Chapter 87

Staying up late to watch the Champions League, the number of recommendation votes this week has been a bit low, but I just saw that it reached 4,000 votes, so I'm releasing an extra chapter now. Tonight, two teams will advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, and I don't think there will be much suspense.

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After conceding a goal, Arsenal involuntarily reverted to their old tactics, focusing on counter-attacks.

This is understandable, as they were actually facing Milwall's players for the first time. In the previous season's FA Cup match, Arsenal faced Milwall's substitutes. None of the current starting 11 were on the field at that time.

Milwall controlled the game's pace calmly, and as Arsenal tightened their defense, Milwall did the same. Their local small-scale combinations were incredibly fluid. With the opposing penalty area densely packed, Milwall's forwards would withdraw and finish their attacks with long-range shots.

O'Driscoll watched the game with confidence. Although he was not familiar with Graham, he believed, based on his understanding of Arsenal over the past few years, that Arsenal was merely replicating a trend, adding elements suitable for the English league to the famous Italian catenaccio defense, which indeed brought Arsenal a brief period of glory.

In the century of football, only Italy has been able to elevate defense to an art form. Even when broadcasting technology and football culture were not well-developed, Italy had a significant impact in Europe.

This made people in the football world realize: How did football become like this?

From 1985 to 1989, the five Italian league champions conceded as few as 14 goals and as many as 19 goals per season. In terms of goals scored, except for Inter Milan's 67 "high-yield" goals in 1989, the other four champions scored 41, 42, 43, and 43 goals.

During this period, Graham took charge of Arsenal and began to build a 1-0 defensive football style similar to Italian football.

Italian catenaccio continued to evolve, and in the summer of 1994, AC Milan won the league title with a goal difference of 36 goals scored and 15 goals conceded.

Such statistics would be shocking even ten or twenty years later!

Whether Italian tactics were the most advanced and representative of the trend is not for O'Driscoll to judge, as the Italian league, known as the "Little World Cup," was at the forefront, and the saying "the tallest tree is the first to be felled" applies. Criticism and praise of Italian football have been ongoing for a long time, with a significant portion of the voices considering Italian football philosophy to be anti-football, a destructive and ugly form of the beautiful game.

However, it cannot be denied that Italian coaches have been madly researching defensive tactics, continuously improving catenaccio, and elevating defense to an art, collectively creating the most prosperous Italian league!

Italian teams began to dominate European competitions, not just being regulars in the Champions League but also frequent finalists, building the world's most solid defense and waiting for countless forwards to come to Italy to prove themselves, aspiring to become the sharpest spear to break the shield.

Such defensive tactics could survive, develop, and reach their peak in Italy, with a long-lasting impact.

However, in England, Arsenal's glory was hard to sustain, as it did not align with the football culture of the country. After tasting the championship, the players' talents were still suppressed, leading to a loss of motivation and passion, and a wasted youth.

Now, Arsenal is seeking change and needs a suitable mentor. Wenger did not return to Europe this summer, and O'Driscoll believes this choice is correct. Although Leogoch is not well-known in the coaching world, he is an important figure in Arsenal's transition, at least providing a period for players and the team to adapt to the style change, making it easier for Wenger's later reforms.

The situation on the field vividly reflects Arsenal's current pain. In the 20 minutes after Milwall took the lead, Arsenal's defense was conservative, with only four players attacking in the front. Their attacks made no progress, and they could not resist, so the full-backs charged forward again.

What else could they do?

They are good at 1-0, but now they are trailing 0-1.

O'Driscoll calmly watched the tense situation on the field, thinking: One more goal, just one more, and it will completely crush Arsenal!

Winterburn's pass was successfully blocked by Makelele. Nedved received the ball and passed it to the right wing, where Schneider advanced with the ball.

With the experience of the previous goal, Arsenal's overall defensive speed was extremely fast. They did not rush to tackle but first set up their defensive formation and slowed down the opponent's pace. Even the defensive midfielder ran back to the penalty area to bolster the defense.

After advancing, Schneider passed the ball to the center, where Nedved, who had sprinted forward, was unmarked. Instead of taking a long-range shot, he entered the penalty area, intending to use his speed to get past Adams.

As they brushed past each other, Adams chose to slide tackle. He is a top-class defender in tackling, and Nedved lost his balance and fell in the penalty area as he accelerated.

