The jeers from the Millwall fans infuriated Collymore, making him feel like a crazed beast wanting to charge up to the stands and brawl with the fans.
Head coach Evans had to rush over and grab him, pulling him into the players' tunnel to warn him to keep his cool.
"Stan, if you're a real man, calm down and go out there to fight back with your performance on the pitch! If you charge up to the stands now, you'll only make yourself an even bigger joke!"
...
The players from both teams headed out onto the field, led by the referee.
The Liverpool players wore serious expressions.
Just a season and a half ago, newly promoted Millwall had come to Anfield for their first encounter, and since that match, Liverpool had lost four straight games to Millwall, with the FA Cup final six months ago marking a humiliating defeat for them.
Despite the off-field chaos in the personal lives of these talented players, there was still a semblance of dignity. In the first meeting of the season, they had put on an impressive show at home. Yet, from a competitive standpoint, they still hadn't found the key to curtailing Millwall's attacking prowess.
"Welcome back to the Premier League! The upcoming match is the highlight fixture of this round, with Millwall hosting the Reds from Liverpool. If Liverpool wants to keep the title race alive, they must take down Millwall here. But over the past few seasons, Liverpool has shown intent to compete for the title yet has faltered, repeatedly offering fans hope only to fade away halfway through the season. This year is no different—they not only sit 23 points behind Millwall but also have Arsenal, Newcastle, and Manchester United ahead of them, while Aston Villa and Chelsea chase them from behind. If they cannot make a mark in the second half of the season, Liverpool might find themselves missing out on European competition next season."
"Martin, do you think Liverpool can escape with a win here? Given their record of three consecutive losses in the league against Millwall, most Liverpool fans seem pessimistic about this match."
"Andy, I don't think the match is over before it starts. In the first encounter this season, it was a thrilling match. If Liverpool hadn't conceded two goals in the last ten minutes, they could have at least forced a draw against an unstoppable Millwall."
...
Aldrich sat on the bench, studying the starting lineups of both teams. For Millwall, Ballack and Zambrotta continued to start, while Shevchenko was left out of the squad due to discomfort from training and was replaced by Gronkjaer, who took the left wing, moving Larsson to the right.
On the Liverpool side, most players were familiar faces: goalkeeper James, defenders Jones and Scales were well-known, but their other center-back Phil Babb and left-back Dominic Matteo were new additions. Babb was a mainstay for the Ireland national team and had played impressively two years ago when they caused an upset against Italy in the World Cup. Matteo was a product of Liverpool's youth academy—Evans must have grown tired of Rudock's poor performance, opting for his own youth product instead
Today, Liverpool set up a five-man midfield. The wingers were familiar faces, McAtire and McManaman, with three midfielders: a defensive-minded Redknapp at the back, and forwards John Barnes and Czech player Patrick Berger up front. Berger, who had arrived in England alongside Poborsky in the summer, was spotted by top clubs after a stellar performance in the Euros. Unlike Poborsky, who faced uncertain circumstances at Manchester United, Berger's situation was slightly better.
Collymore led the attack, while Fowler was sidelined with an injury.
As soon as the match began, both teams opened up and launched counterattacks; the pace was exceptionally fast, with players not dwelling on the ball for long. The game flowed smoothly.
Benitez sat to Aldrich's right, analyzing the match and jotting down notes before sharing his insights on the game's dynamics.
"Liverpool is focusing their attack down the middle, creating opportunities on the wings. Collymore is tasked with attracting defenders and providing support, with Barnes and Berger taking turns making threatening runs."
Aldrich nodded, acknowledging this. Meanwhile, Jansen, sitting to his left, leaned in and said, "Liverpool is really going for broke in the attack today. Our defense is stronger than theirs, but their midfield is a weak point."
"Not necessarily. They've brought in an extra man in midfield today. When defending, Barnes, Berger, and little Redknapp quickly fall back to form a barrier in front, transitioning from defense to attack through the wings. Compared to three months ago, their attack and defense transition has improved significantly."
"Who among those three in midfield is particularly defensively strong, or even a specialist? None. Barnes transitioned from a forward to a midfielder; his defensive skills are lacking. Berger is an attacking midfielder; his defense isn't particularly impressive either. Little Redknapp is more about organization and coordination. While they might all be in position when defending, they don't have the defensive prowess to solidify the backline."
The two assistants shared their views closely by Aldrich's ear, but he furrowed his brow and stood up, walking to the sidelines.
Jansen and Benitez looked at each other, puzzled as Aldrich began to roar at the players from the sideline.
"Run! Give me three hundred percent effort! Do you really think Liverpool is a pushover?!"
A camera captured Aldrich's furious expressions, leading the commentators to exclaim in surprise.
