The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 375: The Cost of Ambition

After winning the Toyota Cup, Millwall embarked on their journey home. The long hours on the plane took a toll on the players' rest, and upon returning to London, Aldrich granted the team another day off. They wouldn't return to training until two days before the weekend league match.

After a morning jog with Yvonne, Aldrich had breakfast with her. Her car had some issues and was in for repairs, so Aldrich drove her to the club.

On the way, Yvonne curiously asked, "How was Japan?"

Aldrich shook his head while driving. "I didn't go for fun; it was all commercial activities or watching matches."

"No romantic encounters?"

"Ha, ha, none."

"How about we plan a proper trip to Japan sometime?"

"Not really interested. There are too many people there. I work in crowded stadiums every week; when I go on vacation, I'd prefer some peace and quiet."

"Wait, is that a kind of agoraphobia?"

"Not at all. I'm not afraid of interacting with others."

They enjoyed an easy chat along the way. Upon reaching the club, Aldrich arrived early, eager to get back into work mode after yesterday's rest.

As he parked at the entrance, he noticed a confrontation between the security guard and a little girl.

The girl seemed about ten years old, looked quite charming, with simple clothing that lacked the flashy style of today's youth.

"What's going on?" Aldrich inquired.

The guard, Barry, a diligent employee in his thirties, replied, "Mr. Hall, this child claims she's here to see Coach Fiona, but Coach Fiona hasn't arrived yet."

Aldrich looked at the little girl, who pouted slightly, looking quite distressed. He took out his phone to find Fiona's number. When he called, he found that her phone was turned off. Smiling, he asked, "What's your relationship with Ms. Fiona?"

"She's my mom."

"What's your name?"

"Rosie Whittaker."

Aldrich thought for a moment. Security guard Barry, concerned that Aldrich might think he was being unreasonable, explained, "Mr. Hall, she can't prove that. I can't let her in."

Aldrich nodded with a smile, understanding Barry's predicament.

Two years ago, some fans pretending to be club staff or relatives had sneaked into the club just to get close to their idol players. A particular incident involved an Eastern European claiming to be Nedved's brother, which led to a hilarious scene when he rushed to embrace Nedved, professing his admiration.

"Get in the car; I'll take you inside. Coach Fiona will arrive within an hour."

"Okay."

Before climbing into the car, Whitaker shot an annoyed look at security guard Barry, clearly unhappy with being denied entry.

Barry just pursed his lips, thinking, "What a child."

"Don't you realize how dangerous it is to get into someone else's car so easily?" Yvonne, in the passenger seat, turned around to smile at Whitaker in the back.

Whitaker brushed off the concern, replying, "I know him. I've seen him in the news, and my mom has mentioned him—Aldrich Hall. I'm not some na?ve kid; I came to London on my own, and there's no danger at all!"

As Aldrich drove toward the parking lot, he laughed, "Lady Fiona has mentioned me? What did she say?"

Whitaker mischievously said, "She praised you! Said you're a great guy!"

"Ha ha ha... Yvonne, she's a little rascal. What happened to that country innocence?" Aldrich chuckled.

Yvonne smiled as well.

Who really talks about others privately just to heap on the compliments? A "great guy"?

Yvonne, both laughing and shaking her head, said, "You flatter him, but that won't get your mom a raise or a bonus."

Whitaker, with a serious tone, replied, "Actually, my mom says he can be a bit rigid at times."

"Perfect! Your mom won't see a paycheck this week!" Aldrich said, keeping a stern expression.

Whitaker was suddenly frustrated and cried, "Hey, how can you be like this? You can't take a little praise, but the moment I say something slightly negative, you turn it into a big deal!"

Aldrich shot back without a hint of politeness, "You've got a lot on your mind for such a young kid. Why be so deliberately insincere?"

Whittaker puffed out his cheeks and whispered, "My dad always said you have to be smart when talking to the adults here."

"And what does your dad do?"

"He runs our family farm."

"Don't pay attention to your dad; city people aren't that gullible—they don't respond to flattery the way you do."

When they arrived at the parking lot, Aldrich, with a smile, said, "This lady will wait with you until your mom arrives. If you want to tour the place, you're welcome. Nice to officially meet you, Aldrich Hall."

Aldrich, accustomed to treating kids equally, bent down to shake Rosie's hand.

Rosie looked a bit nervous, staring up at Aldrich as she awkwardly reached out.

When their hands met, Aldrich grinned. "Is this your first handshake?"

