Chapter 48

For most of the season, the Millwall fans had become the happiest group in the League Two stands. They could enjoy the joy and passion of football in the purest form. Under Audrey's leadership, Millwall had undergone a complete transformation. The team's style had completely distanced itself from the traditional English long-ball tactics, sparking a wave of youthful energy and making the fans proud. On the afternoon of the 32nd round of League Two, the Den Stadium continued to be packed with fans, and as the two teams lined up to enter the field, the stadium erupted in prolonged applause. Millwall and Middlesbrough had no enmity, only competition. Now, Millwall was far ahead of Middlesbrough, so the Millwall fans could generously welcome their opponents. The broadcast cameras focused on Audrey before the match. This handsome young manager was a rising star in English coaching, elegant and highly capable. No one questioned Audrey's coaching ability anymore. Even the tactical system of Millwall had begun to attract the attention of football columnists, though they were hesitant to draw conclusions. The true tactical experts believed that Audrey's transformation of the team was not yet complete, but the abandonment of the traditional and frequent wing crosses, and the flexible use of wing play and occasional forays into the box, was already refreshing. After the players took the field, Audrey walked to the away team's bench, and Bryan Robson came forward. The two embraced warmly and then chatted amicably. "Audrey, just lose this game to me. You're so far ahead anyway." "Sure, Middlesbrough, go all out. Millwall won't set up a defense." "Can you not be so annoying?" "Thank you, that's the best compliment I could get." Audrey and Bryan Robson smiled at each other, then parted and walked back to their respective positions. Compared to the first half of the season, the only change in the starting lineups was the addition of David Beckham to Millwall's side. Everything else, including the formations, remained the same. Middlesbrough continued with their 5-3-2 formation, while Millwall stuck with their well-honed 4-4-2. The early stages of the match unfolded much like their first league encounter: Millwall dominated, and Middlesbrough played conservatively, defending their half. Standing by the sideline, was Audrey making the same mistake as in the first half of the season? Of course not! Millwall was now more mature than three months ago, and the players' chemistry was incomparable. The midfield line of Pires, Nedved, Makelele, and Beckham worked seamlessly together, and with Larsson dropping back to support, Millwall maintained firm control of the ball. Being conservative didn't mean only defending. By maintaining possession and patiently creating opportunities without recklessly losing the ball, Millwall was employing a conservative strategy. The first thing Audrey instilled in the team was the importance of back-passing. When the forward players were in poor positions or lacked opportunities, the midfielders, under pressure, should have the awareness to pass the ball back. Not losing the ball first ensured their unbeaten status. This match, hyped as a clash of titans, did not start with the expected intensity. Cavanagh, whom Audrey jokingly referred to as a "defensive striker" in front of his coaching staff, constantly ran back and forth in Millwall's midfield and defense, trying to disrupt their rhythm. However, his solo efforts were ineffective, and he seemed to be more like a monkey being led around by Millwall's midfielders. The midfield trio of Blackmore, Masto, and Hignett did not dare to cross the halfway line easily. They seemed to be waiting for something, indifferent to the passage of time. How to break through a packed defense, Millwall had already mastered the tactical adjustments and flexible application, without needing Audrey to give constant instructions from the sideline. Pires moved towards the center to play short combinations with Nedved, while the two forwards ran to draw the defenders' attention, creating space for their teammates to take long shots. In the 20th minute, Nedved's long-range shot almost opened the scoring, but it hit the crossbar and bounced into the stands. Middlesbrough continued their defensive tactics, but there were moments of looseness and distraction in their small areas. Pires' long-range shot from outside the box was caught by goalkeeper Miller, who immediately kicked the ball forward, hoping to create a counter-attack. The ball landed just past the halfway line in the attacking half. Makelele held Cavanagh off firmly, and no matter how Cavanagh pushed, he couldn't knock Makelele off balance. Makelele controlled the ball and passed it to Beckham on the right flank. Beckham, after a quick adjustment, launched a long pass into Middlesbrough's penalty area. The