The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 362: Record-breaking offer

On the day Aldrich checked into the hotel, he was dressed impeccably in his suit, radiating high spirits. Yet, by the time he exited in the dead of night, his shirt was untucked, buttons left undone, making him look rather ragged—like a wealthy man who had swiftly fallen to ruin.

As he stepped outside and looked up at the sky, he could see nothing through the towering skyscrapers that surrounded him; the concrete jungle blotted out the stars.

Aldrich reached into his pocket, intending to pull out his phone, but instead, he felt a piece of paper. He took it out and realized it was the life plan he had written on the plane. With a self-deprecating smile, he crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside, then turned back to the hotel to ask the staff to call a taxi for him.

On the way to the airport, he called Melanie's family.

He felt uncertain about what his relationship with Melanie would look like in the future.

The worst-case scenario would be a breakup. As for whether Melanie would keep the baby, Aldrich had never considered it; after all, he subconsciously believed that Melanie wasn't cruel enough to make such a choice.

Unlike Aldrich's family who had reservations about Melanie, her parents were quite fond of him. Yet every year, there were a couple of days when their affection would drop to almost hatred, and that was on the days Millwall faced Liverpool.

Melanie's parents had learned about her pregnancy, and when Aldrich called them, he hoped they would focus on supporting her during this time. They understood, acknowledging that Aldrich's job made it impossible for him to be there with Melanie. The couple was already planning to come to the U.S. to support their daughter.

Aldrich didn't mention his argument with Melanie; they would come to understand it once they arrived in America.

During the call, Aldrich patiently explained many details, even frankly mentioning that Melanie had mild anxiety and would binge-eat whenever she felt upset. He hoped her parents would pay attention to this while taking care of her...

After returning to London, Aldrich rested at home for a whole day and, once adjusted to the time difference, dove into work. That was the only way he could avoid his worries.

He informed his family, friends, and some colleagues about becoming a father but chose not to tell the players.

Thus, when he became stricter during training and wore a serious expression most of the time, the players thought Aldrich was just raising his standards.

However, the coaching staff noticed Aldrich's unhappiness and inquired privately, but he remained tight-lipped.

It was clear to anyone paying attention that something was off in Aldrich's personal life.

Just the day before, he had been excitedly talking about becoming a father.

Now, it felt as if nothing had ever happened, and he had turned gloomy.

Craig even speculated to Jansen about whether the child might not be Aldrich's.

It wasn't until the next "coaches' beer night" that Aldrich revealed the truth of the matter to them.

Older coaches like Jansen, Craig, and Klinsmann were more understanding.

They had all been married and returned home each day to see their wives and children, so it was hard to imagine, as Aldrich did, marrying yet still living alone. What was the point of that?

In the end, the coaches comforted Aldrich. Although he was the clear leader and authority figure at work, in life, they felt that Aldrich was more like a little brother.

Klinsmann straightforwardly told Aldrich: "You and her, your personalities are too similar, and you can't balance each other out in life."

Aldrich thought for a moment and realized that might be true.

Both of them were career-driven. If they were busy with their careers, then there wasn't much time to focus on the family. When married, it would be enough for one partner to take on that role.

During the weekend match against Southampton at home, Aldrich remained seated on the bench for the entirety of the game, observing closely. The team had reached a level of cohesion, and what they needed now was stability while waiting for injured players to return. Millwall's strength would rise again.

Aldrich gave Ronaldinho plenty of playing time. However, he maintained a consistent rhythm of one match a week, adjusting the frequency based on opponents and timing.

Ronaldinho didn't play in the previous weekend's match after a Champions League game midweek, but he returned to the pitch today against Southampton. Aldrich had intentionally set things up for his comeback, but he wasn't planning to feature him in the League Cup next week.

After nearly ten days of being sidelined, Ronaldinho put in an impressive performance today, especially as he began to adapt to his role on the field.

This change was primarily due to his passive adjustment according to Nedved's positioning.

When Nedved positioned himself as an attacking midfielder, Ronaldinho would infiltrate the penalty area to threaten the goal. When Nedved made runs forward, Ronaldinho would drop back to help orchestrate the final play.

At the Lion's Den, their constant interchanging created significant trouble for the opposition, dismantling their defense and exposing gaps.

Moreover, Gronkjaer on the right flank demanded close monitoring from Southampton, alleviating Millwall's earlier attacking woes and gradually releasing their offensive arsenal.

"Ronaldinho makes a run into the penalty area, Nedved's precise through ball lands perfectly. Ronaldinho pulls it across, slipping past a defender. He readies for the shot, but wow! Instead of shooting, he passes it across the goal, leaving an unmarked Van Nistelrooy to tap it in! 3-0! In the 70th minute, Millwall scores again with goals from Gronkjaer, Van Nistelrooy, and Lampard. There's still time left, but the outcome is beyond doubt."