"Why is Hall so angry at his team? It's puzzling."
"Clearly, he's unhappy with the players' performances. Maybe he thinks they should have scored by now. Hahaha."
As the head coach, Aldrich knew his players best, just as they understood the messages conveyed in his words and actions.
At first glance, Millwall's players on the pitch seemed to lack intensity.
It felt somewhat tepid.
Having worked together for two and a half years, Aldrich was already intimately familiar with his players. By observing their movements, he could tell if they were taking the match seriously.
Perhaps their perfect record against Liverpool in their previous four encounters had led them to underestimate their opponents.
On the field, the hardest-working player was Gronkjaer, who rarely got a starting opportunity in such a high-profile match. The Danish winger put on an impressive display along the left flank after receiving the ball.
Aldrich began pacing the sidelines, maintaining a stoic expression, seemingly suppressing his anger.
If the players believed that having set an 18-match winning streak meant they'd comfortably secure the league title this season and embark on a glorious career from that point onward, their thinking was juvenile.
To reach the pinnacle, they needed to put in even more effort.
To achieve greatness, they hadn't even begun the journey!
Southgate intercepted a through ball from Barnes to Collymore and quickly passed it back to the center, while maintaining his composure.
The Danish player faced McAtire, who was tightly marking him. With a slight touch, Gronkjaer skillfully adjusted the ball's direction and swiftly darted past McAtire. The latter's instinctive attempt to block the ball came too late, and Gronkjaer evaded him, taking the ball down the wing.
Gronkjaer, speeding down the touchline, skillfully faked out Jones, who was defending him, before racing past him toward the byline.
After beating two defenders, Gronkjaer ignited the crowd at Lion's Den Stadium, but unfortunately, his subsequent cross sailed out of play beyond the far touchline.
Trezeguet, making a late run into the box, lowered his head in frustration as he sprinted back, while Larsson at the far end could only turn and jog back, albeit giving Gronkjaer a thumbs-up in encouragement.
After witnessing the previous cross, Aldrich leaned forward a bit and then straightened up, his expression reflecting a hint of disappointment.
Gronkjaer—another player causing him headaches.
Fast and skilled at breaking through, his only shortcomings lay in delivery and finishing.
Of the two, his crossing ability fared even worse.
Historical data from the last two seasons showed that Gronkjaer averaged the highest number of successful dribbles, despite relying heavily on explosive acceleration and direction changes. Having a signature move isn't necessarily bad; there's not much difference in getting past a defender in one move versus three—only in the aesthetics of execution.
However, alongside his impressive dribbling statistics, his crossing success rate was woeful.
Media often joked, saying: "Gronkjaer is Millwall's master dribbler, and that's it."
From Aldrich's perspective as head coach, how many players he dribbled past didn't matter. Even if he dazzled by beating seven or eight players starting from the back, failing to score meant it was all inefficiency.
Thus, his poor crossing significantly diminished the threat level posed by his breakthroughs.
Aldrich turned to Muellensteen, who was seated next to Jansen, and asked, "Is Jesper's technical training still focused on dribbling?"
Muellensteen and Moniz provided additional skills training for many players aside from regular practice.
He replied, "Dribbling is the focus. Just look at his performance on the pitch; how much he has improved compared to the game footage from the past two seasons!"
Aldrich sighed, "But what happens after he dribbles past? His crosses don't find anyone; his shots lack threat, leading to pathetic attacking efficiency on our left side."
In general, attacking efficiency is primarily reflected in goals scored and the number of successful shots on target.
If there are no shots taken or if all shots go wide, failing to generate assists, then dribbling past opponents is pointless.
Muellensteen recognized this and after some thought said, "Then we should focus on enhancing his crossing and shooting training?"
Aldrich shook his head, "I can't optimistically assume that he'll master crossing, shooting, and dribbling perfectly. Instead of focusing more on his crossing and shooting, it would be better to emphasize shooting techniques involving ball control after dribbling. My wingers can afford to have poor crossing, but they must have scoring ability."
After pondering for a moment, Muellensteen nodded, "Alright, I'll research that based on his specific traits."
Aldrich turned back to the sidelines, reiterating that his wingers might have a few shortcomings in crossing but absolutely must possess scoring capabilities, just like Shevchenko on the right wing, whose responsibilities included short passing and insertions to score, while the longer passes or crosses from the wing were entrusted to the overlapping full-back Schneider.
He couldn't expect every player to be versatile; that's unrealistic. Every player has their limits regarding energy, time, and talent, thus, he needed to focus their training on their unique strengths.
Gronkjaer's style resembled that of a classic winger, but Aldrich had to guide him away from traditional methods towards a modern interpretation of the position.