The Young Lion

Midweek cup games or league games are played in the evenings because fans have to work during the day.

When Aldridge arrived at the Grimsby Club, the sky was already dark, and the brightly lit Blundell Park Stadium was full of noise and noise.

Aldridge could feel the frenzy inside the stadium from outside the club.

This is not a good sign!

Can make the home team fans so enthusiastic, obviously the home team performed well.

Aldridge didn't have a ticket, so naturally he couldn't enter the stadium directly. He came to the entrance of the club and had a verbal entanglement with the guard for a long time.

I'm the manager of Millwall Club, I'm late, now, I'm going in!

Sir, can you show your ID card?

The doorman is a new young guy, probably doesn't read the news usually, and doesn't know Aldridge.

Hey Jerry, let him in, he's Millwall's manager, he was here last season.

Someone in the club staff recognized Aldridge, but their attitude was not very welcoming. After all, in League One last season, Millwall beat Grimsby by three goals in an away game.

Aldrich was released, and the staff member who offered to help said indifferently: Mr. Hall, I'm afraid Millwall will not go back happily today.

Aldridge didn't bother to pay attention to him, because he had been here last season, so he had some impressions, he went straight to the player tunnel, and looked directly at the score board at the exit.

2:0

According to international practice, the home team is at the front and the visiting team is at the back.

The time shows the first half, 44:12, 44:13...

what the hell?

Millwall two goals down?

Aldridge glanced at the players on the field and counted them first. There were 22 players in total. Grimsby did not have 12 players, and Millwall did not reduce the number of players. Besides, Solskjaer and Richards were not included in Millwall. In addition, they are also the main force to play, so why are they falling behind?

He looked towards the coach bench of the visiting team. Jansen was standing on the sidelines with his arms folded and frowning. He didn't look flustered, but he looked helpless and helpless.

After the whistle sounded at the end of the first half, Aldridge disappeared in place.

The players of the two teams left the field, the players of Grimsby looked very happy, while the players of Millwall were downcast, as if they had lost their souls.

They always feel that there is something wrong with today's game, and they feel that something is missing when they play.

When the players had already walked into the locker room, Jenson was at the back. He was thinking about how to adjust the midfield, tactics? There is no problem with the tactics. Millwall is the main attack, and Grimsby is defensive. For most of the first half, Millwall suppressed the opponent. What happened? Did the team fall behind by two goals?

He wanted to copy Aldridge's method of motivating the players with enthusiasm, but he used it before the start of the game, and the effect was not good. The players looked at him indifferently, more like the audience watching an actor's performance.

Just when he was at a loss, he heard someone calling him.

Jensen, Jason!

Jansen looked around, and was surprised to see Aldrich waving at him at the corner of the corridor, looking sneaky like a thief.

Jansen walked quickly and said anxiously: Since you are here, hurry up and enter the locker room.

Things are going badly now!

Aldrich drew him in front of him, and the two walked around the corner. Aldrich took out a cigarette, and the two lit one respectively. After he exhaled the smoke, he asked softly, Tell me about the situation in the first half.

In the first half we had the upper hand, Grimsby were determined to defend and counter-attack, they took the lead with a corner kick, then we got a penalty in the box, Larsson kicked the penalty on the post and bounced. After coming out, we have been suppressing the opponent, but the opponent penetrated our defense line through a counter-attack. Many of the current League One teams are imitating us last season. Two fast horses, when counterattacking, use long passes to engage in individual combat.

That's not learning from us, it's just a trend. Our counterattack is to advance quickly as a whole, not relying on individual ability.

Oh, it's about this time, so don't make comments that don't concern you. What should we do now? We're behind by two goals.

Aldrich raised his wrist to look at his watch, and after he finished smoking a cigarette, he straightened his somewhat messy suit, and then walked towards the dressing room with a calm expression.

The atmosphere in the locker room was a bit depressing. Everyone didn't speak. After cleaning up their jerseys and shoes, they sat in their seats with closed eyes. No one seemed to care why Jenson didn't come into the locker room.

The captain on the field today is Nedved. He rarely speaks in the locker room. He uses practical actions to motivate his teammates on the field, but he is much quieter when it comes to mobilizing words. This is why Aldridge Southgate will be given the position of first captain.

The door of the locker room was pushed open, but the players still hung their heads.

