The Young Lion

Aldridge spent a lot of money last season and almost used up half of the club's cost to build a new team. It was a season of life and death. If Millwall could not be promoted, Aldridge would lose many of the main players in the team. Players, at the same time, he will not be able to control these players in the team.

Playing in the Premier League in the new season, although they can continue to survive as long as they are relegated, this will greatly affect the height that Millwall can achieve, because Aldridge will inevitably lose the outstanding players in the team.

The career of a professional player is very short. From maturity to peak, it may take less than ten years. In such a decade, if a professional player wants to create professional glory, he must be based on a strong In the team, if Millwall can't provide such an environment, Aldridge can't blame anyone in the team for being divorced.

The Premier League is undoubtedly a bigger stage than the League One, and it is a place that will directly attract the attention of Europe. When Millwall players are exposed to a brighter spotlight, as long as there is a slight achievement, the crowd will come one after another. It is the transfer intention of major European giants and first-tier clubs.

The football world is so cruel. The best and most excellent resources will be divided up by giants entrenched in various countries. Especially at the end of 1995, after the implementation of Bosman's Law, the most typical exception is the new division that was hollowed out. Champions League champions Ajax.

Aldridge needs a championship trophy to inspire people this season. If it is not a miracle like the Premier League title, then it can only be two domestic cup titles.

Members of the coaching staff also understand that Millwall's situation this season is grim.

In the final analysis, Millwall is a small temple. If you want to keep the great god, you must gild yourself. Only the radiance can make people yearn.

Tolop pondered: Maybe it's a little strange to say this, but I think this season, we can use the league to train the players and try to narrow the gap between the substitute lineup and the main lineup. In this way, we can strive for a next season. An unprecedentedly strong lineup, rather than an embarrassing situation where the substitutes are difficult to provoke. We can go all out in the League Cup and the FA Cup. At least, the two cups, from the Premier League team's entry into the game to the final, only need Seven games, of course, on the premise that there is no replay. Moreover, the League Cup schedule, except for the finals around the end of February and early March, the first six games will be completed from the end of August to the end of January, while the FA Cup starts from January We started to participate in the battle at the beginning of the month until the champion was determined in May. There is a lot of room for us to adjust in the middle, at least most of the time of the two cups will not overlap, and we can prepare independently.

Tolop's point of view has been unanimously recognized by the coaching staff.

Millwall needs a champion, but in terms of the difficulty of the championship, it must be the most difficult in the league, and the difficulty of the cup is less, especially even if the draw is against a strong team, it is difficult to guarantee that the strong team will not be distracted by the league and underestimate the cup.

After thinking for a while, Aldrich said: Well, then our plan for this season is that the main lineup will go all out for the cup competition. In the league, we will now plan the rotation according to the schedule, and hand over the important league games to the main lineup. Especially in games against strong teams, the weaker opponents will be dealt with by the substitute lineup, as long as the substitute lineup does not collapse, then next season, the first team that has experienced the tempering of the Premier League will be even stronger.

Next, the coaching staff began to study the schedule.

Speaking of which, every team in the Premier League will encounter a devil's schedule during the season, especially for weak teams, they will always encounter strong teams in a certain period of time.

Millwall was a bit unlucky.

First round of the league: a guest at Old Trafford.

Second round: vs. Arsenal.

The third round: a guest at Anfield.

The fourth round: a guest to challenge the defending champion Blackburn.

Fifth round: Home game against Nottingham Forest.

 …

Regarding the schedule, Aldridge has no complaints. He feels that there is nothing to complain about. In fact, the FA schedule is not random and disorderly. If you observe the schedule carefully, you will find that other teams will be like this in the devil's schedule. Opponents, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest... It's just that Millwall played such a schedule from the first round.

On the premise that there is no game rescheduling, the Millwall coaching staff has made a rough rotation plan. This is a big keynote. As for injuries or game rescheduling, it only needs to make a small adjustment to deal with it. .

Moreover, in Aldrich's coaching ideas, no player in the team can exceed the density of one game a week, that is to say, within a game cycle of about nine months, no player will play more than 38 times. This is to avoid player injuries. The disease is also to maintain the player's game hunger and avoid psychological boredom caused by too many games. In the long run, it is also for the player's peak career to last longer.

After this topic was over, Aldrich took the lead in smoking a cigarette in the conference room. After everyone relaxed for ten minutes, Aldrich raised an important topic again.

Guys, I want to start this season with a change in the tactical style of the team.

Everyone cheer up and wait for the next article.

Aldridge turned on the projector in the conference room and projected the pictures he had prepared on the big screen, which showed the 442 formation used by Millwall's current main lineup.

The four backs are parallel, with two midfielders, one behind and one forward, two full-backs, and two forwards, one forward and one slightly behind.

