The intense showdown at The Den reached a boiling point as Millwall increased their pace. This gave Manchester United more opportunities to capitalize on their defensive counterattacks.
However, Manchester United faced a new problem.
When Larsson is on the court, his impact on the wing is actually very small. His greater threat comes from his positioning and running towards the goal. Therefore, Giggs does not need to drop too deep. But after Gronkjaer came on, Irwin began to face tremendous pressure. Giggs faced his opponent on the flank, although he knew that without Larsson, Millwall's central threat was reduced. However, letting Gronkjaer keep passing the ball is risky. Who can guarantee that the defense is completely safe? After all, not long ago, Ruud van Nistelrooy got two excellent scoring opportunities.
Giggs had no choice but to retreat deeper. Consequently, during counterattacks, Manchester United's wings couldn't create the same threats, and driving through the center was slow. Not to mention, both Makelele and Pirlo were no pushovers.
In fact, the matchup between Manchester United and Millwall had reached a point of intense competition.
Keane marked Nedved, while Scholes faced off against Pirlo.
If Makelele joined the attack, Yorke would have to drop back even further.
Each side had one center-back man-marking and another responsible for intercepting.
Millwall had changed two key players in their attack, and with Larsson sidelined, none of their current front trio were regular starters from last season. This meant they could no longer gain an advantage tactically.
Aldrich recognized this, so he gave his players more freedom to express their individual skills.
In the second half, Ronaldinho refrained from excessive dribbling and focused more on controlling the ball, settling into a role that resembled a classic playmaker, positioned in the central-left area.
In the 64th minute of the second half, Pirlo passed the ball to Ronaldinho, who found himself surrounded by Neville and Beckham. Swift as a rabbit, he skillfully maneuvered to evade their grasp. As he began to dribble toward the center, Nedved made a forward run. Realizing this, Keane immediately tracked Nedved, opening up space for Ronaldinho to advance.
Seeing the danger, Scholes dropped back to defend against Ronaldinho, who then passed the ball to the oncoming Pirlo. Just as Pirlo stopped the ball, Scholes, returning from a brief moment of retreat, lunged in desperation.
Pirlo managed to touch the ball away, but he couldn't dodge Scholes's challenge, ending up on the ground.
Aldrich felt a wave of despair because Pirlo remained down and didn't get back up.
"Damn it!"
Ferguson stepped out to explain to the fourth official that the player's actions weren't malicious. Aldrich signaled for Lampard to start warming up. The team doctor rushed onto the field while the referee handed Scholes a yellow card.
With a stern expression, Aldrich approached the fourth official. Just as Ferguson finished his statement, he turned to Aldrich and said, "Paul didn't commit a malicious foul. You saw it clearly; it was just an accident."
"I saw it very clearly; my player is injured, and it's two of them, both key players!"
First, Larsson, then Pirlo.
What a string of bad luck.
Ferguson attempted to console him, saying, "These things happen to everyone; Larsson's collision was normal. As for Paul's slide tackle, well, he's not known for tackling; that was just an accident."
Aldrich didn't want to start an unwarranted squabble. Scholes can defend, but he's not known for sliding tackles – it was a strange situation.
He walked back to the sidelines to relay instructions to Lampard before making the substitution.
Pirlo had to be carried off on a stretcher; it'd be determined later just how serious his injury was.
Afterward, anytime a Manchester United player gained possession, the Millwall fans at the stands jeered loudly at them.
From a neutral perspective, neither Larsson nor Pirlo was injured due to malicious fouls, but losing two key players in one match was something the fans couldn't accept.
Upon entering the pitch, Lampard needed some time to get a feel for the pace, so he focused first on solid defensive work.
Manchester United thought they had the chance to launch a counterattack, but Giggs's quick cross from the left was met by Butt, who punched it clear.
Makelele then sent a ball straight to Ronaldinho, who quickly laid it off to Lampard. Lampard in turn played the ball right back to Gronkjaer. With plenty of space around him and Giggs yet to return, Erwin was quite anxious, having retreated early to ensure he was positioned properly, fearful of exposing vulnerability.
Gronkjaer read the play perfectly; Keane was glued to Nedved, and Scholes had his hands full with Lampard, while Ronaldinho's smart inward run had Neville and Stam feeling the pressure.
Then, Gronkjaer burst into action with a speed that made everything around him feel like it was moving in slow motion.
Erwin's pupils contracted when he saw the direction in which Gronkjaer was sprinting.
Where the hell are you heading, you little punk?!
Get over here!
I'm right here!
Gronkjaer, from forty yards out, decisively changed direction and charged toward the penalty area, leaving Erwin behind. Furious, Erwin rushed to provide cover in the box, while Johnsen sprinted in an attempt to intercept Gronkjaer.
But there was no stopping the rampaging Gronkjaer!
Johnsen was just a second too slow, and Gronkjaer narrowly avoided being taken down, regaining his footing just long enough to unleash a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area!
The ball sailed in a beautiful arc, initially looking like it would go out but curving back in mid-flight, leaving the spectators in awe as Schmeichel dove with all his might, fingertips merely grazing the ball as it nestled into the far corner of the net.
It was a goal!