Hey, long time no see. I have a private matter to deal with these two days, so I am not in the team. I apologize to everyone for this.

After Aldridge spoke, the players all looked up at him, all with incredulous expressions, staring straight at him, and their dim eyes gradually glowed.

Aldrich ignored their expressions, folded his arms and continued: I was in the stands in the first half, I watched the game, and you all performed well, but I think maybe you were tired, after all, four days ago We just played away against Liverpool, and we have to challenge the defending champion Blackburn this weekend, let's put it this way, I will let you rest for the weekend, but it seems that you already want to end the game early, it's okay, I can understand, It's just a Carabao Cup, don't take it to heart, you lose if you lose.

The players stared blankly at Aldridge, confused by his words.

The boss voluntarily surrendered?

And persuade them to surrender?

Aldridge shrugged and said: I went to the referee just now. I want him to be flexible and let Millwall directly replace 11 people on the field in the second half. Of course, we don't have enough substitutes, it doesn't matter, plus the coach The people in the group are enough. But the referee disagrees, so I want to consider replacing three of you, did anyone take the initiative to apply for a rest in the second half?

There was no sound in the locker room.

The whole team became extremely tense.

Aldridge scratched his head in a helpless manner, left without saying a word.

Okay, since none of you took the initiative to apply, let me decide. I need time to think about it. After I make a decision in the stands, Jenson will replace the three of you. Don't worry, this is not for Who, I'm satisfied with your performance, but the opponent is Grimsby, you can't get excited, can't you get excited, right?

Aldridge opened the locker room door and walked out.

The players looked at each other and swallowed the smear nervously. Everyone knew that Aldridge was already angry.

In the current Millwall, even if it is the main lineup, more than half of the players were unknown before, and Aldridge gave them a chance, gave them a high salary, and let them enter the public eye in England. In their eyes, Aldridge Qi is definitely an important role at the mentor level.

I don't know when, his praise or criticism directly affects the mood and mentality of the players.

It's just that he is not directing the game, and the players feel that their psychology is very different when they are on the court.

Now that Aldridge is back and has appeared, the hearts of the players are completely at ease.

In the second half, after the players had all played, Aldridge appeared at the exit of the player tunnel again. He leaned against the wall of the tunnel, watching the game in a leisurely manner.

The camera caught his appearance and immediately aimed at him, and the commentators also began to tease Aldridge.

What Aldridge didn't expect was that there were his fans among the staff at Grimsby Stadium. A slightly fat young man walked up to him and said a little excitedly: You are Mr. Hall, right? Can you give me A signature? You are amazing. You became the head coach when you were less than 20 years old, and you have done such a good job. I watched all the games Millwall played against Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. It was simply wonderful. Best game I've ever seen, Millwall...

As soon as he spoke, Aldridge listened patiently to his admiration, and finally signed his autograph, took a picture, and asked him to help pour a glass of water, from getting off the plane to During the several hours of rushing here, he didn't drink a drop of water, and his mouth was dry.

While he was drinking from his glass, there was a brief silence at Blundell Park.

Aldridge looked up towards the field, Solskjaer ran towards the center circle holding the ball, he just scored.

Hey, Millwall is awesome, he really scored a goal.

The staff member was still by Aldridge's side, and he seemed more excited than Aldridge when he saw Millwall's goal.

It is not difficult to understand that people who work in a football club may not necessarily be fans of this club. Liverpool has more than 20 years of loyal staff who are Everton fans.

In the second half, Millwall's style of play remained unchanged. The tactics were still the same as in the first half, but obviously played more dominantly. Grimsby retreated across the board, but the players' personal abilities were limited and they couldn't prevent Millwall's indiscriminate bombardment. fry.

After only 20 minutes in the second half, Millwall equalized the score. Schneider hit a free kick on the defensive player and bounced into the goal. It was a bit of luck, but luck is also part of strength.

Grimsby, who almost everyone retreated to the half-court defense, still suffered a heavy blow in the 87th minute of the game.

Stam scored with a header from a corner kick, and Millwall reversed Grimsby 3:2, no more, no less, just scored one more goal than the opponent.

Aldridge lied, he didn't replace anyone.

After the game, Jenson looked thoughtfully at Aldridge, who had turned and walked towards the locker room at the exit of the player tunnel, and smiled wryly in his heart: You always say that Nedved is the fighting spirit of the team, but you are the one in this team. The real soul of the team!