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Chapter 340: Aldrich's Anger

Pirlo accurately passed the ball to Nedved, who quickly passed the ball to Ronaldinho who cut inside from the left. The Brazilian took one touch, aimed into space and slid the ball through the space between United's defense and midfield. Larsson uses his explosive speed to rush forward when he catches the ball. In an instant, he changed direction and cleverly avoided Erwin. However, Johnsen rushed up to block him, forcing Larsson to cut inside again. A breakaway would have given him a clear chance to shoot, but he moved too quickly and Johnsen was already close to him. The two collided violently and Larson fell to the ground. The referee waved play on, deeming it a reasonable collision.

After getting back up, Larsson sat down again, pressing his thigh and signaling for a substitution.

"Oh no, it seems Larsson is injured; he's requesting a sub. Millwall will have to make a forced change now."

Aldrich's expression darkened on the sidelines. The collision was indeed a fair challenge by Premier League standards, and such clashes were commonplace on the field. Whether a player gets injured often depends on their physicality and how well they can protect themselves during collisions.

Having launched himself forward just before the impact, Larsson found himself in a disadvantaged position, raising the probability of injury.

Aldrich signaled for Gronkjaer to warm up. It was a forced substitution, and he quickly communicated with Jansen to assign Gronkjaer tasks on the field. With the end of the first half approaching, Aldrich planned to give Gronkjaer detailed instructions during the halftime break.

As Larsson exited the field with the help of the team doctor, Aldrich patted his shoulder in consolation before turning his attention back to the match.

With Larsson out, Aldrich immediately gestured for his forwards to fall back, necessary to mitigate their numerical disadvantage.

However, due to their inexperience, both Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldinho failed to grasp the significance of being one man down at that moment.

They didn't retreat enough, giving Manchester United a prime opportunity to push forward.

Especially on Erwin's side: with Larsson off the pitch, he felt no defensive pressure and seized the chance to move up.

Manchester United continued to press hard on the left to generate opportunities.

Schneider was holding his own against Giggs, even though the latter managed to make a pass. Still, the pace had slowed down, allowing Millwall's defense to set up comfortably. Defending had become quite easy.

As Erwin pushed forward, Giggs passed the ball back. Ervin sprinted with the ball and Schneider began to come under pressure.

If only Van Nistelrooy had been smarter or more experienced, he could have either dropped back to assist Nedved on the wing or interfered with Erwin. But Van Nistelrooy remained glued to Keane...

Schneider, left with no alternative, had to move forward to challenge Erwin. As he did, Erwin executed the expected pass back to Giggs, who smartly cut inside. In a moment of deception just within the penalty area, Giggs faked a shot to distract the Millwall defense. Just then, he played the ball back to the top of the box where Scholes, appearing ready for a long strike, allowed it to roll through to Beckham, making a late run into the attack. Beckham sent a through ball that split Millwall's defense effortlessly. Cole and York, who had been persistent on the left, quickly transitioned to the right side. With Southgate preoccupied with York, Cole pulled the ball across and took a shot. Butt dived for the save but couldn't prevent the ball from hitting the inside of the post and nestling into the bottom corner.

"Just before halftime, Manchester United equalized! This offensive play was absolutely brilliant. They had been attacking down the left but suddenly pivoted to the right. Such a shift in rhythm and direction tore Millwall's defense apart, and Cole finished with impressive composure, maintaining his fine form from last season."

Ferguson clapped enthusiastically, clearly pleased with his players' performance.

Aldridge couldn't hide his frustration. He raised his hands angrily and questioned Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ronaldinho.

His expression was one of anger—a rare sight in the past.

Previously, their style had been conservative, focused on defensive counterattacks. The players' mentality leaned heavily towards defending, placing that as their top priority.

However, this was a different scenario. Although Millwall wasn't a top club, they were undeniably recognized as a strong team, often dictating the pace of the game. Players like Shevchenko and Trezeguet understood the importance of defending; they had come from that background and never lost their core skills.

Yet for Ronaldinho and Van Nistelrooy, once they stepped into the starting XI, it seemed to be all about attack, prioritizing offense over defense!

Aldrich had warned them before, but they brushed it off, thinking they were in the lead with halftime approaching. Their focus had diminished.

Van Nistelrooy's defensive positioning was lacking, and Ronaldinho had been following Beckham, a step behind when Beckham accelerated forward, failing to respond quickly enough to Beckham's pass. All Ronaldinho could do was watch helplessly as their goal was breached.

Aldridge's angry reaction to the fumble stunned Lions fans in the Den. Because while they were a little frustrated at conceding the goal, it wasn't to the level of disappointment or anger.

Aldridge didn't mind conceding the ball. After all, which team can avoid conceding a goal? The key question for him is what caused the goal to be conceded. In the game against Manchester United, if Beckham scored directly from a free kick, he would have nothing to say. This kind of goal is purely personal skill and has little to do with defense.

However, if conceding was a result of their own mistakes, Aldrich couldn't tolerate it—especially when it was within the players' capabilities to prevent such errors.

