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 playing 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 explain 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 claim the title. This mentality was strange but fairly common; people often do not want to see successful individuals always succeed and hope for the challengers to pull off an upset.
In a pre-match interview, Aldrich praised Chelsea's accomplishments, noting that his team had just played in the European Super Cup. He expressed that he would field a completely second-string team for the League Cup match, claiming 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 Cup coming up and the Champions League Round of 16 on the horizon against Italian giants Juventus!
After Aldrich calmly relayed 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 unchanged come 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 blame, 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 flags and cheering in the stands, they saw the starting players coming out of the tunnel looking cheerful and laughing.
"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 players!
Goalkeeper: Butt.
Defenders: Mills, Elguera, Southgate, Neil.
Midfielders: Makelele, Ballack, Nedved.
Forwards: Ronaldinho, Gudjohnsen, Gronkjaer.
Counting them all, at least five were definite starters!
Moreover, Ballack 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, the combination of Ballack and Makelele had raised defensive solidity by at least a notch!
Neal was once a starter; after recovering from a serious injury, he played a versatile role this season, easily capable of playing all defensive positions except goalkeeper, and performed stably. He has no problem playing 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 the last 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 outer layer 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 player and coach, personally taking the field for this match!
Aldridge stood on the sidelines, habitually observing the opposing players. 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 played 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 playing 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 the last 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 plan 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 players on the field weren't amateurs. They had gained experience in big matches over the past two years, with many of the starting players having played in numerous finals and won several titles. Their calmness on the pitch radiated a sense of championship quality, alleviating pressure on the younger players, knowing they had seasoned veterans backing them up.
Chelsea pressed hard, putting Millwall under intense pressure, with every player demonstrating great hustle, particularly when transitioning from attack to defense.
Millwall compacted their formation and targeted counterattacks, focusing their efforts on the right side, determined to exploit Chelsea's left flank!
Ballack and Nedved held fort in midfield, their layered positioning attracting Chelsea's defenders during counterattacks, but today the ball just wouldn't come to either of them.
Exceptionally, Ronaldinho found himself playing as a central attacking midfielder during counterattacks, orchestrating plays.
Working alongside Gronkjaer on the right, he frequently created threats from that flank.
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 players were visibly more energetic and committed.
Meanwhile, Millwall's attacks consisted of only two or three players, with Ballack 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 players 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 player allowed him to carry the ball down the flank. Even if he couldn't deliver a quality pass to the tightly marked Gudjohnsen, his mere attacking presence forced seven or eight Chelsea players to sprint back to defend.
This posed a severe test of stamina—a significant challenge. Even if they could hold on for ninety minutes, the effort would show as the match wore on, particularly in short bursts of explosive speed.
Vialli is a good player, but he's not a top coach - at least, he hasn't proven he is one yet.
Aldridge is certainly no match for Villa in terms of playing football. Even a hundred Aldridges combined 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 playing 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 plan 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 were completely 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 penetrating defenses, and he caused chaos for Chelsea's left flank, 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 plan, 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 players, except Gudjohnsen, still bursting with stamina. The most fatigued, Gronkjaer, had now left the pitch.
Ballack moved from a deeper role to central midfielder, Nedved shifted back to the playmaker position—the war god had returned!
Ronaldinho returned to his winger position, ready to unleash a comprehensive attack, while Van der Meyde constricted his play as a wide midfielder, balancing defensive responsibilities with tactical connections.
Millwall stopped focusing on the right flank, launching full-scale offensives from both the center and left.
The previously untroubled Chelsea right flank suddenly discovered that Ronaldinho was no longer just organizing plays; 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!