The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 294: The Young Lions Roar

Since Millwall changed their strategy midway through the season, Aldridge has emerged with an unexpected boldness and displayed a arrogance against other opponents that was once reserved for the likes of Chelsea and West Ham.

He also developed a bit of a "sharp tongue."

When he wants to develop young players, he goes to great lengths to provoke opponents. This requires significant effort, such as studying the historical achievements of rival clubs and publicly discussing them in front of the media.

For example, he would provocatively say in an interview with the media: "This team was once brilliant, playing with talent and passion, attracting everyone. But what about these years? You can hardly find any glory that they once existed. Traces of it!"

His psychological warfare had a single goal: to infuriate the opponents!

He wants these opponents to have a head-to-head match against Millwall's substitutes.

This approach had both advantages and disadvantages. The downside was that the opponents' anger was provoked by Millwall, and if they retaliated, Millwall would appear to be at fault if they couldn't win.

On the positive side, it provided a better environment for training young players.

In the first half of the season, the young players struggled in tough matches. Not to mention the attacker's lackluster performance, defenders like Ferdinand and Materazzi often found themselves idle, as pushing forward would only leave them vulnerable to counterattacks, while holding back would yield a mere draw. How could they improve under such pressure?

Aldrich didn't care if Millwall became the Premier League's enemy; their success was natural for other teams to envy. Since opponents often parked the bus against Millwall, he thought it better to take charge and make the matches entertaining, allowing young players to develop in a high-pressure and complex environment. This was crucial for Millwall's future prospects over the next three to five years.

Against this backdrop, Millwall entered an intense rhythm starting in January, with every match producing sparks, regardless of whether the starters played. Although not every match ended in victory, the team's overall performance lived up to their status as champions, ensuring there were no slip-ups. Sometimes, losing or drawing just meant the opponent had played better, claiming victory or a draw through sheer strength.

In the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, Aldrich continued with his reserve lineup. At The Den, Millwall and Middlesbrough drew 1:1 after 90 minutes. Due to the unusual rules of the League Cup semi-finals, Millwall had to go all out in extra time!

If the aggregate score after two legs ended in a tie, the away goals rule would be nullified. However, if the score remained tied after 30 minutes of extra time, the away goals would count.

In the first leg, Millwall had drawn 0:0 at the Riverside Stadium. In the second leg at home, the score was 1:1. If Millwall couldn't score in extra time, there would be no penalty shootout; Middlesbrough would advance to the final.

Aldridge made a bold move before overtime, putting three young players on the court.

Ronaldinho, Klose, and Van der Meyde entered the game.

Middlesbrough was unfamiliar with Ronaldinho, and as their stamina waned, his individual brilliance created a significant advantage. Meanwhile, Van der Meyde, playing as a winger, delivered perfect passes to Klose and Van Nistelrooy. Millwall scored three quick goals in extra time, clinching a 4:1 aggregate victory and advancing to the final.

When the match concluded, the crowd at The Den chanted: "The Lions Dynasty!"

Throughout Millwall's journey in the League Cup, we hardly saw any of the first-team players. While other strong teams often overlook the League Cup, using it as a chance to develop their squads, Millwall did the same. The outcome, however, was clear: Millwall's young talent shone even brighter.

Millwall was no longer satisfied with only showcasing their talent in youth leagues, reserve leagues, and the Youth FA Cup. They aimed to create a youth storm on the League Cup stage!

Ronaldinho had clearly become the leader of this group of under-21 Millwall players!

In domestic cup competitions, Millwall let the young ones take charge, while the league—being the foundation of the club's survival—was left to the starters. They also aimed to compete for honors in European competitions.

After the winter break in other European leagues, the battle reignited.

In late February, with all eyes on them, Millwall made their way to Germany's Ruhr area, setting off for Westfalenstadion!

Their sights were set on winning the UEFA Super Cup, determined to continue the success from last season!

This year's UEFA Super Cup differed from future iterations of the tournament.

In the future, the UEFA Super Cup would be held around September, serving as a showdown between last season's champions before the new season kicked off.

Currently, the UEFA Super Cup took place after the winter break and was contested over two legs.

As last season's UEFA Cup champions, Millwall would face Borussia Dortmund, the reigning UEFA Champions League champions, for the title of "King of Europe"!

Dortmund, having defeated Juventus in last year's final, had performed brilliantly in the new season's Champions League, despite the departure of their successful coach Hitzfeld. They still topped their group with absolute superiority over formidable opponents.

However, their league performance was deteriorating; last season, they finished third in the Bundesliga, and without winning the Champions League, they would have to compete in the UEFA Cup.

This season, their league results had been abysmal. Bayern Munich remained dominant, and newly rising Kaiserslautern posed a threat, leaving Dortmund languishing in the lower half of the table.

The two Super Cup matches would mark Millwall's return to European competition in the latter half of the league season. Following these matches, a hectic schedule awaited them, including the League Cup final, the FA Cup, and the Champions League knockout rounds.

