The first training match with the national team was underway, and every player was determined to make a good impression on the new coach, pushing themselves hard on the field. Once the practice match began, Aldrich and Klinsmann stopped worrying about the team, standing on the sidelines, observing and discussing the game.
It was clear that the red-shirted team was dominating, their players noticeably stronger than those in white shirts.
On the white-shirted side, Barry held the center of defense, with Lampard and Gerrard—two tireless players—positioned on either side. Aldrich didn't expect him to solve the problem of the "Double De" (the coexistence of the two midfielders). At least, during his 20-month tenure, the two would never start together in a national team match. Their roles were similar, and only one was needed on the field at a time. In the training match, Barry was used to separate them, reducing the potential chaos when their playing areas overlapped.
Despite the red team's superior performance and possession of the ball for most of the time, it became a battle of tactics. They struggled to break through, especially against the white team's three-man midfield defense. Scholes, tasked with organizing the attack, couldn't find a way to penetrate. Beckham and McManaman were mostly restricted—McManaman still able to dribble but Beckham could only rely on his golden right foot to deliver threatening crosses.
The red team controlled the perimeter well and kept pushing forward, but their attempts at possession play weren't yielding results, prompting defenders to join the attack.
Ten minutes in, the red team had over 70% possession, yet only four shots on goal.
Joe Cole couldn't hold on to the ball at first, Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't even get into position, and Smith had almost disappeared from the game.
After ten minutes, they adjusted to the rhythm, and their performance improved.
What was England's advantage? Aldrich and the current national team players couldn't answer.
But their disadvantages were clear.
Their continuous attacks didn't yield immediate results. Long balls were ineffective. They started to try quick, short passes and intricate movements to break through.
Scholes, having dribbled past Barry, made a precise pass to Heskey before Gerard could help defend. Heskey didn't turn and went one-on-one with Ferdinand, passing it directly to Owen. However, their timing wasn't quite in sync—Owen, looking to run onto a through ball, found Heskey's pass went behind him. Brown moved up and passed it to Lampard.
Before Lampard could control it, Ashley Cole made a run forward on his side, with Gerard running alongside on the other flank and Joe Cole coming back to offer support.
Instantly, Lampard had three passing options.
Before Scholes could defend, Lampard passed the ball forward to Joe Cole. Joe Cole didn't engage in a one-on-one with Butt, instead checking the situation before receiving the ball.
McManaman had tracked back to cover Gerard, and Beckham pressured him. Joe Cole passed the ball to the wing, where Ashley Cole took it forward at pace.
Joe Cole turned and sprinted forward. Gerard caught up to him, running parallel. Ronaldo, positioned on Ashley Cole's side, moved to the wing, where Ashley Cole delivered an early pass.
Ronaldo sprinted faster than Gary Neville, both chasing the ball, with Neville looking to block Ronaldo's cross. Ronaldo, just as he reached the byline, prepared for a left-footed cross.
Neville thought he could easily block the cross, stretching his leg to intercept, but Ronaldo surprised him by stopping abruptly and using his left foot to drag the ball behind him.
Neville's eyes widened in shock, realizing the awkwardness of the situation.
He'd been outplayed by a youngster!
Two years ago in Japan, Ronaldo had been all about flair, showing off tricks to frustrate his opponents. Now, two years later, his style had simplified, blending practicality with skill.
Though his sudden stop left Neville off balance, Ronaldo also had to stop as well. He wasn't quite as physically developed as an adult player and didn't yet have the explosive power to get past Neville. Neville quickly regained his balance and assumed a defensive position. However, just as he set himself to defend, Ronaldo passed the ball back to Ashley Cole, who was cutting inside.
Neville moved to block, but as he took just a few steps, he felt a rush of air behind him. Ronaldo, in a flash of speed, passed the ball between Neville and Southgate, creating a smooth and effective link with Ashley Cole.
Southgate wasn't rushing to intercept; he knew if he rushed in, he would likely lose his position.
To his surprise, Ronaldo made an immediate return pass to the top of the box to Joe Cole, who got there before Butt and flicked it forward to Alan Smith.
Smith's shot was powerful, landing perfectly in the corner of the goal. The ball hit the back of the net, and the referee, Boas, blew the whistle and pointed to the center circle, signaling the goal as valid.
After scoring, Smith walked back, high-fiving Joe Cole, both of them smiling in celebration. Smith had been invisible for most of the match, but just like that, he scored—a miraculous feeling.
Cristiano Ronaldo, with a deliberately cold and dramatic air, made a small arm-swinging jog toward the center circle. During his run, he casually glanced at Gary Neville…
Aldrich nodded slightly from the sidelines. At least Ronaldo had some self-awareness. He knew that with his build, charging head-on against these seasoned veterans would be pure suicide. He hadn't attempted a solo breakthrough; instead, he had been used to support and add to the numbers, which at least achieved some effect.
The decision to bring on Smith was based on Aldrich's confidence in his mental strength and playmaking ability, though this comparison was relative, especially when compared to a pure striker like Owen.
In just these brief minutes, Aldrich had been observing Smith's performance, and so far, he was satisfied.
Smith had followed the instructions.
