Chapter 73

The advancement of the wing-back to assist in attack is a double-edged sword; when used well, it can be invincible, but when used poorly, it can cause self-inflicted damage.

Lucas-Niel was intercepted just past the midfield, and Millwall's attack was nipped in the bud. Turning around, Manchester United's counter-attack was already at the doorstep!

Butt brought the ball to the edge of the penalty area, where he had a lot of space to dribble, giving him ample time to observe the situation.

Giggs and Thuram were paired up on the wing, neutralizing each other. In reality, in the central area of the penalty box, it was a 3-on-2 situation for Manchester United.

McClair had been invisible for the first thirty minutes, but this time, he cleverly ran to the left, making it look like he was waiting for a pass behind the defense. Stam naturally stayed close to him, so Butt made his choice, dribbling to the right front.

Cole also moved out, holding off Southgate behind him. Butt passed the ball to Cole and continued running to the right front, as if setting up a one-two pass. Cole decisively flicked the ball forward to Butt.

Southgate had no choice but to turn to block Butt. If he let him dribble forward, it would be a one-on-one situation, even if the shooting angle wasn't great.

But as soon as he moved, Butt cleverly passed the ball back to Cole, who had already turned around. Southgate had lost his position, giving Cole ample space to advance. With a dribble, he adjusted and Andy Cole unleashed a powerful shot!

The ball, like a cannonball, rolled into Millwall's goal, with Kelleher's dive clearly a step too late.

"Beautiful shot! Manchester United have pulled one back! Andy Cole's calm finish did not let his teammates down. The main credit should go to Nicky Butt, whose forward run and support tore open Millwall's defense. His默契配合 with Cole created the scoring opportunity. Will Manchester United come back? At least Millwall should be nervous now."

"Martin, should Millwall give up on letting Neil continue to advance in attack? If he hadn't advanced, Manchester United wouldn't have had this counter-attack opportunity. Clearly, if he makes a mistake or advances to attack but can't return in time, Manchester United will have a significant advantage in counter-attacks, and the vertical space in Millwall's defense will be large, which is a fatal flaw for a team like Manchester United, which excels in wing attacks."

"I don't know, I don't know. O'Driscoll's team has already surprised us. Who knows what Millwall will do next. What we need to do is enjoy the game. I believe the next fifty minutes will be even more exciting."

After scoring, Cole did not celebrate. He ran into the goal, picked up the ball, and ran back to the defensive half. The other Manchester United players also had no intention of celebrating.

Just one goal back, the party is far from over!

Ferguson's face improved, while O'Driscoll remained calm.

Indeed, it was Neil's mistake that led to the team's goal, but it was unavoidable.

No tactical system can mature without a cost.

So O'Driscoll was cautious in his team's transformation, not making drastic changes. The wing-back advancing to assist is not something that can be perfected just by explaining the tactics to the players.

This requires experience, and the ability to judge when to advance. It's also important for teammates to adjust their defensive positions when the wing-back advances.

In fact, the smart move would have been for Millwall to switch their attack to their right wing when Manchester United strengthened their right-wing defense. Even if they couldn't replicate the left-wing effect, it would have exhausted Kean and Butt, and they might have found a gap in the center.

However, O'Driscoll, being cautious, focused on building the left-wing attack because Pires' ability to cut inside and score in the penalty area was stronger than Schneider's. The combination of Pires and Schneider would be more threatening. Having Turam and Schneider play the same combination on the right wing would be less effective. This is a matter of player feel in different areas. The closer Schneider gets to the penalty area, the less threatening he becomes. His ability to assist from the wing is undeniable, but trying to mold him into a modern winger who can directly threaten the goal is too much to ask.

Moreover, giving simultaneous instructions for both wing-backs to advance could lead to confusion in the early stages. Tactical changes require an adaptation and adjustment period.

Old Trafford erupted in applause, encouraging the Red Devils to keep up the good work.

Neil was somewhat dejected but quickly lifted his head and regained his spirit. He was a tough guy, not one to dwell on mistakes. "Head" had said in training to boldly assist and not fear mistakes.

Failure is the mother of success, after all. A young player making a mistake is nothing to worry about.

With the previous goal, Neil became more cautious on the wing, focusing on his defensive duties and closely marking Beckham. Despite being younger than Beckham, he was a fierce player on the field, with an aggressive style and a strong physique. A head-on collision left Beckham struggling to cope.

The pace of the game had been fast from the first minute, not just because Millwall was speeding up their attacks, but also because their defense was relentless, forcing Manchester United players to avoid holding onto the ball for too long, or they would be trapped in a double team.

