Chapter 86

In the London derby at Millwall's home ground against Arsenal, it was not the players on the pitch who first ignited the atmosphere, but the fans in the stands.

The giant banner on the south stand had been removed, and all the members of the Lion Roar group stood up. Brady stood at the bottom of the stand, raising his right hand and waving it rhythmically.

One, two, three!

"Bores! Bores! Arsenal!"

One, two, three!

"Bores! Bores! Arsenal!"

...

The south stand echoed with a thunderous, mocking chant, the整齐一致的声音在球场上空回荡。

This was not a unique creation by Millwall fans; Arsenal had been carrying the nickname "Bores" for many years, and all opponents in England would use this to mock Arsenal's football.

However, the Lion Roar group had its original touch. When the entire stand chanted, the word "Arsenal" was given a rhythmic pause.

This added a subtle and profound meaning to the mockery!

Because in English, especially in British English, the first part of "Arsenal" sounds very similar to "ass," which means donkey, fool, or buttocks.

Arsenal players were not unfamiliar with being mocked, but today, in the small and narrow Den, the roars from the Lion Roar group lingered in their ears, making them feel humiliated.

O'Driscoll, standing by the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh at the strange pronunciation of "Arsenal."

That's right, otherwise, how could it be called a derby?

However, after the match started, it was the visiting Arsenal who took the initiative on the pitch.

Liochi did not dare to easily change the five-man defense formation, but he allowed the full-backs to boldly push forward to participate in the attack. When Winterburn and Dixon advanced to the front, Arsenal's attacking numbers turned the tide.

Because with a five-man defense and a defensive midfielder, Arsenal's flank attacks could only rely on the full-backs, while the central attacks depended on the central midfielders and forwards.

In the Premier League's opening round, Millwall had a fierce battle with Manchester United. Today, they were addressing the issue head-on. Nedved dropped back to form a double pivot with Makelele, creating a barrier in front of Millwall's penalty area, directly cutting off the connection between Arsenal's forwards and midfield.

Ian Wright and Dennis Bergkamp, both in their thirties, were trapped in Millwall's encirclement and could not receive the midfield's support. When Bergkamp dropped back, he would be marked by Makelele. The deeper he dropped, the more Makelele would let go, always maintaining safety within the area.

Today, Millwall proactively abandoned the midfield battle and instead compressed Arsenal's attacking space, intensifying their defense in the dangerous areas. Whether it was Bergkamp's breakthroughs or Platt's attempts to create plays, none of them could threaten Millwall's goal.

Seeing Arsenal's several attacks fail and their players frozen, O'Driscoll, standing by the sidelines, remained expressionless but glanced at the VIP box.

Professor, you came at the right time today!

Today's Millwall was using the tactics that Arsenal would adopt two years later.

With Vieira and Petit, who was converted to a defensive midfielder, compressing the opponents' attacking space, and Vieira pushing forward in counter-attacks, relying on the two flanks and Bergkamp's dropping back to support, the then-attacking Arsenal could also play such an attack, and now Millwall could do it too!

In terms of position and role, Makelele and Petit, Nedved and Vieira, and Larsson and Bergkamp were very similar.

By proactively abandoning the midfield and starting a fierce pressing, O'Driscoll was luring the snake out of its hole.

Arsenal, accustomed to a defensive style, needed to be given attacking space. After years of not playing an attacking style, thinking that with Platt and Bergkamp, the team's attack would be completely renewed?

The first ten minutes of the match proved Arsenal's ineffectiveness in set-piece battles!

Unable to break through, Arsenal could only increase their attacking numbers. The advancing Winterburn and Dixon could enrich the attack, but Millwall's response was simple: Neil and Thuram pushed up, one-on-one!

This way, in the vertical defensive line, Millwall did not have a numerical disadvantage.

In the VIP box, David Dein, sitting in his seat, was enthusiastically introducing the outstanding players of Arsenal to Wenger, while also belittling Millwall, believing that in the previous match, half of the reason for Millwall's victory over Manchester United was due to the Red Devils' generational change, and the other half was due to Millwall's excellent performance. He argued that Manchester United's defense could not be compared to Arsenal's.

Naturally, he was boasting. Apart from the stars in the team, the only thing Arsenal could brag about was their defense.

However, the silent Wenger did not respond. If he had a tactical notebook, he would clearly explain the unseen situation on the pitch to Dein.

Arsenal seemed to be attacking fiercely, but they could not penetrate Millwall's defensive territory. Bergkamp could not receive the ball in the penalty area, and when he came out to receive it, his passing could not connect with Wright. His dribbling could not shake off Makelele, and the advancing full-backs were matched by Millwall's advancing full-backs, putting Arsenal in a precarious situation.

And after the full-backs advanced, Arsenal's defense was no longer solid. The weakness of this defensive line was whether O'Driscoll could seize it.

Platt, in the midfield, tried several ground attacks but could not break through Millwall's dense defense. He chose a long pass, trying to find Wright directly, but the ball was headed away by Stam. The ball fell to Nedved's feet, and Bergkamp only symbolically pressed before giving up the chase as Nedved accelerated.