She nodded shyly. "Yeah, first time someone's shook my hand."

With a quick exchange of glances with Yvonne, Aldrich waved and turned to leave.

Rosie watched him thoughtfully as Yvonne led her to the club's office building, and all the way, Rosie was buzzing with questions about Aldrich.

As training time approached, players gradually arrived at the training ground. Aldrich was discussing training plans with Klinsmann. Having just returned from their travels, the team's training intensity needed adjustment today.

Fiona, the fitness coach, appeared a bit late. As she approached Aldrich, she sincerely said, "Aldrich, I'm sorry for the trouble; my daughter's visit caused some inconvenience."

Aldrich waved it off. "What trouble? She's very understanding; a good kid."

Fiona didn't say anything more. Having worked with Aldrich for over three years, she knew his temperament well—he wasn't the type to be cold and unapproachable.

Under Fiona's guidance, Millwall began another day of training.

Millwall was up against Leeds United for the weekend league match. After a string of away games due to European matches, they now had to play away again after returning from the Toyota Cup. What terrible luck!

At Elland Road, Aldrich stood on the sidelines, feeling a profound sense of powerlessness from head to toe.

The team's performance was dismal!

They clearly looked like they couldn't keep up with their rivals, and their passing success rate had taken a significant nose-dive.

In the 41st minute, Schneider made a weak pass intended for winger Gronkjaer. Gronkjaer rushed for the ball, only to realize it wasn't going to make it and attempted to turn back for it, but it was too late; Leeds' left-back intercepted and launched a counter-attack.

Australian star Kewell received the ball, cutting inside before threading a pass behind Materazzi. Hasselbaink made a diagonal run and scored with a precise shot into the far corner.

"Leeds United takes a 1-0 lead over Millwall! The goal stemmed from Schneider's pass error and followed by Leeds' swift counter, with an impressive combination between Kewell and Hasselbaink. David O'Leary's team has been performing far better than expected. Does anyone at Elland Road miss Graham now? They have the youthful O'Leary at the helm—um, sorry, with Hall on the pitch, the term 'youthful' shouldn't apply to anyone else."

David O'Leary, a legend who played over 15 years at Arsenal, spent his final two years at Leeds United after Graham moved to Spurs. O'Leary took over the reins, leading Leeds to an exhilarating emergence in the Premier League, rivaling Millwall's initial foray into the top division.

Aldrich sighed helplessly from the sidelines.

In the past week, the team had spent nearly 30 hours on planes, two days on commercial activities, and a full day for the Toyota Cup preparations, not to mention the two-time time zone changes—they were not in form today. Aldrich had prepared but hadn't anticipated the drop in performance.

The reasons for the poor performance were clear, but not even a coach's adjustments could restore players from such a lackluster physical condition.

Millwall's game plan today was focused on counter-attacks, prioritizing defense, yet Allan Smith, the tireless young striker, was a relentless force for Leeds. O'Leary had paired Smith with Hasselbaink, making Smith more of a defensive forward, constantly harassing Millwall's defense.

Schneider's mistake stemmed from the pressure applied by Smith's aggressive play.

In the box at Elland Road, Leeds' chairman Ridsdale and his assistant were taking in the match. After Leeds scored, he celebrated briefly, but when the halftime score remained unchanged, he turned to his assistant, their expressions serious.

"The latest football professional agency reports value Millwall at ￡170 million," his assistant reported.

Ridsdale pondered this.

Before 1994 or, more specifically, before the summer of 1995, what was Millwall worth?

Not much, and it was a money-losing venture!

They were falling behind on the new stadium project, with contracts nearing default.

Without the Hall family's investment, Millwall would have faced bankruptcy or crippling debt.

Yet in just a few short years, Millwall's value skyrocketed, now trailing only Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal.

"What's the focus of this valuation?" Ridsdale asked solemnly.

His assistant quickly replied, "Player value accounts for over 70% of it."

This wasn't surprising; the club's infrastructure held little value, even their training ground was worth more than the stadium itself.

When assessing the players during valuation, their worth wouldn't be inflated. Larsson and Nedved were both valued at ￡10 million, while Henry depreciated to ￡6 million.

The fluctuation in player value, added to the length of their contracts, meant that if a player left for free in three or four years, the club wouldn't recoup any of that investment. Hence, player values were moderately discounted in assessments.

Ridsdale mumbled, "Without good players, Millwall isn't worth anything at all."

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