Capítulo 139: Do you want to fight?
Adam provided Aldrich with feedback from the Netherlands on Wednesday night, informing him that talks with Ricardo-Moniz were progressing smoothly. However, before discussing the basic salary, Moniz needed to have an in-depth conversation with Aldrich.
In this age, it's quite a show of sincerity for a club's CEO to personally reach out to hire a training coach who isn't the head coach.
Nevertheless, for Ricardo-Moniz, the CM training method he advocates has little room to thrive in the Netherlands. Tactical play is seen as the orthodox approach, while technical play is viewed with skepticism; it's neither accepted by mainstream practices nor supported by those in power. Moniz is unsure whether he can implement his training philosophies at Millwall.
Aldrich was eager to make the call. After the introductions were made, he adopted a very humble tone and first offered an apology, explaining that he couldn't fly to the Netherlands to meet in person due to preparations for the weekend match. The two then engaged in a discussion regarding work.
Even though the founder of CM training, Guvran, had confidently proclaimed that "genius can be trained," such statements are just catchy slogans. If CM training truly had the miraculous power to transform the inept into the extraordinary, then geniuses would be worth very little in the world.
Tailoring education to the individual is crucial. Talented young players show quicker results in training, while those with mediocre skills may learn some techniques through CM training, yet struggle to meet the harsh standards of competitive football.
Aldrich explained his coaching philosophy to Moniz and also shared insights about the team's situation.
In fact, when Adam flew to the Netherlands to meet Moniz, he brought along video highlights of the club's players from training and matches.
Moniz was genuinely excited inside because the players at Millwall undeniably possessed talent. More importantly, they were very young and highly malleable, with most not yet having reached the age where their techniques would become fixed.
Aldrich couldn't afford to have the players focus solely on technique in training every week. Instead, he would integrate technical elements into training sessions tailored specifically to different players, which was limited in time to two or three hours, twice a week.
That was enough because technical guidance often takes place in one-on-one or small group settings; it's impossible for one coach to train all players. After all, the focus of technical training varies depending on player characteristics and their positions on the field. For instance, Trezeguet's technical training is entirely focused on shooting, while with Pirlo, shooting would not take the priority.
Aldrich and Moniz spoke on the phone for nearly two hours, during which they disagreed and exchanged views, but their discussions remained rooted in football rather than veering off into unrelated topics like salary.
The next day, Moniz submitted his resignation and packed his bags, planning to arrive in London by mid-March.
Before the weekend match, Aldrich received more good news: while his news in London hadn't directly caught Meulensteen attention, someone within Mullins' circle in the Netherlands had noticed it. They reached out to the Millwall club to inform Aldrich that Mullins was not currently in Europe.
He was coaching the Qatar U18 team.
Aldrich made a call to the other side of the world to track down Meulensteen leading to another lengthy conversation.
To show his sincerity, Aldrich offered Meulensteen an administrative position within the team as the Youth Technical Director and coach.
In terms of salary, it would match that of assistant coach Jensen, and he provided a house in the community for him to stay in as long as he wanted—unless he decided to move out, the house was his, even if he left Millwall for another opportunity.
By investing so much, Aldrich aimed to ensure that the coaches needed by the team wouldn't just teach the players but also educate other coaches on scientific training methods.
After winning the League Cup, Aldrich's team had a respectable run in March, remaining undefeated with just one draw.
On the league table, Millwall and Manchester United surged ahead, gradually closing the points gap with Newcastle United. Kevin Keegan's team, having faltered in the second half of the season, experienced a media shift that criticized Keegan and his team for their frail ability to handle pressure, with their lead shrinking from 10 points at the start to just 5 points by the end of March — the difference of merely two matches.
The arrival of Moniz and Meulensteen brought a vibrant touch to Meulensteen training sessions. Both seasoned researchers of the CM training system could not only play technical videos they had compiled for the players in meetings but also explain accompanying tactical charts. Furthermore, they could provide hands-on demonstrations on the training field, which excited many of the talented players, leading them to often request extra practice and eagerly listen to the coaches' technical instructions.
Technical training wasn't limited to attack; defense was included, too. Aldrich previously focused on a higher level of team defense because defense is never just one-on-one; it's about chemistry and team awareness. Italy is famous for its chain defense, which also depends on team tactics. As the attacking talents of the players improved, naturally, the pressure on the defensive players increased, allowing them to enhance their skills concurrently.
This positive feedback loop made Aldrich feel very pleased. Even more impressively, within just a week of Moniz and Meulensteen joining the team, they immediately began to create good playing habits in the young players.
