The Young Lion

Thanks to Thieves and Qingqing Little Wolf for their rewards!

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This year's Christmas War is the top battle again!

The role of Millwall's second place in the Premier League standings has received the most attention. In addition to their vigorous side this season, they also have the accumulation of influence in the past.

Fleet Street tried their best to build momentum for the top team.

No one wants to see a dominant league competition situation. Compared with the two seasons in which Millwall almost locked the championship in the half, this season, Fleet Street is not ashamed: Arsenal has locked the league title in half!

There is a premise.

Beat Millwall at The Lion King!

Arsenal have been fantastic this season.

In the first 18 games, 13 wins and 5 draws.

It is only slightly inferior to Millwall, who won the championship unbeaten in two seasons.

Fleet Street believes that as long as Arsenal step on the dead lion's body, they can also replicate their undefeated title!

Millwall's performance certainly cannot be said to be bad.

In 18 rounds, they had 11 wins, 6 draws and 1 loss.

Arsenal, 44 points, Millwall, 39 points.

There is only a 5-point gap, but if Arsenal beat Millwall away, the gap will expand to 8 points, which will invisibly boost Arsenal's spirit and morale, and will make them more courageous in the second half of the league!

The Premier League has officially begun to compete for the throne of the world's No. 1 league. In the past, they did not have many outstanding teams, but now the fierceness of the championship group has become the biggest selling point. In addition to Millwall's contribution, there are naturally traditional giants Manchester United and Arsenal. There is also the attention brought by the upstart Chelsea.

As for Arsenal, despite their amazing start to the season, they are still unable to shake Millwall's market position, the reason is also very simple.

They look gorgeous, but they still focus on counterattack.

Millwall has also played counterattacks before, but it didn't last long. In other words, although both are delicate football. The representative team of gorgeous football,

But Millwall is bigger. At least, Millwall is still the representative of offensive football, Arsenal, not yet. The creativity of their positional warfare is still limited. Without space, Arsenal's power will be reduced by at least half.

Wenger can't do anything about it. In recent years, Arsenal has actually focused on counterattacks, but defense is not about busting, and offense is not about punching and hanging, especially the team cooperation of counterattacking storms from the side and hitting the ball with one kick. Fast and sharp, especially pleasing to the eye when counterattacking, initially due to the age limit of the five veterans of the defense. Forced to play like this, and later, it was a legacy of the previous style. If major surgery is required, Arsenal will have no money.

In the pre-match press conference for the Christmas game, Aldridge had a headache.

The press conference was chaotic. The reporters in the audience rushed to ask questions emotionally, but the focus of the topic was not the top battle. It's not the Premier League. The object of their inquiry is the national team coach Aldridge.

Snapped!

Aldridge will enjoy the noisy environment in the stadium, but he can't stand the noisy scene like a conference room.

With a gloomy face and frowning, he raised his eyebrows, and the scene was suddenly silent.

Enough! I made an exception today to answer your untimely questions! As the coach of the England national team, I support the FA's decision! Discipline is discipline, and regulations are regulations. Violations of discipline and regulations are punished. Very normal procedure! Whoever he is, if it is a Millwall player, I will not intercede for him! Rio Ferdinand has been banned for eight months. This is the penalty for Manchester United players by the FA because he missed. Urine test, do you think it’s heavy? Look through other cases, and you’ll find that it’s not serious! Why do you ask for mercy? Because he helped the England national team win the World Cup? That’s not why we condone players! As the national team coach, for In the case of Rio Ferdinand being suspended, there is only one reaction I can make: Ferdinand will miss the European Cup, we will solve this problem internally, how to solve it? Ferdinand is not the only central defender!

As soon as the words fell, Aldrich left in a huff.

Aldridge is very aware of being a famous coach.

Too much trouble!

He is not a nanny, and he doesn't want to wipe someone's ass. Maintaining players and helping players clean up the mess are two different things.

Ferdinand missed a urine test after a Premier League game this month and was summoned by the FA. Then, his mobile phone call records were exposed by the magical Fleet Street on the same day, proving that the Manchester United team doctor repeatedly urged him to take a urine test. He was probably as absent-minded as portrayed by the outside world, or simply arrogant, continued to go shopping, continued to busy himself with the life affairs of his new mansion, and then, humming.

The FA came down with a single knife, and the eight-month suspension penalty was made public, which caused an uproar.

Manchester United was blown up, and Ferguson was about to collapse.

This season's defending champion Manchester United started off well. Considering Beckham's departure, Joaquin needs to adapt. In addition, there is no one available on the front line except Ruud van Nistelrooy. Solskjaer, who is over 30 years old, is still a magical substitute. , Scholes still has to be a guest striker from time to time, and Keane will soon be 33 on the back line. Suspended for eight months, the defense in the second half of the league is no longer a hidden worry, it is an obvious big loophole!

Manchester United's tone is very firm. If the FA does not commute the sentence, they will appeal to the Swiss Court of Arbitration for Sport!

The FA is even tougher: Manchester United, you fucking sue! After three failed appeals, Ferdinand is waiting for a two-year ban!

Uh, yes, the appeal mechanism in the European football sports circle is somewhat similar to the social legal system. If you want to appeal to overturn the case, if you lose the case, there will be additional punishment!

For example, the same is true for red card suspensions. If you appeal, you may be fined and suspended, but this can also be used, because during the appeal period, there is no penalty, and players can play. If the suspended games are key battles. Many clubs will use appeals in exchange for the opportunity for players to play first and then be suspended.

Aldrich had no sympathy for Ferdinand.

not at all.

