The Young Lion

If Aldridge's team played at the Bernabeu, they would definitely be booed by the fans and tremble at their feet. But at the Lion's Den Stadium, the team obviously does not have an advantage on the field, but a clearance, a scramble, a collision, even if it is a foul , will attract applause from Millwall fans.

Despite the notoriety of British football hooligans, it is undeniable that the enthusiasm of the fans here is the highest in the world.

Fans will not choose whether to applaud because of whether the team's style of play is conservative or gorgeous, and they will not give up singing and cheering because the team is behind. Even more so for a club, whether it's at its lowest point or at its highest point, with fans who sing No one likes us, it doesn't matter!

The first half of the game was not good-looking or even dull, but Millwall fans watched it with gusto and cheered again and again.

Makelele, Thuram, Stam, and Nedved were quickly remembered by the fans, and even the fans in the stands were asking each other for their names.

The reason is very simple. The image of a tough guy who defends fiercely and dares to collide fiercely with opponent players is the most admired representative in the hearts of fans!

The British believe that football is a man's sport, what they want is blood, what they want is intense, what they want is desperate!

If there are players who are afraid of confrontation and scrambling, it will completely disappoint the fans.

At the end of the first half, Aldridge took the lead to walk back to the player tunnel. The score was 0:0. Although Millwall was not tired of defending in the first half, because their defense was not in a mess, but they lacked effective and smooth offense. Especially under Aldridge's tactical arrangement, blind big feet and long passes of players other than central defenders are prohibited.

Although it was a warm-up match, Birmingham obviously wanted to build confidence by beating a League One team, especially the third-ranked League One team last season, so that they can return to the club with great ambitions in the coming year. League One.

But they were disappointed to find that Millwall's defense was a group of fierce men!

Even the left-back Lucas Neal is only 17 years old, but he is also a fierce and desperate guy. There is no way. Lucas naturally wants to become famous. The main position of the left-back is temporarily he and Zambrow Tower competition, of course he has to work hard to perform.

As for Stam, who is like an iron tower, the ferocious Thuram and Makelele with amazing defensive awareness, plus the desperate Saburo Nedved, Birmingham seemed to be aggressive in the first half, but in fact the chance to threaten the ball was zero.

Aldridge waited in the locker room for the players to come back and sit down for a rest. He said calmly: The performance in the first half was good. I don't ask too much for the warm-up match. You just need to treat it as a confrontation match in training. But let me reiterate one point. , Remember my tactical requirements, focus on defense first, Lucas, pay attention in the second half, reduce fouls in dangerous areas, you are still young, you need to accumulate defensive experience, don't worry about losing your position, plus Reis will make up for you, but you must recover as soon as you lose your position.

When Lucas Neal heard the head coach's roll call, his heart skipped a beat, fearing that he would be replaced, but when he heard Aldridge's order, he nodded fiercely to express his understanding.

In terms of tactics, Aldridge has nothing to change. This team has only practiced together for ten days. It is impossible for him to condense their combat effectiveness and form a tacit understanding. The requirements for the team are very simple. It is to stand still, and everyone completes their own defensive tasks in their own area of ​​activity.

On the basis of a stable defense, the players will naturally stabilize their mentality and then be able to perform better.

If they were given more tasks from the beginning, such as defense, offense, passing and cutting, etc., not to mention the players, Aldridge felt that this would make the team chaotic.

Now is the time to shape the shape of this team, and it is enough to lay the foundation first.

The midfielder encouraged the players, and Aldridge clapped his hands and let the players go out to start the second half of the game, trying not to bear any pressure.

After the start of the second half, Aldridge was still sitting on the coaching bench, but he just turned his head and said to Jenson: Let Richards, Materazzi, Zambrotta, Vieira, Ballack, and Solskjaer warm up. , put them on at 60 minutes, oh, Zambrotta for Thuram, keep Lucas on the pitch, Solskjaer for Larsson, Henrik didn't get enough rest before the season.

