Chapter 26

After Trezeguet scored, he turned and pointed at Larsson, running over with a big laugh. The Millwall players gathered around to celebrate together.

Aldridge felt a bit parched after his excitement and went back to grab a bottle of water, taking a couple of sips. Although he wasn't on the field, the constant stimulation of the game and the adrenaline rush from directing it from the sidelines had kept his nerves on edge.

If he could hear the commentary of the League One broadcast, he would have heard the commentator marveling at Millwall's goal.

"11 seconds! An incredible goal! A beautiful goal! Stam headed the ball away, and Pires received it, dribbling less than 20 meters from the left side of the field to Schneider on the right. The young German made a decisive diagonal pass, Larsson laid it off to the center, and Trezeguet scored! In the process of this goal, only five Millwall players touched the ball, and there was no hesitation. Their speed far outpaced Derby County's players, and the precise passing kept the game moving forward until the ball was sent into the opponent's goal! We underestimated Aldridge, we underestimated Millwall. They can create such thrilling and unforgettable goals, and it's no coincidence! Millwall, they are like a tornado, stirring up a storm of youth..."

Faced with this goal, Derby County's manager looked stunned, as if he too was shocked.

But now he was in a difficult position. The team had one draw and one loss in the first two rounds, and if they lost this game, Derby County might not just be near the relegation zone but at the bottom of the league!

He clapped his hands on the sideline to encourage the players, hoping they would rally and try to score.

"Hey, boys, there's still plenty of time in the game! Don't hang your heads, stay focused. We scored nearly ten goals against them last season! We'll score more than they do!"

The Derby County manager's words lifted the spirits of his players, who encouraged each other and continued to organize threatening attacks after the kickoff.

Perhaps the manager's voice was too loud, and Aldridge heard it too.

Last season's history was correct. In the two league matches and the first round of the promotion playoffs, Derby County had indeed scored nine goals against Millwall.

Aldridge put down the water bottle and walked to the sideline, shouting.

"Their manager says they can score ten goals against us! Did you hear that?"

He shouted towards the Millwall half, and all the players except Lucas Neill, who was at the far end, heard him.

Immediately, the Millwall players became more focused, defending cleanly and not giving the opposition any chances.

The fans in the stands were conflicted. The team was leading by one goal, but almost all the players were concentrated in the Millwall half, and the ball was being passed back and forth in this area.

Their two strikers, Larsson and Trezeguet, were hovering around the midfield, seemingly far from the opponent's penalty area.

This was contrary to the development in English football over the past decade. In this era, the theory in English football was that tall forwards crowding the penalty area directly threatened the opponent's goal, known as the most efficient area. Therefore, the style of play was characterized by high balls and physical play, making it difficult to score from a distance.

Trezeguet and Larsson, hovering around the midfield, seemed to lack energy and even appeared lazy.

But they were constantly aware of the position of Derby County's defense.

In their minds, they clearly remembered the tactics Aldridge had explained at the pre-match meeting.

"Derby County is used to high-pressure, aggressive play. If they can suppress the opponent and score early in the game, the continuous pressure can overwhelm the opponent until they collapse. Their defenders habitually stick close to the forwards, trying to tackle or foul them immediately. Henrik, David, listen up. Don't get tangled up with the opponents. Pull back to the midfield and watch the position of their defenders. They may not follow you all the time, but they will habitually press forward at certain times. When this happens, there will be a large gap behind them. When this opportunity arises, the wingers will send the ball behind their defense. In the entire League One, and even the Premier League, few defenders can turn and chase our forwards. That's when the party starts."

Aldridge always subtly praised the players' strengths when explaining tactics, which motivated them to execute his plans.

However, Derby County's high-pressure tactics were effective for a long time. They tightly marked Millwall's players in the back, and while they didn't disrupt every pass, they prevented any effective attacks.

Millwall's defensive stance in their half continued until the 40th minute of the first half. With no breakthrough, Derby County's players began to lose morale, and their defense showed signs of slackening.

Southgate intercepted the ball from an opponent's forward trying to dribble past him near the penalty area. Instead of blindly clearing the ball, he made a calculated pass.

Among the two center-backs, Southgate had better footwork than Stam. In Aldridge's tactics, Southgate not only had to defend but also play the ball effectively after winning it.

Nedved, who had found space in the midfield, signaled for the ball, and Southgate passed it through the gap in the crowd.

Nedved, upon receiving the ball, moved it horizontally to avoid the interception by a Derby County player. He then looked up and, from his position, lofted the ball into the opponent's half.

For the previous 30 minutes, Nedved had been looking for combinations with the wingers, leaving the key passes to Pires or Schneider. However, this approach wasn't effective because Derby County's players tightly marked these two, using tactical fouls to disrupt Millwall's attacks.

So, this time, Nedved didn't pass to the wings but completed the dangerous pass himself!

Aldridge, watching from the sideline, was impressed: What a smart player!

He wanted his players to follow his tactical plans meticulously, but occasional flashes of brilliance were allowed. Players who could read the game and make the best choices were highly praised by Aldridge.

The ball sailed over the midfield and flew over the heads of Derby County's entire defense.

The landing point was about 40 yards from the goal.

The Derby County defenders immediately turned to chase, preparing to use physical contact to block Millwall's forwards.

But the two center-backs were in a dilemma.

After Nedved's pass, Larsson and Trezeguet cleverly switched positions, making it impossible for the defenders to foul them and creating confusion.

The moment they started, they burst with incredible speed, and both thought: The boss is a genius!

The Derby County defense's forward press had a high cost. In just a few seconds, Larsson and Trezeguet had opened up a gap of over a meter, which continued to widen.

Larsson was faster, and Trezeguet knew he couldn't reach the ball first, so he moved to the side to create a distraction.

The atmosphere at The Den, which had been quiet after a burst of excitement in the 5th minute, suddenly came alive. Seeing Millwall's two players break through the offside trap and approach the goal, the fans held their breath, as if a storm was brewing.

Larsson caught up with the ball, and the opposing goalkeeper came out to challenge. With only about three meters between them, Larsson didn't shoot but selflessly passed the ball to Trezeguet.

Trezeguet, who was slightly slower, was not offside. He took the ball and dribbled into the penalty area, already past the goalkeeper's line.

The goalkeeper turned to face Trezeguet but couldn't block the shooting angle.

Trezeguet continued to the baseline, dribbling past the goalkeeper, and had a 30-degree angle to the goal. However, he returned the favor, passing the ball back to the front of the goal, where Larsson, who had slowed down, was surprised by the return pass and easily scored into the empty net.

The fans in the stands stood up and cheered, clapping and waving their arms, their faces flushed with excitement.

Perhaps because the goal was so easy, Larsson slowly walked to Trezeguet, laughing and hugging him.

The Derby County players who had been chasing the ball rushed into the goal, kicking it away in frustration, and a sense of anxiety spread through their team.

Aldridge, on the sideline, clenched his fists and waved them up and down twice, without any other celebration.

Before halftime, Millwall led by two goals!

Losing another goal before halftime was a huge blow to Derby County's morale, almost devastating.

In the second half, Aldridge made three substitutions and slowed the pace, but Ole Solskjaer, who came on as a substitute, scored twice in 30 minutes, helping Millwall ultimately thrash Derby County 4-0. The fans' cheers echoed in the stands for a long time.

"Ole, Ole, Ole oh Ole..."

Millwall had their revenge!

After three rounds, Millwall topped the league, winning all three matches with 10 goals scored and none conceded.

The underdog Millwall, who were not favored at the start of the season, finally caught the attention of all the League One opponents!