The Young Lion

Since taking over the Millwall club in the summer, Aldridge has been so busy almost every day that he has completed a major change of the team within two months, tearing down and rebuilding a new team.

After the start of the season, he conscientiously adjusted the training of the first team on weekdays, especially the tactical drills, which he carefully planned. Even at night, he would stay at his desk and immerse himself in the work of studying opponent data, but this is only the work of the first team. He will also go to watch the home games of the reserve team and the youth team. This is a signal from him as the head coach to the substitute players.

He doesn't want people like Ballack, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gattuso, etc. to mistakenly think that buying them to Millwall is just a fake, so Aldridge was there when the reserve team and the youth team played at home, just to let them understand that the club treats them of great importance.

Usually after the end of the game, Aldridge will have a short chat with these players according to their performance when the players are resting during training.

It is such subtle efforts that have allowed Aldridge to have a very clear position in the hearts of the players: the head coach!

The next day was about to embark on the away league game in the middle of last week. Aldridge was discussing matters with Jenson on the sidelines of the training field in his coach's sportswear.

So serious? Six people suggest rest?

Jansen opened his mouth exaggeratedly, and then pouted his lips again: Is it too exaggerated? Our players seem to be in good physical condition. There have been a little more games recently, but we must grit our teeth and persevere. We will play again in the next seven days. With two games, you can rest for a week.

Aldridge folded his arms and looked at the players on the training ground, muttering: Larson came to the team to report after participating in the World Cup, Trezeguet came to the UK for less than two months, and Lucas still Less than 18 years old, Pires, Schneider and Makelele have all played the entire game in the past six rounds. Dr. Sampson advised them to rest. I think it makes sense. You are right, bite Gritting your teeth and persevering, you may be able to survive two games in the next seven days, but Dr. Sampson convinced me with a metaphor.

Huh? What metaphor?

Spring. The body's fatigue load is like a spring that is slowly pressed down. If you can't combine work and rest and take a proper rest, then press the spring down bit by bit. When it reaches the limit, the force of the spring's rebound and explosion will be against the body. Every time the limit rebound breaks out, the spring will become weak, so the next time it is pressed down to the limit, the spring may be crushed.

After Aldridge finished speaking, Jansen opened his mouth slightly and asked in disbelief, Is he scaremongering?

Aldridge smiled and said, He is an expert in sports medicine. If you don't listen to him, who should you listen to? Besides, as I said, he has convinced me. In the long run, I also hope that the players can have a healthier Longer career.

Jansen understood that Aldridge had made up his mind, and he frowned and said, If the six main players don't play, the substitute players will be fine, but for Makelele's position, I'm afraid Vieira...

Jenson's mind has been spinning rapidly. The two forwards can use Phillips and Solskjaer as substitutes. The two wings have Glenshire and Beckham, and the full-backs can use Zambrotta. It's just that the key defensive position of the defensive midfielder, neither Vieira nor Gattuso, can replace Makelele, who is stable and efficient.

Don't think about it, instead of using a half-main and half-substitute lineup, I would rather use all substitutes. The main eleven will stay in London for a holiday. Tomorrow we will bring a substitute lineup to visit Tranmere.

Oh, if the list of substitutes is not enough, two or three people from the reserve team will come up.

Jansen looked at Aldrich in surprise, this young marshal really did something unexpected!

If a few main players want to rest, all the main players will simply stop!

But Jansen understood after a quick change of mind, and agreed with Aldrich's approach.

The entire first-team players have only been training together for less than two months, and the main lineup and the substitute lineup are also clearly distinguished in normal training, and there are different degrees of tacit understanding in group cooperation.

The sudden combination of Vieira and Nedved into a new midfielder may not necessarily be equal to or greater than one plus one effect.

And Nedved, as a transitional bridge in the midfield, may not be able to form a tacit understanding of passing and receiving with Beckham and Glenshire.

Instead of going to an away game with a series of uncertain factors, it is better to let the bench lineup go to training, so as not to make the remaining half of the bench players feel dissatisfied with the large-scale rotation.

At that time, the players will be depressed on the court. If they can't win the ball again, why ask for trouble?

Jansen deeply admires Aldridge's courage and ease, every point in the league is contested, but Aldridge really doesn't seem to value points.

Looking at the back of Aldrich walking towards the training ground, Jansen sighed in his heart: Maybe it is like what you said, after these players are matured, the victory code will naturally be in their hands.

The training in the morning was coming to an end. Aldridge came to the training field and clapped his hands, calling the players to his eyes. Seeing the sweat dripping down from the players, Aldridge spoke softly.

The eleven players who started the last league game will not be used for training in the afternoon. You will stay at the hotel. Dr. Thompson will arrange for you to undergo recovery training in the afternoon. Also, you will have a rest tomorrow. The rest of the players will come as usual in the afternoon. Here, I will announce tomorrow's starting list and tactical arrangements in the afternoon. Do you have any questions?