The stadium fell into a brief silence for two seconds, only to erupt with thunderous cheers!
"What a spectacular individual effort from Gronkjaer! He charged straight from the right side into the middle, with Johnsen unable to halt his advance. The referee's whistle was poised on his lips, but upon seeing Gronkjaer remain upright, he decisively signaled for play to continue. Gronkjaer's breathtaking long-range strike pierced Manchester United's goal, putting Millwall ahead 2-1. This will surely be one of Gronkjaer's most memorable goals!"
Aldrich was on the sidelines, shaking his fist with a grimace of frustration, muttering something that those around him could hear all too clearly.
He was cursing.
"Damn, damn, damn - damn football! Damn! This game is absolute shit! I lost two key players, what a fucking win!!"
After scoring, Gronkjaer whipped off his shirt and sprinted towards the coaching staff, tossing it onto the ground before rushing to embrace Moniz, who had taken on a greater role within the first-team staff after Benitez and Tolope's departures.
Gronkjaer had been with the team for four years, marking his fifth year. Since Millwall hired Meulensteen and Moniz, Gronkjaer's technical training had been overseen by Moniz.
The goal he just scored came from his refined technique and a notable improvement in his long-range shooting from three years ago.
This was the result of countless hours of training day in and day out. Gronkjaer's deepest gratitude belonged to Moniz, who had spent time reviewing videos with him, personally guiding his technical training. Gronkjaer recognized that his improvement was a product of Moniz's dedication.
After embracing Moniz, Gronkjaer celebrated with a high-five from Aldrich, before gesturing to the stands, prompting waves of applause and cheers from the fans.
The referee handed Gronkjaer a yellow card for his shirtless celebration.
Ferguson wore an anxious expression, caught between anger and frustration.
Recalling his failed attempt to hire Meulensteen, he felt regret wash over him.
The new wave of Millwall's talented youth evidently showcased their exceptional skills, optimized to their fullest potential.
Ferguson had once hoped Meulensteen would come to Manchester United to help nurture young talent, but Meulensteen had bluntly told him: it wasn't about Manchester United's conditions being poor or their lack of appeal; rather, the talent at Manchester United could not compete with that at Millwall.
Training and teaching tailored to the individual's strengths is vital; a player can't succeed solely due to a renowned coach; they must also have innate talent.
Aldrich felt gratified, realizing that Gronkjaer had now moved away from the habits of a classical winger and embraced the modern winger's style. That goal was a perfect example.
With less than 15 minutes left in the match, Manchester United began their counteroffensive, but they struggled to maintain possession as Millwall steadily controlled the tempo. Aldrich instructed his team to tighten their defense; if Manchester United dared to push forward aggressively, Millwall's front trio was quick enough to slice through defenses like a hot knife through butter.
Aldrich settled back down, when Jansen suddenly turned to him and asked, "I was just thinking, if we could bring in Giggs, could we convert him into a winger like Gronkjaer?"
Aldrich pondered the question before shaking his head. "I don't know; their positions are different. One is a wide midfielder and the other a winger. Giggs focuses more on assisting rather than scoring, while I expect Gronkjaer to score more than assist. It's hard to say what would happen if we haven't tried it."
"If Giggs can equal Overmars's goals at Arsenal last season, Manchester United will become very scary."
"I don't think so. It means Giggs will get fewer assists and it won't necessarily lead to more goals for Manchester United."
After a moment of thought, Jansen also sighed in agreement, recognizing there are questions that can only be speculated upon without definitive answers.
One of the key figures in Arsenal's title win last season was the agile Overmars, who scored 12 goals in 32 league games. Although Giggs is famous for his sharp dribbling skills, his position is not a traditional winger. Instead, he plays as a left midfielder or wide midfielder. He scores around seven goals every season, but his real impact is in his assist numbers. Although he occasionally shows excellent personal breakthrough ability, this style is not his main way of scoring.
He was the quintessential team player, leveraging his strengths to help the team secure victories.
Though Aldrich hadn't completely abandoned the wide midfield tactics, he didn't employ them frequently anymore. Occasionally, he utilized players like Van der Meyde or Duff in those roles; he preferred wingers with the capability to break stalemates or shift the game in critical moments.
Today, both Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer demonstrated these qualities. Ronaldinho used his excellent personal skills to force the opponent to focus on defending himself, while Gronkjar took advantage of his A fatal counterattack was carried out at a fast speed.
In the final moments of the game, Manchester United pressed hard, but Millwall seized the opportunity to counterattack. Ronaldinho and Gronkjaer swapped positions on the right, and when Ronaldinho took possession of the ball, he rushed forward along the path Gronkjaer had scored. Facing the last barrier of Manchester United's defense, Stam and Johansson, Ronaldinho did not try a long shot. Instead, after cleverly attracting Stam's attention, Van Nistelrooy passed the ball to the advancing Nedved. Then Nedved shot hard from outside the penalty area. Schmeichel did not react, but the ball was slightly higher than the goal.
Regrettably failing to extend their lead, Millwall saw the referee blow the final whistle.
The Lions triumphed over the Red Devils 2-1 at home, but the victory came at a heavy price—they had lost two key players!