The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 406: Tactical duel: high pressure and quick counterattack

The atmosphere at the Lions' Den was deafening. Most of the banners raised by the fans expressed support for the players and the team; it was rare to see calls for the team to push for the championship.

The fan organization had come to a quiet agreement: "Let's not put any pressure on the team; whatever the outcome, we will accept it!"

Only the most devoted fans could truly understand this sentiment.

Looking back at Millwall's days in the lower leagues, the fan mentality was mostly one of "live for today, drink for today; if we can win a game, it's a bonus."

As long as they could watch the game live, if the team won, they felt as if they had hit the jackpot. Although deep down, they hoped the team could perform better, rise to the top league, and stay there, the team often fell short. With their lineup and lack of glorious history, fans found it unreasonable to place too many demands on the team; that would simply be asking for trouble.

Now, the situation has changed. A wave of neutral fans has taken a liking to this magnificent team, leading to increased expectations. They certainly want the team to claim championships—plenty of them, if possible—hoping to create an unparalleled dynasty! They yearn to witness it for themselves so they can proudly recount the story to their descendants about how they watched "the legendary champions" conquer it all.

After discussions among the fan organizers, they agreed that it was better for the team not to face any pressure ahead of games. Only with a more relaxed approach could they deliver better results, which didn't conflict with the fans' higher expectations.

The difference was simple: hope for the team to win the title in their hearts, but not to articulate it in a way that became a hard demand, which would only add pressure on the players and perhaps hinder their performance.

After Millwall took the lead, there was no change in tactics and they continued with high-pressure pressing, which made Chelsea players very uncomfortable.

Unless the opponent is a team that Parking the bus, they usually do not face such great pressure in the midfield. In addition, a team with good defense usually only starts intercepting in its own half, at least it will not disrupt the offensive organization of the attacking team.

But Millwall's tactics today were quite ruthless, using high-pressure pressing throughout the game, which put Chelsea's defensive players under tremendous pressure and even resulted in many passing errors. Looking across the pitch, You'll see goalkeeper Butt standing on the edge of the penalty area, with the defenders huddled near the halfway line. Unless Chelsea's forwards dropped back significantly, Millwall would stay compact. But once Chelsea pushed into midfield, Millwall would rush forward again, compressing space and continuing their relentless siege.

Wise passed the ball to Poyet on the wing. Schneider quickly closed in on the opponent, forcing a turnover that sent the ball out of bounds.

Schneider dashed out to grab the ball quickly and handed it to Larsson, who controlled it and played it back to Schneider. Schneider's long pass found Nedved, who had slipped into space.

Nedved feigned a move past Di Matteo, accelerating into the penalty area, but managed to get his foot ahead of the ball, kicking it back with his heel.

This sudden shift caught the Chelsea defenders off guard. After a pause, Larsson took on the ball from outside the box and fired a powerful shot.

The strike from outside the box rocketed into the top right corner of the Chelsea goal.

"Larsson! Larsson! The king returns in the second half! He scores his tenth league goal of the season, which is remarkable considering he has only played 14 matches so far! We must commend Nedved; he's played alongside Larsson for five years, and their chemistry is unmatched. Nedved doesn't even need to look to know where Larsson is. As he advanced with the ball, deceiving everyone, the moment he did that heel pass to Larsson left Chelsea's defenders stunned. Leboeuf instinctively chased after Nedved, while Desailly was just a step behind; Larsson shot without any interference, and what a beautiful shot it was!"

Larsson sprinted along the sidelines with arms wide open and eyes closed, soaking in the cheers and applause of the fans.

Although he missed the first half of this season, the moment he returned, he could fully embrace the joy of the game once again.

Why?

Because he had teammates who understood his movements. They no longer needed extensive verbal communication; the moment he moved, Nedved almost anticipated where he would be in three or five seconds!

After the celebration, Larsson turned around and hugged Nedved tightly.

2-0.

The victory seemed ever closer, and so was the league championship.

Aldrich urged the players on the sidelines to stay focused.

1-0 is not safe; everyone knows that.

2-0 is the most dangerous; it must be reminded.

Vialli wasn't upset about conceding a goal; this was his first full season coaching Chelsea, a time when his coaching ability began to show results. He had already deciphered Millwall's tactical intentions and understood the core issues plaguing Chelsea.

If anyone claimed there was a significant gap in ability between these players and Millwall's, the world would disagree. But to be down 2-0 in less than 30 minutes while Chelsea hadn't managed a shot on goal? That certainly reflected on the head coach's capabilities.

Vialli called his compatriot Di Matteo over to relay tactical adjustments to the entire team.

If he lost his cool now, lamenting the team's deficiencies or blaming fate, Chelsea wouldn't be in a position to contend for the title at this stage.

Vialli's adjustments soon paid dividends!

Pirlo's far-off shot was easily caught by De Goey, who immediately threw the ball to the flanks, finding Ferrer.

Before Gronkjaer could get in the way of his passing lane, Ferrer launched a long ball.

