Aldridge spent a lot of money last season, spending almost half of the club's cost to build a new team. It was a life-and-death season. If Millwall could not be promoted, Aldridge would lose many of the main players in the team.
players, and at the same time, he cannot control these players in the team.
In the new season in the Premier League, although they can continue to survive as long as they avoid relegation, this will greatly affect the height that Millwall can reach, because Aldrich will inevitably lose outstanding players in the team.
The career of a professional player is very short. From maturity to peak period, it may take less than ten years in a blink of an eye. In such ten years, if professional players want to create career glory, they must base themselves on a strong team.
In the team, if Millwall cannot provide such an environment, Aldridge cannot blame anyone in the team for being disengaged.
The Premier League is undoubtedly a bigger stage than the English League One, and it is a place that will directly attract the attention of Europe. When players like Millwall are exposed to a brighter spotlight, as long as they have some achievements, there will be a lot of success.
It is the transfer intention of major European giants and first-tier clubs.
The football world is so cruel. The best and most excellent resources will be divided up by the giants entrenched in various countries. Especially after the implementation of the Bosman Rule at the end of 1995, the most typical exception is the new technology that was hollowed out.
Champions League champion Ajax.
Aldridge needs a championship trophy to inspire him this season. If it is not a miracle like the Premier League championship, then it can only be two domestic cup championships.
Members of the coaching staff also understand that Millwall is facing a serious situation this season.
In the final analysis, Millwall is a small temple. If you want to retain the great gods, you must gild yourself. Only the shining light can make people yearn for it.
Tolop mused: "Maybe it's strange to say this, but I think this season, we can use the league to train the players and try to narrow the gap between the substitute lineup and the main lineup. In this way, we can strive to have a good team next season."
An unprecedentedly strong lineup, rather than an embarrassing situation where substitutes are unable to play the leading role. We can go all out in the League Cup and FA Cup. At least, for the two cup competitions, from the beginning of the Premier League team entering the game to the finals, it only takes
Seven games, of course, without replays. Moreover, the League Cup schedule, except for the final which is around the end of February and the beginning of March, the first six games will be played from the end of August to the end of January, while the FA Cup starts from January
We will start participating in the competition at the beginning of the month until the championship is decided in May. This gives us a lot of room for adjustment. At least most of the competition time for the two cup competitions will not overlap, and we can prepare independently."
Tolop's views were unanimously agreed upon by the coaching staff.
Millwall needs a championship, but in terms of championship difficulty, the league is definitely the most difficult, while the cup is less difficult. Especially even if the draw is against a strong team, there is no guarantee that the strong team will not be distracted by the league and despise the cup.
Aldridge thought for a while and said: "Well, then our plan for this season is that the main lineup will go all out in the cup. In the league, we will now plan the rotation according to the schedule and leave the important league games to the main lineup.
Especially in games against strong teams, the substitute lineup will be used to deal with weaker opponents. As long as the substitute lineup does not collapse, the first team that has experienced the training of the Premier League will be even stronger next season."
Next, the coaching staff began to study the schedule.
Speaking of which, every team in the Premier League will encounter a devilish schedule during the season, especially for weak teams, who will always encounter strong teams in a certain period of time.
Millwall are a bit unlucky.
First round of the league: A visit to Old Trafford.
Second round: vs. Arsenal at home.
Third round: Visit Anfield.
Fourth round: Visit to challenge defending champion Blackburn Rovers.
Round 5: vs. Nottingham Forest at home.
...
Aldridge has no complaints about the schedule. He feels there is nothing to complain about. In fact, the schedule arranged by the Football Association is not random and disorderly. If you look closely at the schedule, you will find that other teams will be like this in the devil's schedule.
The opponents are Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest...it's just that Millwall has played such a schedule since the first round.
On the premise that there is no rescheduling of the game, the Millwall coaching staff has made a rough rotation plan. This is a big tone. As for injuries or game rescheduling, it only needs to make a small-scale adjustment to deal with it.
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Moreover, in Aldrich’s coaching philosophy, no player in the team can play more than one game a week, which means that no player will play more than 38 times in a game cycle of about nine months. This is to avoid player injuries.
Illness is also to maintain the player's hunger for the game and avoid psychological boredom caused by too many games. In the long run, it is also to ensure that the peak period of the player's career lasts longer.
After the topic ended, Aldrich took the lead in smoking a cigarette in the conference room. After everyone relaxed for ten minutes, Aldrich once again raised an important issue.
"Guys, I want to start a change in the team's tactical style this season."
Everyone braced themselves and waited for the next chapter.
