England’s Midfield Dilemma

England's World Cup qualification campaign in Group I continued as they prepared for a crucial fifth-round match against Albania. Ahead of their departure, Aldrich appeared at a press conference alongside vice-captain David Beckham.

This marked the first time Aldrich and Beckham shared the stage outside of a match since Aldrich took over the national team. Previously, Aldrich either attended solo or was accompanied by Gareth Southgate.

When the two dashing figures entered with smiles, the attending journalists couldn't help but indulge in a photo session. After all, the world's most famous football player and the most renowned coach appearing together was a guaranteed front-page scoop capable of boosting sales on looks alone.

Beckham's image had long been carefully managed, not just by his agent but by a dedicated team of professionals. In public settings, his remarks were polished and diplomatic, designed to be universally agreeable but rarely surprising. His image demanded restraint, reflecting mainstream values over personal opinions.

When reporters asked Beckham about Aldrich's impact on the England squad, his response was as poised as expected.

With a radiant smile, Beckham delivered a well-crafted answer, praising Aldrich for rejuvenating the team, injecting fresh energy, fostering trust, and guiding the squad to victories.

Journalists hoping for juicy revelations quickly realized they wouldn't get any from Beckham.

As soon as the spotlight turned to Aldrich, reporters couldn't resist asking about AC Milan's supposed interest in Millwall players.

Aldrich, ever composed, smiled and raised a hand to his mouth, miming a zipping motion.

This wasn't the time to delve into club-related topics. If he weren't Millwall's head coach, perhaps he would've entertained the discussion. After all, for a national team manager, showing curiosity about Premier League clubs wasn't exactly controversial.

In truth, a summer deal between Millwall and AC Milan was out of the question. Even if Milan offered a fortune, the Millwall stars, including Pirlo, had no intention of leaving.

Andrew had shared this update with Aldrich that morning.

AC Milan has brought in Fatih Terim to take charge of the team. While Terim had an impressive run in Turkey, his success in Serie A remains uncertain. After all, the Turkish Super Lig is still considered a second-tier European league.

Although AC Milan boasts a glorious history and resides in the vibrant city of Milan, Terim's arrival seems unlikely to restore the club's luster. In fact, it might deter top-tier players from joining, tarnishing the reputation of the iconic club.

Milan's moves hadn't gone unnoticed by their rivals.

Moratti called Aldrich last night and said, "If Millwall is selling a player that AC Milan is interested in, let me know!"

It was clear what he had in mind. Whatever Milan offered, Inter would top it by two million. Moratti wasn't about to let AC Milan rebuild without a fight—especially when it came to Millwall's top player, the kind of talent every club would want.

The conversation then returned to the upcoming match.

"England has secured consecutive victories in the qualifiers. If you win the next match, will your chances of qualifying directly for the World Cup significantly improve?" one reporter asked.

Aldrich shook his head.

"That doesn't depend on us alone," he replied. "We've already lost to Germany, who currently lead the group. If they win three of their remaining four matches, they'll secure first place. Meanwhile, Finland and Germany both have more points than us. Based on the fixtures, we'll need at least three wins from our next four games to guarantee a playoff spot. But that's not what England is aiming for. One match at a time. In football, overconfidence is the biggest pitfall."

After the press conference, Aldrich and Beckham walked out together.

"Coach, have you ever thought about leading the team to direct qualification for the World Cup?" Beckham asked.

"As I said, you just need to focus on playing your best in every match," Aldrich replied.

"Of course, we'll give our all in every game. But what we're really looking forward to is facing Germany again. Losing to them at Wembley still stings."

"What's the point of that?" Aldrich said. "If you want to win, you have to keep your head straight. Learn from your failures and improve."

Beckham smiled wryly.

"You're absolutely right, but it's hard to believe coming from you," he said.

Aldrich looked at him, puzzled.

"That's because you rarely lose," Beckham explained with a bitter smile. "How could you possibly know what it's like to learn from failure?"

A passing comment from Beckham unexpectedly sent Aldrich into deep thought.

It made sense. Beckham's words carried weight—without enough failures, how could one accumulate the experience necessary to achieve success?

As he walked, Aldrich pondered this deeply. Almost lost in his thoughts, he shook his head, realizing he was overthinking.

When Guardiola took over Barcelona, did he rely on a backlog of failure? He ascended immediately, creating years of brilliance. His coaching career soared from the start.

Aldrich had good cards in hand. If he worked hard, why couldn't he achieve results? Why must "success" always kneel at the feet of "failure" to gain wisdom?

In football, there is no single formula for success. Following a rigid path and expecting smooth results oversimplifies the game's complexity.

This trip to Albania was a fulfillment of Aldrich's earlier promise: the main players would get rest. He still brought them along, keeping them as options on the bench. The substitutes, however, were thrilled. This was their chance to shine.

Under the current circumstances of England's national team, it was nearly impossible for substitutes to dethrone the starters. Still, they had every reason to fight for their spots—competition breeds improvement.

