Chapter 100

After three consecutive away matches against Liverpool, Grimsby, and Blackburn, Audrich finally returned to London, dragging his weary body from the long journey.

The Spice Girls had started recording their first album, and Audrich had returned to his single life. As a top-tier club manager, he had little private time, and even when the players were on leave, the manager's time was spent studying opponents. Therefore, Audrich didn't feel lonely; he had work every day, and his life was fulfilling.

Andrew had already arranged for the best hospital in the UK, even one of the top hospitals in Europe, Wellington Hospital, to handle Puskas's transfer. Audrich also hoped that Elizabeth would receive care in the hospital. No matter what, he wanted this couple to have a comfortable life in their later years.

The fifth match of the grueling schedule, and the second-to-last league match before the FIFA international break, was followed by a League Cup match against Wolverhampton. After that, many players would head to their national teams.

The fifth-round league opponent was a strong team with a peculiar record: Nottingham Forest, who had more UEFA Champions League trophies than league titles.

Last season, Nottingham Forest finished third in the league, and their manager, Frank Clark, had a brief encounter with Audrich a few months ago. The two were the best managers of the Premier League and the First Division, respectively, for the season.

This season, Nottingham Forest lost their top scorer from last season, Stan Collymore, to Liverpool. Collymore scored about one-third of the team's league goals last season, with 24 goals. His departure significantly weakened Nottingham Forest, and after a good start, they were held to draws by three London teams: West Ham United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

At the Den, Clark was cautious, stating that Nottingham Forest would likely face a tough battle in London. Was Millwall strong? At least on the league table, Nottingham Forest was behind them.

Two teams that had remained unbeaten in the first four matches met at the Den.

Audrich lined up his main squad in a 4-4-2 formation, while Clark's Nottingham Forest focused on defense, seemingly determined to secure a fourth consecutive draw against London teams.

The match was uneventful, with the cheers from the Den never ceasing. The fans hadn't experienced such a strong team for a long time, or perhaps never before.

Millwall's momentum was impressive, having defeated Arsenal and Liverpool and drawn with Manchester United and the defending champions away. The Millwall fans were elated.

However, the match left Audrich feeling somewhat helpless, as Millwall's attack was bogged down.

Clearly, Clark had studied Millwall's past matches. His tactics were conservative, and he specifically strengthened the pressure in front of the penalty area. Solskjaer and Larsson struggled to create effective combinations and even had difficulty receiving the ball.

Audrich, hands in his pockets, paced the sidelines, his mind racing.

Nottingham Forest was united in their defense, and their key defensive points were well-placed. Nedved was closely marked as soon as he entered the attacking third, and there was a layered team defense. The space in front of the penalty area was compressed, and the wing defense was not overly aggressive, even allowing Millwall's full-backs to advance. Ground attacks lacked space, and aerial crosses found only Larsson, who was often surrounded and struggled to win the ball, let alone head it towards the goal.

This was a tough battle, and it was hard to imagine that last season's third-place team would adopt such a low-profile stance in the home of a newly promoted team.

The first half ended 0-0.

Before entering the tunnel, Audrich called Shevchenko to the front. The young striker, looking like a student, stood obediently in front of him, ready to receive instructions.

"Go warm up."

Audrich gave the simple order, and Shevchenko, swallowing hard, immediately began to warm up on the sidelines.

Breaking through a packed defense is a worldwide challenge and has long troubled the football world. In the 1990 FIFA World Cup final, Germany, with its star-studded lineup, faced Argentina, supported by Maradona alone. Despite having over 30 shots to Argentina's one, Germany only won through a penalty.

To break through a packed defense in open play, there are three main methods: individual skill, heroically breaking through and solving problems, long shots to force the defense to press forward, creating space behind them, and creating set-pieces.

As for positional play, without shooting space, no matter how beautifully the combinations are executed or how high the possession rate, it's just useless data.

In the second half, Audrich could only have the team try more long shots and adjust based on the results. At least, if the match continued to be a stalemate, he needed to increase the intensity of direct threats to the goal.

Nottingham Forest continued their defensive tactics in the second half, and a few deliberate long clearances were directly sent into Millwall's half, hoping to catch the two forwards off guard.

Audrich was prepared for this move by Clark.

He believed that even a bottom team setting up a bus would still have a glimmer of hope for a surprise attack. So, he kept Richards, Stam, and Makelele in the midfield and defense. If the two Nottingham Forest forwards could receive the ball and break through the three defenders to score, Audrich would accept the loss with no regrets.

But stopping the ball and turning in front of the top-class Makelele, who had excellent defensive awareness and tackling skills, was already a big challenge. Moreover, the long clearances from the back had a long flight time, giving Millwall's defenders enough time to set up and prepare.

By the 60th minute, Solskjaer had performed poorly both inside and outside the penalty area. He was not yet accustomed to such a packed defense, and as a starter, he was immediately marked by the opponents, making it difficult for him to find space and create opportunities.

Audrich was preparing to make a substitution, bringing on a powerful striker to replace Solskjaer.

