<h4>Chapter 295: We were lied to!</h4>
As the League Cup final kicked off at Wembley, the journalists in the stands couldn''t help but shout at Aldrich, "You fraud!"
Chelsea are in hot form recently, not only ying well in the league, but also exceeding expectations in the standings. They eliminated Arsenal and advanced and were considered to be better than Millwall''s performance.
With Gullit fired and Vialli stepping in, Chelsea suddenly became the talk of the town.
No one could exin how much of the media attention stemmed from the buzz versus the actual strength of the team.
However, Chelsea was definitely the more scrutinized side. Interestingly, psychological factors seemed to lead neutral fans and the media to hope Chelsea would defeat Millwall to im the title. This mentality was strange but fairlymon; people often do not want to see sessful individuals always seed and hope for the challengers to pull off an upset.
In a pre-match interview, Aldrich praised Chelsea''s aplishments, noting that his team had just yed in the European Super Cup. He expressed that he would field apletely second-string team for the League Cup match, iming it would be a challenge for his squad. But they had no choice; Millwall had to focus on the future with another leg of the Super Cuping up and the Champions League Round of 16 on the horizon against Italian giants Juventus!
After Aldrich calmly ryed the starting lineup to the reporters, everyone took him at his word.
For the past two months, whenever Aldrich announced a starting lineup in advance, the lineups remained unchangede match day!
This initial impression left no room for doubt regarding Aldrich''s honesty; he was seen as a straightforward coach. Chelsea, on the other hand, had mixed feelings.
They were happy that Millwall was fielding substitutes, significantly increasing their own chances of winning.
Yet, they were also angry; it felt disrespectful. Who in the world would dare to put out a fully reserve team in a final? Only Millwall would do something like that!
But could Millwall really pull it off?
If they indeed lost the match with a full bench, Aldrich would bear the me, especially if it was against Chelsea. The fans would likely cause a ruckus.
If they lost after sending out the first team, the fans would understand.
But if they could have fielded their best and didn''t, a loss would really anger them!
The Lions fans headed to Wembley with worried faces.
They believed Aldrich would send out all substitutes, but who could feel confident about that?
However, when they started waving their gs and cheering in the stands, they saw the starting yersing out of the tunnel looking cheerful andughing.
"Chelsea, you''ve been had!"
Aldrich had thrown a huge smokescreen!
The Fleet Street journalists were furious!
In the heavily publicized League Cup final, both TV shows and today''s newspapers focused on analyzing and predicting how Millwall would deploy all substitutes against Chelsea.
But just look at the starting yers!
Goalkeeper: Butt.
Defenders: Mills, Elguera, Southgate, Neil.
Midfielders: Makelele, Back, Nedved.
Forwards: Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen, Gronkjaer.
Counting them all, at least five were definite starters!
Moreover, Back and Makelele formed a solid double pivot, while Elguera and Southgate made up a well-coordinated center-back duo—this backline had no issues with defensive chemistry at all!
Compared to Pirlo, thebination of Back and Makelele had raised defensive solidity by at least a notch!
Neal was once a starter; after recovering from a serious injury, he yed a versatile role this season, easily capable of ying all defensive positions except goalkeeper, and performed stably. He has no problem ying at left-back, which is the position where he started his career. Mills has strong defense and weak offense. Schneider made a big effort on the right in thest game against Dortmund, and his appearance is reasonable. Overall, Millwall''s set-up of a back four and two holding midfielders is undoubtedly top-notch.
They had been fooled!
Aldrich, you bastard!
Aldrich felt uneasy today.
This was the strangest match he had experienced in his coaching career.
Before the match, he had shaken hands with Vialli, who then removed his outeryer to reveal a jersey underneath as he turned to step onto the pitch.
The seat for Chelsea''s head coach was empty.
Vialli was both a yer and coach, personally taking the field for this match!
Aldridge stood on the sidelines, habitually observing the opposing yers. Whenever his eyes swept over Vialli''s face and the empty coaching bench of the opposing team, he felt something strange.
"Ha, we''ve all been yed by Hall. Just look at the starting lineup he''s sent out; the discussions out there are simply a joke."
"That smokescreen fooled everybody; the only thing left to wonder is whether Vialli fell for it."
"I''m sure this is going to disrupt all of Chelsea''s pre-match strategies; if I were Vialli, I''d be cautious of facing their starting eleven, and the tactical approach would have to reflect that. But if it''s against their substitutes, then the tactics would entirely differ. Honestly, Chelsea isn''t at a level where they can disregard their opponent and secure victory just by ying their own game."
"Let''s see how the game unfolds today."
...
In a final, morale is definitely higher than usual.
Adding to this, with Millwall throwing a smokescreen, Chelsea was geared up to take out their opponent in one go, but suddenly things changed at thest moment, leaving Vialli deeply conflicted.
Should they change things up?
With the match about to begin, how could they change things? If the entire team couldn''t unify their thoughts, leading to chaos, wouldn''t that lead to Millwall getting the upper hand?
In the end, Chelsea decided to stick to their pre-match n and went all out from kick-off!
