Thanks to "Thieves" and "Bei Kong" for the reward!
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After leading the national team to defeat the visiting Japanese team 3:1 at Old Trafford in November, Aldridge entered a reclusive life.{
As Yiwen was about to give birth, Aldrich, a good family man, was very competent in his role and was always at his side.
The Premier League is about to enter the Christmas Express schedule. Millwall's performance in the league is okay, stabilizing the top three, but it feels like it lacks the stability of the past. After all, it is distracted by the European war, and defeated Lang in the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.
After that, Millwall overtook Barcelona in the rankings, because Barcelona and AC Milan ended in a draw. As a result, AC Milan still ranked first with 9 points, Barcelona and Millwall shared 8 points, and Millwall ranked first with 9 points.
Dominate and rank high.
This is the case in the group stage. If you fall behind in the front, every game behind you will be a life-or-death battle.
After all, Millwall just didn't play well in the first game and lost 2 points to Lens. As a result, the last three games became life-and-death battles. If one game was lost, they would all lose.
They defeated Barcelona and Lens in the first two games, and the last game is a visit to San Siro. It is another life-and-death battle. AC Milan can qualify if they are undefeated. Although Barcelona is ranked third, as long as they beat Lens in the last round, they can do it.
Advance to the top 16.
In early December, Aldridge accompanied Ivan to the hospital, and her due date was within these two days.
On December 9, another important moment in Aldridge's life was born. When he was holding his newly born daughter, he felt that this moment made him more excited and happy than winning the World Cup.
Probably because of the good prenatal care. Ivan didn't look particularly haggard or weak after giving birth. The photo of her and Aldrich kissing the baby's face was full of happiness.
"Little Princess Bonnie is born!"
The weather in London has been rare these two days. The winter sun shines warmly on people. Aldrich gently pushed the cradle back and forth in the bedroom. Looking at the little face as big as a palm, he couldn't help but smile at the corner of his mouth all the time.
Wen sat opposite the cradle. Her face was full of love, as if she really had a three-dimensional maternal radiance.
"Bonnie, what will you become when you grow up?"
"Haha. Her mother is a beauty, and she will definitely be a beauty in the future."
Yi Wen raised his head and looked directly at Aldrich and asked: "Then do you think she will be beautiful in the future? Or will I be beautiful?"
Aldrich said without hesitation: "Of course you are beautiful."
Yiwen smiled disapprovingly. She got up and went out, intending to go downstairs to get some food. Just as she was leaving the bedroom, Aldrich lowered his head and said softly to the sleeping baby in the cradle: "You will definitely be the most beautiful in the future."
"Aldrich, I heard you."
Aldrich looked up and was shocked to see Yiwen popping his head in from the bedroom door with a smile on his face.
...
Compared with the bright sunshine in London in winter, the city of Milan in Italy is covered with dark clouds and continuous rain.
Millwall, which had just won the Toyota Cup in Japan at the beginning of the month, challenged AC Milan away. The game went on at the 88th minute. Pirlo received a pass from Shevchenko from outside the penalty area and took a long shot. The ball bounced onto the slippery turf on a rainy day.
There was acceleration. He ran directly into the blind spot of Millwall's gate.
Pirlo's blow before the final was like a poisonous dagger piercing the heart of a mad lion!
The atmosphere in the San Siro stands was explosive, and all Milan fans cheered wildly for Pirlo.
But Pirlo slowly walked towards the backcourt with his head drooped. There were teammates around him to celebrate. He gently pushed his teammates away and continued walking towards the backcourt.
"Pirlo saved AC Milan! 1:1, 1:1, Klinsmann paid the price for his conservatism! After leading by one goal, Klinsmann just wanted to defend 1:0 until the end of the game, but
AC Milan did not let him succeed! The score of 1:1 allowed AC Milan to advance to the top 16, and Milvo
I will bid farewell to this season's Champions League! In another game, Barcelona has led Lens 3:0. If this game ends in a draw, Barcelona will advance to the top 16 as the group leader, and the death group will reach the final round.
For a moment, the suspense still existed, but Barcelona landed early!"
In the cold wind and rain, Klinsmann, who was soaked to the skin, could only order the team to press hard at the last moment and pray for a miracle.
Unfortunately, the miracle did not come.
When Millwall took the lead in scoring in the 53rd minute to break the deadlock, Klinsmann chose to retreat between advancing and retreating. With this retreat, Millwall no longer had the energy to counterattack.
If it can hold on for 5 more minutes, Klinsmann will get the result he wants, and Millwall will also advance to the top 16 of the Champions League.
However, in the end, it turned into a wild lion and struggled feebly at San Siro.
Ancelotti wiped the rain off his face and let out a roar when the referee blew the final whistle!
AC Milan beat defending champion Millwall to advance from the group of death!
The Mad Lions collapsed on the field, and even the players on the bench looked dull.
Millwall missed the Champions League round of 16 for the first time since 1997. The worst Champions League record is the Champions League semi-finals!
This time, as the defending champion, they were eliminated in the group stage and were forced to move to the Europa League.
Thousands of Lions fans who came from far and wide were also stunned in the stands.
In the Group of Death, Millwall's record against direct competitors is not bad.
One win and one loss with Barcelona, and the total score was better than the opponent.
Both games were tied with AC Milan, and the number of away goals was not as good as the opponent's.
The real factor that caused them to be eliminated was the 2 points they lost against Lens in the first game in France!
But such reasons cannot convince the Lions fans. For them, no one will calculate such gains and losses.
The mad lion has lost its majesty as a king!
What the fans at the scene couldn't accept the most was Klinsmann's conservatism. After taking the lead, he just wanted to maintain the utilitarian goal of a draw.
