The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 291: Perfect Debut

The weather was pleasant along the Tyne River on match day, making it comfortable for fans at St. James' Park, though their spirits were somewhat dampened. They weren't fond of Dalglish; his cautious tactical style clashed completely with Newcastle United's traditional approach. The fans were particularly upset that Dalglish sold Ginola and Ferdinand, while the players he brought in had failed to justify their transfer fees.

During the Keegan era, Newcastle's defense had been heavily criticized, but now, under Dalglish, the team's defensive capabilities were equally unimpressive. In the Premier League, their defensive performance was merely average.

The effectiveness of the frontline had plummeted, as Shearer had been sidelined with an injury for the first half of the season and struggled to regain his form upon returning. This directly caused Newcastle to slide down into the lower half of the league standings, with their goal count ranking near the bottom in the Premier League, only slightly ahead of Wimbledon.

This sad reality weighed heavily on the fans. In the "Keegan Era," Newcastle's attacking firepower consistently ranked among the top five, often contending for the top three. Now, it felt like they had taken a step backwards, and the fans could hardly tolerate it.

Today, facing Millwall at home, the fans seemed lackluster in the stands. Newcastle posed little offensive threat, and Millwall chose to tighten up their defense. The day before, Aldrich had disrespected Newcastle, which fueled Millwall's determination. As the match progressed, both teams fiercely contested each moment, but the exciting plays were few and far between.

Millwall was nominally set up in a 4-4-2 formation, but their defense resembled a 4-5-1 in practice.

After more than 20 minutes of the game, Aldridge stood up and called Ballack over. He instructed him to make more short passes and not to risk a pass unless he was sure of it.

Today, Millwall's offense was dependent on both flanks—Ronaldinho on the left and Gronkjaer on the right. Ballack had previously been making errors with excessive lead passes.

The midfield battle was intense, and Millwall shifted from defense to attack rapidly through the sides. Among the two holding midfielders, Ballack was given the freedom to push forward while Gattuso remained anchored in defense, vigilant against counterattacks.

Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer were both shining today. Every time the opposing offense stalled, Millwall swiftly turned the tide in counterattacks. Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer's breakthroughs down the flanks were simply unstoppable.

"Ronaldinho has the ball, and with a brilliant nutmeg, he sidesteps Gillespie! He pushes forward—is he cutting inside? Wow, he uses a sudden stop and change of direction to evade Watson's tackle, driving to the byline. He maintains control while scanning for options, and delivers a high-quality cross! Gudjohnsen rushes in at the near post for a header! Wow, the Icelandic striker was just a bit unlucky; the ball grazes the post and flies out!"

Gudjohnsen turned to give Ronaldinho a thumbs-up, but Ronaldinho didn't notice; he was busy sprinting back to help with defense.

The coaching staff, having witnessed Ronaldinho's Premier League debut, were thrilled. Although the match had barely been underway for a while, Ronaldinho's performance satisfied them all.

Aldrich stood on the sidelines, continually applauding.

After over two years of training at Millwall, Ronaldinho had trimmed the flamboyance characteristic of South American football, yet he still played with flair. This flair was perfectly balanced with practicality; his dribbling was efficient and decisive, never dragging out actions or risking opportunities.

Dribbling had never been overly complicated. Was Messi's dribbling flamboyant at his peak? He controlled the ball effortlessly, changing direction and accelerating combined into an art form—unstoppable once he got going.

However, simplifying dribbling for a player is a test of the technical coach's skills. Meulensteen had gained universal recognition within the club for this; he taught many technically flashy players to make their dribbling more straightforward and effective. Ronaldinho was a prime example of his efforts, and the marked improvements in Van der Meyde's technique were equally noteworthy.

Just before half-time, Ronaldinho picked up the ball again on the flank. This time, he simply used his burst of pace to shake off Gillespie. After gaining possession, instead of continuing his usual breakthrough, he stopped abruptly and flicked a delicate over-the-top pass to his teammate.

Van Nistelrooy, having slipped past the offside trap, surged forward ten yards before skillfully volleying the descending ball towards the goal. The goalkeeper misjudged, watching helplessly as the ball entered the net. Barton raised his hand to signal for offside, but the linesman remained unmoved.

"This is the goal! Ruud Ruud opened the scoring for Millwall, and his assist was also due to Ronaldinho! The Brazilian player is unforgettable; his technical ability is obviously first-class. That long pass assist shows his extraordinary Vision! If they had used Ronaldinho earlier, they might not have lost to Manchester United and Arsenal in succession."

If Aldrich could hear the commentator, he'd likely feel frustrated for a time.

Ronaldinho is currently in excellent form, and as the reserve team adapts, his confidence is getting stronger and stronger.

If someone asked him why he didn't bring Ronaldinho on the court earlier, Aldridge would definitely think: "I also want the talents of the youth team to play together earlier."

