章 206: Ten Loyal Ones, One Traitor
As the season drew to a close, the head coach's job became increasingly demanding, especially for someone like Aldrich, who still had trophies to chase.
Sunday night at home, his parents were hosting Puskás and his wife for dinner. Over the past year, Puskás had established a steady routine: he would receive treatment at the hospital during the week, but every weekend, he'd catch a match. He rarely left London, where he was always the center of attention, accompanied by Arthur, who guided him around the city.
Arthur made an enthusiastic suggestion during dinner that they should take a summer holiday together, traveling to the beautiful Mediterranean resorts, and the Puskás couple gladly accepted.
This made Arthur incredibly excited, and he promptly called Barnett to casually say, "I'm off on a trip with my friends, so get a big yacht ready for me!"
Since the start of the year, Barnett had been in America, cashing out investments in Southeast Asia. He wrapped up his exit from that market earlier this year and dove into the international capital scene. While there, he met plenty of Wall Street traders. Much like a second offensive in football, Barnett pulled out of Asia partly due to Aldrich's concerns about the market's future. Conversely, Barnett learned whispers on Wall Street that international financiers were looking to make a big play in Asia, and he naturally wanted in on the action.
"So, Barnett helplessly told Arthur: I don't have a yacht, and I don't have the spare cash to buy one right now. I can only borrow one from a friend."
Arthur wasn't concerned about the details; as long as there was a yacht, he didn't mind whose it was.
"Barnett quickly contacted friends in Europe. Eventually, he 'borrowed' a luxurious yacht. The price was an exchange of information."
"This also brought their friends into the financial war they were preparing for."
Aldrich was focused solely on work, with little to distract him from his responsibilities. Meanwhile, Melanie's girl group was becoming a sensation across Europe, hardly staying in London, performing throughout the UK and other countries while gearing up to make a splash in the US market later this year. If successful, they'd embark on a global tour next year. Unfortunately, With the two of them rarely seeing each other, they could only catch up by phone every evening."
Yet within his work realm, there were plenty of issues to occupy Aldrich's mind.
Player poaching was a daily disturbance. It wasn't just Aldrich's players they were after; even their coaches were being courted.
Benítez had received offers from teams in Spain but had no intention of leaving. Coaches like Jansen were being contacted by smaller clubs in Holland, yet they were hesitant to move, believing they lacked the same leverage as Aldrich. If they returned to coach a team and underperformed, would they even return to Millwall? After all, they were all still under thirty.
The thirty-year-old Nagy, who coached the youth team, had caught the attention of some clubs in League One. Perhaps it was because of the youth team's past success, particularly the FA Youth Cup triumph, which was perceived as a testament to his coaching ability. Despite the youth team's failure to reach the Youth Cup finals this season, they had secured the league title ahead of schedule and held their own in friendly matches against teams in Norway and France.
Most importantly, poaching Nagy might also mean taking some talented youth players along.
However, the outside world seemed oblivious to the connection between Nagy and Aldrich. In a way, they were like older and younger brothers; Nagy was the elder, while Aldrich was the junior. Yet they had starkly contrasting traits. Aldrich showed no patience for beginner-level training; he thrived on tactics, using capable players as pawns, while Nagy was quite the opposite—his calm nature often stifled enthusiasm, but he was meticulous about developing players.
They were a match made in heaven. Nagy outright refused all invitations without even glancing at them. The more composed he was, the less likely he was to impulsively coach a first team, where his shortcomings would be laid bare.
Besides, he wasn't one to seek the limelight.
As they prepared to face Old Trafford midweek, Aldrich didn't bring his full squad. Stam had been relegated to the reserves as Millwall and Manchester United reached an agreement over his transfer. After the confrontation between Aldrich and Ferguson at the Lion's Den, Ferguson hadn't reached out since. United boldly set a transfer fee of £15 million—Adam hoped to negotiate further since that was their opening bid, giving Millwall room to bargain.
But Aldrich had Adam accept the offer.
That sum matched the world record for transfer fees, despite the likelihood of being surpassed by a foreign player in the summer. Nonetheless, it remained the highest transfer fee for a defender. Aldrich felt there was no need to haggle with United over the price; after all, it was the figure he himself had suggested. He was a man of his word and didn't see the point of reneging.
Both clubs kept the transfer quiet, waiting for the season's end when Stam would go to Manchester for a medical check. Following that, they'd announce the move.
Both parties wanted to avoid any premature announcements that might disrupt their squads.
After all, United still aimed for second place in the league and the second leg of the Champions League semifinals. Once Stam's transfer was public, how would their two center-backs react? Who would be pushed out of the first team next season?
Yet at Millwall, the word was getting out; Stam, a key player, had been absent from the squad list for consecutive matches. Initially, the club didn't see any major issues—just rotations or injuries, which were perfectly normal. But when reporters captured him being dropped to the reserves, it sparked a media frenzy.