Take Ronaldinho for instance; Moniz was particularly optimistic about him, but his weaknesses at this age were apparent. He tended to favor his right foot. Moniz started training him to balance his use of both feet—not to equalize their abilities but to make him more versatile. By being able to use both feet, Ronaldinho's technical abilities could become even more unpredictable.
As for Joe Cole, his dominant foot was the right, but his left foot skills were exceptional. The coach instructed him to polish his ball control and teach him the most practical dribbling and passing techniques.
Corrections and guidance such as these provided immense benefits to the players after a period of trying them out, giving them tangible improvements.
Particularly when Meulensteen began coaching Van Nistelrooy, the latter's progress was rapid. Previously, he relied solely on his instinct to sniff out opportunities in the penalty area, but now, Meulensteen taught him simple movements to create shooting angles within the box. Simple actions, such as a subtle touch or a half-turn to shield the ball, allowed Van Nistelrooy not only to make runs but also to increase his threats after receiving the ball.
The players could feel their improvements, which brought them joy and increased their focus on training and matches. This phenomenon was great, and both Moniz and Meulensteen in their new roles at Meulensteen often found themselves excited and restless. Together, they had over a decade of coaching experience but had never instructed so many talented players. This filled them with a sense of achievement and anticipation, wanting to witness these players shining on the field in the future.
This is the mindset of coaches; it's not always about personal fame or success. Of course, winning trophies is an unparalleled achievement, but seeing the players under them gain recognition also offers a kind of satisfaction that outsiders cannot comprehend.
As April approached, Millwall began to shift focus towards the FA Cup. Even though they had championship hopes in the league standings, Aldrich remained undeterred, prioritizing full-strength squads for cup matches. He decided on rotations based on the opponents, but only after ensuring that the main players had sufficient rest.
The road to advancing in the League Cup was relatively smooth; Millwall faced no particularly strong opponents from start to finish, which also relates to how traditional powerhouses often undervalue the League Cup.
If we rank the importance of competitions in England, it would go: league, then FA Cup, and finally the League Cup.
However, in the FA Cup, Millwall began to encounter formidable foes.
They first took down Blackburn, followed by a matchup against Newcastle United. The draw results came out before the match against Newcastle, and if Millwall advanced, they could face another powerhouse in the semifinals: Manchester United.
In early April, Millwall hosted a match against East London in the second half of the league.
Tension enveloped East London again, with riot police on high alert. The provocative behavior of Millwall fans began to surface.
Aldrich wouldn't defend Millwall fans; they were far more emotionally charged than other fans and had a penchant for causing trouble, particularly enjoying brawls.
But just as he had promised in past interviews, if any major disturbances were to occur at the stadium, he would ban all unruly fans from entering the den.
Redknapp brought his West Ham team to the den and was met with widespread taunts and provocations; it was time for them to feel the heat.
Back at home, Aldrich had no need to be timid with his arrangements, especially on the high-quality pitch.
As the intense East London derby kicked off, Aldrich stood on the sidelines, issuing commands while Redknapp also stood nervously nearby.
West Ham played aggressively and viciously in this match, committing frequent fouls with reckless actions.
"One, two, three, four, five. Assistant referee, I don't want to keep counting, but understand this: this is our f#*king home! Why hasn't the opposition received a single yellow card? Are you encouraging West Ham to keep using brutal fouls to disrupt this match?"
Aldrich couldn't tolerate it any longer. He approached the fourth official, his face cold, voicing his grievances about the officiating crew's inability to manage the game.
The fourth official, somewhat intimidated by Aldrich, pretended not to hear anything.
Redknapp walked up, loudly saying, "Our players aren't playing maliciously; don't think your whining will influence the referee!"
His words were aimed at Aldrich.
As soon as he finished speaking, Aldrich turned to Redknapp, his face twisted with rage, shouting, "F#*k you! If you want to play football, then play football! If you want to play rugby, you won't find any takers here. If your team doesn't want to play but wants to fight, then let's head to the parking lot — the ones not showing up can go to hell, along with your bloody Irons!"
Redknapp stood there, stunned, watching Aldrich's furious expression as he pointed towards the players' tunnel. The West Ham manager mumbled something incoherent before turning back to his team's dugout.
Nearby fans in the stands applauded, cheering for Aldrich while mocking and insulting Redknapp, calling him a coward and a softie.
Aldrich could simply not endure the opposing team's brutal tactics.
Having thugs on the field wasn't surprising, but if they intended to injure their opponents from the very beginning, that crossed a line — not only the line of football but also that of morality.
Just as he returned to his position, a deafening uproar erupted throughout the stadium.
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