The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 270: a relaxing day

A last-minute turnaround saw Aldrich in high spirits.

After the game, reporters in the mixed zone focused on two issues.

One of them was Bolton's manager Colin Todd, who complained that the referee added nearly forty seconds of stoppage time for Millwall even after the official time had passed, which directly affected the outcome of the game.

Although Bolton only lost one point, a relegation-threatened team needed that golden point. In addition, the morale boost from drawing against the reigning champions away was invaluable.

Aldrich, however, didn't want to dwell on that issue. He offered a standard response, stating that referees have their own standards, and acknowledged that Bolton had been wasting time, so it was normal for the referee to add on a bit more time.

"Leo Ferdinand's performance in the first half hour was simply disastrous. He scored an own goal and reckless fouled to give the other team a penalty. Do you think he still deserves to be with Millwall? Will Millwall consider bringing in a better backup center-back?"

Upon hearing this question, Aldrich maintained a relaxed expression but his tone became much more exaggerated.

"Wow, watch your words; 'disastrous' is a bit much! Sure, he didn't start well, but he found his form later, helped the team score, and didn't make any further mistakes on defense. I believe he has the potential to be a world-class center-back, and Millwall's future relies on him, so I won't consider looking for a replacement. He's just 19, starting his career."

"After witnessing the basic errors he made today, you still insist he'll become a world-class defender?"

"Nobody's born perfect. The difference between a great player and an average one is resilience. In the face of adversity, some give up and surrender, fading into obscurity, but Leo is not one of those. He has a strong heart and willpower, which allows him to quickly rectify his mistakes. Today's match will definitely be unforgettable for him, and I hope he doesn't forget it. That way, he can learn from this experience and become even better. I really dislike how the outside world is so stingy with patience towards young players. They mock a player for two bad matches and judge him as having a dark future, forgetting their age. You should take a look—how many 18- or 19-year-olds are playing in the English top league at this age?"

Aldrich seized the chance to criticize the media, defending his young player. He pointed out that not only are their technical skills and experience still maturing, but even world-class stars have their ups and downs throughout a season. What's seen as normal gets blown out of proportion by the media, leading to annoying narratives.

After the European matches, this weekend's Premier League was full of surprises.

Manchester United drew against Derby County, Arsenal drew against newly-promoted Crystal Palace, Liverpool lost 2-0 in the Merseyside derby, Aston Villa fell to Wimbledon, and Newcastle United was crushed 4-1 by Leeds United.

Among last season's top six Premier League teams, only the reigning champions, Millwall, secured a late win; the other five teams either drew or lost. Leicester City also lost to Chelsea away, creating significant shifts in the league standings.

Millwall was back!

They were now level on points with Manchester United, but thanks to a superior goal difference, Millwall reclaimed the top spot in the league after two months.

Next year is a World Cup year, meaning FIFA international match days come earlier than in odd-numbered years. Just as the league finished, players had to return to their national teams.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon, Aldrich sat in the stands of the youth league match, watching the game unfold.

Some players not on the list for the match were also in the stands, including Ronaldinho, who was seated right next to Aldrich, sporting a smug expression.

At first, Aldrich thought Ronaldinho had some good news to share, but gradually, he felt something was off.

Ronaldinho's toothy grin seemed directed at him, eyes brimming with a sense of mischief.

"What are you doing?"

"Hehe."

"Don't do that; it gives me the creeps."

"Hehe."

"Maybe I should change my seat."

To scare off the head coach was quite the achievement for any player, but Ronaldinho seemed to excel at it.

He quickly raised an eyebrow, saying, "You're about to fulfill your promise."

Aldrich's expression froze for a moment, then he realized what Ronaldinho was smiling about.

"How many goals did you score?"

"you guess"

"I'll really change my seat."

"Hey, come on, it's not fun! I've scored 11 goals."

"And assists?"

"12 assists! That German guy is really good; just send the ball to his head, and he can easily nod it into the opponent's net. I like him more, the Dutch guy is just not quite as impressive."

Aldrich was taken aback; he didn't expect Ronaldinho to be doing so well in the reserves, especially with those numbers as a winger.

The German was Klose, and the Dutchman was Van Nistelrooy.

Ronaldinho's clear favoritism was hard to miss.

"They're different in style; your assessment seems biased. And don't tell teammates these things."

"Come on, I'm not stupid! If I straight up tell them I prefer you and dislike him, wouldn't that just create problems for me?"

Aldrich chuckled and shook his head, choosing not to respond further.

Ronaldinho went on to explain why he liked Klose and not Van Nistelrooy.

He appreciated the German's humility and how he wasn't too demanding.

When Ronaldinho sent a high ball to him, Klose had a great chance of scoring, making it easier for Ronaldinho to rack up assists.

Moreover, Klose often shielded the two wingers, with many of Ronaldinho's goals coming from Klose's assists.

