A Loss with No Regrets

The Ballon d'Or ceremony coincided with the 18th round of the Premier League. France Football sent out invitations, with Ronaldinho, Larsson, Henry, Pirlo, and Nedved all on the guest list, inviting them to attend the prestigious event.

With the Christmas rush of the Premier League just around the corner and the FA Cup soon to join the fray, Millwall had just finished their first stage of the Champions League group matches. They had traveled to Germany with a full reserve squad, facing Hamburg, who fought valiantly for honor. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

After returning to London, Aldrich allowed the invited players to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony, offering them a chance to rest and enjoy some rewards. Millwall's next match would be an away game at Goodison Park, facing Everton, and then, the real highlight—the Christmas Eve showdown at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

Aldrich wasn't about to let his players lose focus now. The Ballon d'Or—it's the kind of honor every footballer dreams of. What if one of them won? Could you imagine the chaos if they weren't there? So, he decided to let them go and attend. After all, Aldrich doesn't have a crystal ball to predict the future. He used to have that ability, but now, as head coach, it's all up in the air.

So, he decided to let them go and come back ready to face Manchester United. If someone won the Ballon d'Or, that would only boost their momentum!

Before the Ballon d'Or ceremony, the Champions League second-stage group draw also took place.

Millwall's luck seemed to be on their side, drawing AC Milan, PSG, and Anderlecht into their group.

But the team that would have felt the most anguish after the draw? Anderlecht.

Had they drawn this group as second in the group stage, they might have taken it in stride.

But to be group leaders and face this challenge? It was a tough pill to swallow.

They fought tooth and nail with Manchester United, PSV Eindhoven, and Dynamo Kyiv. They had defeated Dynamo Kyiv, pushing them to the bottom of the group, and sent PSV Eindhoven to the UEFA Cup. They finished top of the group, ahead of Manchester United. What had they fought for?

To advance was the first goal. At least, they hoped for a draw against two weaker second-place teams in the next stage!

Damn it!

Looking at the second-place teams, Millwall was the strongest. They drew the jackpot!

Paris Saint-Germain was also frustrated. A single draw would have seen them finish first in the group, ahead of Bayern Munich. Instead, they were second and now had to face the strongest second-place team—Millwall—and the traditional powerhouse AC Milan...

AC Milan was also disheartened. Millwall's name stood out too sharply. They had been double-killed by Millwall in the group stage the previous season and didn't even make it to the Round of 16. This year, they managed to finish first in a tough group but now had to face Millwall again in the Round of 16.

Would they ever catch a break?

Just after their battles with Leeds United, Barcelona, and Beşiktaş, they found themselves in another death group. UEFA, who drew the lots? Come to San Siro, I swear I won't kill you!

The Millwall CEO, Adam, represented the team in the draw and later commented in an interview that they had drawn a good group.

Aldrich, on the other hand, privately commented on the draw, and somehow, someone blurted it out, making it the headline on Fleet Street on a non-match day.

"Millwall, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Lyon—this is the group Aldrich most wanted for the draw."

Aldrich's actual words were: "If we could switch Anderlecht with Deportivo La Coruña or Valencia, or replace Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht with Bayern Munich and Lyon, that would be ideal."

Anderlecht would gladly trade places with those teams, but UEFA wasn't about to allow it. Why should they? Bayern Munich's group was practically a one-horse race, and they wanted Millwall in their group to spice things up?

Millwall fans loved it, thinking Aldrich's idea sounded fantastic. They definitely hoped to watch more high-level encounters in the Champions League.

The two seasons with changes to the format had seen a decline in attendance for Champions League matches. Millwall's games against Hamburg, Sporting Lisbon, and Spartak Moscow didn't quite excite anyone.

As the Round of 16 teams were confirmed, Fleet Street was a little more excited.

Why?

Because the Premier League had the most teams in the Round of 16.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds United, and Millwall—all four made it to the Round of 16!

La Liga, Serie A, and Ligue 1 had two teams each, while the Bundesliga only had Bayern Munich.

Serie A's decline had become more evident. Inter Milan had fallen in the qualifiers, and Juventus had faltered in the group stages. Only AC Milan and Lazio remained.

But it was still too early to say that the Premier League as a whole was the strongest in Europe. Millwall was strong, but their dominance was clearly separating them from the other top teams in England. Millwall might represent the Premier League, but they didn't represent the overall strength of the league. It would all come down to the results of all the Premier League teams in the Round of 16. Four English teams made it through; when the quarterfinals came, it would be clearer—quarterfinals and semifinals were the true test of top-level competition.

On the 18th matchday of the Premier League, Millwall visited Everton for a thrilling encounter. With many of their key players absent, Millwall fielded a squad of substitutes, while Everton, struggling near the bottom of the standings, deployed a 4-5-1 formation, pressing Millwall relentlessly in a bid to secure a victory.

