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Chapter 124: Master and Apprentice Turn Against Each Other

On the weekend, Lion's Den Stadium continued to draw packed crowds, with Millwall riding high on their momentum, and the fans were eager to support their team.

The visitors to Lion's Den Stadium were Blackburn, the reigning champions of the Premier League, who had seen a noticeable decline in performance this season. They finished bottom of their Champions League group and were unlikely to retain their league title. A critical factor in their struggles was their away performance; last season, they and Manchester United were the best away teams, but this year, Blackburn couldn't secure a single win on the road. Without their home strength, they might not even be able to maintain a position in the upper half of the table.

This season, the two teams had faced each other twice, both ending in draws. However, Aldrich had not sent out his main players in those matches; today, in this cup tie, he was fielding his strongest possible lineup.

The starting formation was 4-3-3, the same as last week's league match, with Vieira replacing Pirlo to bolster the midfield's toughness. After all, Blackburn built their strategy around strong offensive play, and their SAS front line remained formidable.

Neil reclaimed his spot in the starting lineup, with Trezeguet leading the attack, supported by Pires on the left and Larsson on the right. Aldrich had talked with Larsson last year about playing a winger role—not just any winger, but one that could both assist and score. Larsson happily agreed, as his speed and technical skills made him adept at cutting into the box and taking shots. Having played the winger position for the Swedish national team, this role posed no issue for him.

Aldrich didn't see moving players around as a significant problem; formations themselves were neutral, as tactics combined formation and style. If Aldrich asked Larsson to play as a classic winger, Larsson would likely object because he had a strong desire to score. Aldrich's current expectation for wingers prioritized scoring ability since Millwall had shifted from two forwards pressing the box to one, which had dampened their attacking power. However, this was merely a strategy to hide their attacking points better.

Before the match, Aldrich exchanged a few words with Blackburn's coach, Halford, who was under considerable pressure. Taking over from Dalglish was no easy feat, especially with a championship team reeling from poor performances in both European and league competitions. Blackburn's attendance had also noticeably decreased this season, which was understandable given that Blackburn was located in a small town of just 100,000 people—where poor performance directly impacted attendance. Unlike in a large metropolitan area like London, where tickets for matches could often be hard to come by, with touts prevalent outside the stadium.

Halford tried to lighten the mood with a tease, suggesting that Aldrich should aim for the league title, but Aldrich just smiled in silence. Winning the league isn't just about striving for it; there's much more involved. Aldrich felt a stronger confidence in the cup competition—win it, and the trophy is yours.

Millwall had never given up on any match. Aldrich sent a youthful lineup onto the field, believing that every game, regardless of the outcome, held value.

As the game commenced, Aldrich stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, watching intently.

In their two previous encounters, Blackburn and Millwall had drawn both times. Coming to Lion's Den Stadium today, Blackburn aimed to change that trend with a strong start. They attacked fiercely right from the opening whistle.

However, with the French duo of Makelele and Vieira wreaking havoc in midfield, Blackburn found it challenging to push into the danger area. Shearer managed to squeeze out a chance but his effort went sailing over the crossbar.

Both teams engaged in a fierce midfield battle from the beginning, and the players quickly displayed a high level of competitive spirit.

Aldrich felt confident in his team, believing that his tactical philosophy was ahead of the curve and that their skill level typically put them at an advantage. However, everyone needed a testing phase to adapt to the rhythm of the match.

The partnership of Vieira and Makelele was undoubtedly a top-tier defensive configuration; ten years later, it would be this pair that supported Zidane in the World Cup final.

As Blackburn pressured heavily, their numbers in attack increased, which, ironically, opened up more space at the back.

Southgate intercepted a ball from Sutton and sent a diagonal pass to Vieira, who turned to deliver a precise forward pass toward the right flank. Thuram made a surging run down the side, and Millwall's offense swept through like a gale once again.

Thuram combined with Nedvěd for a quick give-and-go to bypass Wilcox, continuing his advance with the ball. Larsson dropped back to link up with him, executing another give-and-go that tore through Soskys' defense.

Larsson darted into the box, and Thuram pushed the ball to the edge before delivering a cut-back to the penalty arc. Instead of shooting, Larsson laid it off to Trezeguet, who had drawn the defenders into the box, creating space for Nedvěd's run.

Nedvěd, at the edge of the box, made a feigned shooting motion that compelled the defenders to close in, attempting to block with their bodies.

However, Nedvěd executed a delicate lofted pass to the left ahead.

