The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 102: The East London Derby is on the Horizon!

Aldrich warmly welcomed Nagy, who had just arrived in London after traveling from Turkey. As a single man, he carried nothing but his footballing knowledge, which was evidently abundant despite his seemingly dull demeanor. Nagy joined Millwall Football Club as the head of youth development and quickly adapted to his role as the youth team manager, gaining a good understanding of the players under his supervision.

As the players gradually returned from national team duties, Nagy knocked on Aldrich's office door. Usually reserved and composed, he displayed a rare excitement, leaning over Aldrich's desk with both hands and exclaiming, "Aldrich, I've never seen such gifted kids before; they are far superior to their peers!"

Aldrich, resting his chin on his hand, smiled and responded, "Which players are you talking about?"

Nagy sat down and opened his notebook, rattling off name after name: Joe Cole, Villa, Capdevila, Ashley Cole, Pirlo, and many more.

During this time, players under the age of 18 were assigned to train with the youth team, including the likes of Lampard and Ferdinand, who left Nagy astonished.

He believed that if the Millwall youth team could fill a few key positions, their overall strength would surpass even that of the Hungarian national team.

Of course, this assessment also stemmed from how their talent shone against lesser opponents.

Millwall's youth team was constantly scouting and recruiting new talent. Any willing young player could join the team after passing certain assessments. Aldrich had lowered the entry standards somewhat because Millwall's appeal was not very strong. To ensure the youth team had enough players for development, he needed to lower the bar for now. As Millwall's reputation grew in the future, the standards would naturally rise.

Nagy was thrilled, passionately discussing the characteristics of these players, the positions they could play on the field, their roles during matches, and how they fit into various tactics and formations.

"Aldrich, young players like Ferdinand and Lampard shouldn't be wasted in the youth team; you should promote them to the first team."

"They're already with the first team; they just haven't been called up to the national squad. The national under-21 team hasn't played recently, so they're here at the club training with the youth team. But hold on, Nagy. You've only gotten to know the Millwall youth team; you haven't seen the first team yet. Take a look at a few first-team matches, particularly the Premier League games. If you believe any of the youth players can quickly push out one of the starters or substitutes to become a key player, then I'll seriously consider your suggestions."

Aldrich encouraged Nagy to be patient, and Nagy understood, trusting Aldrich's judgment enough to avoid making hasty decisions.

"Let's talk about my role. Although many players have considerable talent, we must avoid their taking any wrong turns in their development. Firstly, there needs to be a tactical framework in the youth team; secondly, it's important to define their positions on the field."

Aldrich nodded seriously, agreeing with Nagy's perspective.

In truth, many gifted players fail to make it big due to their development environments. For example, a skillful player might struggle to shine within a physically dominant tactical system, and if they're placed in the wrong position on the field, they might lose their rhythm and ultimately find themselves lost.

Aldrich and Nagy meticulously discussed each of Millwall's current youth players, planning their professional paths in detail.

By mid-September, the league's competition resumed. Before November arrived, Aldrich led the team through six league matches and two cup games. The cup fixtures were fully staffed, while three of the Premier League matches were played with a rotated lineup. In those six matches, they faced clubs like Tottenham and relegation contenders like Coventry and Manchester City.

With three victories and three draws, Millwall started the season unbeaten. However, after facing Wimbledon, Aldrich erupted, furious that Vinnie Jones had injured Schneider within the first minute of the game, shouting at the notorious enforcer and future British film star: "You're going nowhere with this football career; get into movies instead!" His outburst made him a target for criticism, as his ire wasn't solely directed at Wimbledon, a club famous for its rough play. Aldrich was actually criticizing the overall ethos of English football; while Wimbledon had some blame, they were not the original practitioners of such tactics, which had become common in the 1980s, when early fouls were often used strategically to intimidate opponents.

What Aldrich criticized was the prevailing culture in English football. Wimbledon might have been somewhat innocent; they didn't invent the rough style of play. This type of strategy had been prevalent in the English game since the 1980s, where teams often started matches with a foul to intimidate opponents.

Such tactical fouls could create immense psychological pressure on rival teams, seizing the momentum in games.

Wimbledon is so poor that they can only rent Crystal Palace's stadium year after year. Millwall's honors do not compare to Wimbledon's, and although both teams are city rivals, it seems somewhat beneath Aldrich to regard Wimbledon seriously. It's almost pitiful that some say a single Manchester United fan merchandise store earns more in a year than the entire annual revenue of Wimbledon Football Club! Aldrich really didn't need to place such importance on Wimbledon. Therefore, he targeted the still prevalent rough, thug-like culture in English football with his criticism.

