After winning the London Derby and defeating Chelsea, no matter what the situation was, Millwall still got three points, which also made the media still sing their praises.
Millwall's players live in London and see the news every day. The news that praises them makes them feel like they are in the clouds.
Victory, hymns, and championships seem within reach.
They don't have to worry about other teams. As long as they win the last three games, 90% of them will win the league championship.
However, they ignore their physical limitations.
The average person suddenly does strenuous exercise one day, and the body will inevitably feel a strong sense of fatigue and muscle soreness the next day. However, for normally well-trained players, in the case of one game a week, the recovery speed of the body basically exceeds the level of fatigue loss. Occasionally,
You can slow down by driving fast and taking proper rest.
But with the non-stop double games this month, even though Aldrich gave them as much time off as possible, they all rested at home honestly, but their body's recovery speed could never keep up with the accumulation of fatigue.
As early as a week ago, warnings from the medical department were placed in front of Aldrich several times.
But Aldrich could only lock the medical reports in a drawer.
The boys all want the league title and Aldridge wants it too.
On the contrary, the responsibility of losing the league championship is too great.
It was so big that even Aldrich didn't dare to take the initiative.
If his rotation results in the eventual failure to win the championship, it will have a series of negative impacts, and the chain reaction of this impact may directly disintegrate this team that already has many stars.
In the past, he was the one who knitted the players into a team and he was the leader. Now, the combined willpower of the players has made his leadership begin to waver. The players think they can win the championship based on their own ideas, some kind of
In a sense, Aldridge has been kidnapped by the will of the players, and at this critical moment, he cannot do anything to make this willpower collapse, otherwise, no matter he wins or loses, he will be the target of public criticism.
Is this rare?
Not at all. Many teams with superior strength have unsatisfactory results or even collapse. Many of the reasons behind this are that the will of the coach cannot resist the will of the players.
This is especially true for teams with big names or teams that can be described as "ball dominating".
There is no ball tyrant in the Millwall team. But Aldridge does not dare to offend the players. This is a fact, even though he is the boss, because he is afraid that his hard work in the past two years will be wasted.
Leeds United is not an easy opponent to deal with. Although this team, which was the top league champion four years ago, has reached its lowest period in recent years, it is a relegation team. The fighting power it has exploded in order to stay in the Premier League is amazing.
Players from both teams entered the Lion's Den Stadium amidst the shouts of winning the championship.
Aldridge did not go to greet Leeds United coach Wilkinson because in the first half of the league, Millwall was racially abused by Leeds United fans when they visited Elland Road. Wilkinson was condemned after the game.
Leeds United fans excused themselves, causing Aldridge and him to be unable to coexist peacefully.
Millwall and West Ham United are notorious for their football hooliganism, while Leeds United are the most notoriously racist team in the Premier League.
But Aldridge admires Wilkinson, who not only brought Leeds United from the trough to the heights of the top league championship, but also built Leeds United's youth training system. His contribution is no less than Shankly's to Liverpool and Busby to Manchester United.
, but later generations failed to persist and carry it forward.
, but the outside world didn't seem to care much about such outstanding deeds. Later, what was talked about was that he took the initiative to sell Cantona to Manchester United. At that time, Ferguson just wanted to buy another Leeds player, but Wilkinson took the initiative to offer Cantona.
It can be traded, which shocked Ferguson.
Aldrich stood on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets to supervise the fight. He has been a little upset recently and his mind is racing with thoughts.
He is not only afraid that the players will be injured, but also worried that the players will have psychological problems in such a state. And he also has expectations for the championship trophy. How could he not want such a miracle?
In addition, the season is not over yet, Solskjaer has decided to transfer. Stam will decide according to the situation, and Aldridge is very confused.
After the game started, Aldrich saw the players' movements, lowered his head and raised a slightly self-deprecating, bitter smile.
The players once again turned a deaf ear to his words.
He made an exception today and talked about tactics in the locker room before the game. Plus yesterday, he talked about it with the players at least five times.
Leeds United wants to avoid relegation!
They won't just ask for 1 point!
Control the game patiently and we will have many chances!
But as soon as the game started, the players rushed towards the frontcourt like wild horses. Just like the previous game, they wanted to eat up their opponents in one go.
Maybe they are thinking: Boss, if the opponent wants to avoid relegation, we also want to win the championship!
Pires' shot from outside the penalty area was weak and was easily confiscated by the opponent's goalkeeper. Then, a familiar scene appeared on the field, except that the visiting team became the protagonist.
The goalkeeper threw the ball away, and the ball quickly rolled forward between three passes and two passes. The Leeds United players rushed towards Millwall's second half like a race.
Makelele delayed the attack with a foul, but the referee ignored it because the offensive team still controlled the ball.
The Millwall players who rushed forward after the start of the game were obviously slower in chasing back.
They gritted their teeth and persevered until today, and their physical fitness had already reached its limit. At the beginning of today's game, most players' running had already shown their fatigue.
