Chapter 15

If Audrich's team were playing at the Bernabeu, they would certainly be booed to the point of trembling, but at The Den, despite the team not having the upper hand on the field, every clearance, every tackle, every collision, even fouls, would earn applause from the Millwall fans.

English football hooligans may be notorious, but it cannot be denied that the passion of the fans here is unparalleled in the world.

The fans do not choose whether to applaud based on whether the team's style is conservative or flamboyant, nor do they give up singing and cheering when the team is behind. To them, loyalty to a club is a lifelong, even multi-generational commitment, regardless of whether the club is in a slump or at its peak. And these fans, who sing "No one likes us, we don't care!" are no exception.

The first half of the match, which was not exciting and even dull, was thoroughly enjoyed by the Millwall fans, who cheered continuously.

Players like Makelele, Thuram, Stam, and Nedved were quickly remembered by the fans, and even the fans in the stands were asking each other their names.

The reason is simple: the image of these players, who defend fiercely and are willing to engage in intense collisions with opponents, is exactly what the fans admire most!

The British believe deep down that football is a man's game, one that requires blood, intensity, and a willingness to fight!

If a player is afraid of collisions or tackles, it would completely disappoint the fans.

At halftime, Audrich was the first to walk back to the players' tunnel. The score was 0-0. While Millwall was not struggling defensively in the first half, they lacked effective and fluid attacks, especially under Audrich's tactical setup, which prohibited all players except the center-backs from making blind long passes.

Although it was a friendly match, Birmingham clearly wanted to build confidence by defeating an English League team, especially one that finished third last season, to return to the English League with high morale the following year.

But they were disappointed to find that Millwall's defense was a group of tough guys!

Even the left-back, Lucas Neill, who was only 17, was a fierce and determined player. There was no way around it; Lucas naturally wanted to make a name for himself. The starting left-back position was temporarily in competition with Zambrotta, so he had to put in a good performance.

As for the towering Stam, the fierce Thuram, and the defensively brilliant Makelele, along with the hardworking Nedved, Birmingham's attacks, which seemed fierce in the first half, actually had zero threatening chances.

In the dressing room, Audrich waited for the players to return and sit down to rest. He said calmly, "The first half was good. I don't have high expectations for a friendly match; you just need to treat it like a training match. However, I want to reiterate one point: remember my tactical requirements and focus on defense first. Lucas, in the second half, be careful to reduce fouls in dangerous areas. You're young and need to accumulate defensive experience. Don't worry about losing your position; Gareth will help you cover, but you must immediately chase back when you lose your position."

When Lucas Neill heard his name called by the head coach, his heart sank, fearing he might be substituted. But when he heard Audrich's instructions, he nodded vigorously to show he understood.

Tactically, Audrich had nothing to change. The team had only been training together for ten days, and he couldn't suddenly make them more cohesive or form a默契 (默契 means默契, but in this context, it means a high level of understanding and coordination). His current requirement for the team was simple: hold your positions and complete your defensive tasks in your respective areas. With a solid defense, the players would naturally become more stable and perform better.

If he gave them more tasks from the start, such as both defending and attacking, and running and passing, it would confuse not only the players but also Audrich himself.

Now was the time to shape the team's form, and laying a solid foundation was enough.

After encouraging the players at halftime, Audrich clapped his hands and sent them out to start the second half, urging them not to carry any pressure.

After the second half began, Audrich remained seated on the bench, but he turned to Jensen and said, "Have Richards, Matri, Zambrotta, Vieira, Ballack, and Solskjaer warm up. Substitute them in at the 60-minute mark. Oh, Zambrotta will replace Thuram, and Lucas will stay on the field. Solskjaer will replace Larsson; Henrik didn't get enough rest before the season."

Jensen nodded and called out the names of the players on the bench, and a group of young players rushed out to warm up seriously.

The situation on the field remained dull, but Birmingham found Millwall's defense to be impenetrable. Ten minutes into the second half, they stopped trying to organize ground-based penetration and resorted to the simplest form of attack: long balls and aerial bombardment.

Audrich, seeing the ball flying high and low on the field, was secretly pleased.

He really needed an opponent to use this traditional aerial bombardment to train the team's air defense, which is an essential part of defense.

Five minutes later, Audrich substituted in a large number of reserve players. He shook hands with each player coming off the field and patted their shoulders to praise them.

Schneider and Pirès, who remained on the field, were no longer as tense as in the first half. They could control the ball well and were technically superior on the field. In the second half, as Birmingham's attacks failed to break through, Schneider and Pirès frequently created threats on the wings, with several good crosses. If Trezeguet had been in better form, he would have scored long ago.

In the final moments of the match, Solskjaer's long-range shot from outside the penalty area hit the post and went out of bounds.

The final whistle blew, and the score remained 0-0.

For a friendly match, this was actually dull. Millwall, as the third-place team in the English League last season, failed to defeat Birmingham, the 18th-place team, at home, which was disappointing, especially given that they did not have the upper hand. However, the fans did not boo; instead, they applauded after the match and left calmly and orderly.

In the next two friendly matches, Millwall's performance was not only stable but also improved. Audrich was delighted to find that these players were indeed big-game players, with a mature and steady demeanor. Their performance improved match by match.

In the second match against Oxford United at The Den, Larsson scored a header from Schneider's cross in the second half, giving Millwall a victory, albeit a narrow 1-0 win. Audrich was more satisfied that the team's defense did not give the opponents any chances.

In the final friendly match against Oxford United, the team played a thrilling counter-attack based on their defense. Trezeguet and Solskjaer, who came on as a substitute, both scored, and Southgate headed in a goal from a corner kick. Millwall ultimately won 3-0.

In three friendly matches, Audrich achieved his basic training goal: defense. The team did not concede any goals in the three matches and gave the opponents few opportunities. Although the opponents were not strong, the team's confidence was built, which was an invaluable intangible gain.

The 94/95 English League season would begin in three days, and Millwall's first match of the season would be at home against Shrewsbury Town.

After the afternoon training session, Audrich gathered the players and had them put on their home match uniforms.

The staff brought chairs to the training field, and Audrich called the first-team coaches to sit in a neat row. The players stood in two rows behind them, forming an orderly fan shape.

Under the setting sun, Audrich sat in the middle of the front row, his expression gentle and smiling. The coaches beside him were relaxed, but the players behind them were all serious. In front of them, Adam called the photographer to capture the best angle and lighting for the best shot.

After the "family photo" of Millwall's 94/95 first team was taken, Audrich changed into a suit and removed the chairs. He stood in front of the players with his hands in his pockets, looking like a young gang leader. The photographer stood on the chairs and took a slightly top-down shot of the first-team players and their head coach, who were posing confidently.

After the photos were developed, Audrich had the staff post the "family photo" in the club's corridor. The other cool and stylish photo of the first team and the head coach was enlarged and used as part of the club's promotion.

As Millwall fans eagerly awaited the new season, they were surprised to find the new season's lineup poster outside the club. Every fan who saw it couldn't help but sigh: "This is truly a young team."

From the head coach to the players, Millwall had been completely transformed in less than three months. Although the future was uncertain, the team now looked vibrant and full of energy.