Aldridge turned on the projector in the conference room and projected the picture information he had prepared on the big screen, which showed the 4-4-2 formation used by Millwall's current main lineup.
The back four are parallel, the two midfielders are one deep and the other is forward, the two wide midfielders, and the two forwards are one in front and one slightly behind.
"Last season, our substitute lineup used such a 4-3-3 formation."
Aldridge placed another picture next to it, which was the formation after Beckham left in the second half of last season.
Four backs are parallel, three midfielders, one deep, one in the center circle, one slightly forward, and then three arrows up front.
"Actually, the tactical formation formed by the substitute lineup is my ideal formation. Last season, because I was worried that directly arranging such a 4-3-3 formation would lead to weak offense due to the lack of a midfield commander, I used the traditional 4-4-2.
And I think the balance of offense and defense is the most important in top-level competitions. In the fast pace of the competition in top-level competitions, in the 442 formation, once the central midfielder steps forward to assist and is counterattacked, it is unrealistic to rely solely on the defensive midfielder to intercept.
And 433 is based on the strong control of the midfield, achieving a combination of wing and center, wingers cutting in, full-backs assisting and other offensive methods, distribution of responsibilities in the middle, the defensive midfielder is the primary defense, and the two central midfielders,
One is responsible for organizing and the other is supporting. The three arrows must not only make full use of the width of the court, but also be able to frequently change positions and insert into the penalty area to achieve the best offensive effect."
Seeing the two tactical diagrams on the big screen, the members of the coaching staff were thoughtful, and Aldrich projected a more detailed tactical explanation on the big screen.
Jenson asked in confusion: "Of the three forwards, two are wingers?"
In the traditional sense, wingers mostly create threats on the wing, and their main function is to deliver shells to the center. If the wingers in Aldridge's 433 formation only have this role, then one less forward in the center will not necessarily increase the power.
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Aldridge said seriously: "A winger is not a winger who simply passes the ball. Such a winger needs to have the ability to score inside, and he must be able to compete with the center, the two midfielders, and the full-backs corresponding to the wings.
To form cooperation, especially when the full-back assists to create a numerical advantage on the wing, the winger must insert into the penalty area or attract the attention of the defensive player, or directly create a shooting opportunity to complete the score."
Jensen frowned and said: "This requires too much ability from the winger. He can pass the ball accurately, has a sense of movement and cooperation, has the ability to break through, and he must also have the footwork to shoot. This is just for offense, and defense must also be necessary.
Run physically.”
Aldridge nodded and said: "Yes, the requirements are of course high, but we have such talent in the team, Pires, Larsson, I believe they can do it, and Solskjaer will be fine too."
, Shevchenko, who just arrived in the summer, although he is a center material, he can also play this position, especially in tactics, the winger breaks into the penalty area or changes positions with the center, in the penalty area, like Larsson
, a player with center material like Shevchenko is even more powerful."
Jenson thought for a while and nodded: "The idea is very good. Let's not talk about the striker for now. There are three positions in the midfield. In the defensive midfielder position, we have Makelele and Gattuso can meet the tactical requirements. Then this midfielder
Where is the commander? Vieira? Or Nedved?"
"No, I will still use 442 next season, because if I switch to 433, I will withdraw Schneider from the main lineup. I don't want to do this, it will chill his heart. But I hope that the club will start from top to bottom.
I have instilled this tactical concept into the players, especially the substitute lineup and the role of midfield commander. I plan to train the new Italian boy, Andrea Pirlo. Nedvěd will be the future midfielder.
As a supporter, his wide range of running and forward threat to the penalty area will be one of the flexible winning points in tactical changes."
The members of the coaching staff looked at each other. They did not expect that Aldridge would value the new Pirlo so much. The role of commander must be the tactical soul of the team, and Nedved has already become one after one season.
The spiritual leader of the team.
Regarding the tactical reform, Aldrich and his colleagues discussed for a long time, improving the immature parts, exploring more valuable tactical changes, etc.
When the meeting ended, Aldrich clapped everyone's hands, encouraged each other, and cheered for the new season!
Later, the first team coaching staff went to the Leo youth training base to meet with the players, and then took a family photo together for the 1995/96 season on the brand new training ground!
New family photos, like last year's, are posted in the corridors of Leo's youth training base. At the same time, souvenirs for the new season are also on sale in the club store, new jerseys, new scarves, new posters, etc., everything is brand new.
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Of course, a new season, new challenges, for the championship trophy!
Attached is the Millwall first team roster for the 1995/96 season.
