The Advantage of Millwall
At Upton Park, the Hammer's fans lost their minds after their team conceded a goal.
**"Just 90 seconds left! Just 90 seconds!"**
With all other matches concluded, only the lengthy stoppage time of the East London derby remained. Commentator Martin was howling frantically in the studio.
"Blackburn lost 2-4 at home to Leicester City, but they're safe with 42 points!
Everton lost 1-2 to Chelsea at home, but they're safe with 42 points!
Southampton lost 0-1 away to Aston Villa, securing only 41 points but safe!
Coventry came from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 at White Hart Lane, also with 41 points, safe!
Middlesbrough drew 1-1 with Leeds at home, at 40 points, safe!
Sunderland lost 0-1 to Wimbledon away, leaving them with 39 points and facing relegation!
Nottingham Forest was already relegated long ago!
West Ham United needed at least a draw; they had 40 points, more goal difference than Middlesbrough, so they would also secure safety.
But now, they were trailing 0-1 at home! If they couldn't equalize, they risked relegation! Relegation! Relegation!"
West Ham quickly kicked off, launching a long ball. But they had no attacking players on the field, just a group of defenders and defensive midfielders rushing forward. Materazzi looked bewildered at the sight of this bunch charging ahead.
"Are you just going to run up there? Who's going to contest the ball?"
The ball fell right beside him, yet no one rushed in to grab it. Materazzi easily cleared it with a long kick back into the opposite half, where it bounced out of play.
At that moment, the referee blew the final whistle!
"Since their promotion to the Premier League in 1993, West Ham United has been relegated after four years in the top flight! They couldn't hold on in the relegation battle until the end. Just one more minute! One minute! If they could just hold on for one more minute, fate played a cruel joke on them. Goodbye, West Ham United! The Premier League's 380 matches for this season have officially concluded. Congratulations to Millwall, who delivered a spectacular season for their fans. Congratulations to Larsson, whose 38 league goals broke the Premier League's Golden Boot record! He will also challenge for the European Golden Shoe! Finally, we wish Millwall success in the European competitions to bring glory to England!"
The West Ham players collapsed onto the pitch, shaking their heads in disbelief, faces twisted in pain, unable to accept the outcome.
Most fans in the stands were distraught.
"One time, two times, three times. Four times! Damn you, Redknapp! How many times are you going to lose to Millwall? Losing to them today means we've lost our Premier League status!"
Fans in the stands shouted at Redknapp for his conservative tactics. Since Millwall's promotion the previous season, West Ham had lost every East London derby. Though today didn't end in a huge defeat, it was their most painful loss yet!
The Lions' supporters, on the other hand, were ecstatic, gritting their teeth and collectively cheering.
"Hammer's, you can go to hell! Long live Millwall!"
Chaos began to erupt in the stands. Some Hammer's fans rushed onto the pitch, yelling at their players and coaches. The scene quickly spiraled out of control. Millwall's players retreated after the match, knowing their season wasn't over. This victory made their closing match even more perfect.
This was second only to winning the league title!
To drag their bitter rivals into the abyss of relegation!
Riot police were dispatched as turmoil engulfed the stadium. Outside, clashes broke out between the two sets of fans, and stores in nearby neighborhoods shut their doors, unable to avoid the vandalism and chaos caused by out-of-control West Ham fans, with some football hooligans mixed in.
It looked like the FA would have a busy time ahead, and clearly, the ire would be directed toward West Ham.
Millwall's fans, however, basked in their victory, leaving with a carefree attitude.
Fate not only played a cruel joke on West Ham but also flipped the script for Middlesbrough at Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough poured everything into their match but couldn't change the draw's outcome.
When the game ended, and players learned the scores from other matches, they all thought they were getting relegated.
Brian Robson began comforting his players while fans wept in the stands.
Juninho even knelt on the pitch, tears streaming down his face.
But just two minutes into their sorrow, a deafening cheer erupted from the stands.
Brian Robson's assistant shouted from the sidelines, "Millwall is leading West Ham 1-0 away!"
"Are you serious? Is the match not over yet?"
"Almost! There's a lot of stoppage time over there!"
"Damn it, Millwall, keep it up!"
At Riverside Stadium, fans and players alike began to pray, and after another minute and a half, they realized the other match was concluded and the score wouldn't change. The entire ground erupted into joyous cheers, with those who had just been crying now giving joyous shouts.
...
Compared to Robson's luck in keeping Middlesbrough safe in the final minute, Sunderland manager Peter Reid was incredibly frustrated.
Facing a Wimbledon side with nothing to fight for, they failed to score and conceded a goal instead, leaving the newly promoted Sunderland to face relegation after just one season in the Premier League.
As the Premier League season came to a close, Aldrich left without giving an interview.
The damage was done; no need to pour salt on West Ham's wounds.
Since the end of the match, his focus had shifted to European commitments.
Yet, it seemed others weren't ready to let Aldrich go quietly.
Brian Robson invited him for a drink, but Aldrich politely declined.
Manchester United made a secret £18 million bid for Larsson, and £10 million bids for Trezeguet and Shevchenko.
Martin O'Neill wanted to discuss Tony's prospects for next season.
Several teams inquired about Phillips and Ballack.