The players were a little confused when they heard this.

Southgate wondered: Boss, aren't we going to the away game tomorrow? Not even going to the scene?

Aldrich smiled and said: Well, Dr. Thompson suggested that you rest, and I will give you a vacation. You can spend time with your family and find friends to go shopping, but I hope you understand that the vacation is to let you recover from physical fatigue. Instead of letting you indulge, we still have the league in five days, if any of you can't recover to the level that Dr. Sampson is satisfied with, then please go to the bench.

Earlier, when they heard that they had gone to the hotel to find Dr. Thompson in the afternoon, the main eleven members were secretly delighted.

They like Dr. Thompson very much, because the doctor will arrange a masseur to give them muscle massage, which makes them feel extremely comfortable. In addition, they can take a bath or swim in the hotel, which is really pleasant.

In the hotel where the team stayed for training, the only thing that dissatisfied the players was probably the bland diet.

However, when they heard that they had a holiday tomorrow, the main eleven players were all startled reflexively, thinking that Aldridge was dissatisfied with their struggle to win only one of the past three games.

But after listening to Aldrich's words, they suddenly realized that this was a combination of work and rest.

Even though the main goalkeeper Keller, midfielder Nedved and Southgate and others all felt that their physical fitness was fine, but thinking about the 46th round of the League One, they all accepted Aldridge's arrangement.

As for the players who were originally on the bench, they were ecstatic. There was no match between the reserve team and the youth team in the middle of the week, so they could only train harder. Unexpectedly, the happiness came so suddenly, and they were going to play the official match of League One tomorrow!

Although they have played in the two rounds of the League Cup, the opponents are the third and fourth tier teams. In terms of strength, the opponents in the League One are more challenging. They are eager to try and want to show their strength in the League One. Fan, tell the head coach that they are no worse than the main eleven, and they have the strength to occupy a place in the League One.

After the team disbanded, they went back to the hotel collectively, had lunch and took a nap. After arriving at the training ground in the afternoon, Aldridge noticed that he had neglected one thing when Jansen reminded him.

Going to an away game tomorrow, who is Millwall's captain?

It was only then that Aldridge remembered: the team's three captains are all in the main lineup.

In the previous two rounds of the League Cup, Solskjaer was the captain of Millwall. At least he was a substitute for the main lineup. No one in the substitute lineup can question his qualifications.

But the cup game is different from the league after all. With this set of substitute lineup, it is very likely that they will be on the League One again in the future when the schedule is tight. It needs a captain who is different from the temporary captain and a real team leader.

There were only 15 first-team players who came to the training ground in the afternoon, and the other 11 stayed in the hotel.

They stood on the training ground full of vigor and vitality, waiting for Aldridge to arrange the training in the afternoon, and more, they still expected Aldridge to arrange tactics for tomorrow's game.

But they found the manager pacing back and forth in front of them as soon as he arrived at the training ground.

The eyes of the players swayed from left to right, and then from right to left. They were so anxious that their eyes burst into flames!

The old god Aldrich was pacing back and forth endlessly, with his head slightly lowered, thinking about important military affairs.

Among the eleven, the first-team substitutes were first excluded by Aldridge, Dean Richards, Zambrotta, Bout, Ballack, Solskjaer, Phillips, and Glenshire.

Because these substitutes are likely to fill in the main lineup due to injuries to the main players, they may not be on the court when the substitute lineup rotates to play.

There are not many options left. Beckham and Neville are directly ruled out, so Vieira and Materazzi are left.

Aldridge stopped suddenly, took out the captain's armband from his pocket, and walked up to the tall Materazzi. Under the eyes of the other party who didn't understand why, Aldridge threw the captain's armband to him.

Materazzi accepted the captain's armband in surprise, and said confusedly, Boss? Huh?

He glanced at Solskjaer at the same time. Solskjaer was the captain in the League Cup before. Why is it in his hands now?

Aldridge said casually: If anyone in the main striker is injured or suspended, Ole is definitely the first choice to replace him, so, as a substitute, you need a new captain, Marco, from today, you are the team The fourth captain, I don't ask if you are competent, just tell me, are you willing to perform the duties of the captain well?

The young Materazzi has distinct characteristics, fierce and irritable. There is nothing to say about the physical fitness of the central defender. In addition, he started training in the Italian regional league at a very young age, and climbed up step by step. His strength is obvious to all. The only shortcoming , I am afraid it is temper and speed.

Aldridge hopes that Materazzi, who will become the captain, can be more stable and dignified. As long as he has the idea of ​​​​putting the most importance on team responsibility in his mind, it will be a good help to his growth.

Materazzi grinned, put the captain's armband in his pocket very bluntly, and smiled at the teammates around him: From today, I will be the captain. Who of you is lazy in training and doesn't work hard on the field? I'll beat anyone!

There was laughter all around, and Aldridge laughed too.

PS: Thanks to idcub for the reward!