The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 32: ?On the Training Ground

As the sun set in the west, Aldrich stood on the training field, a whistle in his mouth, continuously shouting instructions at the players practicing short passes in small groups.

"Robert, don't just stand there waiting for the ball! Move into space! The field is huge; are you trying to dance on the spot?"

"Lucas, press up! Did you see Claude's position? If you take one more step forward, you'll cut off Michael's passing route!"

"Pavel, if there are no good passing lanes ahead and you're being double-teamed, don't just try to force your way through. You can pass the ball out wide or play it back! As the central midfielder, your primary job is to keep possession. If you make a mistake in passing, it could be fatal!"

...

The players on the training ground were sweating profusely, working earnestly under Aldrich's watchful eye, striving to meet his every requirement for perfection.

Once training wrapped up, Aldrich wasted no time and dismissed the team. He joined his coaching staff to gather the training balls, ensuring they were all put away properly.

As everything settled down, the sky gradually darkened. Aldrich stepped into the shade of a tree and lit a cigarette. Jensen approached, noticing Aldrich's frown, sensing that a cloud of anxiety loomed over him.

"What's wrong? Aren't you happy? We won the game two days ago. After the first eight rounds, we have five wins, two draws, and one loss, putting us at the top of the table."

Aldrich scratched his head and sighed, "I'm contemplating whether we should unleash the team's attacking potential. But I'm worried that it might compromise our newly established defensive system."

Two days ago, right before the FIFA match day, Millwall had defeated a struggling Burnley team 2-0 at home. The victory wasn't dazzling—Millwall didn't create many opportunities, but they capitalized on the ones they had.

Facing teams with negative defensive tactics or those with solid defenses, Millwall's chances of scoring through counterattacks were dwindling, and their play in set formations had appeared somewhat conservative. As a result, the team's atmosphere had grown rather gloomy recently.

Aldrich knew, without needing to ask, that players like Pirés and Schneider surely wanted to delve deeper into enemy territory to showcase their talents, while the tireless Nedved thrived on being active across the pitch.

Yet Aldrich hesitated.

His starting lineup had played seven league matches without conceding a goal, a defensive record that was nothing short of remarkable. Aldrich believed that even sticking to this conservative strategy, they could secure at least a playoff spot by the end of the season, if not outright promotion to the Premier League.

However, the players clearly weren't satisfied; the young, ambitious squad was eager to show off their skills.

Aldrich himself felt some dissatisfaction as well. While attacking football was the current trend in the sport, a strong defense was a necessary foundation for winning championships. What worried him was whether taking that step forward would erode the solid groundwork they had built.

With only eight rounds completed, barely one-fifth of the season, Aldrich had initially planned to make adjustments midway through the league. However, the stifled atmosphere made him face a dilemma.

"I think we should give it a shot. The training reports from the past two months show clear improvements in our first team's cooperation and passing," Jensen suggested.

Aldrich thought for a moment and nodded. He realized he didn't have absolute authority over the team. Winning games was one thing, but if he made any decisions that caused even minor discontent among the players, this eighteen-year-old coach might find himself estranged from them.

"Mr. Hall, you have a phone call!"

A staff member called from a distance. Aldrich said a quick goodbye to Jensen and walked back to his office, picking up the phone. Hearing a familiar voice surprised him and then enlightened him.

The professor was heading to Japan!

Outside the club's main entrance stood a tall, middle-aged man—none other than Arsène Wenger, who had just faced his first coaching dismissal.

He gazed thoughtfully at Millwall's old club buildings, searching for something to pique his interest.

"Arsène!"

Aldrich waved at Wenger from across the street, and Wenger turned to reveal a smile.

It was time for dinner, so Aldrich invited Wenger to his home.

Barnett had already moved to West London, and Andrew only came home every few days. In the spacious villa, only Arthur and Amelia were around. Seeing Aldrich returning with a guest thrilled them.

At the dinner table, Arthur sincerely thanked Wenger, recalling how Aldrich had been under Wenger's care during his studies in France.

After dinner, Aldrich invited Wenger to his study.

"Monaco has been performing poorly this season, so I was let go, but I'm in luck; I've already received an invitation to coach another club. Aldrich, you're so clever—can you guess where I'm headed?"

Wenger's tone was casual, but Aldrich could detect an undertone of bitterness. After all, he had just left a club where he had coached for five years.

Where would his next stop be?

Aldrich certainly knew it was Nagoya Grampus in the J-League.

However, he smiled and shook his head in feigned ignorance.

He understood he didn't need to come off as a know-it-all; aside from showing off his insight, it wouldn't be of any real benefit.

Moreover, he wasn't keen to delve into the topic of Monaco's poor performance; there were many contributing factors, including Aldrich's high-profile signing of the defensive stalwart Thuram.

Wenger reclined in his chair and casually said, "I'll be off to Japan by the end of the month."