Aldrich turned down every last one.
Some he wasn't ready to discuss. Others, it just wasn't the right time.
Millwall had two finals left to play. He needed to wait until those were concluded before any further work could begin.
Aldrich needed to focus, both for his team and himself, on the final two matches.
That evening, his apartment was lively as his coaching staff arrived.
They enjoyed a buffet dinner and then settled in with beers to watch the Spanish El Clásico!
Before the match began, they decided to catch a review of the past Premier League season on British television.
Needless to say, Millwall had the most screen time, boasting double victories over the traditional top three while setting records for 31 matches without a loss, and an 18-game winning streak in Europe's top leagues. Larsson scored 38 goals, Nedved contributed 19 assists, and their attacking trio scored a total of 79 goals. Larsson played in 34 matches, missing just four, while Trezeguet and Shevchenko also made significant contributions in their appearances, especially as the season closed, with teammates actively creating chances for Larsson, even passing one-on-ones to him. All penalties were handed to Larsson, which moved him deeply. Across all competitions, he had netted 49 goals this season, making him one of Europe's hottest strikers. Tonight, he treated his teammates to a fine dining experience as a gesture of gratitude.
When it came to Millwall's review, it naturally connected to Middlesbrough, given that Millwall had only lost two matches all season: after securing the title, they lost to Newcastle. Under Aldrich's management for the past three years, their only home loss had been against Middlesbrough in this season's league. Without that victory, Middlesbrough might have faced relegation!
In reviews of other teams, Manchester United, despite failing to retain their title, made it to the Champions League semi-finals, a great advance. Meanwhile, their young squad's future potential remained highly regarded, especially after signing Stam to bolster their defense.
Arsenal's playing style had changed somewhat, but the results were minimal. Wenger's coaching methods would need to prove their worth with time.
Most tragically, Liverpool had a player roster that could rival any team, yet they constantly faltered. Evans' team had high hopes but often disappointed.
This season, prodigy Owen made his Premier League debut in the second half of the season. Did Liverpool lack talent compared to other teams?
...
When the later El Clásico began, Aldrich and his colleagues sat on the couch, sipping beer and watching the match.
Jansen glanced at the starting lineups and remarked in surprise, "Barcelona really still has hopes for the league title? They're 5 points behind Real Madrid! Although there are many matches left in the season."
Aldrich chuckled at this, turning to Benitez, and said, "You've been with Real Madrid for eight years; you should know the significance of this match better than we do."
Benitez responded calmly, "Catalonia is a nation without a state; Barcelona is their army! There's no room for half-measures in any Clasico."
Just five days later, on May 15, Barcelona would face Millwall in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in the Netherlands.
However, in today's Clasico, Barcelona sent out all their star players!
Ronaldo, Figo, Enrique, Guardiola, and others.
They definitely held nothing back, and this had nothing to do with being five points behind Real Madrid in the league. It wasn't just about narrowing the gap; it was pure competitive spirit: to crush their opponent!
Craig shrugged and added, "This is advantageous for us. La Liga still has 22 teams. Barcelona must fight for the title, and they have five or six games left. Today, they deployed all their stars for the Clasico, and our stars rested a week ago. We have the advantage and don't need to worry about the league."
Everyone agreed with his sentiment, and Aldrich couldn't disagree; it was indeed the truth. Barcelona had a tough road ahead, with a packed schedule in La Liga, and today's intense Clasico would leave them exhausted ahead of their trip to the Netherlands on the 15th. They likely wouldn't be in peak form!
"This season, Barcelona has been on a crazy roll. In past years, they'd have certainly won the title, but they happened to face Capello's Real Madrid, perhaps the strongest Real Madrid in the last decade. Unfortunately, Real fans dislike Capello for his conservative style. I don't see it that way; Capello's Real Madrid can transition from attack to defense seamlessly; they're both offensive and defensive!"
Benítez took a sip of his drink, expressing a deep sense of helplessness about the football environment at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid fans always dream of seeing 11 attacking geniuses on the pitch, believing their opponents should just be 11 defensive dummies. The whole match turns into a show of Madrid's offense while the other side just plays the role of punching bags.
If Real Madrid played rugby, they would definitely be the top team on the planet because they could put together the best offensive group and then snag the best defense as well. The thing is, in football, you can't just separate offense from defense like that.
Aldrich took a drag from his cigarette and said in a low tone, "You're right. I think Capello's Real Madrid stands out as one of the strongest teams in recent years. Did you see the first match of the Clasico? Capello employed an Italian-style defense and counterattack to beat Barcelona 2-0. The teamwork was simple, quick, and fluid—an absolute knockout. Forget about the stars rushing down the field or putting on solos; while those can matter in big games, if a coach bets everything on individual performances, that team is doomed. Even the best players can't shine in every match. When stars have off days, how does the team secure its victories?"
As everyone watched the match, discussions flowed freely.
Ultimately, Barcelona won via a penalty; Ronaldo missed the first attempt, but Figo retrieved the ball in the box and passed it back to Ronaldo, who scored the only goal of the match, cutting the points deficit against Madrid to 2.
However, they still had European commitments; during the final sprint of the league, Real Madrid maintained the advantage.