The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 611: The Young Coach Showdown

Aldrich, who hadn't been sick in years, didn't initially think much of his cold. He believed that being in good health meant he could recover without medicine. However, under Yvonne's insistence, he eventually took some medication.

The team was preparing for the weekend's match, and Aldrich went to the training ground in the morning. However, as his cold seemed to worsen, he handed over the training responsibilities to Klinsmann.

Better safe than sorry. Aldrich knew it could just be a common cold, but what if it turned out to be the flu? That would be a problem.

If a player or staff member were to catch the flu, they would be immediately isolated. "Isolated" might sound too harsh, but it simply meant sending them home to rest until they recovered and were fit to return.

Football players encounter all kinds of illnesses, but the flu is the one that's most dreaded.

The flu has an incubation period, and if it breaks out during a match, especially when players are engaged in intense physical activity, it can trigger more severe illnesses. Even if there is no direct physical contact with others, it can lead to serious injuries.

Aldrich took a sick leave, and Klinsmann took charge of training, using Aldrich as an example to rally the team. In a dramatic and impassioned speech, he declared: "Your boss, who works day and night, has fallen ill on the front lines. If you don't train seriously, are you truly worthy of the boss who has worked so hard for you?"

After Klinsmann's speech in front of the entire team, the players were stunned.

As they jogged during warm-ups, the players started gossiping.

"Is the boss really sick?"

"I don't know. I saw a tabloid with a picture of him this morning."

"What picture? Was it scandalous?"

"Hey, what are you thinking? It was just a picture of the boss out shopping with his family. The paparazzi caught them."

"Then why is he sick?"

"That's unclear." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Nedved and Larsson weren't the type to read tabloids or get caught up in gossip. But Larsson, playing the role of the veteran, scolded his teammates, saying, "Don't spread rumors. The boss is definitely sick. This is the first time in nearly seven years that he's missed training."

Joe Cole immediately shut his mouth.

The topic of whether the boss was genuinely sick was an absolute no-go within the team—raising such a question would directly challenge the boss's professionalism.

The players who had followed Aldrich for almost seven years, seeing his relentless work ethic up close, would never let anyone question that.

When the head coach is absent, it is up to the senior players to take the lead.

The results of the past few days' training had pleased the coaching staff, and while Aldrich rested at home, the players themselves became even more focused.

However, the coaching staff knew that this was a special situation. If the head coach were absent from training for too long, the quality would inevitably decline within two months.

Aldrich's sick leave had caught the attention of British tabloids, which eagerly dug into the details. His every move was now newsworthy, especially since he was still the head coach of the England national team.

Before the weekend match, Aldrich made a brief public appearance. It lasted about 20 seconds.

"Achoo, achoo, achoo, achoo..."

At the Millwall press conference, Aldrich sat down on the stage and sneezed four times in quick succession, covering his nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

The reporters, completely lacking empathy, showed no signs of slowing down, snapping photos enthusiastically.

Aldrich had thought that he was almost fully recovered, especially since Bert and Earl had already recovered from their colds and were out with their grandparents for a day trip in the countryside.

But as soon as he sat down, his nose started itching, and the sneezing wouldn't stop. He didn't want to stay on stage, worried he'd keep sneezing at any moment.

He stood up, waved his hand, and left without saying a word.

He asked Klinsmann to take his place at the press conference.

The reporters didn't try to stop him. It was just a routine matter anyway. Millwall's opponent for the weekend was Derby County, a team with a significant strength gap.

Aldrich quickly left the club and returned home to rest.

Klinsmann sat on the stage, waiting for the reporters' questions with a serious expression.

"Sir Ferguson claimed that despite Manchester United's elimination from the Champions League, the team could now focus entirely on the league title. He also said that Millwall, with their heavy schedule, would inevitably make mistakes, and that Manchester United would crush Millwall's dream of a three-peat Premier League title this season. What does Millwall's management have to say about this?"

Klinsmann had never been in this situation before. He was usually the one watching from the sidelines, and now, as the main focus, the pressure was immense.

Ferguson, though, was a master of psychological warfare.

Manchester United's exit from the Champions League was a huge blow, and the team was undoubtedly affected. The worst thing a team could do was wallow in the aftermath of such a setback.

Ferguson used the "regret" of elimination to cover up the embarrassment of being double-defeated, while also comforting the team. Then, he offered a one-sided argument, seemingly logical, to lift the team's morale.

Yes, Millwall had made it to the Champions League semi-finals, and now, at this critical point of competing in two major tournaments, wasn't it likely they would make mistakes? The more matches they played, the higher the chance of errors, and on top of that, it was a crucial battle. This probability would rise even further!

It sounded like sound reasoning—Ferguson used the pursuit of the league title to divert his team's focus, leading them out of the negative shadow, and then placed the pressure squarely on Millwall.

Klinsmann was ultimately not the head coach, and his lack of experience in psychological warfare was glaringly obvious.