Platt, Mason, and Jensen formed a three-man defensive line in the midfield. After a brief adjustment, Nedved made a long pass, directly crossing the midfield and sending the ball to the left flank, where Pires was waiting!

Wenger, seeing this, smiled slightly: It seems O'Driscoll was well-prepared.

Indeed, O'Driscoll let the full-backs match Arsenal's full-backs instead of letting the two wingers drop back, making his intentions clear.

Pires took the ball and sprinted towards the baseline. Arsenal's defensive line had only three center-backs, and the defensive midfielder was following the rapidly advancing Nedved.

However, Millwall had a clear numerical advantage in the attack.

Pires dribbled, and his three teammates running parallel to him were Trezeguet, Larsson, and Schneider.

Pires did not cut inside but continued to the baseline. When he reached the edge of the penalty area, he made a feint to cut inside, forcing Arsenal's defensive line to split to block him.

The three center-backs in the penalty area were spread apart, creating space in front of the goal. Pires passed the ball across the penalty area before Adams could block him. Trezeguet and Bould were in physical contact, and he cleverly let the ball pass by, rolling behind him and Bould. Larsson, who was well-prepared, rushed to the back of the goal and then retreated two steps, giving him ample time to prepare for the incoming ball. However, as a top striker, he did not need much time. He calmly pushed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal. Shem, who had rushed out of the goal, spread his arms and lowered his center of gravity, could only watch the ball roll past his outstretched foot, and then the Den erupted in cheers!

"Larsson! Arsenal's defense completely surrendered; they couldn't even touch the ball or create a foul. Millwall took the lead in a situation where they seemed to be at a disadvantage, using a textbook counter-attack to break through Shem's goal. Larsson was too calm in front of the goal, from his run to his adjustment and the confident shot, he has the potential to become a top striker!"

After scoring, Larsson ran to the south stand with a relaxed demeanor, and his teammates rushed over.

They loved this wonderful feeling!

Breaking Arsenal's goal, leading in the derby, and seeing the fans cheer wildly for them, could there be anything more enjoyable?

O'Driscoll only clapped, the match had only been going for a few minutes, and there was no need to be overly elated, especially since the opponent was not a strong team.

Whether it was the first match against a drastically changed Manchester United without their soul, Cantona, or the current Arsenal in a transitional phase, neither of the two traditional powerhouses was at their peak. Millwall still had great potential, not just in player development but also in tactics, which were not fully formed. O'Driscoll would not be overly proud; the road ahead was long.

Liochi, standing by the sidelines, only encouraged the players, unable to do much else.

In the VIP box, Arthur celebrated joyfully, even dancing and shouting Millwall's name. In contrast, David Dein, dressed formally and sitting upright, looked somewhat displeased.

He had just been boasting about Arsenal to Wenger, and now they had conceded a goal. This slap in the face was loud and clear, and he had done it to himself!

Wenger, however, smiled elegantly and said softly, "Mr. Dein, do you know why Arsenal conceded this goal?"

"Perhaps the players haven't fully recovered from the holiday, and they are slow to enter the match rhythm this season."

Dein made up a reason. Not winning the home opener against Middlesbrough and conceding first in the away match against Millwall, the traditional powerhouse had lost all its dignity. Under Graham, Arsenal might have been unattractive, but at least the results were guaranteed. Now, Arsenal was on the brink of a cliff.

Wenger shook his head slightly, "If Arsenal cannot make changes, they will continue to concede goals, because Millwall's tactics are countering Arsenal."

Dein frowned and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Very simple. When Arsenal defends, they have three center-backs plus a defensive midfielder, and when they attack, they have six players. Millwall also has six players in defense, with four defenders and two defensive midfielders. In a numerical match, Arsenal's players, due to past tactics, cannot break through Millwall's defense. When counter-attacked, Millwall has four attackers, and Arsenal has four defenders, but the problem is that one of Arsenal's defenders is a defensive midfielder. Millwall, on the other hand, can form a four-man line or a diamond shape, creating a numerical advantage of four against three. Unless Arsenal's defensive midfielder can retreat to the penalty area and become a defender, Millwall will have similar opportunities to score, and if they capitalize, Millwall will score again."

Dein thought for a moment and nodded, "So, what is the root of the problem?"

"The formation. Arsenal used to play a 5-3-2. If they played a 3-5-2, they might have the默契 to defend against such counter-attacks. If Arsenal put aside their strong team mentality and patiently played their familiar 5-3-2, compressing Millwall's attacking space, the chances of winning or drawing would be high. O'Driscoll definitely wants to win this match, but he has exploited Arsenal's psychological weakness of wanting to win more. I admire his tactical acumen."

"Is wanting to win a weakness?"

"Of course. In a strong vs. strong match, the first priority is to curb the opponent's attack. Unless you have an absolute advantage in controlling the game, which is hard to see in the English league due to the physical intensity, referee decisions, and pace changes."

"Thank you, I understand. Mr. Wenger, I believe you could bring Arsenal back to glory. At least, you have a clear plan on how to change this team."

"Now, I am enjoying my time in Japan and have no intention of returning to Europe to coach."

PS: Thank you to "Feiyang Ruchu Jian" and "Today Zhen Kaixin" for your generous support!

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