After he spoke, Aldrich remained silent. Wenger looked at him in confusion, asking, "What's wrong? Are you not surprised at all?"

Aldrich shrugged and smirked, "Oh, I'm surprised; I just can't find the words."

"Hypocrite! Anyway, let's talk about your team. I came to London mainly to check out your squad."

Wenger held a steaming cup of tea, looking intently at Aldrich, filled with curiosity.

Before coming, he hadn't expected Aldrich's team to be topping the table in League One, even if it was merely due to a margin in goal difference.

But this was enough to astonish Wenger, especially since it was a newly formed squad made up mainly of young players. For them to have only lost one match in eight games was undoubtedly a testament to the head coach's strategic acumen.

Aldrich shared openly, discussing his team-building philosophy, tactical systems, and even broader club vision—topics beyond the usual coach's purview.

Nevertheless, as Millwall remained a team in the second tier, their conversation inevitably drifted back to the top-flight Premier League.

"Yesterday, I watched an England national team match at Wembley. There was a moment before the game that blew my mind. Aldrich, why do you think people in this country seem to harbor such animosity towards Manchester United? From what I learned in France, shouldn't they be the most beloved club in Britain?"

Wenger furrowed his brow, puzzling over this matter.

As he replayed yesterday's match in his mind, he recalled sitting quietly in the stands, waiting for the game to start. But half an hour before kickoff, a chant rose from the crowd at Wembley.

"If you hate Manchester United, stand up!"

In a wave of echoed enthusiasm, within ten minutes, every fan in the stadium was on their feet!

Aldrich chuckled in disbelief. "That's a complex issue, but yes, Manchester United is indeed the most popular club across all of Britain. To put it simply, each of the twenty-two teams in the Premier League has a large number of dedicated fans—thousands, tens of thousands—but the fanbase across the UK is much larger. Those casual supporters who watch the games at home, lacking a community club to support, naturally gravitate towards Manchester United. When televised broadcasts entered households, it coincided with the era of the Busby Babes rebuilding the United dynasty, plus key members from the England World Cup-winning team were typically from United. Thus, in terms of sheer numbers, they have the most fans in England."

"So fans at Wembley, they hate Manchester United?"

"Where is Wembley?"

"London, of course."

"London fans almost universally dislike Manchester United, and there are many reasons for that. Politically, Manchester is staunchly loyal to the Queen, while economically, it's a city that has seen better days. Meanwhile, London is more open, extravagant, and diverse; in terms of tradition and culture, Manchester can be rather conservative. This creates a conflict between the cities—Arsène, you'll come to understand all this in the future. Just as Manchester and Liverpool may only be half an hour apart, they remain two dramatically different cities, and the hostility between them is more profound than mere enmity."

Wenger murmured, "So this is the cradle of modern football?"

The history of English football spans a century. If football were merely a common sport or a game, it couldn't have developed into such a grand phenomenon, nor could it have secured its place as Britain's most beloved sport.

Football is a war in times of peace.

It's infused with politics, culture, tradition, economics, history, and human emotions clashing in a fiery spectacle.

Open up a map of England, and you can easily point to places where football has sparked great rivalries and stories.

The English football scene is never quiet because here, the fires of competition are ever-burning!

Aldrich and Wenger continued their discussion, reflecting on the most promising teams currently flourishing in the Premier League.

As for Manchester United's two consecutive titles, there's no need to elaborate; Liverpool's reputation across Europe has long been established. Leeds United and Newcastle United are on the rise, yet one team held the focus of both Aldrich and Wenger throughout their conversation.

That team was Blackburn, the runners-up just four points shy of Manchester United last year.

It's a club without a significant history, located in a small town with a population of only 100,000.

Yet its rapid ascent in such a short time is simply astonishing.

Aldrich was eager to discuss this team mainly because it represented a significant shift in the future of football trends.

Money-driven football!

Who originated England's money-driven football?

It certainly wasn't Chelsea, a decade later.

It was Blackburn!

Steel magnate Jack Walker returned to his hometown to take charge of Blackburn, injecting the club with ￡30 million, transforming a club that once couldn't afford train fare for away games into a team capable of challenging for the championship.

In a decade, ￡30 million might just account for a top player's transfer fee, but in the early '90s, it was enough to turn a club's fortunes around entirely!

Blackburn brought in Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish as manager and assembled a squad filled with top-tier players, many of whom were international stars.

Emerging prominently, Blackburn nearly clinched the league title last season. Their fearsome strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton proved unstoppable, and they showcased their prowess by eliminating German giants Bayern Munich in the last season's UEFA Cup.

This exemplifies the impact of money on football—coupled with the anticipation of the Bosman ruling heralding a new era, it's clear that traditional football rules are on the verge of seismic change.

While Aldrich also brought ￡30 million in investment to Millwall, he knew continuing such significant financial input was likely unrealistic. To navigate through this transformational period in football, Aldrich had a great deal of strategizing still to accomplish.