By the end of the match, a loud cheer echoed through Goodison Park.

The scoreboard read:

2:1

Everton had ended Millwall's 65-match unbeaten run at home!

Millwall's substitutes, who had played a mid-week away Champions League match, showed a noticeable decline in performance today. On top of that, their eagerness to prove themselves and help the team overtake Manchester United for the points was evident, but their attack was disorganized and ineffective.

The central midfield pairing of Lampard and Pedretti struggled to cope with Everton's five-man midfield pressing, which slowly wore them down. The midfield and attack lacked the necessary understanding, and their disconnected play led to poor offensive execution. On defense, the backline was exploited when support from midfield left gaps for Everton to penetrate.

After shaking hands with the opposing manager, Aldrich walked down the players' tunnel. He smiled as he entered the post-match press conference.

The reporters fixed their gaze on Aldrich. He sat down, smiling at the microphone. "Heh, this day has finally come. Any questions?"

This day?

The reporters quickly understood.

The young coach took it well.

Indeed, no team is invincible.

Where was Millwall's limit?

Throughout their previous 65 unbeaten matches, many had predicted their downfall, yet they kept surpassing expectations. Time and time again, they broke through their own limits.

Now, the record had come to an end.

David Miller from The Times suddenly clapped.

Other reporters followed suit, applauding the young coach and Millwall.

On other occasions, when Millwall won, their applause felt trivial.

But today, the applause wasn't just for a record-breaking achievement—it was also for Aldrich's unexpected poise.

David Miller even imagined what expression Aldrich might have had at this moment.

Anger? Resentment? A refusal to accept defeat? A vow for revenge in the next encounter?

No. Instead, Aldrich smiled calmly.

The young coach made his stance clear.

"This day has finally arrived."

He had never allowed the continuous success to cloud his judgment.

Usually, Aldrich was accustomed to applause after victories, but today's was slightly awkward for him. He raised his hand to stop them and said with a smile, "Millwall lost today, no need for applause. Let's get back to the topic."

"Did you ever think that the team would end its unbeaten streak by losing to a team like Everton, who are struggling near the bottom of the Premier League?"

Aldrich shook his head. "No, we hadn't. In the final stages of the last season, the entire previous season, and in the first half of this season up until today, we hadn't lost a single match in the league. But I knew we couldn't stay unbeaten forever. In fact, there were many times when we were on the verge of losing, like after we clinched the title last season or during the early stages of this season when we drew a few games. An unbeaten streak becomes like a heavy mountain on the players' shoulders; I felt extra pressure myself. I believe when this record starts to become a burden, affecting us, it's time to let it go. This doesn't mean I'm happy to see the team lose, but as you saw today, we faced a tough Everton team, one that needed the points, at their home ground. Millwall was missing many key players, and some of those who played had just played a Champions League game a few days ago. Today, we lost, and Everton fought hard for the win. They deserve the praise, not us. We gained experience, shed some pressure, and ensured that our young players won't be distracted by things outside the game. That's the positive impact of this loss."

One reporter immediately asked, "Do you regret allowing so many key players to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony? If they had played, maybe Millwall could have continued their unbeaten streak."

Aldrich shook his head again. "No regrets. If any of my journalist friends knew me well, they wouldn't ask this question. Those familiar with my coaching style know I focus on the long-term planning of the team. The Premier League is about to enter the Christmas fixture congestion, and our next game is against Manchester United. Allowing the key players to have a relaxing weekend will help them perform better in the upcoming matches. I don't need to repeat myself; I've never forced a change in the team's consistent working style just to extend an unbeaten streak. Not this season, not last season. On the contrary, it's precisely because we focus on long-term, rational, and scientific team building and planning that Millwall's good performance is one of the reasons for our success."

Many reporters nodded in agreement. There was no need to argue with Aldrich on this point. The facts spoke for themselves—Millwall had followed a steady course, developing new talent when necessary and giving key players rest when required.

The unbeaten streak was something to be proud of, a source of bragging rights, something that made fans proud, and a topic that would be discussed for years to come in the football world. But if the unbeaten record became a burden, something that hindered the team's future development, it was time to eliminate its negative impact.

Millwall forcing all their key players to play 90 minutes every match just to maintain the unbeaten record, without allowing for rest or giving young players a chance to develop, could lead to internal chaos. But even more importantly, would this approach benefit the club's season-long plans?

This record had reached a terrifying 65 matches; it couldn't be extended any further.

The Premier League wasn't a second-tier league where teams could rack up unbeaten streaks of over a hundred matches.

Ending this streak without a full collapse or a drastic team decline was something people could accept and wouldn't cause any long-term damage.

The Millwall players who attended the Ballon d'Or ceremony probably didn't expect that when they returned to the club, they would find a historic record of their team now firmly etched in history.

Meanwhile, that night at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, the ambitious Millwall players collectively faced an unprecedented embarrassment and setback.