Jansen nodded, turned around and called the players on the bench one by one, and then saw a group of young players rushing out, starting warm-up activities seriously.

The situation on the field was still dull, but the more Birmingham played, the more they found that Millwall's defense was impeccable. After 10 minutes of the second half, they no longer tried to organize the cooperation of ground penetration. They used the simplest way to attack: long pass rush hanging.

Aldridge was delighted to see the football going up and down on the field.

He really needs an opponent to exercise the team's air defense capability through this traditional punching and bombing, which is an indispensable part of defense.

Five minutes later, Aldridge replaced a large number of substitute players on the field, and then he shook hands with every player who left the field and patted them on the shoulder in praise.

Schneider and Pires, who stayed on the court, were not as nervous as in the first half. They could control the ball very well. From a technical point of view, they were the best on the court. Ned and Pires frequently made threats on the two sides, and several crosses were well placed. If Trezeguet hadn't entered the state, he would have already scored.

Before the end of the game, Solskjaer's long shot from the opponent's defender in front of the penalty area unfortunately hit the post and popped out of the baseline.

When the final whistle sounded, the score was still 0:0.

This is actually boring for a friendly match. Millwall, as the third in the League One last season, failed to beat Birmingham, which was third last in the League One last season, at home. Logically speaking, it is disappointing. Especially when the scene was not dominant, the fans on the scene not only did not boo, but applauded after the game, and then left in an orderly manner.

In the next two warm-up matches, Millwall's performance was not only stable, but also getting better and better. Aldrich was delighted to find that these players were indeed big-time roles, and they all had a mature and calm temperament. Consistent and excellent performance.

In the second scene against Oxford United, at the Lion's Den, Larsson received a header from Schneider's cross in the second half and gave Millwall a victory. Although it was only a 1-0 victory, Aldridge What is more satisfying is that the team's defense did not give the opponent a chance.

In the last warm-up match against Oxford United, the team played a hearty counterattack on the basis of defense. Both Trezeguet and Solskjaer who came off the bench scored goals. With Southgate scoring a goal, Millwall finally won 3:0.

In the three warm-up matches, the basic goal of Aldrich's training has been achieved, that is, defense. He has not conceded a goal in the three games, and he has given few opportunities to the opponent. Although the opponent is not strong, it can build up the team's confidence. , this intangible gain is even more valuable.

There are still three days before the 94/95 League One League will kick off, and the first round of the Millwall League will usher in the challenge of Xiulian United at home.

After training this afternoon, Aldridge called the players together and asked the players to put on their home team uniforms for the official game.

On the sidelines, the staff of the training ground brought chairs and put them on the training ground. Aldridge called all the coaches of the first team to his side. They sat on the neat and orderly chairs, and the players stood behind them according to their height. Into two rows, forming an orderly fan.

Under the setting sun, Aldridge sat in the middle of the front row, with a gentle expression and a hint of a smile. The coaches around him also had relaxed expressions, but the players behind them all looked serious. Directly in front of them, Adam Call the photographer to capture the best angle and take the best scene with the light.

After the Millwall first team family portrait was born in the 94/95 season, Aldridge changed into a suit and leather shoes, and then removed the chair. He stood in front of the players with his hands in his pockets rather coldly, looking like a Like a young gangster leader, the photographer stood on a chair this time, and took pictures of the first-team players and their head coach who were posing coolly from a slightly overlooking angle.

After the photos were developed, Aldridge asked the staff to post the family portraits on the corridors of the club, and then enlarged the photo of the handsome and cool first team plus the head coach as part of the club's publicity.

When Millwall fans were looking forward to the arrival of the new season, they unexpectedly found a leaflet for the new season's lineup posted outside the club. Every fan who saw it couldn't help sighing: This is really a young team.

From the head coach to the players, Millwall has taken on a new look in less than three months. Although it is not known what the future will hold, at least it looks energetic now.