Fleet Street speculated on two possibilities: first, disciplinary actions—perhaps Stam had breached some team rule and was being punished. Or second, a transfer—either Stam was no longer part of Millwall's future plans, or he wanted out and had fallen out of favor with Aldrich, resulting in the young coach's firm decision to drop him.
Aldrich's prior outrage toward United stemmed from this situation.
Millwall's season wasn't over yet, and whether United's poaching would be a success or failure mattered little to them. But Millwall could suffer significantly, especially in terms of team morale.
Aldrich wanted Stam to leave with dignity, but at this stage, he had to ensure Stam vanished from the first team's sight, sending a clear message to the squad: Stam was no longer one of them!
Otherwise, with teammates constantly looking at Stam, but Aldrich not using him, it would undeniably arouse suspicion that could spread like wildfire. That was not something anyone wanted.
Before the FA Cup kicked off, Aldrich was already at Old Trafford, seated in the stands about twenty minutes before kickoff, chatting with ITV's on-site reporter.
"Is Larsson injured?"
"No, he's just a bit fatigued. I asked him to stay in London to rest up for the league match this weekend."
"Ah, is it to help him chase the European Golden Boot?"
"That's a crucial honor for a striker. If he has a chance to pursue it, I'm certainly going to help him. His teammates want to help him achieve that goal too. But Larsson isn't a selfish player. He's top of the scoring charts this season and third in assists."
"Can you speak about Stam? He played for the reserves yesterday, helping them win. He seems fit; why isn't he on the list? He's missing from today's league match, the European clash, and the FA Cup."
Aldrich scanned the Theater of Dreams, then smiled faintly, "His heart isn't with Millwall anymore."
The ITV reporter paused, unexpected by the bombshell he'd just received from Aldrich.
Aldrich figured rather than let the media guess, it was better to break the news now and get the public speculation over with, stabilizing the team's morale.
"Are you saying he wants to transfer?"
"Yes. He aims to join a bigger club that he perceives as greater and more appealing than Millwall."
The ITV journalist processed the information quickly and asked, "Is it a Spanish or Italian powerhouse?"
He genuinely believed no team in England could rival Millwall.
Aldrich shook his head, "I can't say, but the transfer conditions are nearly finalized. Out of respect for this transfer, Millwall won't disclose Stam's new club until the season wraps up."
"Is that why Stam was relegated to the reserves?"
"That's to keep him in shape. Maybe people outside think he's really strong, and I should continue to use him now because he hasn't left yet. But as a coach, I value team unity more. I can't imagine having a player who's not fully committed in my squad. It's like seeing ten loyal players plus one traitor; that would ruin our unity."
"A traitor? Is that your assessment of Stam's desire to leave?"
Aldrich nodded, "Yes. Because he chose to transfer when the team needs him the most. I'm not saying players should remain with Millwall for life, but we're in a crucial phase of the season, and his departure would negatively impact us. That represents betrayal. Before the season ends, I don't want to see him anymore. I can't disregard the contributions he's made over the past three years, but right now, I'd prefer he stay away from my team. When he leaves after the season, I'll wish him well."
...
ITV wasn't the live broadcaster, so even with this explosive scoop in hand, they couldn't release it immediately. During this time, the media landscape was still sparse; mobile phones mainly served for texts and calls.
As the FA Cup semifinal approached, fans' eyes were still glued to the pitch.
Many Millwall fans were confused, waving banners from the stands: "Let Stam back!"
They speculated that there was tension between Aldrich and Stam. Until they learned the truth, they hoped the team would face upcoming matches with its strongest lineup.
Stam had been a vital part of the team's transformation from League One to Premier League champions over the past three years, and every fan understood his importance.
Yet in today's FA Cup semifinal, Aldrich fielded a team made up of half starters and half substitutes.
Goalkeeper: Butt.
Defenders: Mills, Elghra, Southgate, Zambrotta.
Midfielders: Lampard, Makelele, Ballack, Nedvěd.
Forwards: Shevchenko, Phillips.
Aldrich opted for an unusual 4-3-1-2 formation.
He didn't want the team confined to either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 setup. Strong teams often switch formations to handle different opponents. Relying on a fixed tactical system can lead to stagnation; over time, thinking becomes rigid, and adaptability vanishes during critical moments.
Today's opponent was Middlesbrough, managed by Bryan Robson. Last season, they had performed well, bolstered this season by several noteworthy signings: Ravinelli, Juninho, Emerson, and others. They shifted their focus to an attacking style instead of the prior defend-and-counter strategy, leading to a decline in their performance. Last season, as newcomers, rivals underestimated them, and they thrived on counterattacks. However, as opponents now respected them, they experienced difficulties before their new squad and tactics were firmly established and became prey to counterattacks as well. Robson's experimentation with formation and new strategy came at the cost of points, leaving them in the relegation zone.
This was partially due to their unilateral cancellation of a match against Blackburn, which resulted in a three-point deduction—a first in Premier League history. While Leeds United later faced similar penalties for financial misconduct, that was a situation in the second tier of football.
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