Even feel annoyed.

Ferdinand has no reason to complain.

The rules are followed by everyone, and everyone is familiar with the rules and regulations. Why are you special?

If you do something wrong, you will be punished.

It's only right and proper!

Annoyingly, it made him even more concerned with the national team.

It is estimated that only Terry, Campbell is happy to hear about this shit and secretly delighted.

The next night, Millwall and Arsenal, who were under pressure in the first half of the game, made their debut at the Lion King Stadium.

Wenger is not complacent with Arsenal leading by 5 points, on the contrary, his face has been dignified since he stepped into this stadium.

Although Millwall's lineup is not neat today. Wenger did not dare to take it lightly.

Arsenal is a team with very mature technical and tactical play and team players. The team that has persisted for many years and has an unparalleled tacit understanding is precisely because the overall framework of the team lineup has been stable in these years, and the core tactical concept has not changed much. So when they reached their peak, the burst of energy was amazing.

However, Wenger still felt uncertain, even though he spoke very hard in front of the media, thinking that Arsenal would lead the standings until the last minute!

Since the second round of the league, Arsenal has been at the top of the list. It started with a wave of winning streak, and then won evenly, and has always been in the leading position.

Millwall is constantly swinging between two and four. Now the distance from Manchester United and Chelsea behind them is not too big, but it is still relatively stable.

To say that other teams were kicked out of the championship. It is already very reluctant, and it is even more impossible for Millwall to watch Arsenal reach the top.

Henry had a minor injury and Villa replaced him in the starting line-up.

De Rossi was suspended for accumulating yellow cards, and he went back to Rome for the New Year's holiday. Pedretti will replace him in the starting lineup.

Southgate is also on the injured list, and Silva was allowed to hone in the last game. Today, the more experienced Neil was dispatched.

In London, where there is a New Year atmosphere, the Millwall team is relatively deserted.

Aldridge gave some young players time off. This is his tradition of training players. Young players who don’t take the lead can get a reasonable rest. Even if Ronaldinho is 20 years old, he can still get a Christmas holiday. Even if he sacrifices the game record, Aldridge doesn’t care. It is better for players to have a good year than to face the second half of the league with a depressed mood.

With the honor of the European Golden Boy Award, Ronaldo returned to his hometown, and Kaka also returned to Brazil to reunite with his family. Even Lahm, a German player, was specially given a holiday by Aldrich. After all, the new German players are not used to it. winter break.

As for Alonso in the team, the holiday was postponed, and he was allowed to return to Spain after the Christmas game. Alonso has no complaints about this. Compared with other Premier League teams, Millwall is taking into account the emotions of the players. In terms of living conditions, he has been extremely considerate.

Millwall fans are not worried about falling behind to Arsenal in the team standings. Everyone can see that Millwall still has potential to be tapped, and it is very big!

And what about Arsenal?

Is there room for improvement?

Almost gone.

The strength of their players is basically at the current level. In the future, they will either stay at the same level or decline steadily. That is to say, Ibrahimovic should still have room for improvement.

This is the first time I have played against Wenger at the Lion King Stadium for so many years!

For the first time, Aldridge was stunned by Wenger!

Whoah! Arsenal led Millwall at home 2-0 in the first half! Their counterattack was very effective. There was no opponent they couldn't destroy. Millwall's offense was too aggressive, which gave Arsenal a huge blow. Counterspace!

Ibrahimovic was celebrating proudly, Wenger was raising his arms and smiling, and the Gunners fans cheered loudly, as if they were going to capture the Lion King Stadium!

Aldridge stood on the sidelines with a ruthless expression.

Arsenal's core routine today is counterattack, counterattack, his-damn counterattack!

However, Arsenal's famous wing counterattack stopped and turned to a central pressure!

Pires himself is not a pure winger, and he has no sense of disobedience when he walks inside.

Ljungberg quickly put on the pressing side on the other side, and the flying wings brought tear and pressure to the defense.

Center Ibrahimovic also obediently obeyed the tactical arrangement under Wenger and retreated to support him.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Bergkamp, ​​Pires, plus Vieira and Silva were on top of each other when attacking. Arsenal did not pull the sidelines when counterattacking, and directly rushed to the middle. The passing and cutting in a small area cooperated well Fluid and free!

Alonso and De Rossi cultivated a good tacit understanding in the first half. Today, when he and Pedretti teamed up, the midfield defense was easy to be caught. This is because the opponent is stronger and the opponent's targeted offensive deployment brings The incoming offensive threat increases.

It’s hard to blame Nesta’s sense of sadness on the defense line, no one dares to fight him one-on-one, and neither does Ibrahimovic. Bergkamp is getting old, and the decline in confrontation ability is very obvious , It’s an art in itself, and now it’s maximizing the waste heat and taking on the task of organizing and connecting. It’s the sharp knife threat from Flying Wing Ljungberg, Pires and Ibrahimovic’s frontline cooperation, and Vieira and Ibrahimovic. The layers of pressure brought by Silva's post-insertion attack are very deadly.

Since the start of the new season, Aldridge, who is unswervingly playing the new technical and tactical system, made more obvious on-the-spot adjustments for the first time, changing the formation and player roles.

The serious-looking Aldridge was not fortunate that yesterday's press conference was messed up by Fleet Street, because there was no such thing as Ferdinand, he would make a bold statement at the press conference: beat Arsenal, Millwall is only 2 points away from the top of the list .

Now in the eyes of most people, Millwall is 8 points away from the top of the list after this battle. (to be continued) ()