Last season, our substitute lineup used such a 433 formation.

Aldridge put another picture next to it, which is the formation after Beckham left in the second half of last season.

The four backs are parallel, three midfielders, one behind, one in the middle circle, one slightly forward, and then the striker with three arrows.

Actually, the tactical formation formed by the substitute lineup is my ideal formation. Last season, because I was worried that such a 433 formation would cause weak attack due to the lack of a midfield commander, I used the traditional 442. And I think in the top arena, the balance of offense and defense is the most important. In the fast game rhythm of the top arena, in the 442 formation, once the central midfielder goes forward to assist and is counterattacked, it is unrealistic to only rely on the midfielder to intercept. The 433 is based on the strong control of the midfield, to achieve the combination of the side and the center, the winger cuts inside, the full back inserts an assist and other offensive methods, the distribution of responsibilities in the middle, the defensive midfielder is the first to focus on defense, and the two central midfielders, One is in charge of organization, the other is supporting, the three arrows must not only make full use of the width of the field, but also be able to change positions frequently and insert into the penalty area to achieve the best offensive effect.

Seeing the two tactical diagrams on the big screen, the members of the coaching staff thought about each other, and Aldridge projected a more detailed tactical explanation on the big screen.

Jansen asked puzzledly, Three forwards, two of them are wingers?

In the traditional sense, wingers mostly create threats on the wing, and their main function is to deliver shells to the center. If the winger in Aldrich's 433 formation only plays this role, then the loss of a striker in the center does not necessarily increase the power. .

Aldridge said seriously: Wingers, but not simply wingers who pass from the bottom, such wingers need to have the ability to cut inside and score, and they must be able to match the center forward, two midfielders, and the corresponding wing backs. To form a cooperation, especially when the full-back assists to form an advantage in the number of wingers, the winger must insert into the penalty area or attract the attention of the defensive players, or directly form a shot opportunity to complete the score.

Jansen frowned and said, This requires too much ability from a winger. Able to pass the ball accurately, have a sense of movement and coordination, have the ability to break through, and must also have the footwork to shoot. This is just offense, and defense must also be spared. Run vigorously.

Aldrich nodded and said: Yes, the requirements are of course high, but we have such talents in the team, Pires, Larson, I believe they can do it, Solskjaer is no problem , Shevchenko, who just arrived in the summer, although he is the material to play a center forward, he can also be competent for this position, especially in tactics, after a winger breaks into the penalty area or completes a switch with the center forward, in the penalty area, like Larson , Shevchenko, a center-forward player, is even more powerful.

Jansen nodded after thinking for a while and said: The idea is very good. Let's not talk about the striker. There are three positions in the midfield. We have Makelele in the midfielder position. Gattuso can meet the tactical requirements. Then the midfielder can meet the tactical requirements. Where is the commander? Vieira? Or Nedved?

No, next season I will still use 442, because if I change to 433, then Schneider will be withdrawn from the main lineup by me. I don't want to do this, and it will chill his heart. But I hope that the club will go from top to bottom. Instill this tactical concept in the players, especially the substitute lineup and the role of midfield commander. I plan to train the new Italian boy, Andrea Pirlo. Nedved's future midfielder is As a supporting role, his wide range of running and forward threat to the penalty area will be one of the flexible winning points in tactical changes.

The members of the coaching staff looked at each other in blank dismay. They did not expect Aldridge to value the newcomer Pirlo so much. The role of commander must be the tactical soul of the team. The spiritual leader of the team.

Regarding the reform of the tactics, Aldrich and his colleagues discussed for a long time, improving the immature parts, exploring more valuable tactical changes, and so on.

When the meeting ended, Aldridge applauded everyone, encouraged each other, and cheered for the new season!

Later, the coaching staff of the first team went to the Leo youth training base to meet the players, and then took a family portrait of the 95/96 season together on the brand new training ground!

Together with last year's new family portrait, it was posted in the corridors of Leo's youth training base. At the same time, souvenirs for the new season are also on sale in the club store. New jerseys, new scarves, new posters, etc., everything has a new look .

Of course, a new season, a new challenge, for the championship trophy!

Attached is the first team list of Millwall in the 95/96 season.

Goalkeepers: Keller, Bute, Wright.

Defenders: Stam, Southgate, Richards, Materazzi, Helguera, Mills, Ferdinand, Thuram, Zambrotta. neil.

Midfield: Vieira, Gattuso, Makelele, Nedved, Ballack, Pirlo, Lampard.

Forwards: Pires, Glenshire. Schneider, Trezeguet, Toni, Ruud, Larsson, Phillips, Solskjaer, Shevchenko.

A total of thirty people.

Volume 1: A Hundred Years Without a Crown - The End

Next Volume: The King of London