With their attacking firepower averaging nearly two goals per game this season, they felt a significant boost in confidence.
There was no fortress they couldn''t breach!
Millwall, on the other hand, appeared steady from the very beginning.
The yers on the field weren''t amateurs. They had gained experience in big matches over the past two years, with many of the starting yers having yed in numerous finals and won several titles. Their calmness on the pitch radiated a sense of championship quality, alleviating pressure on the younger yers, knowing they had seasoned veterans backing them up.
Chelsea pressed hard, putting Millwall under intense pressure, with every yer demonstrating great hustle, particrly when transitioning from attack to defense.
Millwallpacted their formation and targeted counterattacks, focusing their efforts on the right side, determined to exploit Chelsea''s left nk!
Back and Nedved held fort in midfield, theiryered positioning attracting Chelsea''s defenders during counterattacks, but today the ball just wouldn''te to either of them.
Exceptionally, Ronaldinho found himself ying as a central attacking midfielder during counterattacks, orchestrating ys.
Working alongside Gronkjaer on the right, he frequently created threats from that nk.
However, up front, only Gudjohnsen remained; Gronkjaer could generate pressure, but it wasn''t lethal.
Aldrich sat with his chin propped up, watching the game with an impassive look.
From a tactical standpoint, Chelsea was pressing hard and overwhelming Millwall; their yers were visibly more energetic andmitted.
Meanwhile, Millwall''s attacks consisted of only two or three yers, with Back and Nedved staying back, leaving Ronaldinho merely roaming the attacking midfield area.
Yet, likely no one was deeply aware of a crucial issue: the strain on overall formation.
Millwall resembled a mountain; most yers were stationed firmly in the back, shielding their goal like a fortress, while Chelsea was like a spring, exerting pressure on the attack yet retreating widely in fear of Millwall.
Gronkjaer''s role on the wing was clearly impactful; his depth as an attacking yer allowed him to carry the ball down the nk. Even if he couldn''t deliver a quality pass to the tightly marked Gudjohnsen, his mere attacking presence forced seven or eight Chelsea yers to sprint back to defend.
This posed a severe test of stamina—a significant challenge. Even if they could hold on for ny minutes, the effort would show as the match wore on, particrly in short bursts of explosive speed.
Vialli is a good yer, but he''s not a top coach - at least, he hasn''t proven he is one yet.
Aldridge is certainly no match for Vi in terms of ying football. Even a hundred Aldridgesbined may still not reach Vialli''s level.
But in coaching, Aldrich had been immersed for over ten years, and he confidently believed he was stronger than Vialli, especially since Vialli was actively ying on the field; how much mental energy could he spare to think about the broader strategy as a head coach?
The other side felt like a boss, swinging a big sword and shouting, "Brothers, charge!"
But being a head coach isn''t just about having passion and zeal.
At halftime, the score was 0:0 as both teams returned to the locker rooms.
In the second half, Chelsea seemed to catch on to Millwall''s game n and started to restrain themselves, looking to save their energy for a prolonged contest.
After failing to score in the first half, they realized just how strong Millwall''s defense was. They hadn''t had a single good shot on goal and werepletely worn out from the relentless effort on both sides.
When Aldrich saw Chelsea''s demeanor as they stepped onto the pitch for the second half, he turned to Benítez and smiled, saying, "We''ve won this."
Benítez, with a serious expression, warned, "Better to be cautious."
"The first half was a bluff; in the second half, we''ll dominate."
After finishing his statement, Aldrich stood up and moved to the sidelines. Chelsea''s struggles in the first half and their reserved approach in the second not only shifted the on-field dynamics but significantly impacted their morale.
Millwall continued to focus their attacks on the right side in the second half, with their full-backs boldly joining the fray, while Gronkjaer shone brightly.
His specialty was prating defenses, and he caused chaos for Chelsea''s left nk, forcing them to shift their defensive focus to the left.
When the seventy-minute mark arrived, Aldrich substituted Gronkjaer for Van der Meyde.
As Gronkjaer left the field, Aldrich embraced him, praising his performance; despite not getting a goal or assist, he had fully executed the tactical n, achieving a tangible effect.
The introduction of Van der Meyde sent a clear message. Millwall had efficiently conserved energy for over seventy minutes, with all yers, except Gudjohnsen, still bursting with stamina. The most fatigued, Gronkjaer, had now left the pitch.
Back moved from a deeper role to central midfielder, Nedved shifted back to the ymaker position—the war god had returned!
Ronaldinho returned to his winger position, ready to unleash aprehensive attack, while Van der Meyde constricted his y as a wide midfielder, bncing defensive responsibilities with tactical connections.
Millwall stopped focusing on the right nk,unching full-scale offensives from both the center and left.
The previously untroubled Chelsea right nk suddenly discovered that Ronaldinho was no longer just organizing ys; he had transitioned into a primary attacking threat, immediately putting Chelsea''s defense in disarray.
Ronaldinho genuinely loved Chelsea and had wonderful memories associated with facing them.
Last season, his appearance in the FA Cup final marked his professional debut, and he had scored a goal.
Today, he aimed to create yet another memorable experience!