Moreover, in the past many games, they have become familiar with pressing their opponents and bombarding them indiscriminately. Today, when they saw Leeds United's quick counterattack sweeping through them at first glance, they panicked.
Leeds United used four people to move upfield, and easily penetrated Millwall's goal with their numerical advantage during a quick counterattack.
When the ball hit the goal, Millwall's players stood stunned on the field, and the fans in the stands were also silent.
Did we drop the ball?!
"Wow! Leeds United scored first! This was an unexpected start. Millwall fell behind in the second minute of the game, but it doesn't matter. There is still time. For Millwall, who has a good way of attacking,
They are not afraid of conceding the ball!"
Normally, Aldrich wouldn't be afraid of losing the ball, but today, when he saw the nervous expressions of the players, he felt completely unsure.
He made a hand-down gesture on the sidelines, trying to calm down the players first.
It doesn't matter if the ball is lost, and it is actually advantageous to lose the ball so early. There is enough time to counterattack, so there is no need to rush.
But his gesture was of little use. The players persisted to this day only by relying on their persistent willpower to win.
After the restart, Millwall's offense became more ferocious, and they indeed played in a precise manner, but their impatience caused their offensive power to drop sharply in the final stage.
As a result, the defensive players in the second half made another assist.
Fighting and fighting, the formation pressed forward more and more.
In the 32nd minute of the first half, Leeds United launched another efficient and fast counterattack, and Millwall, whose formation was unbalanced, suffered another heavy blow.
The city gate was lost for the second time.
The Lion's Den Stadium was completely silent, as if Leeds United's fans who came to cheer for the away game didn't even react.
It's unbelievable.
Two goals away from home?!
This time, Millwall's players really suffered a huge blow.
At this moment, they couldn't help but turn their attention to Aldrich on the sidelines.
It seems that in this difficult situation, only Aldrich can guide them on the right track.
Aldridge turned his back to the players and waved his arms toward the stands, signaling the fans to cheer for the players.
The Lions fans, who were just waking up from their dreams, were relieved faster than the players.
The league championship is great, but they will not abandon the team because they cannot win the championship.
The roar of the Lion's Den Stadium once again erupted.
The name of the Mad Lion resounded throughout the stadium, and the rhythmic applause sounded like drums of encouragement.
The players on the field were really awakened at this moment. They walked back to the half court and briefly communicated with each other, and then set up their formation after the restart, not as top-heavy as before.
But Leeds United, which is already two goals ahead, can sit firmly on the Diaoyutai. They are not in a hurry and can get three points if they stick to it.
At the end of the first half, the score was still 0:2, with Millwall trailing by two goals.
The unbeaten streak of more than 50 home games in the League Cup looks set to end today.
Aldridge doesn't care about this kind of record. It has no special significance. The home court advantage is not reflected by defeat or unbeaten. Undefeated can be better reflected, but it does not mean that the home court advantage will disappear after a few defeats.
In the locker room, Aldridge was the last one to walk in. The players were waiting for him, with eager eyes, as if they wanted to get the victory password from him.
Aldridge did not go to the tactical board to write and draw. Instead, he said seriously: "First of all, we must ensure that the defense no longer concedes the ball. Secondly, we also have a great chance. Leeds United's defense is not airtight, but you
I played a little impatiently today. In the second half of the game, I have only one request for you. Before passing, running and catching the ball, calmly observe the situation on the field, and then make the right choice, whether to play the ball, break through, or shoot. I
I don’t think you need me to teach you anymore.”
The players looked at each other with little confidence on their faces. Pires raised his head and asked: "Boss, can we win in this way?"
Aldridge clenched his fists and waved: "I have confidence in you, you can win! But remember, even though football requires passion, it also requires rationality. You must not only show courage and fighting spirit, but also use your football skills.
wisdom."
The players nodded in unison.
After the players came out in the second half, Jensen pulled Aldridge and asked in confusion: "Why didn't you wake them up? If they could implement the tactics they formulated before the game, how could the game be like this?"
Aldrich shook his head, patted Jenson on the shoulder and said: "Don't forget, they are still young, they are just too persistent in winning and too confident in themselves. If I scold them, they will only provoke conflicts. At this time, the ball
The team doesn’t need this.”
"Then we can't ignore the head coach's tactical arrangements!"
"Jensen, haven't you ever been young? There is a saying you should think about for yourself: People are not frivolous and waste their youth."
Aldridge doesn't blame the players, he really doesn't, he just thinks it's all normal.
He was also young and rebellious. He thought I was the best in the world even if he had some skills.
The so-called loyal advice that hurts the ears is most vividly reflected in young people.
Moreover, the hope of the championship, the adulation from the outside world, constant victory, the advantage of home court, the terrifying unbeaten record at home, and the transformation of temperament brought about by the League Cup championship trophy, all bombarded the players' nerves in a short period of time.
Aldrich was very pleased that they could still focus on the game, even though their efforts were not used in the right places.
Aldridge is more concerned about how he can redirect the players to the right path. This is what he cares about.
