The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 252: suffered failure

After the match, when Aldrich arrived at the press conference, several reporters congratulated him on Millwall's impressive performance. They had achieved a resounding victory, making this match the highlight of the Premier League opening round.

Typically, when a winning side achieves such a great victory, few issues come to light. In contrast, the losing side faces numerous questions. Take the European Cup Winners' Cup final, for instance—Millwall won, yet nobody discussed Schneider's struggle against Figo; those issues would only be addressed during tactical reviews with the coaching staff.

"Was Arsène Wenger's formation too risky for this match? Knowing Millwall's strong midfield, Arsenal had only two players in central midfield, Petit and Vieira, who clearly lacked chemistry. Their defensive cover couldn't keep up with Millwall's pace. Meanwhile, Wenger opted to start with Overmars, Anelka, and Pires, sidelining a veteran like Parlour, drastically reducing their control over the match."

Steve Howard, writing for The Sun, directed the conversation squarely at Arsenal.

Wenger had stormed out of a previous interview in anger, frustrated by the mockery of Fleet Street journalists. Clearly, he was viewed as a poor choice by the fans as well.

Aldrich responded sincerely, "I won't criticize my fellow coaches. My principle is simple: I respect other head coaches, and I hope they can respect me in return. I'm just a head coach—nothing more, nothing less. Any analysis or critique isn't my job."

"From a neutral standpoint, do you think Wenger can lead Arsenal to a revival?"

Aldrich shook his head and chuckled.

"From the moment he arrived in London, reporters, fans, and even players were not welcoming. Journalists don't like me either; you nitpick Millwall for lacking English elements. I'm certain that if I fail to lead my team to a championship, you'll treat me with the same contempt you have for Wenger. That said, there is a toxic mindset in football. Many people question Wenger as soon as they hear his name, even before he arrived in London. I don't understand why; he hadn't done anything yet. Why doubt him? The media and Arsenal fans seem to think it's better to question him rather than assess his actions. When he fails, they can say they had foresight. But in reality, what do such individuals really want?If you really want to question something, then you should ask why Arsenal hired Wenger in the first place. Question the club, question Dein, or if many Arsenal fans are still reminiscing about Graham, then go ahead and ask why Graham lost his job."

"But Wenger took over a top team."

"Really? A top team? I won't deny Graham won trophies for Arsenal and held a period of dominance in English football. However, the last time Arsenal won a top-flight title was in 1991. After the Premier League began, they finished 10th in '93, were runners-up in '94, 12th in '95, and 6th in '96. Last year, Wenger led them to 4th place. The team he inherited hadn't won the league for five consecutive seasons and was only 10 points above relegation in their worst season. According to the bookmakers, Arsenal's title odds have never been among the top three in recent years."

"Mr. Hall, why do you support Wenger so strongly? Because you're friends?"

"No! Because I have faced similar unfair treatment! In the summer of '94, when I announced my takeover, no outlet in all of England treated me fairly. Everyone questioned me. I'll never forget the headlines, painting me as just a kid playing with his toys, eagerly awaiting a train wreck as a man dubbed a playboy led a club to ruin. Very few spoke objectively. Only those genuinely supportive Millwall fans wrote banners encouraging me, wanting me to enhance the club. That is the right mindset. Instead of complaining, being angry, or questioning everything, Arsenal fans should anticipate what Wenger might do for their club."

Aldrich was straightforward; he either didn't speak or spoke bluntly.

As a head coach, he was infuriated by unwarranted outside criticism.

Not only directed at the coach, sometimes this criticism fell on the players.

Player performance can fluctuate, which is entirely normal. Human beings aren't machines; it's natural for performance to vary. Coaches analyze the reasons behind these fluctuations, but the external world often lacks this objective perspective, resulting in unfounded blame that adds pressure on players. This can lead to a downward spiral in form that would have been recoverable with minor adjustments.

The press in the room exchanged uneasy glances as the atmosphere of the press conference shifted.

What began as a joyous and congratulatory mood turned into Aldrich's critique of them.

"Mr. Hall, do you genuinely wish Wenger to stay at Arsenal? After all, he suffered significant defeats to you twice. Could it be you desire to keep a beaten opponent to maintain Millwall's dominance over Arsenal?"

The Star's reporter posed this question, triggering laughter among colleagues.

Aldrich couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.

"Such petty thinking. I'll tell you why: Wenger is an exceptional head coach. His presence in the Premier League is a boon for English football, attracting renewed global attention to the game. As a coach, I want the Premier League filled with excellent managers. It adds challenge and allows my team to face tough opponents, benefiting both players and coaches."