When faced with reporters' questions, he launched into a lengthy analysis of the team strengths of Manchester United and Millwall, the league situation, and the opponents they would face in the upcoming rounds. After saying almost everything, he suddenly came to a conclusion: Millwall won't make mistakes, and Manchester United winning the title? Dream on!

The reporters were visibly uninterested. Some of them thought, if Ferguson were to see Klinsmann's live response, he'd surely be frustrated.

If Aldrich were in charge, he wouldn't have wasted time analyzing the league like that.

Psychological warfare? It's all about playing with power!

Aldrich would have simply said: "So Manchester United's elimination from the Champions League was all part of the plan, huh? They're focusing on winning the league? Sorry, Millwall has reached the Champions League semi-finals for four consecutive years. We've won two league titles in the past three years. We're used to juggling the Champions League and the league in April and May. As for the team that's finished second in the league for four straight seasons, I don't know where they get the confidence to think the champion team will make mistakes."

It was all about exposing your opponent's weaknesses, hitting their confidence, and instilling belief in your own team.

As for analyzing the situation, the head coach could do that, but it wasn't very useful. There were plenty of football columns on Fleet Street that would analyze it like scientists decoding a puzzle.

On match day, Aldrich woke up feeling refreshed. He had clearly shaken off the illness that had plagued him, while Yvonne had been exhausted these past few days and slept in late. Aldrich personally made breakfast, leaving a note for Yvonne before heading to work.

He had developed a workaholic habit over the years, and during the season, taking even just a couple of days off made him feel like he was going crazy. It was probably a "curse" from his past life: a life destined for hard work.

When the players arrived at the training base in the morning and saw Aldrich, they all greeted him warmly, mostly with teasing remarks.

The British tabloids had practically launched an investigation into Aldrich's illness and had traced the cause to him swimming in his backyard pool in April. It wasn't really surprising.

What amused Aldrich was that during lunch, the entire team presented him with "care packages."

Each player placed an apple on his table, and soon, a small pyramid of apples had formed in front of Aldrich...

"Apples, I'll accept them and eat them one by one at home. But if you can't win this afternoon's match, hmm, I guarantee that you'll come to hate apples for the rest of your lives," Aldrich said, taking a bite of one, as the players burst out laughing.

Aldrich stood tall, dressed in a new suit, having just recovered from a minor illness, looking full of energy.

It was a derby against Derby County at home. Although the opposing team was fighting relegation, they weren't as hopeless as Everton, who had squandered their potential. Derby's strength did reflect their position near the bottom of the league, and Millwall had not sent out their full first team, giving some young players a chance to shine.

Aldrich looked up at the second tier of the South Stand, where a new banner was hanging. The banner displayed the blue lion, symbolizing Millwall, with a special effect highlighting the heart area, where Nedvěd's name was boldly written.

This was a demand from an overseas fan group made after the second leg against Valencia.

The stadium already had banners featuring Nedvěd, bearing the title "The War God of the Lions."

Six months ago, the overseas fan group had requested to hang this banner on the stadium through Millwall's official website. However, Millwall had refused, given that they already had similar banners.

But after Nedvěd's return to form, his performance continued to win over fans. In the recently concluded Champions League match, Nedvěd had led the team's counterattack, with Pirlo and Ronaldinho showcasing their natural talents. However, Nedvěd was the soul of Millwall, an inexhaustible source of fighting spirit on the pitch.

After repeated requests from the fan group, Millwall finally relented, allowing the banner to hang in the stands. Nedvěd symbolized the heart of the Lions, and it wasn't an exaggeration.

In today's match, with Nedvěd on the field, the young players felt secure, knowing they wouldn't be held back.

Derby County had no chance, losing 4-0 to Millwall, with Nedvěd contributing two assists, continuing his stellar form.

In the same round, Manchester United triumphed 4-1 over Coventry, keeping close to Millwall in the league standings.

One week later, Millwall secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle United, while Manchester United narrowly won 2-1 against Southampton. Millwall still held a one-point lead at the top of the table.

Only four rounds of the league remained.

After this match, no matter what news came from the outside or from Manchester, Aldrich ignored it all.

The Champions League semi-finals were about to begin, and the English Premier League schedule seemed to add a dramatic twist.

Millwall had two away games and one home game remaining.

Champions League, League, Champions League.

The opponents were the same.

Leeds United!

The White Roses of Yorkshire, after a summer of reckless spending under Ridsdale's leadership, seemed to be steadily moving toward revival.

They secured a Champions League spot last season and were also battling for a Champions League spot in the league this season. However, with their double duties in the Champions League, having made it to the semi-finals, Leeds United seemed to be truly blooming.

O'Leary, the young coach, and Aldrich had no personal animosity or friendship, but the Fleet Street tabloids had given him the title of "Second Young Coach."

Although the outside world doubted that Leeds could defeat Millwall and reach the final, in football, anything could happen.

People began to speculate: if O'Leary could defeat Aldrich in the Champions League semi-finals, and perhaps lead Leeds to a surprise title victory, he would be following in Aldrich's coaching footsteps, as this was only O'Leary's third season as a coach!

The "Young Coach Battle" was about to unfold in the Champions League semi-finals.