After the threat on the right wing was neutralized, Kean faced off against Nedved in the midfield. The two frequently clashed.

Nedved fell, got up, fell, got up, Kean charged into Nedved and fell, got up, Kean got the ball, Nedved tried to tackle, Kean was knocked down, and without hesitation, he got up, fell, got up, fell, got up...

Their jerseys were the dirtiest, as if they had participated in a wrestling match in the mud.

After frequent clashes, Kean couldn't help but look at the silent and focused Nedved a few times, thinking, "Is this even human?"

He was a butcher, but also a tough guy. If he knocked down an opponent who then rolled around pretending to be injured, he would spit and curse, not even bothering to despise the other. If the opponent played dirty, he would directly slide into the opponent's legs and openly admit, "I want to break your leg!"

But facing an opponent like Nedved, who fell to the ground without a sound and immediately got up to continue fighting, Kean felt a deep respect.

Damn, finally met a real man.

Respect or not, the intensity of the clashes would not decrease!

Hard against hard, see who is tougher!

Due to the conservative approach on the wings and Nedved being tied up by Kean, Pires and Schneider's attempts to receive the ball were not effective. As the first half was about to end, Manchester United formed a front-court pressure, more familiar with the pitch and with better teamwork. They could better control the ball with a few passes.

Butt passed the ball to Giggs, who was moving towards the center. Giggs, not going down the left wing, clearly had no advantage over Thuram, despite his speed. Thuram's defensive style was to close the distance and use his body to block the position, even if the ball got past, the player would be left behind.

So Giggs dribbled towards the center, passing the ball to Beckham, who was also moving towards the center, around 35 yards from the penalty area. The two 92 Class teammates executed a brilliant combination. Beckham, facing the incoming ball, immediately chose to chip it, and the ball lightly flew into Millwall's penalty area.

Who was the ball passed to?

Stam tried to head the ball away but was blocked by McClair, who pulled his jersey, preventing him from jumping to his full height. The ball flew over his head by about ten centimeters and towards the back.

Giggs, after passing the ball, quickly inserted into the penalty area, moving at incredible speed. Thuram entered the penalty area from the side to assist, and as soon as Giggs chested the ball, before it hit the ground, he fell heavily in the penalty area. Thuram kicked the ball out of the penalty area from beside him.

But then the referee, Paul Durkin, blew the whistle, pointing to the penalty spot.

Thuram, incredulous, held his head and appealed to the referee.

"Penalty! Durkin has awarded a penalty, giving Manchester United a chance to equalize in the first half stoppage time! The slow-motion replay shows that Thuram tackled Giggs from the side, and this penalty is not controversial."

O'Driscoll appealed to the fourth official on the sidelines.

"Hey, your Kean has knocked down my players countless times in the midfield, and the referee hasn't blown the whistle once. I didn't say anything, that's the Premier League standard. But my defender, what did the Manchester United forward do in the penalty area? He didn't jump, instead, he interfered with my player's jump, clearly pulling his jersey! Isn't that a foul? The referee should have called a foul on McClair in the penalty area, giving us a free kick, not a penalty!"

O'Driscoll, with one hand on his hip and the other waving, complained to the fourth official, who remained expressionless, seemingly not even wanting to listen.

The Millwall players on the field also argued with the referee, Durkin. It was clear that Stam's jump was interfered with, and McClair's action was not hidden. Without the interference, Stam could have easily headed the ball away.

Durkin shook his head, ignoring the appeals, and made a "go away" gesture.

Southgate persuaded his teammates to leave and then calmly spoke to the referee. Durkin, however, just shook his head and eventually showed Southgate a yellow card.

O'Driscoll, seeing this on the sidelines, angrily shouted at the fourth official, "Is this fascist dictatorship? Not even the right to speak?"

"Mr. Hall, please watch your language. I will write this in the match report."

"You better write it word for word! I will write it too, you gave Manchester United a penalty!"

O'Driscoll, with a cold laugh, turned and walked away, seeing the referee running towards him.

Durkin warned O'Driscoll, who remained silent and cold-faced amidst the Manchester United fans' laughter.

In the stands, Melanie, like the Millwall fans, sent boos to the referee, Durkin. She pursed her lips, feeling a bit sorry for O'Driscoll, but more impressed by his standing tall on the sidelines.

Cole confidently took the penalty, and the referee blew the whistle to end the first half.

After 45 minutes, Manchester United had brought the game back to the starting point!