Neil Field.

The shouts of the fans in the spectator stands resounded in the sky, and could be heard a block away from the commercial street, and some outsiders couldn't help but ask, "Why is it so lively there?" ”

At this point, someone will be surprised and answer, "Don't you know?" That's Neil Stadium and Millwall are playing against Arsenal! Look at the time, it's time for the game to begin. ”

"By the way, I'm back to watch!"

"There seems to be a big screen in the square over there!"

Many outsiders also followed the flow to the small square, where more than 1,000 fans had gathered, all of whom watched the game and cheered Millwall on the big screen in the square.

In the screen shot, the players of both teams walk out of the aisle.

As the stadium broadcast Mike Johnson's introduction, the cheers from the game were even louder.

Mike Johnson focused on Millwall, and the list of Arsenal starting line-ups was just a passing one, "Next is Darren Bent! ”

'The young striker has scored two goals for Millwall and is the third most goalscorer in the team!'

"And then there's Hislop!"

"Old Hislop is our new door god! He's going to do everything he can to guard Millwall's gates......"

“……”

With the introduction of one player after another, the cries of Millwall fans rose higher and higher.

"Sky Sports" was in charge of commentating the game, Keon Sindell, and after a brief introduction to the line-ups of the two teams, he began to use the time to make a brief analysis, "Arsenal's line-up is not unexpected, similar to the previous analysis, but Millwall's start, is a bit surprising. Let's see, Braniff was on the bench, Darren Bent came on, Millwall should have the strongest squad against Arsenal, Braniff was better than Darren Bent, but he didn't get a chance to start......

"But it's not surprising that in recent games, Millwall have been using a single striker formation, no matter how good the striker is, there is only one play, Braniff and Darren Bent have been constantly rotating, the last game was Branifer, this one is Darren Bent's turn. However, in the face of the match against Arsenal, Zhang Yang should probably consider a slight adjustment, after all, Branifer's performance is more dazzling. ”

'There were some changes in midfield, Livermore didn't play, and the starting XI on the left flank changed to Koncheski, which may be a normal rotation, but against Arsenal, Zhang Yang should probably consider putting all the core players in the starting line-up ......

"Sky Sports" has the broadcast rights of the Premier League, and there will be no inclination to comment on the game, but it is different for other TV stations that have bought the broadcast rights of this game, such as BBC Sports Television, they only broadcast Premier League games occasionally, and will only broadcast the focus of each round, this time they bought the broadcast rights from "Sky Sports", but the commentator is not neutral, he will make a unique commentary with his personal opinion, for Millwall's starting lineup, the commentator thinks it is," Maybe Millwall is going to give up the game, after all, the opponent is Arsenal, few teams can beat Arsenal, and Millwall will not be an exception, so they will rotate normally, and they can get the best points, and not getting points will not affect the normal rhythm of the team. ”

"The flamboyant approach is correct, Millwall's overall results are good, but after all, they are only a promoted team, and their goal is only on relegation, playing against giants like Arsenal, whether they can give up or give up, but that will disappoint the fans who came to the scene......"

The last sentence is a satire on Millwall.

In the eyes of many people, the striker Braniff is the main force, and the midfielders Joey Healy and Livermore are also quite good players, and the three main players who have been replaced by Arsenal are no different from giving up the game, if they don't show 100% strength, Millwall will not have a chance at all.

Arsenal's line-up is much more flashy: the four major players in the back line, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Ashley Cole, Gilberto Silva, Cesc Fabregas, wing Ljungberg, Hleb, van Persie in the front line and Thierry Henry, plus a goalkeeper Lehmann.

Arsenal can be described as the main force.

Except for some weakness in the middle of the midfield, Arsenal's lineup is already impeccable, but considering that after Vieira's departure, others have become unusable, and Fabregas's support in the middle is already the limit of what Arsenal can do.

It also shows the importance that Wenger attaches to the game.

With Arsenal strong and more focused on the game, almost everyone is not optimistic about Millwall.

————

The game opens.

In the first ten minutes, the two teams were in the tentative phase.

Arsenal don't know Millwall, Millwall doesn't know Arsenal, they know each other only on paper. The two sides continued to launch tentative attacks, and even Arsenal were very attentive to defence, resulting in a less intense pitch.

In the opening tentative phase, the media can also continue to discuss the focus of the starting lineup, and the focus of their discussion is on the front line, with many media agreeing that Braniff is better than Darren Bent.

So why did Millwall only field Darren Bent?

Some people think it's a 'normal rotation', Darren Bent's performance is not too bad, and when it is Darren Bent's turn, Darren Bent will be allowed to play, but it is a little unrealistic to face Arsenal in this way, if you want to break through Arsenal's goal, the better the player's ability, the better, Braniff is better, send Braniff to play, the probability of scoring is higher.

But they felt that Millwall had little chance.

