Lampard and immediately sent a through ball to Klose.

Klose controlled the ball and turned, brushing past Butt, who was out of position and instinctively lunged for the ball. Klose smoothly slipped around him.

As he advanced, Klose assessed Van Nistelrooy's positioning. Stam and Johnson were heavily marked, all believing Klose would pass, as had been his tendency.

But realizing there was no one challenging him for the ball, Klose made a decisive run, aggressively splitting between Stam and Johnson.

Both defenders were caught off-guard.

That towering figure suddenly burst forth with surprising speed. Johnson couldn't catch up, and Klose fired a shot that pierced through Schmeichel's fingers.

"Unbelievable! Less than a minute after Manchester United scored, Millwall scored again - 2-1! Klose scored a goal for Millwall! What happened to Manchester United's defense? Butt, Stam and Johnson - one of them was easily broken, and when Klose strode into the penalty area, the two central defenders stood there stupidly! Seriously, what were they thinking? Didn't they want to play overtime?"

After scoring, Klose raced to the sidelines to celebrate with a flip.

Aldrich was stunned.

He had been preparing to make a substitution for extra time, thinking about bringing on Pedretti for Gronkjaer.

The goal was utterly unexpected, and Aldrich looked astonished.

Once he regained his composure, he still made the substitution—this change was purely tactical to waste time and shore up the defense.

However, he substituted Klose off for Pedretti.

Ferguson's expression darkened.

Damn it! Klose's goal rendered Giggs' equalizer worthless.

What on earth is happening?

Why does Millwall have so many quality forwards?

That big German lad is quite the player! His technical ability is top-notch, and his teamwork is commendable. That last breakthrough into the box was smooth as silk!"

Millwall's forward line is set for the next decade!

While Ferguson urged his players to push harder for another goal, he cursed Aldrich inwardly.

How strange! Millwall isn't even a big club, yet they comfortably thrive in player selection better than any of the so-called giants.

Despite a full-on assault towards the end, Manchester United couldn't find a second goal. Beckham's final-minute shot grazed the post.

"Millwall has defeated Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final! They are headed to the final to face Newcastle United for this season's FA Cup title! With the league lead secured and having advanced in the Champions League, Millwall's fans can dream of a treble. Should they accomplish this feat, they would undoubtedly become the most successful club in England's history in a single season!"