It was almost like they were becoming "best buddies."

After all, Ronaldinho had learned how tough it was in the reserve matches. Physically, he was at a disadvantage. Many players on other teams were over 23, and when it came to physical confrontations, he had a hard time keeping up. This meant he couldn't take it easy on the ball; against peers his age, he could dribble effortlessly, but in the reserves, opponents just shoved him off the ball.

As for Van Nistelrooy, Ronaldinho's issue with him was that the striker primarily saw himself as a center forward. Given his seniority in the squad, Van Nistelrooy often demanded passes from the wingers, making Ronaldinho's job harder. It required more effort for Ronaldinho to find space to pass to him, only for Van Nistelrooy to opt to take the shot himself instead of passing it back.

Listening to Ronaldinho's lengthy explanation, Aldrich couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The team had changed so much.

In over three years, Millwall had undergone a massive transformation.

That team from the summer of '94 was far from the best Millwall. The club had nothing to its name and had a terrible reputation.

Yet, those who joined the club had little to show; both fame and fortune were absent from their pasts.

This unity allowed them to sacrifice for one another, all working to make the team better, knowing their interests would grow alongside it.

But now, the club had gained fame and the prestige of being champions, making competition fierce and brutal.

Players might first think not about how to contribute to the club, but rather, what their standing within it would be, especially those not in the starting lineup.

Everyone understood that once they secured a position in the first team and became regulars, their contracts would double, attention from external sources would increase, and their fame would rise dramatically.

In today's youth league match, Millwall's youth team ultimately triumphed at home with a score of 3-1, thanks to goals from Vassell, Cahill, and Bresciano.

Only a little over a thousand local fans attended, as the midweek timing led to a lower turnout than usual.

The youth team, led by Nagy, had performed strongly this season, remaining undefeated in the youth league and progressing well in the youth FA Cup. Their goal difference statistics dominated the English youth league, with their only loss coming during an away match against Dynamo Kyiv.

Aldrich watched the match merely to pass the time, as the team was off the next day. As he left the stadium, Ronaldinho followed him, asking, "Boss, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"None, why?"

"Take me to another city? I heard you took that new Italian kid around Europe last summer."

"How did you find out?"

"I saw the pictures in his locker and asked him."

"Oh, it was just a side trip during the summer."

"Then take me along tomorrow, please."

"Uh, I'll think about it; I'm planning on going to the gym."

Ronaldinho frowned and shook his head. "That's so boring. I've already worn out two treadmills at the gym. Is yours fixed yet?"

"No, I plan to ride my bike to the countryside to enjoy the views; that's my form of fitness."

After contemplating it, Ronaldinho said, "Then take me along. I don't have plans either and thought I'd give myself a break, no extra training."

Aldrich looked at him suspiciously, asking, "What about your girlfriend?"

"Broke up ages ago."

"Why?"

"I didn't like her friends; they were all students, and I felt they looked down on me."

"Really?"

"Well, also, she wasn't pretty enough."

"You have high standards!"

Aldrich agreed to Ronaldinho's proposal and shook his head as he headed home.

Keeping players cooped up at the club for monotonous training wasn't a good form of education. For younger players living in club dorms, Millwall arranged for them to attend nearby schools, adjusting the time slightly to accommodate.

Occasionally, they'd organize activities to enrich their lives.

So the next day, Aldrich rode his bike, taking a group along with him.

Ronaldinho had already spread the word to his friends, so a bunch tagged along.

Even Agüero and Messi followed on their little bikes; Aldrich led the way, red-faced, looking like he was the "king of kids."

Oddly enough, seeing the youthful Messi reminded Aldrich of Cristiano Ronaldo, and when he looked at the players joining him, it struck him—Villa, Carrick, Mexes, Alonso, De Rossi, Messi, Agüero, and Ronaldinho—where was Ronaldo?

Before leaving the community, Aldrich stopped by the training base and, unsurprisingly, caught sight of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was still grinding away at practice.

Whether he liked it or not, Aldrich dragged him along, giving him a bike so he could join the rest.

12-year-old Cristiano initially resisted, thinking it was a waste of time.

But by the afternoon, as they enjoyed beautiful scenery and delicious food in the countryside, he almost didn't want to return to the training base.

Coincidentally, in a village they passed through, a primary school was holding its fall sports day, so Aldrich and the others checked it out, and soon enough, Ronaldo and Agüero broke the primary school's 100-meter record...

When leaving, Aldrich felt a bit embarrassed because passersby looked at their cycling group with odd expressions and suppressed laughter. But as dusk fell on their way back, Aldrich glanced at the group of boys beside him and felt an indescribable joy in his heart.

It was a pity he forgot to bring a camera.

If only he had captured that moment of them sitting by the river, it would surely become a classic memory in the future.