Albania was the clear underdog in the group shared with Germany and England. Even in other groups, they were mostly present to make up the numbers. The footballing standards in Albania were weak, with local fans idolizing stars from Europe's top teams. England's visit had them excited to watch the stars in action.

Even Aldrich was surprised when he entered the stadium to see Albanian fans holding banners welcoming him.

The reputation of the young coach had reached far and wide—he even had fans here.

Aldrich settled in at the coaching bench, calmly watching both teams take the field.

Albania's lineup was predictable. As a footballing minnow, their strongest XI would barely compete with mid-table Premier League sides.

England, on the other hand, had undergone significant changes.

Starting Lineup:

Goalkeeper: James

Defenders: Phil Neville, Campbell, Brown, Ashley Cole

Midfielders: Gerrard, Butt, Lampard, Joe Cole, McManaman

Forward: Heskey

Compared to the previous match, only Ashley Cole, Lampard, and McManaman retained their spots in the starting lineup.

The trio had their reasons: either they were brimming with energy or not regular starters for their clubs, meaning they had plenty left in the tank to handle consecutive international matches.

The other star players took their places on the bench. Today, McManaman wore the captain's armband—a role he was more than qualified for, given his seniority.

This was also the first match where Gerrard and Lampard started together, a pairing Aldrich hoped to test. Against a weaker opponent, the team's strength was more than sufficient to dominate, provided nothing went awry.

Playing at home, Albania set up defensively from the start, adopting a deep-block formation.

With limited strength, they had no other choice. Though the match looked dull, this approach minimized the risk of conceding goals.

England was immediately forced into an attacking grind, exposing their weaknesses in the process.

The team lacked ball controllers. Only McManaman and Joe Cole managed to retain possession in tight spaces and create breakthroughs. The rest of the players struggled to make an impact in such conditions.

Aldrich watched for fifteen minutes before shaking his head and sighing deeply.

"I've always wondered why you don't consider using Lampard and Gerrard together. After seeing this, it's clear—these two just don't work well in midfield together."

Klinsmann caught the implication in Aldrich's sigh.

Aldrich didn't respond. There wasn't much more to say.

Lampard and Gerrard were simply too similar in their playstyles. Despite Aldrich clearly defining their roles in the offensive setup and minimizing overlap in their zones, with one attacking and the other defending as needed, their technical similarities limited the team's offensive variation.

Beckham, when pushing forward, could drift wide and adjust his position accordingly. His crosses from the flank posed a significant threat. Gerrard and Lampard could also drift wide when attacking, but their ability to create real danger was far less impressive.

By the 20th minute, Aldrich rose to his feet. England lacked attacking options. Joe Cole, still young, struggled in the central attacking midfielder role, where he was frequently swarmed by defenders. Unlike Scholes, who had an uncanny sense for making timely runs into the box, Joe Cole couldn't quite grasp the rhythm of when to push forward. While he had shown good instincts for cutting inside when playing on the wing for Millwall, his timing in this central role left much to be desired.

During a corner kick opportunity, Aldrich called Gerrard over to the sidelines, instructing him to skip participating in the corner and listen carefully to new directives.

First, he told Gerrard to relay a message to Joe Cole: move to the wing. McManaman would take the other flank, leaving the central midfield to Lampard and Gerrard, with Butt providing cover behind them.

Second, Aldrich adjusted Gerrard's role. Starting from midfield, Gerrard was to push forward whenever Lampard moved up. His limit? The opponent's penalty area.

Gerrard nodded seriously after hearing the adjustments and ran back to the field, relaying the changes to Joe Cole. The team adapted to the new setup and resumed play.

Aldrich returned to his seat.

"This is the most challenging scenario for our tactical system, isn't it?" Klinsmann asked thoughtfully.

Aldrich nodded and sighed. "Exactly. Looking at the top international teams, I'd say the most effective counter to England's style is probably Italy."

Against teams with little desire to attack or those fully committed to defense and counter-attacks, England's system was rendered ineffective. Their greatest threat came from counter-attacks, but if the opposition refused to press forward, how could England find those opportunities?

Last time, Albania had been obliterated at Wembley, falling 6-0 to England's "lure-and-strike" strategy. They had learned their lesson. Today, they sat deep, refusing to push forward or stretch their formation.

Unlike Albania, whose lack of offensive power forced them into this defensive posture, Italy's chain-link defensive system was near flawless. From zonal coverage to man-marking, they left no gaps. England's counter-attacking chances would be rare, let alone clear-cut opportunities.

The decision to rest the main squad for this match wasn't just about end-of-season fatigue. The coaching staff had analyzed the game and concluded that playing against Albania offered little value. They weren't afraid of facing strong opponents. A loss could yield valuable experience, and a win could build confidence. But against a bunker-down, defensive minnow like Albania, offensive success often depended on luck, rendering the tactical exercise nearly meaningless.