In a flash, the audience and the coaches on the sidelines could not see what exactly happened, only seeing Nedved fall in the penalty area and Adams slide tackle, kicking the ball away.

The referee, Poll, blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot in the Arsenal penalty area.

"Tony Adams slid tackle, Pavel Nedved fell in the penalty area. Through the slow-motion replay, we clearly see that Adams touched the ball first, and Nedved's fall did not seem to be due to physical contact; he lost his balance just before Adams's tackle. Referee Poll decisively awarded a penalty, which is debatable."

"Regardless, this is a good opportunity for Milwall. If they extend their lead before halftime, Arsenal's chances of a comeback will be slim."

Adams, seeing the penalty awarded, angrily got up and shouted at Nedved: "Cheater! I didn't touch you! I was going for the ball!"

FIFA introduced strict rules against sliding tackles from behind in 1994, but they were not enforced until the 1998 World Cup. At the moment, it was a period of preparation and awareness.

Poll's decision could not have been based on a dangerous tackle but rather on the belief that Adams had collided with Nedved first.

Faced with several Arsenal players surrounding him, Nedved calmly waved and shook his head at the referee Poll: That's not a penalty!

Seeing this, the Arsenal players were stunned.

Adams's eyes widened, and his mouth hung open, unable to close.

Several Arsenal players also surrounded Poll, with Winterburn pointing at Nedved and saying, "He admitted it's not a penalty!"

Nedved then walked over and told the referee simply, "I slipped on my own. He didn't foul. There is no penalty."

The scene was strange.

The Lion's Den Stadium was silent, with fewer than 20,000 fans on the stands staring intently at the Arsenal penalty area, where Arsenal players surrounded the referee, and the referee was communicating with Nedved.

In England, the birthplace of modern football, the game was initially a fierce and direct confrontation between warriors. The first official football rules even prohibited passing the ball behind a player. Only lateral or backward passes or direct breakthroughs were allowed, a true test of manhood, similar to the duels of ancient Chinese knights.

High-level confrontations adhered to the code of chivalry. If a teammate attacked or helped from the side, it would be despised by the martial arts community.

Therefore, English fans deeply admire genuine British-style tough players. Even if a player falls and gets up, they can still earn cheers because they display the qualities that English fans most admire and respect, not the flashy and cunning "European players." If Nedved had dived, even the proud Milwall fans would have despised him!

Even in war, there are rules, and football cannot tolerate underhanded tactics to cheat for victory.

But now, they clearly saw Nedved communicating with the referee, asking him to revoke the penalty. Otherwise, why would he talk to the referee? He could have just taken the penalty.

Milwall's players, with their hands on their hips, looked at O'Driscoll on the sidelines.

Boss, what do we do?

We have a penalty, but the deputy captain seems to have "betrayed" us.

The players on the field were actually very impressed by Nedved's actions, but they needed to see O'Driscoll's reaction. In any case, the head coach's will was crucial at this moment.

O'Driscoll, seeing this, was stunned.

He was greatly moved!

At Milwall, he is both the owner and the head coach, a veritable emperor. Unlike his peers, who live under the threat of the sword of Damocles, he has always carried a heavy burden in his heart.

He could bring in promising young talents, but he feared he lacked the ability to nurture them. If any star "died" under his watch, he would regret it for life, as it would directly change the fate of a star, leaving a shadow of guilt in his heart.

But seeing Nedved's actions at this moment, he felt as if Nedved had radiated a brilliant light.

That is the light of a superstar!

A superstar not only needs skill but also charisma and spirit.

O'Driscoll's eyes were slightly moist, and he silently thanked Nedved: Thank you, Pavel, you have touched my soul.

O'Driscoll turned around, raised his hands, and began to clap, encouraging all the fans in the stands to applaud Nedved's actions.

The fans in the Lion's Den Stadium stood up and clapped along with O'Driscoll.

Many fans clapped while nodding!

Even though Milwall has been criticized for being rough and brutal, they have never lost their principles.

Cheating and thieving are despicable and dishonorable!

If you cannot win fairly, then lose fairly!

Diving and other such performances have never been tolerated in football.

The Lion's Den Stadium echoed with applause for Nedved, and even the Arsenal fans stood up and clapped, the chaotic and continuous sound lasting for a long time, creating another classic moment for Milwall.

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