Then it's easy to understand that Darren Bent is sent in: whoever plays will lose anyway, so simply let Darren Bent play, and Braniff will stay until the end of the game to get higher points.

Millwall dugout.

Zhang Yang chewed gum in his mouth as he fiddled with the poker in his hand, occasionally glancing at the game.

It looked very laid-back.

Many people are used to it, no matter which opponent Millwall encounters, Zhang Yang will put on a laid-back attitude, he doesn't seem to worry about the situation on the field, and always behaves very casually.

But in fact, Zhang Yang has always been very serious.

He not only uses 'foresight' to judge the next game in advance, but also constantly thinks about some game clips and analyzes the team's strengths and weaknesses against the game on the field.

This can help to understand the situation on both sides better.

Zhang Yang doesn't care about how the media analyzes it, but the media is right, the rotation of Braniff and Darren Bent is one game after another, but it will not continue to do so, because in some games, Millwall can play more openly, even if it is a 4231 formation, it can also let Darren Bent or Braniff play fullback, but this one is indeed a normal rotation, and the purpose of the rotation is to 'give the two of them a chance'.

So far, Braniff and Darren Bent have performed well.

The outside world is talking about Braniff, because Braniff scored more goals, scored a brace in one game, and Darren Bent was not bad, as evidenced by the fact that he scored two goals in three starts.

Why is Braniff more dazzling?

Zhang Yang knows the reason better than anyone: Braniff is a veteran player, he is more familiar with the team, he is more skilled with his teammates, and his teammates are more inclined to give him the ball when they are playing at the same time.

That's the real reason!

Darren Bent's strength is not a problem at all, the result of 'word and spirit divination' is proof, when the same position is replaced by Braniff to Darren Bent, the strength evaluation can be improved by one point, one point is not much, but the overall tactics remain the same, changing a position player, there is a one-point gap, which also proves that Darren Bent's strength is stronger than Braniff.

As for midfielder Livermore's non-appearance, it was also the result of Zhang Yang's careful consideration.

The double back partners in this game are Jody Morris and Marvin Elliott, and the central midfielder is Smitchell, and this lineup is also the highest rating of the 4231 formation, in other words, the current lineup on the field is the strongest lineup for Millwall.

Different lineups have their tendencies.

This set of well-rated lineups, more inclined to the confrontation in the midfield and the defense in the backfield, the offense is worse than the 442 formation, Livermore's long-range shooting ability is good, but considering the game with Arsenal, the difference in strength will make the team play very passive, Livermore is difficult to have a chance in the frontcourt, it is not as good as Smitchell to play, increase some of the team's flexibility, and may also find more opportunities.

Arsenal dugout.

Coach Arsene Wenger is also watching the game seriously, Arsenal is not the first time to play against Millwall, just a year and a half ago, Arsenal also met Millwall in the FA Cup, Arsenal also lost the game, giving Millwall the opportunity to enter the FA Cup semi-finals, but that Millwall and the team in front of them are completely two teams.

In two seasons, Millwall has changed so much!

However, during that game, Arsenal had to deal with the league title race and the Champions League, and had no intention of dealing with the FA Cup, which gave Millwall a chance to win.

Now it's different.

This is the league, Arsenal must also try to play a good start to the league in order to reduce the pressure brought by the next intensive competition, and Millwall is also an opportunity, Vieira's departure is too big a blow to the team, Arsenal need to win against the opponent and bring confidence to the team, Millwall ranks second in the league, although the league has just begun, almost no one recognizes this second, but in the end they do not belong to the absolute underdog, beating Millwall away will definitely bring some confidence to the team.

Arsenal need confidence so much!

But Arsene Wenger will not be careless, he knows that the game will not be very easy to play, Millwall can play four wins and one draw, there must be a reason, just like Fulham boss Coleman said, Millwall is 'building tactics with the team', watching several games of Millwall video, Wenger generally agrees with this.

How much of a change will this tactical approach bring to a team?

Arsene Wenger didn't know.

It was the first time he had seen this tactic, and he had to watch it carefully.

When he saw Millwall's dedication to defense, Wenger was somewhat relieved, wanting to defend the goal, which is applicable in many games, the game is only 90 minutes, and if you work hard to defend the goal, there is always a chance to completely defend it.

But Arsenal are the exception!

Most teams will try to strengthen their defense when they play against Arsenal, even Chelsea and Manchester United, but Arsenal can still become one of the 'top four in the Premier League', relying on fast-paced, practical attacking and strong midfield.

In the face of Arsenal's intensifying attack, it will be difficult for any opponent to hold on to 90 minutes if they are focused on defending.

That's Arsene Wenger's confidence.

————

Twenty minutes on, the pitch became more and more intense, as if to confirm Arsene Wenger's thoughts, and Arsenal had a chance in a dangerous position and came close to breaking the door of Millwall.