Middlesbrough defenders, who had just completed their defensive duties, were walking forward to re-establish their defensive line. No one expected the goalkeeper's long kick to return the ball to their own half in less than 10 seconds, and the ball landed behind them. Trezeguet, alert, darted between Pearce and White. Miller rushed out of his goal, but he only made it halfway before spreading his arms to expand his defensive range. Trezeguet, without stopping the ball, headed it towards Middlesbrough's goal. Miller hated Millwall! The bizarre curved goal by Pires in the first half of the season was still fresh in his mind. This time, rushing out of his goal, he could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed over his head. He reached out to catch it, but it was too late, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground in embarrassment. "GOOOAL! David Trezeguet scores a brilliant header! The assist comes from the young Manchester United prodigy, David Beckham, who has been on loan to Millwall this season. In the past month, Beckham has replaced the injured Schneider and performed exceptionally well, with his precise long passes standing out. No one expected him to provide such a direct assist from that position. It was a beautiful pass, and Trezeguet's clever offside run and header were spectacular! Congratulations to Millwall, who now lead 1-0 and dominate the game. Despite Middlesbrough's strong team, they find it difficult to make an impact here." Trezeguet, who had already scored 18 goals this season, ran back to the halfway line, embracing Beckham. The fans in the stands were also excited, and Audrey could see some fans holding signs that read: "Audrey, sign Beckham!" Audrey could only smile bitterly. He wanted to sign the biggest star in English football for the next five to eight years, but the cunning Ferguson would never let him go. Beckham, from a raw rookie at the start of his loan, had become a star player for Millwall with more playing time and better performances. Yes, Audrey described Beckham as a star player, but not one of the top five in terms of ability, even among attackers. At the training ground, at least half of the female fans who came to watch were there for Beckham, while the rest focused more on Nedved, Schneider, and others. Beckham, with an English passport, was undoubtedly the focus. When did Beckham become famous? Perhaps when he was under ten years old. In English football, last year, Beckham was a key player in Manchester United's 92 Class, winning the FA Youth Cup, which brought him fame. Audrey cleared his mind of distractions, clapped for the goal, and glanced at Bryan Robson, who showed no reaction to the goal, just pacing the sideline without speaking or directing the team. Robson was helpless. He had done everything he could, and further words would be futile. It wasn't that Middlesbrough was performing poorly; it was that Millwall was no longer the team from the first half of the season. With hundreds of professional matches under his belt, Robson could see the confidence and energy, the composure and tactical intelligence of Millwall's young players. At this moment, he shared a similar sentiment with Wenger: "Audrey, your team has an incredibly promising future." After the restart, Middlesbrough did not change their strategy. When they got the ball, they would play long balls, hoping the forwards could create some threats. But such attacks were ineffective against Millwall, and the ball always returned to Millwall's possession. The fans were delighted with the lead, singing and celebrating as if at a party, enjoying themselves on the stands. Beckham, encouraged by his assist, was more motivated to show himself on this big stage. He became more adventurous, pushing forward from his usual position near the halfway line. Audrey frowned slightly at this. In the pre-match tactical briefing, he had clearly told Beckham: "Don't push too far forward. Your primary task is to assist Thuram in defense and ensure our right flank is secure. As a deep-lying playmaker, you can try long passes." Beckham had been playing conservatively on the flank, and the Middlesbrough defense had not taken him seriously. His sudden forward run caught them off guard. Nedved, breaking through Masto's defense in the center, was surprised to see Beckham pushing forward. Originally planning to take a long shot, he instead passed the ball to the right flank. Beckham's unexpected run caught everyone off guard, and center-back Wicks rushed forward to try to intercept the ball. Beckham, with a precise through pass, sent the ball into the right side of the penalty area, where Larsson, starting his run at the right time, received it and swept the ball across the Middlesbrough goal. Trezeguet, sliding in ahead of Pearson, sent the ball into the Middlesbrough net! Millwall led 2-0 at home!