章 60: "Deep-pocketed" Millwall
After concluding the serious matter, Dr. Thompson got up to leave, but Adam remained seated.
"Adam, if it's about the same topic, I don't want to discuss it. Some expenses can be cut, but some can't be skimped on," Aldrich said firmly.
Aldrich's stance on the construction of the medical department wouldn't waver due to financial concerns. He wouldn't budge an inch.
Adam shook his head. "No, boss, the contractor Roder came by every day since the day before yesterday, urging us to fulfill the contract for the new stadium. He claims that if we delay any longer, he will sue us for breach of contract."
Realization dawned on Aldrich. Leaning back in his chair, he pondered for a moment before retrieving a document from his drawer and handing it to Adam. "This is a design plan I had Andrew prepare a few months ago. I intended to use that land for a youth training academy and name it 'Leo' once it's built."
Adam flipped through the plan, which included an aerial view and marked the locations of training facilities along with other buildings.
He murmured, "Leo, Leo... The Lion Youth Training Academy? That fits Millwall's tradition."
After closing the plan, he looked up at Aldrich, shaking his head. "Boss, that land was originally designated for the stadium. The total project, including the land, is close to £20 million. If you now say it's to be a youth academy, the contractors will surely disagree. Clearly, building a stadium is much more lucrative, and they might see this as a way to dodge responsibilities."
Aldrich understood the situation regarding the new stadium. Although Millwall owned the land, no payments had been made for the other construction projects, and while a contract had been signed, progress had stalled.
Now, it seemed the contractors were getting anxious. The longer the delay, the less profit they would make, and they could end up losing money as costs continued to soar over time.
Aldrich pulled another document from the drawer and handed it to Adam. "This is a preliminary design for the new stadium. It's not finalized, but the overall scale won't change much. Tell the contractors they should begin work on the youth training academy for now. The new stadium will definitely be built in the future, and when that happens, it will be a larger project than originally planned. We can sign contracts with them now, and once we secure funding, we can continue our collaboration. If they do this, they will make a fortune."
Adam opened the document and was taken aback. The impressive renderings depicted a modern stadium with a capacity of 65,000 people.
Adam's mind raced to the Millwall account balance of just under £20 million. Building such a massive stadium without at least £100 million would be impossible, and nobody could predict how high costs would climb in the future.
Aldrich, being the boss, didn't need to negotiate with shareholders or the board of directors, and Adam, as an employee, had it relatively easy—whatever his boss instructed, he would carry out.
Taking both plans, Adam left the office while reminding Aldrich that considering Millwall's limited influence in East London, even building a stadium with over 60,000 seats would likely max out attendance at around 50%.
Aldrich wasn't planning to build the new stadium immediately; he was simply preparing for the future.
Having finalized the club's coaching staff and medical system construction, Aldrich stayed in London, preparing to attend an awards ceremony hosted by the England Football Coaches Association at the end of the season. After all, he was going to receive an award.
On another weekend, Aldrich had little interest in the news about the League One playoffs, but he followed it nonetheless. Middlesbrough and Bolton reached the playoff final, while the Premier League season climaxed in a thrilling finale.
Under Dalglish's leadership, Blackburn faced Liverpool at Anfield. Leading by one goal, Blackburn lost the match when the Reds turned the score around just before the final whistle. Liverpool had no intention of losing to help Dalglish; meanwhile, Blackburn anxiously awaited the result of Manchester United's match. If United won, the championship trophy would slip through their fingers.
The Red Devils traveled to East London for their final match against the already uninspired West Ham. Ferguson's team was unable to change the 1-1 scoreline after 90 minutes, watching helplessly as their Premier League crown was claimed by Blackburn. Meanwhile, West Ham celebrated, reveling in their role in denying the Red Devils the title; while they might not be as thrilled as if they'd won themselves, they were certainly overjoyed.
With that, the Premier League season ended, and Blackburn made history by clinching the title. Their legendary manager, Dalglish, decided to retire gracefully after this triumph. Blackburn's owner, Jack Walker, famously remarked, "This championship has put Blackburn on the map of England."
Blackburn's attacking pair of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton, known as "SAS," delivered an outstanding season, with Shearer scoring 34 goals to become the top scorer, while Sutton contributed 15 goals, solidifying his worth.
In contrast, Manchester United fell short in a key battle, missing the league title. After the match, Manchester media lamented how the result would have turned out differently had they had Cantona or a stronger striker. How could the small West Ham deny the Red Devils a last-minute title win?
In the FA Cup final, United also lost to Everton, marking a disappointing season where the once-mighty Red Devils ended up with nothing after dominating the Premier League for two consecutive years.
With the Premier League having concluded, the curtains also fell on competitions in European football.
Arsenal, having changed managers midway through the season, floundered in the league but soared in Europe. Unfortunately, they fell short in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, losing in extra time to La Liga's Zaragoza.
Italian teams continued their powerful performances, with Parma winning the UEFA Cup, while AC Milan reached the Champions League final, only to lose to another young team: Ajax!
When Ajax ascended to the throne of European football, the world gasped at the dawn of the Ajax dynasty.
Just look at their squad:
25-year-old Van der Sar.
22-year-old Reiziger.
25-year-old De Boer brothers.
19-year-old Seedorf.
22-year-old Davids.