The fact that the game was only in the heat of the game was found and proved that Arsenal are capable of attacking.

Arsene Wenger was more relieved.

Zhang Yang also began to change his mentality, in the previous few games, he faced his opponents with an 'equal mentality', when the situation was at a disadvantage, he would think about the reasons and find ways to change.

Now Zhang Yang is very clear that there is no way for Arsenal to have the upper hand.

Arsenal is purely a strength squad suppression, their squad strength must have reached more than eight stars, even if Millwall plays the strongest strength of the lineup, it is still much worse than Arsenal, and then considering that Arsenal is good at attacking, it is normal to be suppressed.

Zhang Yang has also changed to the mentality of facing the game last season--

The team is suppressed?

Dangerous?

It doesn't matter!

What is the other party in a row?

It doesn't matter!

As long as the opponent does not score, then there is no problem at all, the situation is inferior, the opponent finds a chance to score, will not let the flamboyant mentality be shaken, because the game is uncontrollable, and if it is another manager, you can only watch nervously, hoping that the team will perform well, or God will be on your side.

Zhang Yang can still do something, he constantly uses 'foreknowledge' to judge the situation of the next game, and is ready to alert the team when encountering danger.

But in reality, the game situation is not as dangerous as imagined.

Zhang Yang is quite satisfied with the team's performance.

Arsene Wenger is confident in Arsenal's attacking prowess and will be able to find the Millwall goal as long as they play normally.

To some extent, this is true, but it is also very difficult for Arsenal to do.

Millwall has made a lot of preparations for the game, and in the previous two league games, Zhang Yang has been constantly experimenting with the 4231 formation, and this game has made good preparations defensively.

The core of Millwall's tactics is to let players in all positions play as best as possible.

That's why Millwall played so well.

The defense uses full-court pressing, with fast-paced offense and defense, to limit the opponent's play, and the defensive method of the 4231 formation is almost equivalent to pressing in its own half, with two backs with four backs, plus two full-backs retreating, the team can also be said to be intensively defending.

While defending intensively, each player also keeps increasing their runs to increase the defensive area covered by players in each position, and when one position is breached, other positions will be quickly filled, and the players in the breached position can quickly devote themselves to other defenses.

This may sound a bit complicated.

But in fact, while the tactics give players free play, Millwall has also completed a part of the 'position weakening', which means that the sense of position of each player is getting weaker and weaker, and the attacking players have to participate in the defense, and the defensive players, such as full-backs and central defenders, have to participate in the attack.

This is a big trend in the development of football.

For example, when the team is fully defending, the two forwards have been standing in front of the ball and waiting for the ball, which is obviously a waste of overall ability, many people may think that they can create counterattacks when they have the opportunity, but the two strikers have not provided any help to the team most of the time, just for the theoretical 'opportunity' has been in the front, which is certainly not as good as defending when it is time to defend and be in a favorable position when it is time to attack.

Zhang Yang did not put forward the concept of 'position weakening'.

When he was studying tactics, he didn't even understand the concept at all, but 'players are free to play their strengths', to a certain extent, it means 'position weakening', when the frontcourt players realize that they want to defend, they will participate in the defense, and the backcourt players realize that they want to attack, they will participate in the attack, there are no rules and regulations of tactical restrictions, they can play more strength, and they have also completed a certain degree of 'position weakening'.

This has greatly increased Millwall's defensive capabilities.

In the twentieth minute, Arsenal got a shot in front of the goal, which made Wenger feel very relieved, he thought that the team would get chances frequently, but then Arsenal got not as many chances as expected.

By the 40th minute, Arsenal had only threatened the Millwall goal twice.

This made Arsene Wenger realise that he was solid defensively.

The Frenchman couldn't help but glance at Millwall's coach's box, which almost blew him up: the young Chinese was sitting there with Erlang's legs crossed, fiddling with a deck of playing cards in his hand, and constantly talking to the substitute player next to him, with a faint smile on his face.

That relaxed demeanor seems to mean that you are not worried about the game at all!

"What the hell was he thinking?" Wenger was a little confused, he looked down at the time, pursed the corners of his mouth vigorously, and then walked to the sideline with a serious face, taking advantage of Ljungberg to run by, raised his big hand and waved forward.

"It's time to step up the offensive!"

For most of the time, football is at the feet of Arsenal, but there are not many opportunities brought by successive attacks, and Arsenal have not been able to break Millwall's goal for a long time, and if it drags on until the second half, it may be a little disadvantageous for Arsenal.

In the final minute of the first half, it was time to step up the offensive and try to complete the goal.

As long as they can score a goal in the first half, the situation will be very good for Arsenal, otherwise, if they continue, the team will become a little impetuous, and in the second half, the opponent may adjust their tactics, maybe there will be new changes.

That could be bad for Arsenal.