章 115: A Much-Needed Break
"Signs of Collapse! The Lions Lack Momentum!"
"The young commander is satisfied; congratulations to Millwall on their successful relegation battle. Your holiday begins now."
"2:1! Nottingham Forest ends the Lions' 23-game unbeaten streak at City Ground!"
...
The media has always loved to sensationalize, creating eye-catching headlines. Following Millwall's advancement to the League Cup finals, they suffered their first defeat of the season in a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest, where their unbeaten record was broken.
Major newspapers began to mock them relentlessly. Aldrich didn't pay attention to the news, but he still conducted a deep post-match analysis.
The medical team's report indicated that the players were not in a state of extreme fatigue physically. However, their psychological assessments revealed a growing sense of weariness towards the game at this stage.
The team had too many non-English players who were unaccustomed to playing without a winter break. The added pressure of having to play during traditional holidays like Christmas created significant mental fluctuations. This had been a noticeable issue last year in League One, and the higher intensity of Premier League games made it even harder for them to maintain focus.
Everyone has moments when they want to take a break or escape when faced with difficulties. Professional players can't refuse to work through a strike, but their concentration and physical excitement on the field can't always be maintained at the highest level.
Aldrich knew he couldn't solve this issue through training or verbal communication alone. Addressing it required a dual approach: the players had to actively adapt to their environment, and the coaches needed to arrange the match schedule more reasonably. For example, Sir Alex Ferguson would sometimes give core players a break in January to allow them to adjust.
Aldrich planned to do the same. He intended to give the players a four-day break after the midweek FA Cup match. The FA Cup was scheduled for Tuesday night, and the weekend league match would take place on Monday night, leaving about five days in between.
The FA Cup match was against the weaker Wigan, and it was at home, but Aldrich didn't take it lightly. The team's recent instability made him wary of a potential upset at home, even against an unremarkable opponent.
After losing to Nottingham Forest over the weekend and facing severe criticism from the media, the players' fighting spirit was ignited. The starters led the team to a resounding seven-goal victory against Wigan at home, advancing to the next round of the FA Cup.
After the post-match interviews, Aldrich walked towards the locker room to inform the players about their holiday plans.
However, while pulling out his phone along the way, he noticed a message from his brother Barnett, prompting him to step into a corner to return the call.
"Aldrich, do you have any free time recently?"
"What for?"
"I have a friend in America inviting me to watch the Super Bowl. I'm not too interested in football, but I thought maybe you would be."
"The Super Bowl? When is it?"
"This Sunday."
"Sunday. I'll call you back shortly. By the way, do you have VIP tickets?"
"I'm not sure. I'll ask around. If you're coming, I'll arrange for a box for us."
After hanging up, Aldrich pondered for a moment before heading to the locker room.
After crushing a weaker team by seven goals, the players weren't jumping for joy but managed to have a good shower and snack happily in the locker room. There's typically an abundance of food waiting for the players post-game, which might not be the best of traditions—if it weren't for that, maybe Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn't have had the infamous pizza encounter years later!
After Aldrich walked into the locker room, Pires, who scored two goals today, handed him a drink. Aldrich smiled and waved his hand to politely decline.
He leaned against the wall by the locker room door, noticing a new FA Cup poster alongside the existing League Cup poster.
As the players finished showering and changed their clothes, they clearly saw that Aldrich had something to say. They sat quietly, with some hungry players grabbing food to munch on.
"I know it's been a tough time lately. Not being able to be with your families during Christmas is painful. With no winter break and daily training, while your friends enjoy their holidays, you all have to keep up the hard work. It's tough, I get it."
The players remained silent, looking at Aldrich. Between them, there was no need for pretentiousness; they could be candid with him. There was no need to falsely shake their heads and say, "Boss, we're warriors. As long as we can play, we don't mind!"
First and foremost, they were human beings before they were professional players—there's no denying that.
If the team were comprised entirely of English players, Aldrich wouldn't have said such things; he would have harshly criticized their poor performances. English players, having grown up as fans, understood the scheduling from a young age. They were already aware of the demands of playing for English clubs, so when the influx of international players began, those who complained the most about the schedule weren't the homegrown players but the foreign players and coaches.