This drew fire from many football legends, who argued that Aldrich, after playing a few decent matches, was getting ahead of himself.

Yes, Millwall had performed well, remaining unbeaten over 12 matches this season.

But Aldrich, you're not in a position to lecture English football!

Especially since Millwall was still quite far from the top of the league; Aldrich couldn't let success go to his head!

While Aldrich dismissed the criticism, he couldn't deny one thing they pointed out: the league table clearly illustrated that Millwall lagged far behind the leaders.

Newcastle United was having a stellar season, with 10 wins, 1 draw, and only 1 loss in their first 12 matches. Millwall, with 6 wins and 6 draws, ranked second but was 7 points adrift of Newcastle.

In the 13th round of the league, Millwall faced Merseyside again and ended up leveling against Everton in the last five minutes.

Newcastle continued their winning streak, and Kevin Keegan became the most talked-about coach in the Premier League. Although Manchester United had pulled ahead of Millwall by a point, they trailed Newcastle by 8 points!

"Aldrich didn't have the time to look at the league standings; he simply didn't care. If this season required an all-out effort to compete for the league title, he would be more anxious, but he didn't want Millwall to feel the pressure of performing well in their first Premier League season; as for European qualification, there wouldn't be a chance for the Champions League unless they won the league title, so it was unnecessary to fret over whether they finished second or third."

What lay ahead for him was a match more important than championship aspirations!

The first round of the East London derby in the Premier League was upon them!

When a hatred or animosity stretches across a century, passed down through generations and manifested on the football pitch, it transcends the importance of titles; it symbolizes faith, hope, confidence, and dignity!

Even for teams lacking ambition, a mediocre season could hinge on the prospects of their rivalry match and whether their coach could keep his job.

"Even for teams without ambitions, a mediocre performance throughout the season is acceptable, but matches against bitter rivals are crucial for the head coach's job security; Aldrich can lose every match and still keep his job, but he must win because the East London derby is not just a matter of the team's dignity but also of every Millwall fan's pride; losing to West Ham United would leave Millwall supporters unable to hold their heads high, facing mockery and ridicule, while the humiliation would linger for a long time."

They needed to make their fans proud, to hold their heads high, and beating West Ham United meant more to the people of Millwall than winning any championship trophy!

The East London derby became the focal point of this Premier League round. Before match day, shops around Upton Park displayed signs announcing they would close on the day of the match and that no alcoholic beverages would be sold nearby.

Although it was an East London derby, Millwall had to cross the Thames to play at West Ham's home ground. Geographically, Millwall is situated in southeast London, south of the Thames, while West Ham is directly east across the river.

On match day, the weather appeared overcast, as if rain might fall, yet nothing came down.

Millwall's team bus traveled slowly north from the southern banks of the Thames. As they reached the streets radiating from West Ham's territory, the bus moved at a crawl.

The Millwall players sat inside the bus, staring out the windows, their jaws dropping in astonishment!

The roads were lined with crowds, men and women alike, all wearing expressions of hostility as they glared at the bus like it was carrying their executioners. Police had established a perimeter along the road, with officers stationed every few paces, ready to prevent fans from attacking the Millwall bus.

Many fans held up signs displaying obscene insults directed at Millwall, and two even raised a hand-drawn picture depicting a blue lion lying in a pool of blood, with two hammers—symbols from West Ham's crest—sticking out of its body.

The Hammers Crush the Lions!

Thud, thud, the windows of the bus were pelted with stones thrown by fans, but this situation was anticipated, so today's bus was armored like a bulletproof vehicle.

West Ham's fans sang insulting songs targeting Millwall outside, and the police chief, who had deployed half of London's police force to maintain order, was on edge. The mounted police led the procession, anxious about any possible clashes that might spill over, and riot police stood by nearby for any disturbances.

Aldrich sat in the bus, leisurely engrossed in a book, trying to keep his mind calm.

In reality, he knew that just a short distance away, elsewhere in the neighborhood, the war between Millwall fans and West Ham United fans had already begun; this day was a day of war, from dawn to dusk, bloodshed was unavoidable; all Aldrich could do was hope that no one would die, but even if someone were to die, let it not be an innocent bystander; if the fans of both sides willingly stepped onto the battlefield, then so be it; after all, they wouldn't regret it; had people not died before? Of course they had, but both sides treated it as a war; what war is without bloodshed? Who comes out unscathed? This day would not be a utopian sanctuary where everyone sang hallelujah, but rather a hellish battleground stained with blood.