The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 92: Trezeguet's injury

The most intimidating home atmosphere in the entire Premier League belongs to Liverpool's Anfield. Arsenal fans have always been rather "quiet," while Manchester United, with its commercial operations, has attracted more foreign fans. The thrilling atmosphere that once accompanied Barcelona when they trailed by two goals against a Maradona-led team a decade ago is becoming a distant memory. Other stadiums either lack attendance compared to traditional powerhouses due to smaller sizes or do not have as high expectations from their supporters, leading to a lack of that resilient spirit in motivating cheers.

After the match began, amidst the relentless cheers of the Liverpool fans, the team's attack flowed smoothly, consistently creating threats.

The fighting spirit at Anfield, crafted by Roy Evans, should not be underestimated. Although they won the opening league match by just one goal, the team was gradually hitting its stride, and their attacking firepower was rivaling any team in the Premier League.

Aldrich paced nervously along the sidelines, watching as Liverpool's fluid attacks repeatedly threatened Millwall's goal. Young Redknapp almost scored from a set-piece, eliciting huge sighs from the supporters on the sidelines.

He wasn't overly worried; both Liverpool and Manchester United had top-notch attacking setups. However, United's midfield this season leaned more towards defense, featuring Keane and Butt, while Liverpool favored offense with Redknapp and Barnes.

Faced with such a top-tier attacking arrangement, Aldrich had two choices in his tactics: either implement a double pivot to slow down the opponent's pace and focus on defense like against Arsenal, or engage in a shootout.

Typically, in away games, the first more conservative approach would be favored. But Aldrich surprisingly chose the latter.

If he played conservatively, amidst the raucous atmosphere at Anfield, the players might become even more tense, as it would indirectly signify to them that Liverpool's offense was strong!

Conversely, playing at Anfield would bolster Liverpool's confidence. This back-and-forth could make the match lose its suspense from the very first second.

In fact, every match's tactical arrangement felt like a gamble—winning would be seen as shrewd foresight, while losing labeled one as foolish. Aldrich felt like he was walking on thin ice; today, he simply wanted the team to play their own style. The choice to retreat against Arsenal was merely a tactic to enhance their chances of winning, and it didn't mean that Millwall, as a Premier League newcomer, had to rely on a defensive counterattack.

While the Premier League hadn't yet entered the "freeway" fast-paced style, Millwall aimed to be a pioneer of this style.

A shot from Kolyomor was blocked by Southgate using his body. Makelele snatched the ball ahead of Young Redknapp and passed it to the left wing, where Neil took a couple of dribbles before passing it to Nedved in the center. He then made a rapid forward run while Nedved quickly passed the ball to Schneider on the right, who also surged forward.

From left to right, Millwall controlled the ball while horizontally transitioning. Although it wasn't a typical long ball approach of English football, the ground passes built on positioning and accuracy naturally yielded higher success rates, making it tougher for defenders to mark them.

This counterattack saw Millwall's attacking players demonstrate exceptional coordination. Schneider made a couple of touches before passing to the retreating Larsson, who held up play as Scalise was ready to close in behind him. Larsson passed the ball back to the advancing Nedved and then quickly made his way towards the penalty area, drawing Scalise with him.

Nedved made the pass to Pirès, who, wary of defense, lowered his center of gravity to pressure Pirès. The latter skillfully pulled the ball back and flicked it behind him, sending it toward the byline. When Jones glanced back, Neil had already raced in and, after adjusting his position, made a cross towards the near post.

Trezeguet, better positioned under the defense of Wright, seemed more likely to win the aerial duel.

But Trezeguet straightened his body as if he intended to jump, yet in the end, he did not leap; instead, Wright behind him jumped high and headed the ball away.

Trezeguet's face showed signs of pain, but he lowered his head and began to jog out of the penalty area.

No one noticed that he was secretly grinding his teeth, as if he was enduring some kind of pain.

Aldrich had high hopes for this attack, as Millwall's play was smooth from start to finish. Trezeguet was in a favorable shooting position, and if he were shoved by Wright, failed to jump, or headed the ball wide, it would've been acceptable. But Trezeguet stood still, merely watching; to observers, it seemed like he had done nothing!

Aldrich turned back, spreading his hands in confusion towards his coaching staff.

The coaches, leaning in to watch the game, returned to their seats dejectedly, shaking their heads in response to Aldrich's bewilderment as if to say they didn't understand either.

It didn't make sense that Trezeguet, who had scored a brilliant diving header at Old Trafford, would shrink away at Anfield!

It was precisely his fearless spirit that had secured Aldrich's trust in his starting position.

Millwall and Liverpool were engaged in a back-and-forth battle, neither side willing to control the tempo; the match had the same pace and smoothness as Millwall's first game against Manchester United.