Aldrich continued, "This month isn't over yet, but we've already played three league games, two League Cup matches, and one FA Cup match. In five days, we have another league match waiting for us. I can't hypocritically tell you to just tough it out and continue striving for victory. I think you all need some time to relax, so I've decided to give the team a four-day break. We'll return for training on Monday before the match. You can stay home until then, and I plan to take a short trip to America myself. You might not care much about American sports, but this weekend, the Super Bowl, a widely anticipated event in the U.S., will take place. I intend to watch the game, and if anyone wants to join me, you're very welcome to bring your family or girlfriend. The club will cover all expenses. London's weather is terrible right now, and I could use some fresh air. If anyone is interested, come to my office later to let me know."
Aldrich finished speaking with a smile, and as he turned to leave, he heard thunderous cheers erupting from the locker room.
They were indeed exhausted, not necessarily physically, but mentally.
Aldrich giving them a break felt like a windfall.
In this era, the players' incomes were not sufficient for them to splurge on luxury homes, sports cars, and global travels; their rare opportunity to travel came when following the team in European competitions. Now, with Aldrich offering a free trip to America, everyone signed up. Staying back in London meant just resting at home, so a trip with their families was much more appealing.
Aldrich gathered the coaching staff in his office, spending the evening tallying the numbers, including the players' families and girlfriends. Nearly a hundred people were set to travel.
After discussing the travel plans with Barnett, he readily agreed to handle everything without hesitation.
The next morning, Aldrich had breakfast at home with Andrew.
Andrew was dressed impeccably in a suit, having arrived early at Aldrich's apartment with hot coffee and sandwiches, as Aldrich needed to attend court today, where the defamation case would finally conclude.
As Aldrich put on his suit and prepared to leave with Andrew, he heard the doorbell ring. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a stylishly dressed woman with a smile on her face. "I'm here to accompany you to court today."
A year ago, Melanie had appeared as a simple girl, but now she displayed a fashionable edge, her fitted black coat flattering her slender figure, and her long hair tied up in a ponytail made her look fresh.
Aldrich naturally had no objections. The three of them drove to the district court in two cars.
In the car, Melanie told Aldrich that the Spice Girls' album recording had wrapped up, and she had some time off. Aldrich then shared his upcoming schedule with her.
"Going to America? Why didn't you invite me?"
"I didn't know you were on vacation. You didn't mention it during our call last night."
"I wanted to surprise you."
"Thanks, I'm surprised. Are you happy?"
Melanie rolled her eyes and said, "Let's go to America together, is that okay?"
"It's fine; I'd be happy for you to join. I just hope there won't be any last-minute changes at the court."
Aldrich replied flatly.
Katie Price was also supposed to attend court that day. She didn't look too well; while her career wasn't badly affected—her profile as a page three girl had actually increased, and sales were good—many film companies had invited her.
Some realities required necessary facades.
There's an old saying: when being a whore, one must keep up appearances.
Girls like her need a shield of virtue.
She hoped this incident could be resolved quickly, allowing the public to forget the ridicule and harassment stemming from her "priced" services that brought her £2,000 for one night.
The court delivered its verdict that morning.
Aldrich's injunction became effective; from now on, Katie Price could not contact Aldrich directly. If she violated this order, she could face jail time.
The defamation charge was also upheld, but it only required Katie to issue a public apology.
Yet Aldrich was found to have solicited questionable transactions during the phone recording—despite it being a setup on his part. The judge insisted that Aldrich had to share some responsibility, so he was fined a symbolic monetary amount for his trouble and sentenced to perform 40 hours of community service.
Both Aldrich and Katie Price complied with the ruling.
To Aldrich, doing community service was no big deal. He could easily spare ten hours a week for volunteer work. Within a month, he would be done.
Moreover, volunteering in East London, where Millwall was located, might even lead to some good publicity.
After putting that scandal behind him, Aldrich and the Millwall club staff, players, and their families—over a hundred strong—boarded a chartered plane bound for New York, America, in the evening.
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