To maintain their hopes of defending their league title, every match in the Champions League knockout stage needed to be treated as a decisive battle. The FA Cup would likely be entrusted to the younger players, but if they progressed far, it could impact squad rotation in other competitions.

With this in mind, Aldrich clearly communicated to the players before their trip to Germany: "One battle to determine our fate!"

"We must finish off the suspense of the UEFA Super Cup championship on the road!"

Despite Dortmund's struggles in the league, they had excelled in the first half of the Champions League, showing little respect for Millwall, who had performed better in another group.

First, they were the Champions League champions. No matter how much the media praised Millwall, the tangible honors set them apart.

Second, they were playing at home and should naturally carry the momentum of being the hosts.

Aldrich took the preparations against Dortmund seriously, analyzing their performances in the Bundesliga this season. Their weaknesses were not hard to spot, especially given their poor performance and being bullied by teams of lesser strength.

A very clear trend had emerged in Dortmund's performances over the last three seasons: declining attack and weakening defense.

This had directly led them to fall from champions to third place, and now to the lower half of the standings.

Capitalizing on the opponent's defensive issues, Millwall played a targeted game at Westfalenstadion, sticking to their old strategy of a low profile—defending first before attacking—while exploiting the opponent's weaknesses mercilessly!

Since winning the Ballon d'Or and finishing second for the FIFA World Player of the Year, Larsson's goal-scoring efficiency had noticeably declined!

As a result, the media began criticizing him for lacking ambition.

Aldrich had consistently defended Larsson, even engaging in heated exchanges with reporters. In the weekly column on the official website and various media platforms, he staunchly supported Larsson, deriding those who slandered him.

Larsson's form, mentality, and ability were all intact.

The only problem was that he had become too famous!

This led all opponents to focus their defensive efforts on him, so whenever he made a threatening run towards the goal, he would be met with full-force opposition.

His drop in scoring rate stemmed from this.

Aldrich defends him, highlighting that Larsson has become a more intelligent player. He understands that he's the target, the primary threat for the opponents. As a result, he's begun to assist his teammates more, using himself to pull defenders away and making space for others to attack.

Millwall's firepower remains strong, but the focus now is on Trezeguet, Shevchenko and Nedved.

In the first leg of the UEFA Super Cup at Westfalenstadion, Larsson delivered a hat-trick of assists, helping the team secure a commanding 4:1 lead in the away leg.

Nedved scored twice, while Trezeguet and Shevchenko each added a goal.

With such a solid away victory, they could conserve energy for the second leg. Aldrich boldly decided to let the young players take charge in the second match to enhance their sense of honor and belonging.

Upon returning to London, Millwall wasted no time and headed straight to Wembley for their first championship showdown of the season.

The League Cup final.

Their opponents were familiar faces—bitter rivals Chelsea!

Chelsea's performance this season has been polarizing. They've reached the finals of the League Cup and are ranked high in the league table, marking their best showing in the Premier League during this time. Meanwhile, they're still in contention for the UEFA Cup, although for teams in the top five leagues, the true challenges in the UEFA Cup are just two or three matches. Just like last year when Millwall triumphed over Barcelona in the finals, few remember their intense semi-final battle against Paris Saint-Germain.

Gullit's romantic and beautiful brand of football has set Chelsea on the path to success, but the downsides are evident. In the league, Chelsea has recorded the fewest draws in the Premier League; it's either a win or a loss!

When they're on form, they're unstoppable and unafraid of the big teams. For example, in the League Cup semi-finals, they demolished Arsenal 5-0 at Highbury, but when faced with adversity, they seem powerless, either suffering a complete collapse or failing to make a comeback.

The Blues lack a unique spirit and soul; they are not much different from the mercenaries of Blackburn from years past.

After years of significant signings, Chelsea has assembled a luxurious squad and has shaped it into a burgeoning force in England.

However, Gullit was unfortunate, as he has been dismissed by the club. Currently, the team is under the dual role of player-coach managed by Vialli.

Vialli's debut match as coach is the League Cup final against Millwall.

He is determined to bring a championship to Chelsea and has issued bold statements to motivate the entire team before the match.

With the new coach in place, Chelsea's players are ready to give their all, while Millwall is taking a much more low-key approach.

Obviously, mobilization is not needed against arch-rivals Chelsea.

Aldrich has made some adjustments to the starting lineup.

He has put some key players on the bench and brought in half the substitutes to challenge for the trophy.

This is different from the semifinals; Aldridge wouldn't be too disappointed if he lost in the semifinals. The League Cup doesn't get the full attention of the big clubs, and Millwall's schedule is so packed that not making it to the finals doesn't matter.

But now that they're in the finals, it's a one-off match—win and there's a trophy, lose and they'll be ridiculed as mere background. So, he must give it the proper attention. The thrill of winning and the blow of losing are too intense; they can't afford to take it lightly.

Especially considering that their opponent is Chelsea!