Last season, Aldridge spent almost half of the club's cost to build a new team, and it was an existential season, and if Millwall could not be promoted, Aldridge would lose many of his key players and he would not be able to control the team.

Playing in the Premier League in the new season, although they can survive relegation, will have a huge impact on the heights Millwall can reach, as Aldridge will inevitably lose some of his best performers.

The career of a professional footballer is very short, from maturity to peak, it may be less than a decade in the snap of a finger, in such a decade, professional footballers must be based on a strong team if they want to achieve professional success, and if Millwall cannot provide such an environment, Aldridge cannot blame anyone in the team for leaving the team.

The Premier League is undoubtedly a bigger stage than League One, and it is a place that will directly attract the attention of Europe, when Millwall's players are exposed to a more shining spotlight, as long as there is a slight achievement, then it will be the transfer intentions of major European giants and first-line clubs.

The football world is so cruel, the best and best resources will be divided by the giants of various countries, especially at the end of 95, after the implementation of the Bosman Law, the most typical exception is the new Champions League champion Ajax who was hollowed out.

Aldridge needs trophies to inspire this season, and if it weren't for the miracle of the Premier League title, it would have been two cup titles in the country.

The members of the coaching staff also understand that Millwall have been in a difficult situation this season.

In the final analysis, Millwall is a small temple, and if you want to keep the great god, you must gild yourself, and only a thousand rays of light can make people desirable.

"Maybe it's a bit strange to say, but I think this season, we can use the league to train the players and try to narrow the gap between the substitutes and the main lineup, so that we can try to have an unprecedentedly strong squad next season, rather than the embarrassing situation where the substitutes are difficult to provoke," Tolop mused. The League Cup and the FA Cup, we can give it our all. At the very least, there are only seven matches between the two cup competitions, from the start of the Premier League to the final, and of course there are no replays. Moreover, the League Cup schedule, except for the final around the end of February and early March, the first six matches will be played from the end of August to the end of January, while the FA Cup will be played from the beginning of January until the winner is decided in May. There's a lot of room for us to adjust, and at least half of the time between the two cups doesn't overlap, so we can prepare independently. ”

Tolop's view was unanimously shared by the coaching staff.

Millwall needs a championship, but in terms of championship difficulty, it is definitely the biggest in the league, and the cup is less difficult, especially even if the draw is against a strong team, it is difficult to ensure that the strong team will not be distracted by the league and despise the cup competition.

Aldridge thought for a while and said: "Well, then our plan for this season, the main squad is going all out for the cup, in the league, we are now planning the rotation according to the schedule, and handing over the important leagues to the main team to deal with, especially the game of playing a strong team, slightly weaker opponents, it will be dealt with by the substitute lineup, as long as the substitute team does not collapse, then next season, the first team that has experienced the tempering of the Premier League will be stronger." ”

Then the coaching staff started to study the schedule.

Speaking of which, every team in the Premier League will encounter the devil's schedule during the season, especially for the weak teams, there will always be a strong team at a certain time.

Millwall had a bit of luck.

First round of the league: Away to Old Trafford.

Round 2: Home against Arsenal.

Round 3: Anfield.

Round 4: Away to defending champion Blackburn.

Round 5: Home to Nottingham Forest

Aldridge has no complaints about the schedule, he feels that there is nothing to complain about, in fact, the FA's schedule is not random, and a closer look at the schedule will show that other teams will also be such opponents in the devil's schedule, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Blackburn, Nottingham Forest are just Millwall are playing such schedules from the first round.

On the premise that there is no game reschedule, the Millwall coaching staff has made a rough rotation plan, which is a big tone, and as for injuries or game rescheduling, only a small adjustment can be made.

Moreover, Aldridge's coaching idea is that no player in the team can exceed the density of one game a week, that is to say, no player will play more than 38 times in a nine-month game cycle, which is to avoid player injuries, but also to maintain the player's hunger for the game, to avoid psychological boredom caused by too many games, and in the long run, it is also for the player's career peak to continue longer.

After the conversation was over, Aldrich took the lead in smoking a cigarette in the conference room, and after everyone relaxed for ten minutes, Aldrich once again threw out an important topic.

"Guys, I want to start a shift in the team's tactical style this season."

Everyone cheered up and waited for the rest of the story.

Aldridge turned on the projector in the conference room and projected the picture material he had prepared on the big screen, which showed the 442 formation that Millwall's main squad is now using.

The back four are parallel, with two midfielders one behind, one up front, two wing-backs, two forwards one up front and one slightly behind.

'Last season, we used this 433 formation on the bench.