He hadn't stood static at the front waiting for the ball. The early stages had seen him laying low, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Just before Smith scored, he had been positioned on the opposite side of Campbell. When Ronaldo passed to Joe Cole, Smith made a run toward the center. Joe Cole threaded a through ball to him, and he shot immediately. There was an element of luck involved; not every shot would find the corner like that, especially without any adjustment. But if Smith had adjusted, Campbell and Southgate would've closed him down.
After conceding the goal, the red-shirted starting eleven clearly weren't happy, while the white-shirted team's momentum surged. It seemed like they were getting carried away, aiming to push forward and score again.
McManaman, on the left wing, used his individual skill to get past Mills and sent in a cross. Heskey's header was saved by James, but Scholes followed up to tap the ball into the net.
Aldrich nodded at Scholes' goal.
In his view, Scholes' international career could be divided into two parts: the early years, from his first selection to the national team until now, and the latter part, which began when Eriksson took over the England national team, until Scholes retired from international football at 30.
In the first part of his career, Scholes performed admirably, especially his ability to arrive late into the box and score goals, which made him one of England's goal-scoring heroes!
But in the latter part, Scholes went almost three years without scoring for the national team. Of course, for a midfielder, scoring isn't a strict benchmark. However, it was clear that Scholes' goal-scoring ability had diminished in the national team.
If one were to watch footage from England's failure at the European Championship, Scholes' most striking contribution in attack was his ability to find space in the box, always a threat. Though he wasn't the type to single-handedly carry a team forward, this ability was highly admired by his contemporaries in the midfield.
There's a saying: "Everyone knows Zidane, but players know Scholes."
Anyone familiar with the midfield stars from the mid to late 2000s—like Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, and Zidane—would understand that Scholes was a greatly underappreciated, low-key master.
Master doesn't necessarily mean someone with dazzling skill or elegant play. It refers to someone whose contribution to the team and threat to the opponent are key to measuring their value.
With players like Scholes, Aldrich felt more confident in transforming the England national team. Having the right cards in hand means the potential outcome can be maximized.
The practice match ended 1-1.
As the players walked off for a break, Aldrich gathered them around in a semicircle on the ground to rest. The coaching staff brought over the tactical board. Aldrich stood in front of the players and asked, in his usual calm manner, "The match is over. Let's talk about your thoughts. You've all seen it, right? The red-shirted team used a 4-4-2, while the white-shirted team played a 4-3-2-1. There's a clear difference in overall strength, yet the score is tied. Both teams had threatening attacks. Why?"
Owen, sounding slightly frustrated, responded, "The white-shirted team had too many defenders."
In open play, they faced a narrow defensive line of 4+3 with seven players defending.
Aldrich nodded. "The white-shirted team compressed their defensive space. In comparison, how did the red-shirted team break through the defense? You spent about 10 minutes patiently building up your attacks, playing short passes to penetrate. What happened? You were countered and conceded a goal. And the red-shirted goal came from a wide breakthrough and created chaos in the defense, which broke the orderly defensive system. This 30-minute match showed us a reality. In England's setup, we lack the ability to play in tight spaces and make precise passes. We don't have enough players with the ability to dribble past opponents and control the ball. Especially when you look at the teams you'll face in international tournaments—Italy, with their tactical defense as an art form; Germany, with their solid teamwork and grit; or teams like Spain, Argentina, Portugal, and Brazil, who all have better offensive capabilities and sharper passing control. England can't afford to commit too many players forward in attack, and in tight spaces, we struggle to connect passes. That's our reality, that's our weak spot."
The reality is something you have to admit.
The style of the English league itself doesn't foster a national team capable of intricate possession play and smooth, penetrating attacks. They're used to high balls, playing it wide, and crossing to find tall targets—there's nothing wrong with that. At one point, it was dominant, but now, it's outdated.
The players were all ears, most of them deep in thought.
Perhaps it's because they can't improve on the delicate short-passing game, so they fall back on the simple, direct approach, relying on physicality.
Aldrich turned to Butt and asked, "What did you notice in the defense when we conceded that goal? If you'd been man-marking Joe Cole, you'd have shut him down. So what allowed him to link up the attack and eventually assist?"
Nicky Butt shrugged helplessly, "The central midfield was pretty much open. How could I stick right on him?"
Aldrich nodded. "Space. Small-space combinations aren't our strength, so we need to create the space we need in the attack. When the space expands, there will be more gaps, and it'll be easier for teammates to make runs and create passing options. David, when we transitioned from attack to defense, why did you chase Joe Cole?"
David Beckham paused to recall, then replied, "He was in my defensive zone. I dropped back to help Nicky and also keep an eye on Lampard's late run."
Aldrich asked, "And what happened?"
"Well, Lampard didn't make his run. It was Cole, coming in from the wing. I had to sprint to catch up with him. His pace was too quick, and he linked up with that Portuguese kid. Their combination was fast, just like you said, coach. They had so much space to play it that quickly, reducing the chances of mistakes."
Aldrich snapped his fingers. "Remember the two key points I'm stressing. First: space. Second: hiding the attacking points."
The players, sitting on the ground and resting, became more focused. Aldrich wasn't just imparting new tactical ideas; he was earning their genuine respect and admiration. Rather than emphasizing vague concepts like fighting spirit, mental strength, or grit, Aldrich had shown them something practical, something that piqued their curiosity. They were eager to see if this was the key to reviving the England national team.