As the match was about to restart, Aldrich substituted Gronkjaer into the game. With only two minutes of stoppage time left in the first half, Millwall focused on solidifying their defense, allowing Gronkjaer to integrate into the team first.

With Manchester United having equalized away from home, they weren't in a rush to attack. With both teams at equal strength, they couldn't continue their previously risky offensive strategy. Millwall's counterattacking prowess put pressure on Manchester United, as the offensive players hadn't yet found their rhythm. Ronaldinho and Van Nistelrooy still needed to accumulate more match experience.

Especially in such a high-stakes match!

Aldrich entered the players' tunnel with a stern expression. As the players filed into the dressing room one by one, he slammed the door shut with a heavy thud and turned to Van Nistelrooy, seething with anger. "When I specifically tell you to tighten up defensively, you need to realize that you have to do more than just meet the pre-match expectations. Henrik is off with an injury, leaving us a man down. Elvin has moved up to assist—can't you see that?"

Van Nistelrooy kept his head down, afraid to respond, nor did he offer any excuses.

Aldrich then turned to Ronaldinho, snapping, "I told you to mark Beckham during our pre-match talk, and you assured me you could handle it. Yet here we are; he assisted a goal right in front of you!"

Ronaldinho didn't bow his head but sincerely replied, "I'm sorry, boss."

Aldrich waved his hand, saying, "Don't apologize to me; you've let your teammates down."

He looked around at all the players and spoke in a chilling tone, "In the last four years, we've achieved remarkable feats and made significant progress. If any of you think that this allows you to coast from now on, waiting for trophies and accolades to come rolling in, you're finished—completely finished! Your professional careers will be a washout! Don't forget that the foundation of success is your own hard work! You've got to push yourselves harder than anyone else, harder than your rivals, because it's the effort you put in that opens the door to success—not some entitlement to it! In the second half, I want to see nothing but peak focus and an unwavering desire to win. We will defend our goal as a unit and tear down theirs as one!"

Ronaldinho immediately responded, "Boss, I understand."

Aldrich shot back, "It's not enough to just understand! You should say, 'I can do it! I will exceed your expectations!'"

Ronaldinho raised his head and proclaimed, "Boss, I can do it! I will deliver beyond what you expect!"

Van Nistelrooy quickly raised his head and declared loudly, "I can do it too!"

Aldrich's demeanor softened slightly. He didn't want to be angry, but he needed to put his foot down at the right moment to ensure these newly promoted starters understood reality.

It must be said that many young players who "marry into a top club" somewhat naively believe that achieving success in a bigger team will be easier. You can't blame them for thinking this way; the reality is that larger clubs tend to see results more often. But if such thinking lowers their own standards, then even if a large club enjoys ongoing success, when it comes time for recognition, the contributions of players will differ. Those with a luck-based mentality will likely remain on the margins.

Aldrich began adjusting the tactics for the second half. Not just to counter the opponent, but for his own team's adjustment; Larsson and Gronkjaer brought distinctly different playing styles.

Before the second half began, Aldrich returned to the sidelines, took a seat, and waited silently for the match to restart.

Ferguson also settled down. With Manchester United having equalized, while he wouldn't say it, he felt satisfied with a draw.

The Manchester United club was currently facing stormy weather. Stabilizing the team's performance was paramount to avoid criticism aimed at him, especially with a potential new owner looming.

The moment the second half kicked off, Millwall's approach completely transformed.

On the left, Ronaldinho rarely pushed forward but focused on orchestrating play, drawing the attention of Manchester United's defense and distributing the ball to either Nedved or Pirlo.

He shifted the play from midfield to the right, allowing Gronkjaer to challenge Erwin. Last year, Gronkjaer had matched Erwin, and now with Erwin another year older, Gronkjaer had matured, becoming sharper in his play.

Throughout the second half, Millwall's players exhibited tremendous focus, showing no issues either offensively or defensively.

"Ronaldinho's position and role on the pitch now resemble that of a classic attacking midfielder, which may sound odd, but it's true. By actively engaging with Pirlo and Nedvěd, Millwall's control of the midfield has noticeably improved, almost evoking the essence of samba football. Watching Ronaldinho's skillful dribbling is a true pleasure; Pirlo's touches and turns are executed with grace and poise, while Nedvěd's passes are sharp and precise. Coupled with Glen Johnson's explosive runs down the right flank, the Lion's Den feels like Hollywood by the Thames!"

Glen Johnson broke down the right wing and sent in a series of low crosses. He made three consecutive passes: two to Van Nistelrooy, one of which was saved by Schmeichel, and another that cleverly bypassed Stam, but was intercepted and cleared by Keane from behind. As the game progressed, Manchester United began to pay more attention to Ruud van Nistelrooy's position.

Ferguson's expression grew tense.

The left-back issue for Manchester United resurfaced. Indeed, Elvin was getting on in years; this was a young man's game. Faced with the speed of Glen Johnson, Elvin was left with no choice but to commit fouls or retreat defensively to prevent any crosses...