The League Cup final is about to begin, and Aldridge is doing his final pre-war mobilization in the locker room.
The players all understand Aldridge's style and will not talk about tactics before the game. Those tasks were completed in the past week's preparations.
There was silence in the locker room. The players put on their jerseys, tied their shoelaces, and stared at Aldridge solemnly with their heads held high.
Aldridge walked up to Keller solemnly and asked in a deep voice: "Do you want the championship?"
Keller replied without hesitation: "Yes!"
Aldridge moved to the side, came to Southgate, and continued to ask: "Do you want a championship?"
"Boss, I can only dream about it!"
Aldridge walked up to Stam again and asked: "Do you want a championship?"
"Of course I do!"
...
He asked the same question to every player in the locker room, and the answers he got were naturally the same.
No one doesn't want a championship.
After the Q&A, Aldrich stood in the middle and said in a deep voice: "We all want the championship, we are extremely eager, but how can we win the championship? Is it Henrik? Or David? Pavel? Robert?
Bernd Claude? I tell you, yes and no!"
Aldrich pointed at Keller and said loudly: "Today, you are the protagonist!"
"The same to you!"
"And you!"
"You, you, you... you are all the most important people, and together you are the most powerful team. Why? Because we are united! We are twisted into a rope, and our fists are directed towards
Against the enemy, we are individually imperfect, but we complement each other effectively, which makes us invulnerable and makes us far more powerful than we appear, right?"
Aldridge's piercing eyes scanned each player, and they all nodded firmly.
They deeply believe this. In the nearly two years under Aldridge, they have deeply understood the importance of the team. The football philosophy that Aldridge instilled in them has also been reflected on the court, which has allowed them to grow rapidly.
It has exerted a more powerful strength than the superposition of individuals.
"Remember, glory belongs to the collective and belongs to each of you. Today, we are going to usher in a final. We cannot predict what will happen on the football field, but we can first imagine that if we are unable to score a goal,
What should we do? Don't panic, stay focused on the game, don't be overwhelmed by the panic of losing the championship in your mind, believe in your teammates, believe in yourself. What if we are ahead? We must stay calm, the football field is changing rapidly, and the game is not.
At the end of the game, anything can happen. We must never let victory slip through our fingers. We persist until the end of the game, and then we celebrate unbridled. What is the worst case scenario? We fall behind and are advanced by our opponents.
The ball is out, what should you do now? Remember, adversity is the best stage to test a player. Withstand the pressure and show the determination and willpower to overtake the opponent. Only in this way can you prove your excellence. Tell me,
Can you do it?"
As soon as Aldridge finished speaking, a deafening roar sounded in the locker room.
"able!"
Aldrich nodded solemnly and said: "Okay, Mad Lion, let's charge."
After saying that, Aldridge took the lead to walk out of the locker room, and the players lined up and walked out in high spirits.
After walking out of the tunnel and onto the pitch, Aldridge went to say hello to Aston Villa coach Brian Little.
When the game is over, the two will definitely not meet again, so they say hello in advance as a courtesy before the game.
When Aldridge returned to stand in front of the coaching bench, he raised his head and looked around Wembley Stadium. This national team match stadium was packed with seats. Most of the stands were a sea of blue, and a patch of dark red could also be seen. Today, it was obvious that the stadium was full of people.
There were far more Millwall fans than Aston Villa fans.
It is estimated that more than 40,000 Millwall fans came to the scene, while Aston Villa only had more than 10,000. After all, this is London, and Millwall has half a home advantage.
Brady led more than 3,000 members of the Roar fan organization in the stands, holding up dark blue scarves in unison. The scarf had a simple design.
1995-1996, Millwall team logo, Millwall name.
The meaning is very simple. They hope that this scarf will be the most memorable one.
Millwall fans were a little quiet in the stands today. Apart from singing, they didn't even look at the Aston Villa fans.
Most fans are also filled with emotions such as anxiety, tension, excitement, worries about gains and losses, etc.
Millwall made history when they stepped onto Wembley.
Even if they lose the game, it is Millwall's best result in a domestic cup.
In the previous 110 years of history, they had not even finished a single cup runner-up!
But, who will remember the runner-up?
When we come here, of course we want the damn champion!
Grandfather, grandpa, father, as well as the family members and children around him, and the pairs of eyes in the stands no longer represent individuals, but the expectations that have been inherited for a hundred years.
Millwall, let us be more proud and proud!
The referee team led the players from both teams to enter the field.
"Welcome to Wembley Stadium, where we will witness the birth of England's first championship of the season on this sunny afternoon. There is no doubt that this is a historic moment for Millwall.
In the final, they have created the best cup result in the club's history, and Aston Villa has entered the League Cup final for the second time in three years. They should be more calm and calm than Millwall because they know how to face it.
In such a high-profile game, the players are lining up for a group photo, and then the starting players of both sides will be introduced to the audience."
