The FA Cup third round officially kicked off with Millwall hosting Arsenal!
The Den was packed to the brim, and Graham was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd as he entered, largely due to the recent article in The Times.
For the fifty-year-old head coach, returning to The Den wasn't a homecoming; he was merely a passing visitor here.
In contrast, Aldrich was welcomed with roaring cheers as he made his entrance.
At this moment, there was only one true owner of this stadium: Aldrich.
After just half a season of coaching, Aldrich had swiftly become the darling of the crowd.
As usual, he took the time to sign autographs for fans in the nearby stands, then calmly walked over to the home team's coaching box.
The South Stand had completely been taken over by the "Lion's Roar" fan group, who had creatively printed a large letter on the back of their jerseys. When they turned around, it formed a bold message.
"We only love Aldrich!"
Graham scanned the wildly cheering stands, recalling that Millwall's fans had never behaved like this before. All the changes stemmed from the young man just a few feet away.
Feeling the anger bubbling within him as he caught a glimpse of Aldrich, Graham couldn't help but wonder.
Was it because he was young?
Riding a wave of popularity?
Or was it Aldrich's unexpected actions and words that rubbed him the wrong way?
Maybe it was simply his appearance on the sidelines during matches that irritated him.
In the fall, Aldrich had looked dapper in his fitted blazer with a high collar, exuding charm and style.
Now, in the cold winter, Aldrich wore a warm overcoat that looked particularly impressive, adorned with the Millwall badge—a bright blue lion.
His coaching staff mirrored his style, dressed uniformly and radiating a subtle elegance. They could easily be mistaken for male models at a fashion show.
All signs pointed to Aldrich being an unconventional figure in football, one that traditional England had shunned.
Other coaches might not like Aldrich, but the fans adored him, especially the neutral supporters. In their world, loving football and idolizing star players or coaches went hand in hand.
Aldrich's unique traits could be tolerated, but not his style.
He had a vision for fashion twenty years into the future, contrasting sharply with the current state of English football. Renowned coaches like Ferguson wore club-branded thermal jackets that made them look like Glasgow dockworkers.
As for Kevin Keegan, who was still relatively young in the coaching scene, he sported curly long hair and wore a baggy deep red suit that could only be described as country bumpkin attire.
Aldrich's previous attire consisted of suits he designed himself through direct communication with tailors. Before winter set in, he commissioned tailored jackets for each member of the coaching staff, featuring the club crest, which made them appear both energized and sophisticated.
It was this unconventional approach that allowed Aldrich to draw frequent attention from the cameras, simply by standing on the sidelines.
Other coaches had good reason to dislike Aldrich; he could overshadow them merely by standing there silently, which was utterly infuriating!
As Graham pondered his troubles, Aldrich cast a wistful glance at Arsenal's lineup.
This match was crucial for Graham.
He had almost fielded his entire first-choice squad!
**Goalkeeper:** David Seaman.
**Defenders:** Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn.
**Midfielders:** Paul Merson, Paul Davis, John Jensen.
**Forwards:** Ian Wright, Kevin Campbell.
This lineup, aside from the thirty-four-year-old veteran Paul Davis, who had served at Arsenal for fifteen years, consisted mostly of players in their prime.
Twenty-seven-year-old Tony Adams, twenty-eight-year-old Martin Keown, twenty-six-year-old Paul Merson, twenty-nine-year-old John Jensen, and even Ian Wright, who had just turned thirty.
Aldrich wanted to grab Graham by the collar and ask, "What the hell are you doing?!"
How could that batch of talented young players have failed under your management when you took over the Gunners?A player who had set a new transfer record in English football was let go by Arsenal three years ago.
You let Andy Cole go for five hundred thousand pounds, and less than three years later, he joined Manchester United for six million, wiping out Ferguson while Newcastle pocketed over four million!
In eight years under Graham, Arsenal—originally capable of achieving greater glory—had won just two league titles, one League Cup, and one FA Cup, along with last year's European Cup Winners' Cup, only to quickly fall from grace.
This season in the Premier League, Arsenal wasn't merely failing to compete for the title; they couldn't even lift their heads in London.
Aldrich shook his head; the ups and downs of this team were a classic case of coaching responsibility. After that Frenchman, who created a new generation of Gunners, arrived, many of the players on the pitch were reactivated; this showcases the issue of the coach's competence.
Graham's conservative tactics stifled the players' talents and ambitions, coupled with mismanagement that had led these once-prominent stars to spiral into excess through alcohol and women, squandering their youth. This season, discontent was already brewing in the locker room, with many players feeling jaded and contemplating moving on.
The referee's whistle brought Aldrich back to reality.
The first half of the match had commenced.