22-year-old Overmars, the little flying ace.
24-year-old Litmanen.
...
Everyone wondered how long this talented Ajax team would dominate European football. Moreover, Dutch players were seen as valuable assets in the transfer market. With Ajax's continuous ability to produce exceptional talents, the era of the Ajax dynasty seemed inevitable.
Rome wasn't built in a day, but it could be destroyed in one.
Little did Ajax know that just a year later, their empire would begin to crumble. The Bosman ruling would end the closed nature of the European transfer market, ushering in an era of player circulation.
At the England Football Coaches Association dinner, Aldrich arrived looking sharp in his suit. Before the award ceremony began, he was interviewed far more often than other coaches from League One.
Richard from the Daily Mail relentlessly pursued him, eager to uncover summer transfer targets, while Thomson from The Sun asked various off-topic questions, like when the club's shelved new stadium plans would be revived, after paparazzi caught him dating a young attractive woman in public.
However, one question surprised Aldrich.
"Mr. Hall, last season's excellent performance by Millwall earned you a nickname: the 'Coach Killer.' What are your thoughts on that?"
"Coach Killer? What do you mean?"
"According to statistics, you faced off against different managers last season, and after your encounters, four of them lost their jobs; the managers of Derby County, Watford, Arsenal, and Swindon."
Aldrich chuckled awkwardly.
Derby County had a poor start and suffered a heavy defeat at the Den, resulting in their manager's dismissal.
Watford was eliminated from the playoff contention after facing Millwall at the season's end, leading to their manager's exit.
As for Arsenal, it had nothing to do with performance; although Aldrich's Millwall eliminated Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup, George Graham's dismissal was more due to a black market scandal, so it could be labeled as coincidence—especially since Graham had been banned from coaching for a year by the FA.
Swindon's fall from grace, coupled with the final match's on-pitch scandal, inevitably led to their manager's sacking.
Receiving the moniker of "Coach Killer" amused Aldrich, leaving him both surprised and chuckling.
After downplaying the notion as mere coincidence, Aldrich entered the dinner hall.
He wasn't the focus of attention until an older man approached him.
Ferguson strode over with a grim face, and Aldrich couldn't help but feel a bit helpless; it was Dalglish who had taken your title away. No—Manchester United had squandered the opportunity, letting it slip away despite having the title within reach. What was there to complain about?
But Ferguson's dark scowl was a clear message for Aldrich.
"Look at them, flattery in abundance."
Ferguson glanced at Dalglish, now surrounded by admirers, including another Liverpool figure, Kevin Keegan.
Aldrich stifled a laugh, thinking to himself that if the championship trophy were in their hands, they wouldn't be short of flatterers.
Ferguson pulled Aldrich aside and got straight to the point. "Larsson, name your price, Aldrich. I always saw you as a friend."
"How much can Manchester United offer?"
Aldrich didn't flatly refuse.
Ferguson's eyes lit up; the Red Devils were set for a summer overhaul, and the transfer fee wasn't too great an issue since he prepared to sell Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Kanchelskis.
"Five million pounds. In just one year, you've earned nearly four million pounds, which should be enough, especially since Larsson hasn't been tested in the Premier League."
Aldrich waved his hand. "I wasn't talking about the transfer fee; I was referring to the weekly wage. How much can Manchester United offer Larsson?"
Ferguson paused, contemplating for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes. "Ten thousand pounds."
Aldrich shrugged. "Then you'll have to convince Larsson to take a pay cut."
"Huh? How much does he earn at Millwall?"
"Top salary at the club, fifteen thousand pounds."
Ferguson's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're crazy!"
Who was Manchester United's highest earner?
Cantona, with a weekly salary of twenty thousand pounds.
Then there was Schmeichel, earning eighteen thousand, and after him, it dropped to thirteen thousand—young players like Beckham, Scholes, and Giggs barely earned over four thousand, while big-money signings like Roy Keane and Andy Cole weren't above ten thousand.
It wasn't that Manchester United couldn't offer Larsson fifteen thousand or a higher contract; it was merely that salaries were tied to standing within the team. If Larsson earned fifteen thousand at Manchester United, it would undoubtedly disrupt the wage balance, prompting more than just a couple of players to demand salary increases.
Ferguson quickly caught on; Aldrich never outright rejected him but effectively closed the door on any potential transfer.
He was unsure whether Aldrich or himself was the more cunning of the two.
"Aldrich, can you tell me what Millwall's salary budget is for next season?"
Aldrich smiled slightly. "I'll give you the specific number: next season, the team's wage expenditure should be between ten million and fifteen million pounds."
Ferguson's eyes bulged. Such expenditure levels were not something even the top Premier League teams could match.
"How many players in your squad earn over ten thousand pounds a week?"
"Not many; close to the entire starting lineup is above ten thousand pounds, though."
"Millwall is really loaded! Can you earn ten million pounds in a season?"
"Not sure. Last season, we probably made less than ten million net; this season should see an increase. Sigh, this season is certainly a loss, but I don't care."
Ferguson began to back down. He was genuinely interested in not only Larsson but other players as well—but unfortunately, salaries were too high. After all, it would be humiliating for Manchester United, as a prestigious club, to ask players to take pay cuts to join.
But he couldn't help but feel a bit doubtful about Aldrich's approach; at this rate, the club might crumble sooner or later!
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