Pires timed his run perfectly, beating the offside trap to find himself one-on-one with Blackburn's keeper, Frawley. Pires chose not to shoot, instead passing the ball across the goal, where Trezeguet, having slipped past the defenders, tapped it into the empty net.

"What an indescribably beautiful goal! Millwall is showcasing textbook teamwork! While fans rave about how spectacular Newcastle United's games are, they need to come watch Millwall, whose fluid play is nothing short of exquisite. Every player is performing an essential role, and without a doubt, Millwall is growing stronger. Their opponents must start figuring out how to defend against them because, as it stands, every point seems like a threat, and Thuram, as a full-back, assisted the attack deep into the opponent's half. The ball quickly switched from the right side to the left, leaving Blackburn's defense dizzy and unable to cope."

Aldrich raised his arms in celebration, turning to the stands, urging the crowd for even louder support.

This goal was not only beautiful but also struck a heavy blow to the visitors' morale.

Halford called his players over on the sidelines, instructing them to drop deeper, compress the space in front of the goal, and focus their counters on the side where the opponents' full-backs were pushing forward.

However, it appeared that Blackburn's players were unwilling to heed his commands.

They were championship-caliber players; had Dalglish been in charge, they might have listened, but with Halford at the helm, his authority clearly paled in comparison to a championship coach's.

Blackburn sought to respond aggressively, sticking to their strategy of crossing from the wings and pushing into the box. But their one-on-one efforts yielded poor results. Both Neil and Thuram were aggressive defenders, denying any opportunities for the opposition to break through successfully.

Millwall's immediate counterattacks following successful defense were devastating since they committed even more players forward with supporting movements from the full-backs, and Vieira also pressed higher up. This led to a strange phenomenon on television broadcasts.

It often felt like Blackburn had fewer players than Millwall on the pitch.

They were executing offense with fewer numbers and defending with fewer players as well.

This was a testament to Millwall's superior fitness, allowing them to retreat for defense while quickly launching counterattacks.

After a week of anticipation for this match, Millwall completely dismantled Blackburn in the first half.

Trezeguet received the ball with his back turned and sent a diagonal pass to an onrushing Larsson, who made a successful run to score easily. Just before halftime, Nedvěd connected with a cross from Pires at the back post, unexpectedly popping up to nod in another goal.

Leading 3-0 at halftime, the Blackburn players were dejected, sensing that they were living a nightmare in this game.

As Halford walked into the player tunnel, he scolded his boys, adamant that if they had listened, they would not have suffered such a heavy loss in the first half.

What followed was an astonishing scene in the Blackburn locker room, with defender Hendry spitting at Halford and disparaging his coaching abilities.

In the end, the situation escalated into a physical altercation.

Aldrich quickly called for staff to separate them, as chaos erupted within Blackburn. Aldrich was uncertain how to handle the situation next.

Should he bar Hendry from the locker room? After all, they still had a second half to play.

Fortunately, Hendry resolved this issue himself by marching straight into the locker room to grab his belongings, leaving the stadium without looking back.

After the excitement faded, Aldrich noticed his players gathered together discussing the earlier conflict in the player tunnel.

Leaning against the doorframe, Aldrich chose to remain silent. Blackburn's morale was evidently shaken, making things difficult for Halford. Since the first goal was conceded in the first half, Halford had been anxiously shouting from the sidelines for his players to defend, defend, defend...

Suddenly, Aldrich felt fortunate. Two years ago, when he sought a coaching position, if he had been hired, he might not have the authority he had now.

The advantages of being both the owner and head coach were clear; holding the players' paychecks in one hand while controlling their professional futures with the other.

The clear advantage of being both the owner and head coach is that he holds the players' paychecks in one hand while having control over their careers in the other. If anyone dares to defy him, it's the players who will leave, and he will experience very little anxiety about his own position.

This allowed him to focus completely on the match.

In the second half, Aldrich made three substitutions, taking off Makelele, Stam, and Larsson, and bringing on Ballack, Materazzi, and Shevchenko.

The starters got a rest, and with slight adjustments to the formation, Aldrich settled down to watch the remaining minutes of the game.

When the final whistle blew, the score stood at 4-0.

During halftime, Blackburn likely faced a harsh reprimand from Halford in the locker room, leading to a very conservative approach in the second half. Millwall took full advantage of this, with Trezeguet scoring twice and ultimately winning the match 4-0, confidently advancing to the next round of the FA Cup.