From the outset, Millwall played exceptionally composed, not rushing to push the ball forward but methodically working it through the midfield.
Today's biggest change for Millwall lay in their formation: transitioning from a double pivot to a trio in midfield.
Spectators were taken aback as a new face appeared on the field—Gattuso! Although not particularly tall, he had a solid build.
What could he contribute to the match?
After observing for a while, fans realized that the two midfielders, Vieira and Ballack, would only pass the ball to Gattuso in absolutely safe situations. Whenever the ball found its way to him, he would quickly and efficiently send it to a safer option.
His characteristics and role seemed hardly noticeable, making him appear somewhat dispensable.
However, some hints can be seen in his positioning.
Ballack pushed forward more, Vieira stationed near the center circle, while Gattuso lagged behind.
Glenn Hoddle, Beckham, and Solskjær would drop back to help with the build-up, and Millwall was patient, often taking a dozen or more passes before shooting from range.
Ballack and Solskjær each had attempts from outside the box that posed no threat to Seaman, while Arsenal's counterattacks were simple and swift, spreading wide and allowing their forwards to score through individual brilliance.
Yet, as the ball passed through midfield, Millwall's precise and effective interceptions thwarted their efforts.
When Gattuso intercepted the ball from John Jensen a second time, the Millwall fans erupted with excitement: "This is the second Makélélé!"
During training, Gattuso frequently exchanged defensive tips with Makélélé. Their defensive styles were similar, but Gattuso couldn't completely replicate Makélélé's instinctive clarity in distributing the ball after a tackle; it was a skill that arose from subconscious decision-making.
After refining his skills over more than half a season, Vieira's performance has been improving.Coupled with the ever-enthusiastic Ballack, Millwall has forged an iron wall in midfield!
This directly hamstrung Arsenal's ground-based attacks, making it impossible for them to find their forwards, forcing them back to a more traditional English long-ball strategy, attempting to bypass midfield and reach their forwards.
But Richards and Materazzi weren't easy opponents, and in physical duels, Arsenal's forwards struggled to hold their ground.
With half an hour into the match, Millwall grew more energetic and confident as their midfield partnership flowed seamlessly, while the veteran Davis at Arsenal puffed and wheezed.
Frequent shots from range left Arsenal's defense frustrated, as Adams and Keown shouted for their backline to push forward. They weren't afraid of leaving gaps behind them; their defense was not only renowned for its numbers within the Premier League but also for the irritation it caused to other European teams. They had a specialty: creating offside traps!
The chemistry of their defense was difficult for other teams to replicate, and successfully orchestrating offside traps became their proud skill.
In the fortieth minute of the first half, Tony Adams noticed Ballack pass the ball to the right flank, where Beckham stood ready. Seeing that Beckham had no intention of dribbling, he quickly stepped forward, positioning Solskjær in an offside position behind him.
The other two center-backs acted in harmony, ensuring Solskjær fell into the offside trap while Beckham's cross came just as planned.
Adams raised his hand to signal Solskjær was offside!
But the assistant referee did not raise his flag.
The ball, spinning vigorously, landed in the left side of the penalty area,where the swift Maglenchar sprinted in, delivering a quick pass back to the center,as Solskjær met the ball with a delicate shot into the far corner to score!
Tony Adams was furious!
He stormed toward the assistant referee, shouting, "The little guy in the middle was offside! That goal should be disallowed!"
At the time, the offside rules hadn't been modified yet, so if Solskjær was indeed offside, even if Hoddle received the ball from a position that wasn't, it would still be ruled out.
Only after 2003, with the changes to the offside rule encouraging attacking play, were players in offside positions who did not participate in the attack left unpunished.
The assistant referee remained unfazed. "That player was not offside."
Replays showed that Arsenal's offside trap faltered, as Hoddle had started drifting towards the penalty box before Beckham made the pass, drawing Dixon along with him. Dixon ended up trailing behind, parallel to Solskjær at the center; when Adams raised his hand, Dixon was misled by a moment's hesitation, allowing Hoddle to pull ahead.
After Solskjær scored, Millwall's players rushed to the sidelines to celebrate, and the familiar rhythm of the crowd erupted.
"Olé, olé, olé, oh olé! Olé, olé, olé, oh olé…"
Graham's face turned pale, and he yelled at his players to push forward aggressively!
Meanwhile, Aldrich remained composed. He had anticipated that goal during his tactical preparations, knowing Arsenal's defense was accustomed to creating offside traps. This approach benefitted from the current offside rules that dictated even one player being offside would lead to a penalty, leaving a significant gap behind their defensive line.
Arsenal, known for their defensive gameplay, found themselves trailing!
Graham, do you have any solutions?
And this was just Millwall's substitute lineup.