The Young Lion

If Aldridge’s team is playing in the Bernabeu, they will be shuddered by the fans, but at the Lion’s Cave Stadium, the team clearly does not have the advantage, but one relief, one fight, one collision, even if it is a foul , Will attract applause from Millwall fans.

The English football hooligan is notorious, but it is undeniable that the enthusiasm of the fans here is unmatched in the world.

Fans will not choose whether to applaud whether they are conservative or gorgeous on the team’s play style, nor will they give up singing because of the team’s backwardness. For them, life, even the loyalty of the family for generations, will only offer For a club, whether it is at the bottom or at the peak, and these fans who sing "No one likes us, it doesn't matter!" are even more so.

The first half of the game was not good-looking or even dull, but Millwall fans watched with interest and cheered.

The four players Makelele, Thuram, Stam and Nedved are quickly remembered by the fans, and even the fans in the stands are asking each other for their names.

The reason is very simple. This kind of tough guy who defends fiercely and violently collides with opponent players is the most appreciated representative of fans!

British people believe that football is the sport of the men, all they need is blood, all they need is fierce, all they need is desperate!

If any players fear confrontation or fight, then the fans will be completely disappointed.

At the end of the first half, Aldridge took the lead back to the player channel, the score was 0:0, although Millwall was not exhausted in the first half, because their defense was not embarrassed, but lack of effective and smooth offense, Especially under the tactical arrangement of Aldridge, it is forbidden to blindly make big feet and long passes except for the central defender.

Although it was a warm-up match, Birmingham clearly wanted to build confidence by defeating a League One team, especially the team that ranked third last season, so that they could return with an ambitious fighting spirit in the coming year League One.

But they were disappointed to find that Millwall's back line was a group of fierce men!

Even if left-back Lucas Neal is only 17 years old, but he is also a fierce and desperate guy. This is no way. Lucas naturally wants to become famous. The main position of the left back is temporarily he and Zambro. Tower competition, of course, he has to work hard to show some performance.

As for the tower-like Stam, the fierce Thuram and the defensive awareness of Makelele, plus desperately San Nedved, Birmingham seemed to be offensive in the first half. In fact, the chance to threaten the ball is zero.

Aldrich was in the locker room until the players came back to sit and rest. He calmly said: "The first half performed well. I don't have a high demand for the warm-up game. You just need to be a training match, but I repeat. , To remember my tactical requirements, focus on the defense first, Lucas, you pay attention in the second half, reduce fouls in the dangerous area, you are still young, you need to accumulate defensive experience, do not worry about losing your position, plus Lace will help you to make up for the position, but you must chase back after losing the position."

Lucas Neal heard the name of the head coach, he felt a sudden lurch, fearing that he would be replaced, and he nodded fiercely to understand after hearing Aldridge's instructions.

In terms of tactics, Aldridge needs nothing to change. This team only worked together for ten days. He couldn’t let them condense higher fighting power and form a tacit understanding. Now the requirements for the team are very simple. That is to stand still, everyone completes their own defensive tasks in their own active area. On the basis of defensive stability, the players will naturally stabilize their mentality and then be able to play better.

If they were given more tasks at the beginning, it was defense, offensive, pass and cut, etc., not to mention players, Aldridge felt that this would make the team chaotic.

Now is the time to shape the shape of this team, it is enough to lay the foundation first.

Midfielders encouraged the players to do something. Aldridge clapped hands to let the players go out to start the second half of the game, trying not to bear any pressure.

After the second half started, Aldridge was still sitting on the coach's seat, but just turned around and said to Jenson: "Let Richards, Materazzi, Zambrotta, Vieira, Barak, Solskjaer warm up , 60 minutes into the game to replace them, oh, Zambrotta replaced Thuram, let Lucas stay on the field, Solskjaer replaced Nelson, Henrik did not get enough rest before the season."

Jenson nodded, turned around and named the players on the bench one by one, and then saw a group of young players rushing out and seriously started the warm-up activity.

The situation on the field is still dull, but the more the Birmingham fights, the more Millwall’s defense is. Hang.

Aldridge saw the football rushing up and down on the field, and was overjoyed.

He really needs an opponent to train the team's air defense capabilities through this traditional bombing bombardment, which is an essential part of defense.

Five minutes later, Aldridge replaced a large number of substitute players and then he shook hands with every player who was off the court, patting them on the shoulder with a compliment.

And Schneider and Piley who stayed on the court were not as nervous as they were in the first half. They were able to control the ball very well. From a technical point of view, they were the best players on the court. Ned and Pire frequently threatened the two sides, and the landing points were good in several crosses. If Trezeguet had not entered the state, otherwise he would have broken the door.

Before the end of the game, Solskjaer shot a long shot from the opponent's defensive player in front of the penalty area and unfortunately hit the goal post to pop the bottom line.

When the final whistle sounded, the score was still 0:0.

This is actually boring for a friendly match. Millwall, as the third place in last season’s Premier League, failed to defeat Birmingham, the third-last place in last season’s home league. It is logically disappointing. Especially when the scene is not dominant, but the fans not only did not boo, but applauded after the game, and then calmly left in an orderly manner.

In the next two warm-up games, Millwall’s performance was not only stable, but also getting better and better. Aldridge was pleased to find that these players were really big scene characters, and they all had a calm temperament of young teenagers. The performance is stable and outstanding.

The second scene was against Oxford United. At the Lion’s Cave Stadium, Larson took a header from Schneider's cross in the second half and gave Millwall a victory. Although it was only a 1-0 win, Aldridge What's more satisfying is that the team's back line did not give opponents a chance.

In the final warm-up match against Oxford United, the team played a hearty counterattack on the basis of defense. Trezeguet and Solskjaer who came off the bench both scored goals, plus in the corner kick With a goal scored by Southgate, Millwall finally won 3-0.

In three warm-up games, Aldridge’s basic goal of training was achieved, that is, defense. The three games did not lose the ball, and there were few opportunities for opponents. Although the opponents are not strong, they can build confidence in the team. This intangible harvest is even more valuable.

In three days, the 94/95 Premier League will kick off, and the first round of the Millwall League will usher in the challenge of the Allianz League at home.

After training this afternoon, Aldridge called the players together and put them on the home uniform of the official game.

On the courtside, a training staff brought a chair and placed it on the training ground. Aldrich called the first team coaches to the side. They sat on an orderly chair, and the players stood behind them according to their height. Formed into two rows, into an orderly fan shape.

Under the setting sun, Aldridge sat in the middle of the front row with a mild expression and a smile, and the coaches around him were all relaxed expressions, but the players behind were all serious, and in front of them, Adam Greet the photographer to capture the best angle and take the best scene with light.

After Millwall's first team "Family Portrait" in the 94/95 season, Aldridge changed into a suit and leather dress, and then removed the chair. He stood in front of the player with his hands in his pockets and looked like a Like the young leader of the gang, the photographer stood on the chair this time, photographing the cool first-team players and their head coach with a slight overhead view.

After the photos were washed out, Aldridge asked the staff to post the family portrait in the hallway of the club, and then the other handsome and cool photo of the first team and head coach was enlarged as part of the club's promotion.

When Millwall fans looked forward to the new season, they unexpectedly discovered that the new season lineup was posted outside the club. Every fan who saw it couldn't help but sigh: This is really a young team.

From the head coach to the player, Millwall has been refreshed in less than three months, although he still does not know what the future will look like, at least it looks vibrant now.