...

Aldrich's sincere remarks were quickly twisted into "ulterior motives" in sports sections of newspapers the next day.

Keeping Wenger would allow Millwall to maintain its dominance over Arsenal.

The Gunners were practically easy pickings for The Lions.

4-0, 5-0.

Whenever Millwall faced Arsenal, it was like celebrating the New Year.

Aldrich paid little mind to outside commentary; his team had demonstrated good form in their league opener, and they had another significant match in just three days.

Back at home, they would host Newcastle United, led by Dalglish.

Last season, after securing the title early, Millwall was defeated by Newcastle at St. James' Park—one of only two losses they faced all season.

Initially, the match seemed unremarkable; Newcastle was nowhere near what they used to be. Apart from Shearer, past stars like Ferdinand and Ginola had departed. Beardsley was too old and had moved to Bolton for one last hurrah. The teams now held a significant disparity in strength.

Yet, the media portrayed this as a revenge match.

Aldrich harbored no desire for vengeance; he treated it like any ordinary league game.

At the Lions' Den, Millwall continued their impressive form tactically. Aldrich's style countered Dalglish's outdated traditional tactics; he played down the wings while Millwall focused on penetrating through the center. Last season's loss was largely due to the talents of the opposing stars.

In this second round encounter, Millwall effectively neutralized Shearer for the full ninety minutes and matched Dalglish's team with a similar scoreline.

5-0.

Millwall began the new season with two consecutive victories, leaving the entirety of England quaking.

Post-match, Aldrich shook hands with Dalglish, maintaining his usual demeanor, and barely spoke before exiting the press conference.

To him, winning by five goals against a Newcastle team that had lost much of its summer lineup was expected.

He was more focused on the upcoming league cup match against lower-tier Lincoln City.

Lincoln City, having drawn the previous season's most successful English team, was overjoyed. The broadcasting revenue would be substantial, and attendance at the stadium would surely see a significant boost.

Aldrich didn't bring any start players, opting for a formation without a center-forward.

Goalkeeper: Keller.

Defenders: Mills, Ferdinand, Materazzi, Neal.

Midfielders: Van der Meyde, Gattuso, Ballack, Zambrotta.

Forwards: Duff and Gronkjaer.

This arrangement was aimed at training the team's ability to exploit the wings, with wingers cutting inside and midfielders making late runs.

The match proved tough; the opponent played defensively. While Gronkjaer managed to cut inside successfully at times, directing his runs didn't yield satisfactory results.

Duff faced similar challenges.

Aldrich was fervently directing the game, seeming to never take a break. He continually reminded his forward players to reposition and called them over for quick advice.

In the end, it was Van der Meyde's superb cross that allowed Ballack to make a late goal, securing a narrow victory and progression to the next round.

In the third round of the Premier League, Millwall faced Liverpool at Anfield, a club they had not beaten in their last four encounters over two years.

The outcome was surprising.

Millwall lost 0-1 on the road.

Evans had run the gauntlet against Aldrich, suffering five defeats over two years. While it was a dishonorable record, it yielded valuable lessons.

Among all the Premier League teams, none faced Millwall with such intensity and seriousness as Liverpool.

Throughout the match, they strengthened their defensive third, compressing space behind, relying solely on the lone forward, golden boy Owen.

After the match, Aldrich emerged grim. He harshly criticized his defenders' performance, especially Schneider.

Despite Millwall managing over thirty shots on goal, Liverpool only had five, with just one on target. The lone goal came from a penalty earned when Owen slipped past Schneider before being hastily brought down by Elguera.

Leading up to the match, Aldrich had repeatedly warned the team to respect Owen—to be cautious of him.

But the players brushed it off, underestimating the young forward's capabilities.

Hence, they lost due to the penalty he created.

This defeat left Millwall's morale significantly lowered in the locker room.

Both Schneider and Elguera kept their heads down, as Aldrich mercilessly berated them for a good three minutes.

"We are not incapable of bearing defeat. However, if that defeat stems from our own arrogance—an avoidable factor—then I cannot accept it, nor should you! We have won many trophies in the past two years and bested Liverpool many times, but life isn't about looking back! If you become complacent, unprepared for victory, then be ready for failure!"

After a rigorous dressing-down of the defensive unit, Aldrich exited the locker room, leaving the players to discuss things amongst themselves while he faced the media fallout.