After scoring, Van Nistelrooy ran to celebrate, and Ronaldinho joined him for a hug.

Despite privately expressing dissatisfaction with Ruud van Nistelrooy not providing an assist during his time in the reserves, the pair formed a strong partnership.

Millwall returned to the locker room with a one-goal lead.

In the second half, they kept their tactics unchanged, tightening their defense while relying on the flanks to create opportunities. The central play was minimized, and the two holding midfielders provided smooth transitions.

Newcastle, trailing at home, didn't press too aggressively in the second half; their push forward was rather limited. Yet, their overall strategy was not about counterattacking; when pressing, their formation remained straightforward, giving Millwall's wingers some room to maneuver.

Dalglish stood on the sidelines, shaking his head constantly.

They couldn't contain them—not at all!

Gronkjaer ignited an attack from deep in his half, directly challenging his opponents. He sprinted down the right flank, executed a feint in front of the defender, then abruptly stopped to cut inside, forcing Newcastle's backline to retreat even further and creating more space at the front. Just before Batty could close him down, Gronkjaer played a lateral ball to the left.

Ronaldinho surged in from that flank, meeting the perfect pass as if it were in training. He stepped up to strike, sending the ball flying cleanly into the net.

"Ronaldinho's debut today has been perfect! Not only did he provide an assist, but he also scored a goal—this secure goal places Millwall in a commanding position!"

After scoring, Ronaldinho enthusiastically ran to the sidelines to celebrate with the "Shaka sign".

Today, Millwall dominated both wings, and Newcastle's loss stemmed from their inability to defend those flanks; they simply couldn't contain Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer's individual brilliance.

Aldrich took a seat; Millwall played effortlessly, employing a somewhat vintage strategy.

The defenders didn't push forward, relying on the frontline's individual brilliance. The two wingers fed bullets to the two forwards. This simplistic approach had been part of England's tactical repertoire for many years. Millwall posed a significant threat because their opponents weren't parking the bus, allowing the wide players to shine. Both Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer were capable players, but they still needed to refine their rhythm—resulting in a high breakthrough success rate but rather average crossing effectiveness.

In the final ten minutes, Newcastle went all out, and Millwall stood firm.

"Shearer remains off his game today. After receiving the ball, he was dispossessed by Materazzi numerous times. This time, Materazzi used his body to shove him aside. After halting Newcastle's attack, Materazzi sent the ball to the left side, finding Capdevila. The Spaniard struggled against Arsenal in the last match but stayed back in defense today, showing no flaws. He delivered a long pass into space, targeting Van Nistelrooy. Van Nistelrooy controlled the ball, accelerating past Albert into a one-on-one situation!"

Ruud van Nistelrooy struck like lightning into Newcastle's penalty area but the usually clinical striker's shot hit the keeper's legs and bounced out, with Gudjohnsen stepping in before Button could clear the ball. Use your toes to shoot the ball into the empty net.

Millwall ultimately triumphed 3-0 over Newcastle.

After the match, Aldrich faced reporters in the mixed zone. One journalist smiled and asked, "What did you think of Ronaldinho's performance today?"

"He did all right, about what I expected, but that's merely his standard—it's far from his peak."

"Are you not satisfied with his goal and assist?"

"Speaking solely of this match, he did well, but if he settles at this level, he'll just be another decent player. I believe he should push himself harder to earn a name that resonates with greatness."

"Your expectations are really high. Just now, my colleagues and I were discussing Ronaldinho's celebratory gesture after scoring. What did his hand signal mean? "

Many reporters were puzzled, completely unsure of what Ronaldinho's gesture meant.

Aldrich made the same gesture, smiled and asked, "Is that what you mean?"

The reporter nodded, "Exactly. Does it have any special significance?"

Aldrich replied, "Well, kind of—it's a common gesture in Brazil. It means: hello."

"Hello? Who was he signaling to?"

"I believe it was meant for everyone."

"Ha, his celebration gives off a cheerful vibe."

"Exactly. Watching him play is pure enjoyment; he spreads joy through football, uplifting everyone, and his teammates really like him."

"Let's hope he continues to perform well in the future."

As Aldrich led his team back to London, the results for the World Player of the Year were announced.

Alien-like Ronaldo retained the World Player of the Year title, having won it the previous year.

The European Ballon d'Or primarily evaluates a player's performance in European leagues, whereas the World Player of the Year judges are national football associations and national team coaches, who focus more on national team success and the player's international influence.

Cristiano Ronaldo catapulted to international stardom with Barcelona last year and has performed admirably in Serie A. Although Inter Milan did not enter the Champions League, Serie A is still the focus of global attention; in addition, Ronaldo helped the Brazilian team win the Copa America after an absence of many years, which is unmatched by Larsson in terms of honors won by the national team.

Larsson ranked second in the voting, followed by Real Madrid's Roberto Carlos.

Regardless, this recognition added significant luster to Millwall Club.