Aldridge put another picture next to him, showing the formation after David Beckham's departure in the second half of last season.

Four backs are parallel, three midfielders, one is behind, one is in the centre circle, one is slightly forward, and then the forward three arrows.

"In fact, the tactical formation of the substitute lineup is my ideal formation, and last season because I was worried that directly discharging such a 433 formation would cause a lack of offensive strength due to the lack of a midfield commander. So I use the traditional 442.And I think in the top field, the balance of offense and defense is the most important, in the fast pace of the game in the top field, in the 442 formation, once the midfielder comes forward to assist is counterattacked, it is unrealistic to intercept only with a single back, and 433 is based on the strong control of the midfield, so that the combination of the side and the middle, the winger cuts inside, the fullback inserts assists and other offensive means, the distribution of responsibilities in the middle, the back waist is the first defense, two midfielders, one is responsible for the organization, one is the strategy, the three arrows should not only make full use of the width of the court, but also be able to do frequent changes and insertion into the penalty area to achieve the best offensive effect. ”

Seeing the two tactical diagrams on the big screen, the coaching staff members were thoughtful, and Aldridge projected a more detailed tactical explanation onto the big screen.

Jensen wondered: "Three forwards, two of them are wingers?" ”

Traditionally, wingers are mostly to create a threat on the wings, and their main role is to feed shells to the middle, and if the wingers in Aldrich's 433 formation are only doing this, then the middle will not necessarily be more powerful if there is one less striker.

Aldridge said seriously: "The winger, but not simply the winger who crosses the bottom, such a winger needs to have the ability to cut inside and score, and to be able to cooperate with the center forward, the two midfielders, and the corresponding wing-back, especially when the full-back assists to form a numerical advantage on the wing, the winger has to insert into the penalty area or attract the attention of the defender, or directly form a shooting opportunity to complete the score." ”

Jenson frowned: "It's too demanding for the winger's ability. Being able to pass the ball accurately, having a sense of movement and coordination, having the ability to break through, and having the footwork to shoot is just an offense, and the defence definitely needs to run at all costs. ”

Aldridge nodded and said: "That's right, of course the requirements are high, but we have such a material in the team, Pire, Larsson, I believe they can do it, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is no problem, Shevchenko just came in the summer, although he is the material for playing the center, but he can also be qualified for this position, especially in the tactics, after the winger breaks into the penalty area or completes the change with the center, in the penalty area, players like Larsson, Shevchenko, the center material of the player, is even more powerful. ”

Jenson thought for a while and nodded: "The idea is very good, let's not talk about the forward line for the time being, there are three positions in the midfield, and in the back position, we have Makelele, Gattuso can meet the tactical requirements, so what about this midfield commander?" Vieira? Or Nedved? ”

"No, I'll use 442 next season, because if I change to 433, then Schneider will be withdrawn from the main lineup, and I don't want to do it, it will chill his heart. But I want the club to instill this tactical philosophy in the players from top to bottom, especially the role of the substitute and the midfield commander, and I intend to develop the new Italian lad, Andrea Pirlo. Nedved will play a playmaking role in midfield in the future, with his wide range of runs and forward threats to the penalty area being one of the winning points of flexibility in tactical changes. ”

The members of the coaching staff looked at each other, they didn't expect Aldridge to value the new Pirlo so much, the role of commander, that must be the tactical soul of the team, and Nedved, who has become the spiritual leader of the team through a season.

Aldridge and his colleagues discussed the tactical reform part for a long time, improving the immature part, exploring more valuable tactical changes, and so on.

When the meeting was over, Aldridge clapped and cheered everyone on, encouraging each other to cheer for the new season!

Later in the day, the first team coaching staff went to the Leo Academy to meet up with the players, and then took a family photo of the 95/96 season together on the brand new training ground!

The new family portrait was posted in the hallway of the Leo Academy along with last year's, and at the same time, souvenirs for the new season went on sale in the club's shop, with new jerseys, new scarves, new posters and more.

Of course, a new season, a new challenge, for the championship trophy!

Attached is the list of Millwall's first team for the 95/96 season.

Goalkeepers: Keller, Bout, Wright.

Defenders: Stam, Southgate, Richards, Materazzi, Elgra, Mills, Ferdinand, Thuram, Zambrotta. Neil.

Midfielders: Vieira, Gattuso, Makellele, Nedved, Ballack, Pirlo, Lampard.

Forwards: Pire, Glen Char. Schneider, Trezeguet, Toney, Vanney, Larsson, Phillips, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Shevchenko.

Thirty people in total.

Volume 1: One Hundred Years Without a Crown - The End

Next volume: King of London