The delivery was spot on, landing just five yards outside the penalty area.

As De Goey cradled Pirlo's distant shot, striker Zola pressed up against Millwall's defense, dashing past Materazzi and Southgate.

This caught Millwall off-guard.

It had been a while since Chelsea had played long-ball tactics. Ever since Gullit took over the team, he focused on a more stylish, romantic football style; direct long balls were something to be avoided, especially among the top five leagues.

Vialli was Italian, and he should've looked down upon direct play, but coaching in England, he had become accustomed to it. A degree of adaptation was necessary.

"Zola has successfully beaten the offside trap! Chelsea has a golden opportunity, and Butt rushes out!"

Instead of staying on the goal line, Butt decisively chose to Rushing Out; he was not afraid of the midfielder trying to flick the ball over the goalkeeper, but he was worried that a precise through ball would create a one-on-one opportunity for the striker - as happened now.

As the ball came down, both players were roughly equidistant,but Zola's speed was unmatched. The little firecracker surged ahead, leaving Materazzi and Southgate struggling to keep up, their gap widening as Zola sprinted in full-gear. With his style of play, if he wasn't fatigued, defenders stood little chance of catching him.

Seeing he couldn't reach the ball before Zola, Butt opened his arms and swayed from side to side to distract Zola while moving forward, ready to use his body to block the rival.

At that moment, Zola was as calm as ice. After getting the ball, he did not rush forward, but suddenly changed direction, ran out of the angle and shot decisively. The ball just rolled past Bart, who looked back at the goal with a look of disappointment on his face.

"Goal! Zola found the angle cleverly and shot the ball into the net. Millwall's defense was too lax and failed to block Zola, allowing the Chelsea striker to get a chance to shoot! The score is 2-1, Chelsea fight back, and there is still plenty of time - they will not give up!"

Vialli celebrated emphatically as the goal went in. Not only had his adjustments worked, but they had also quickly helped the team claw one back—crucial for their morale.

Millwall's pressing in the midfield was very effective, and Di Matteo and Poyet could hardly cooperate to break through Millwall's tight defense. At the same time, Millwall also did their homework and effectively froze Chelsea's wing attack. However, Vialli's tactical change was that instead of passing the ball through the midfield, he used a long pass directly to the space behind Millwall's central defender.

Such an open counterattack field - isn't this an ideal place for Zola to show his ability?

Aldrich had to acknowledge that after years of heavy investment, Chelsea had accumulated many excellent players. Ferrer's precise passing earlier was spot on, making it impossible for the defenders to keep up and putting the goalkeeper in an awkward position. Without Ferrer providing such a ball, Chelsea's strategy might not have worked.

Millwall's pressing game has one major vulnerability, and that's the rapid counterattacks, as demonstrated by Chelsea's recent long passes.

It doesn't matter where the attack starts; if the ball breaks through the defensive line and the defenders are left trailing, they can only helplessly watch as the forward goes for goal.

Aldrich stepped to the touchline, ready to make some tactical tweaks.

He instructed Makelele and Southgate to switch positions, with Southgate playing as an intercepting central defender, the faster and more flexible Makelele responsible for stealing the ball, and Materazzi responsible for dealing with the tall Flo, and he needed to ensure that he could successfully clear the ball when Flo headed the ball.

After the adjustments, Millwall maintained their high press, while Chelsea focused their attacks with over-the-top balls, but the delivery wasn't as precise. With Makelele's aware defense, Chelsea found it virtually impossible to replicate their first goal.

At the same time, Millwall's two full-backs consciously prepared to thwart any potential over-the-top passes. If the ball came diagonally near the full-backs, Zambrotta and Schneider were ready to drop back defensively.

The teams continued to trade attacks.

"Andy, Millwall's attack has become unpredictable. Apart from Gronkjaer, who is fixed on the left wing, the other attacking players—Henry, Nedved, and Larsson—are constantly swapping positions. We can't even guess who will appear on the flank and who will be in the penalty area."

"Absolutely. You can clearly see Hall's influence here. Unlike the previous Trezeguet era where players were fixed in their respective positions, this young Millwall team is full of energy. Their players often start in attacking midfield and create endless variations with their movement and passing combinations when moving forward. This makes it difficult for defenders to defend against them."

"Why haven't other teams taken a page from this?"

"Because it demands a high caliber of player—that is, awareness and ability. Secondly, there's chemistry. The first criterion is essential; not every forward can hold the ball, control it, and pass well. Not every attacking midfielder or winger has consistent scoring ability. The market values of Millwall's attackers reflect their skills. Once you have these players, lengthy cohesion is necessary to reach fluidity in offense—this doesn't happen overnight. Sadly, many managers lack the absolute authority and freedom Hall enjoys in his coaching environment; either they can't get the players they want or the performance pressure weighs too heavily."

"Got it! Andy has provided us with an in-depth analysis of why Millwall's offense is so strong. The first half of the match has now concluded—Millwall leads Chelsea 2-1. The next 45 minutes could very well decide the fate of both teams this season. Let's look forward to it!"