As a result, some Lions fans booed. Others echoed, and the Lions fan group began to have differences on whether to support Klinsmann.
The new season is about to pass halfway, and before that, no matter how alarmist Fleet Street is about Klinsmann's unstable coaching position, Lions fans have always ignored the media's voices and have given firm support to Klinsmann.
However, after failing to qualify in the Champions League group stage, a group of fans opposed to Klinsmann began to appear and gradually grew!
...
Aldrich, who was blessed with a daughter, comforted his children at home for the first time.
Bert and Earl were sitting on the sofa and were unhappy. Millwall failed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, which made the two little guys feel depressed.
They asked Aldrich a lot of questions.
"Why didn't the Mad Lion advance?"
If Millwall is not in the group of death, it is in any other group. Even if the defending champion does not perform well, it will definitely reach the top 16. It is just the difference between first and second, but it is in the group of death. Barcelona and
AC Milan teamed up to eliminate.
"Is Klinsmann leaving?"
If Klinsmann is fired, the team can advance to the top 16 of the Champions League. Aldrich will fire Klinsmann, but the fact is that it cannot change the fate of the Lions in the European war.
"Dad, if you were still the head coach, would the Lions be like this?"
Aldrich was silent.
Confidence, of course he has it.
But if he is still on the team, how can he spend wonderful and happy time with his children? How can he take care of his woman in every possible way? How can he enjoy the joy of the birth of his daughter from beginning to end?
On this day, Aldridge's email inbox was filled with emails from Lions fans. Aldridge didn't read the content and directly closed the email account.
The next day, when the Millwall team returned to London, another piece of news broke.
"Millwall players are on strike!"
“Ivory Coast striker: I don’t see a future here!”
Alarmism in Fleet Street is inertia. In fact, some players at Millwall did go on strike in protest.
But just one player.
Drogba.
The Ivory Coast striker, who is already 24 years old and will turn 25 in four months, has been on the bench for nearly half a season after returning to Millwall in the new season. His only appearance was when Millwall lost to Liverpool.
In the league, his performance was rated as one of the worst in the game.
At the beginning of the season, Henry and Miroslav Klose were the main players. When Henry was injured, Drogba once thought that he had hope of taking over. However, after the first battle at Anfield, he was abandoned. In terms of technical ability, he was outstanding in individual combat.
However, Millwall mainly takes the initiative to attack and needs the support ability of the striker. Drogba's team spirit is slightly
The difference is related to his lack of tacit understanding with his teammates, which requires time and games to cultivate. Unfortunately, in a wealthy club, time is scarce for everyone. After Henry's comeback, not to mention Drogba, even Larsson did not have a chance to play.
Drogba was frustrated and wanted to leave. It wasn't that he was fooling around, it was just that the methods he used were a little more intense.
Klinsmann responded to the crisis that broke out in the team by first delegating Drogba to the reserve team, and then Drogba took the initiative to submit a transfer application.
Meanwhile, the Christmas Express race arrives.
War god Nedvěd announces his comeback half a year after serious injury!
As a result, Klinsmann faced a new problem, Nedved's position in the team.
Klinsmann chose to remove midfielder Pedretti and use Nedved and Alonso as a double central midfielder. Ideally, both of them can attack and defend, and provide stronger midfield support for the offense.
But in the early days of practice, Millwall's Christmas schedule was miserable. After being eliminated from the Champions League, the morale of the army was at its lowest point. There was no win in all the remaining games this month, and the League Cup was stopped in the top 8.
When the January transfer window opened, another Millwall player also submitted a transfer request.
Essien plays the role of defensive midfielder.
This African player, who has been loaned out despite being owned by Millwall in the past, does not have much sense of belonging to Millwall. However, under Klinsmann, when he originally had a defensive midfielder, he could still play with Dro
In the West, Pedretti competed. After Nedvěd returned, he and Drogba made the same voice: there is no future here.
On the first day of 2003, Klinsmann visited Aldrich. He felt guilty, but Aldrich received him warmly.
The two discussed for a long time in the study room. If Klinsmann wants to turn the tide in the second half of the season, he first needs stability in the locker room. Therefore, he needs to get rid of Drogba and Essien.
Aldrich agreed to his suggestion and directly asked the club to put the two people up for sale.
In Aldrich's view, today's situation is inevitable.
If Millwall five years ago was facing a crisis of shortage of resources due to lack of resources and the poaching of its main players, then Millwall now is facing a crisis of excess resources and internal chaos.
Why does this situation occur?
On the one hand, it was caused by Aldrich's proactive work to recruit talents.
On the other hand, people are afraid of being "poor".
In the past, we were always on tenterhooks, fearing that someone from the team would be poached as soon as they became famous. Then the foundation of the team might be shaken. There is nothing wrong with being more prepared.
And now Millwall has Henry, Klose, Drogba, and the 22-year-old Villa.
We cannot expect these forwards to share playing time equally. Even if it is a wealthy club, at most two of them will compete with each other!
At this point in time, in 2003, Millwall had the 25-year-old Henry and could ignore any other forward of the same generation.
So, Drogba, you can let him go.
The same is true for the defensive midfielder position. There are De Rossi and Pedretti. The latter may not have the potential to be comparable to the world class, but De Rossi and Essien can still compete. Although they have different strengths and weaknesses, De Rossi can still compete.
He is a person with an orthodox background in the Millwall youth training. Moreover, African players have a "flaw": the African Cup.
The African Cup of Nations is held during the European season. Once African players are recruited, the impact on European clubs will be very obvious, especially the main giants.
After considering various factors, Aldridge agreed to let the two people go, which also sent a signal to the outside world: Millwall management firmly supports Klinsmann. (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, and the novel will be updated.