Southgate exchanged team flags with Aston Villa captain Hugo Ehiogu, then shook hands with members of the refereeing staff, and then they returned to their respective teams for a pre-final photo op.
Then, Millwall's players gathered in a circle, bent down and put their arms around their teammates.
I don’t know when, this became their habit. Before the game starts, the captain will also take the lead in boosting morale.
"Millwall."
"Go, go, go!"
Southgate led the players to shout three times, and then everyone roared and straightened up, stood in formation and prepared to kick off.
"Today Millwall's starting lineup is familiar to us, goalkeeper: Keller, defenders: Thuram, Stam, Southgate, Neil. Midfielder: Schneider, Makelele, Ned
Wade, Pires. Forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet. Their starting formation is 442. In comparison, the formation of Aston Villa's starting players today surprised us. Goalkeeper:
Oaks, defender: Nelson, Ehiogu, Simeka,
Wright, Staunton, midfielder: Draper, Taylor, Kosic, forward: Milosevic, Yorke. It seems that Aston Villa's head coach Little is very afraid of Millwall's attack today.
He put up a five-back formation, which looks like 532. However, Yorke on the front line has good passing skills, and his range of activities should be very large. Therefore, it may also be a 541 formation, waiting for the game.
Let’s take a closer look after we start.”
Aston Villa's formation surprised Aldridge.
Aston Villa, which is ranked fifth in the Premier League, certainly cannot play such a conservative 532. This is an adjustment made for this game.
The midfield and backfield players in Aston Villa's lineup are all capable players. They may not have any big stars, but they are definitely at the mid-level level of the Premier League.
As for the two forwards on the front line, one is Savo Milosevic. This Serbian is a typical shooter. He can score goals with both head and kick, but he lacks other qualities. He is the kind of player who needs
The forward who was fed the ball by others happened to be his partner Dwight Yorke
He has certain support ability and can pass the ball at his feet. This Yorke is also the same Yorke who later partnered with Andy Cole in Manchester United's Black Wind Double. He has strong and transcendent physical fitness and is able to resist the pressure of defenders.
And the type of striker who holds the ball firmly.
Brian Little seems to be using counterattack defense to win the League Cup.
After the game started, Aldridge observed the situation on the court and frowned slightly.
Aston Villa really tightened its defense and had a very strong sense of hierarchy. The three midfielders protected the edge of the penalty area and never rushed forward. The five defenders were not lined up in a row. Simeca was more like a deep-lying central defender.
It is to prevent Millwall from inserting in behind or penetrating the threatening ball through the back line.
This defensive strategy cannot be said to be original or advanced. It can even be said to be retro. In terms of tactical principles, it is very similar to the first generation of Italian chain defense.
Just like the fishing work of fishermen in the Mediterranean, there is not one net thrown into the sea for fishing, but two. There is an attached net behind the main net, so that the fish missed by the main net can also be caught successfully, ensuring that there are no
A fish that slipped through the net.
In the chain defense, the role of the deep-lying central defender is to act as an attached net, blocking and destroying missed balls or forward attacking players.
Millwall's offense was impressive and they were very patient at first. However, after several penetrations were destroyed by the dense defensive line, the formation began to press forward involuntarily. More and more players were involved in the attack, and even formed a counterattack against Aspen.
Dunvilla's half-time siege.
The cheers in the stands were loud, and the Millwall fans were very excited when they saw this posture. The championship should be within reach.
But Aldrich had cold sweat on his forehead and felt bad in his heart.
The players have been motivated during preparation, which makes them more forward-pressing and aggressive on the court.
But it seems that all this is exactly what Aston Villa wants.
They put on a defensive stance from the beginning and were not afraid of Millwall's mad attack.
The offense was too forward, and Millwall's second half was empty. Although there were three players to ensure the defense, could Makelele, Stam, and Southgate cover the entire second half?
The opponent's Milosevic and York were fighting alone in the counterattack, and the space they were given to run was very large. Once they seized the opportunity, the consequences would be disastrous.
Aldridge shouted the players' names on the sidelines, telling the two full-backs not to assist too frequently. This was the final, and defense was always the first priority.
But after Thuram and Neal withdrew, the frontcourt offense became even more difficult to penetrate, as if they were stuck in a quagmire.
After the pressure in Aston Villa's midfield and backcourt was reduced, they did not invest too much in the offense. The offense was very simple. A long pass or a direct pass sent the ball to the frontcourt. The rest depends on the freedom of the two forwards.
Played.
When Aldrich saw this scene, he kept telling himself to calm down.
This is a final competition of patience. Whoever loses an inch first will be showing his destiny to his opponent.
Especially defensive counterattack tactics like Aston Villa's often find a good opportunity after the opponent loses their mind and attacks madly, and then wins the victory with a fatal blow.
ps: Thanks to "I'm calling Pianpian" for the reward!