Before the substitution, he called Shevchenko to the front. Watching him jump and warm up, Audrich gestured for him to calm down and not be too excited. Then, he put his arm around Shevchenko's shoulder and squatted down on the sidelines.

"Andrei, do you trust me?"

Audrich looked into his eyes and asked softly, speaking in simple English and at a slow pace, as Shevchenko had only been in England for a few months.

With the experience from past matches, Shevchenko, as an observer, had a deep understanding of Audrich. He nodded without hesitation, "I trust you!"

He was confident that he had a future under this young manager.

"Are you nervous?"

Shevchenko looked back at the packed Den, where he was about to make his debut. It was hard to say he wasn't nervous, but he didn't want to admit it, so he remained silent.

Audrich chuckled and pointed to the opposing team, asking, "Do you know what team that is?"

Shevchenko, with a puzzled look, replied, "Nottingham Forest."

"Do you know Nottingham Forest's history?"

"Sure, European champions, twice!"

"In Ukraine, you might only face such a team with a Champions League title if you're lucky. Do you regret coming to England?"

"No! I'm very excited. Manchester United, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest have all won the highest European honors. Such opponents are too exciting for me!"

Seeing his genuine excitement, Audrich nodded and then reached out to grab a handful of grass and soil, presenting it to Shevchenko. "Smell it."

Shevchenko leaned down and sniffed.

"What does it smell like?"

"A good smell."

He couldn't describe the fresh, damp scent of the soil and grass, so he simply said it was good.

Audrich also sniffed it, finding the natural scent relaxing.

Shaking off the soil, Audrich patted his hands and said, "You have one simple task: stay at the front of the team and wait for the ball to come to you. If the ball comes from the air, head it into the goal. If it comes from the ground, use any method to get the ball into the goal. Understand?"

Shevchenko touched his nose, still savoring the scent, and nodded vigorously after hearing Audrich's instructions.

Audrich stood up, still holding Shevchenko's shoulder, and asked with a smile, "Are you still nervous?"

Shevchenko laughed, "Boss, you've talked to me for so long, I've forgotten everything, and my body is cold."

"Alright, just don't forget to score."

Audrich walked back to the coaching bench and signaled the fourth official to make the substitution.

After the next dead ball, Solskjaer was substituted out, looking somewhat disappointed. Audrich walked up to him and comforted him, "Ole, today's match wasn't suitable for you. Don't take it to heart. No striker scores in every match, but a good striker always looks forward to the next game with a desire to score."

Solskjaer, both amused and touched, said, "Boss, I'm not a kid. You don't need to comfort me like that."

"Alright, then go sit down and focus on the game."

Solskjaer smiled and sat back down, putting on the coat handed to him by the coach. He watched the game with a sense of calm, a habit he had developed, whether he was playing or not. He observed Audrich, trying to understand the game from the manager's perspective.

"Millwall has brought on a new player signed in the summer, his name is, uh, Andrei Shevchenko, from Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv. Strangely, Audrich didn't bring on Phillips, the forward known for his super-substitute role. The Ukrainian player doesn't seem to have any standout features, not particularly strong or tall. He's just... my God, goooooooal!"

Just as the commentator was observing Shevchenko, he immediately scored his debut goal after entering the penalty area.

He watched his teammates' movements, then charged into the penalty area. Schneider's cross from the wing found Larsson, who headed the ball towards the back post, where Shevchenko was. Instinctively, he headed the ball.

However, his angle was off, and the ball flew into the back of the net, but he couldn't stop himself and hit the post with his head.

Bang!

His head started bleeding immediately.

The Nottingham Forest players were disheartened, staring at Shevchenko, who was lying on the ground, holding his bleeding head.

Where did this kid come from?

Clark had studied every Millwall player's characteristics, but Audrich's unconventional move, replacing Trezeguet with the Ukrainian "nuclear head," caught him off guard.

The "nuclear head" exploded.

The bus was destroyed, and he was left with a bleeding head.

The Millwall players didn't have time to celebrate; they all rushed to Shevchenko's side.

The medical team quickly entered the field.

Shevchenko, lying on the ground with his head bleeding, felt dizzy. He looked at his teammates and asked in broken English, "Did I score?"

Nedved squatted down and pressed his hand on Shevchenko's chest, saying, "Congratulations, you scored on your first touch in your debut. That's probably a record. Andrei, well done, but you should stay lying down; the medical team is on the way."

Shevchenko looked at his bloodied hand and said dejectedly, "I probably have the fastest injury record too."

Audrich, standing on the sidelines with his hands on his hips, had already sent Vieira to warm up. The goal was valid, and Nottingham Forest would launch a fierce attack. He needed to strengthen the central defense and give Nedved more space in the attack.

But watching Shevchenko being carried off on a stretcher, Audrich walked over and gave him a thumbs up, then clapped along with the fans.

Muttering to himself, "Bad luck this year!"

PS: Thanks to "King of the Sky" and "Flying as if First Met" for the support!

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