Having already assisted twice, Ronaldinho was putting in the effort. In the dying moments of the match, he sacrificed a chance to score by passing the ball to Nedved when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Nedved effortlessly slotted it home.

"Hat-trick of assists! Ronaldinho's performance today highlighted his potential to become a superstar. Millwall's talent development capabilities are astonishing! In Hall's squad, there may be unfamiliar names, but today's anonymity may very well turn into the talk of Europe tomorrow!"

Millwall decimated Southampton 4-0, yet Aldrich remained stoic throughout, allowing only a smile and applause during the goals.

Ronaldinho earned the title of Man of the Match, but during the post-match interview, Aldrich doused him with cold water.

In front of the cameras, Aldrich stated seriously, "Yes, he played well. But this is his standard level. I believe he can be even better. We are a strong team; he is expected to perform at this level. We can't elevate him too highly right now because if he were at a mid- to lower-tier team, he wouldn't perform like this. It's his teammates that enable him to shine, and if he becomes complacent or proud, he will soon find himself left behind by his talented teammates."

Since the match against Inter Milan in the Champions League, Ronaldinho had become the focus of attention from Europe's top clubs, all eager to lure him away from Millwall.

However, Ronaldinho remained indifferent to transfer discussions. When Aldrich attempted to temper expectations during an interview, media outlets eagerly jumped at the opportunity to suggest there was disharmony between the coach and player.

When interviewed outside the Leo training center, Ronaldinho was clear: he valued Aldrich's insight and advice, stating plainly, "The boss is doing this for my own good."

Aldrich had no personal vendetta against any player. Every incoming player had been personally discussed with him. Those who couldn't reach an agreement simply didn't join, like Liverpool's trio or Ibrahimovic during the summer transfer period when they had a phone conversation.

Every word he spoke was meant to make the players better.

Much like how many famous coaches warn young talents who achieve fame early.

As long as a player isn't overly arrogant, believing success comes easy, they will understand the head coach's intentions.

Ronaldinho maintained a level head, which Aldrich was glad to see.

His attitude would dictate his future.

Ronaldinho's name became a hot topic in European football recently.

In the upcoming matches, the most notable stars for Millwall were Nedved and Ronaldinho.

In the League Cup, thanks to goals from Van der Meyde and Klose, Millwall comfortably defeated Burnley to advance to the quarter-finals.

In Premier League Round 11, Millwall traveled to Tyneside to face Newcastle. Since Kevin Keegan was dismissed, Newcastle had plummeted, and Dalglish was sacked in August; the new manager was former Chelsea manager Gullit.

Newcastle hoped Gullit would steer the team back to an attacking style of play. Dalglish's last season had seen the club score the lowest number of goals in Premier League history—only 35 goals over 38 matches. They even scored fewer goals than they conceded! As a former heavyweight, Newcastle had even contended for the title the previous season. Such performance was unbearable!

Unfortunately, Gullit didn't have much to work with; aside from Shearer, there were no other standout players.

After Ginola and Ferdinand left for Spurs, Newcastle's offense deteriorated dramatically.

Moreover, their ongoing defensive problems had yet to be resolved, and the club's management could look back on a series of erroneous decisions.

Keegan left due to defensive inadequacies; they hired Dalglish to improve defense, only to worsen the offense in the process. Now they hired Gullit, hoping to restore their attack, but the defensive issues persisted.

Newcastle's current situation exemplifies a team unable to balance both ends. Playing at home against Millwall, Aldrich remained seated, watching the entire match.

The new 4-4-2 formation relied on quick wing play to penetrate the opponent's defense. If Newcastle wanted to attack at home, they could do just that; besides Shearer, everyone else posed no threat. They could not execute intricate passing and movement. If they marked Shearer tightly, their attacking prowess would come to a halt.

Aldrich left Ronaldinho off the lineup today and substituted Duff instead.

Duff and Gronkjaer, the two wingers, played crucial roles in providing waves of support for forwards Van Nistelrooy and Nedved.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 2-0, with Newcastle succumbing to defeat at home.

Van Nistelrooy and Nedved each scored a goal.

Aldrich shook hands with Gullit and had a lengthy chat today.

No longer adversaries, Aldrich felt free to converse with Gullit since the latter was no longer Chelsea's manager. If it were at Lion's Den, he might even invite Gullit to his office for a drink; it simply depended on how long Gullit could remain at Newcastle before facing Aldrich again in the second half of the season.

In the Champions League, Millwall orchestrated a massacre.

They trounced the visiting Austrian champions, Graz, 7-0.

In that match, Ronaldinho stunned Europe with a phenomenal four-goal performance.

With winter yet to arrive, offers from top clubs across Europe had already been secretly sent to Millwall, with one bid reaching an astonishing ￡100 million!

The target was none other than the emerging superstar, Ronaldinho!