"Andy, this match can make the fans forget about the passage of time, keeping them glued to the action. Liverpool and Millwall are playing offensive football, but Liverpool's attacking methods seem somewhat monotonous today. Millwall's attacks are mostly brilliant; however, they often falter at the final moment."

"Exactly, Liverpool's wide crosses are threatening. They become reliant on individual talent to draw defenders and create opportunities, while Millwall's Trezeguet hasn't been on form today. He's noticeably less active in heading duels and seems to struggle with providing support; he looks almost ill and quite weak, and his intensity in running is lacking."

Aldrich's frown deepened as he stood on the sidelines. What on earth was Trezeguet doing?

His performance was simply terrible!

There hadn't been any signs of illness before the match; his mental state seemed great. What could have caused such a drastic decline in performance?

Just as Aldrich's focus remained on Trezeguet, Liverpool executed a classic wing attack.

McManaman delivered a 45-degree cross from the flank, the ball flew toward Millwall's far post, nearly a pass and a shot. Goalkeeper Keller rushed out but misjudged the ball's trajectory. In Aldrich's shocked gaze, the ball landed at the back post, where Fowler appeared and, almost against the post, headed it into the net before twisting away to avoid crashing into it.

"Goal! Robbie Fowler, Liverpool's golden boy, scores after a flawless combination with McManaman. This is textbook English football—cross from the wing, the striker lurking in the box, then finishing. Millwall's goalkeeper Keller made a mistake, misjudging the ball's landing point. His rush missed contact with the ball, effectively opening the gate for Fowler! Liverpool leads 1-0 at Anfield!"

The Liverpool fans erupted in joy, cheering for Fowler's goal.

Aldrich helplessly shut his eyes on the sidelines.

Was this some kind of setup against me today?

A striker underperforming and a goalkeeper making blunders; it felt like chaos!

Of course, perhaps Keller's mistake was a matter of ability, and Aldrich didn't see Keller as Millwall's future starting goalkeeper.

Shaking his head, a plan began to formulate in his mind. If Keller had a poor season, he would replace him with German keeper Butte.

Every decision a head coach makes must gain acceptance.

He couldn't just remove Keller from the starting XI due to one mistake. A prudent approach was to ensure fair competition: if Keller, underperformed, and Butte performed steadily, then Butte would take over. If Butte also failed to meet expectations, Aldrich would simply look for another goalkeeper.

His real concern, however, was Trezeguet.

The teammates noticed too; following the goal, during the kickoff, Larsson saw Trezeguet with a serious expression, sweat pouring down his face, and asked softly, "Hey, are you alright?"

Trezeguet shook his head in silence and, as soon as the referee blew the whistle, took the kick.

Aldrich intended to talk to Trezeguet during halftime because, in the five minutes following the kickoff, Trezeguet had shown no signs of improvement.

But just as the first half was about to reach the 40th minute, Larsson delivered a beautiful through ball to Trezeguet, who instead of charging forward, stumbled and fell inside the penalty area.

Liverpool's 32-year-old veteran Wright raised his hands in a sign of innocence, claiming he hadn't touched Trezeguet.

The referee paused the match, originally intending to show Trezeguet a yellow card for simulation but refrained and instead waved for the medical team to enter.

The implication was clear: the team doctor was needed!

Aldrich stood on the sidelines, hands on his hips, a sense of dread creeping into his understanding of what was happening.

Trezeguet cradled his sore right foot, groaning in pain, before lying back and covering his eyes with one hand, feeling utterly defeated.

After having a stellar season at Millwall last year, being awarded a pay rise and a contract extension, he had been a key starter, earning his coach's trust and importance. Trezeguet had enjoyed a delightful year with the club.

However, during the summer, he had become a little too indulgent, partying excessively and indulging in extravagant meals. When the new season started, although he scored in the opening match, he was taken off before 60 minutes due to a lack of match fitness, realizing his body couldn't keep up with the intense pace of the game.

As a result, he hit the gym harder than ever, training more intensely than his teammates.

But just yesterday, he inadvertently twisted his ankle. Fearing that disclosing it to Aldrich would cost him his starting position, he kept it to himself, gritting his teeth to endure the pain and play. Still, as he ran and jumped, he couldn't put forth his full effort, and the sharp ache in his right foot kept capturing most of his attention.

Just moments ago, Larsson's pass was beautifully executed; had he darted forward, he could have easily left Wright behind and scored to equalize the match. Unfortunately, in his eagerness to make an impact, he neglected to consider his injured right foot, pushing himself too hard—resulting in his fall!

This was it—everything was ruined!

The young Trezeguet buried his face in his hands, unable to look at anyone, not even his teammates or the medical staff.