บท 437: Group of Surprises
During the Champions League group stage draw, Aldrich was distracted. He kept his head down, taking out his wallet to look at a photo of himself holding his two sons, a fond smile forming on his face.
When Galliani tapped him on the shoulder, Aldrich noticed his peculiar expression and finally turned his attention to the big screen.
Aldrich went through each group, taking a closer look at the matchups.
Since the Champions League increased to 32 teams, the attention on group draws has steadily declined. The skill gap is often glaring, and with the top two spots all but guaranteed to the big clubs, there's little suspense. UEFA's seeding system only ensures that there's rarely a real "Group of Death." Instead, the group stage has become a prologue to the true Champions League action.
This year doesn't seem much different. Aldrich's gaze settled on Barcelona, Arsenal, Fiorentina, and AIK Solna—could that be called a Group of Death?
Does it fit?
Arsenal isn't quite a Champions League heavyweight.
And Fiorentina—still the fresh faces here.
Looking further, Valencia, Bayern, Rangers, PSV—is that truly a Group of Death?
Aldrich was barely paying attention, but as he watched, he started noticing something odd. Where was Millwall?
Well, there it was—Millwall ended up in the very last group, Group H.
Their opponents? Hertha Berlin, Galatasaray, and… AC Milan!
Who came up with this?
Millwall, top seed in European competition? AC Milan as the second seed? The other two didn't seem to matter much.
Aldrich finally got why Galliani had that odd look on his face. He turned and chuckled, "Sorry, but my son's only a month old tomorrow, so he won't be making it to San Siro."
Galliani's face twitched, and he was screaming on the inside: It was just a polite comment! I'd never want to see you back at San Siro!
Galliani felt quite unlucky as he recalled last season when he had sat next to Hodgson, witnessing Inter Milan and Millwall drawn into the same group. A silent tear fell as he thought, Why am I sitting here?
But then he reconsidered. The top two teams would advance, and unlike last season, where Inter Milan finished as the best runner-up, Millwall could actually join AC Milan in progressing to the knockout stage. After all, hadn't their neighbors happily reached the quarter-finals alongside Millwall last year?
Galliani forced a slight smile and held out his hand. "Alright, let's see to it we advance together."
"Indeed, advancing together."
Aldrich took his hand, maintaining his calm smile throughout.
The facial expressions of other top managers echoed a similar sentiment: there was no joy or sadness, just neutrality. This year's group stage was far more lenient than in previous seasons. The number of easy teams increased, and the qualification slots appeared more abundant. Perhaps they were all thinking more about the next stage, knowing that in the second round, they wouldn't have easy points to grab.
Although the FIFA match day arrived, with most of the team off to represent their national squads, Aldrich didn't use it as an excuse to take personal time off with his family. He maintained his professionalism, only heading back to Liverpool to spend time with his newborn during the brief team break. A few days later, he was back at the club, overseeing practice sessions for the reserve and youth teams, making sure that even the first-team players who hadn't received international calls stayed sharp and focused.
When the international break came to an end, many were concerned about whether Millwall's fitness would be affected as they prepared to face newly promoted Premier League side Watford at home.
Watford shocked everyone by scoring a goal from a corner kick just two minutes into the match, making everyone think Millwall's form had dipped due to the FIFA window.
But Aldrich wasn't worried. By halftime, Millwall not only equalized but took a commanding 3-1 lead.
In the second half, even though he substituted off two key players, Watford's lack of quality shone through. Their defense was woeful, and they couldn't implement the "parking the bus" tactic, especially after falling behind. By the end, they conceded three more goals, leading to a resounding 6-1 victory for Millwall and extending their winning streak to seven.
Post-match commentary from Fleet Street highlighted Watford's initial goal as something to take pride in—nothing more.
Meanwhile, in the same round of fixtures, Manchester United faced Liverpool at Anfield, narrowly winning 3-2 in the English derby.
The English media was buzzing, all practically yelling the same question: "Who the hell is going to stop these two teams? Can anyone step up?"
The intensity of the new season lacked the fierce competition of the previous season's top four rivalry, morphing into a duel between Manchester United and Millwall.
With Millwall unbeaten in seven matches and Manchester United with six wins and one draw, the two teams were ruling the league with unmatched attacking prowess.
Manchester United was led by the formidable duo of Yorke and Cole, continuing their momentum from the last season.
Millwall, on the other hand, boasted an unexpectedly dynamic attacking style, demonstrating an astonishing ability to secure victories by merely playing for 60 minutes!
Defensively, Millwall allowed just one goal over their first seven matches, a stark contrast to Manchester United, whose backline provided little confidence. Aging players like Irwin and the inexperienced Sylvester posed serious risks.
After the league's seventh round, Aldrich's spirits were high, and this positivity was palpable during training, as players enjoyed a noticeable lift in their morale.
Everyone knew that Aldrich was eager for the next league match.
Their opponents were Everton, with Fleet Street speculating if Everton could potentially challenge Millwall just as they held Manchester United to a draw in the league opener.
The *Sun* tabloid threw out a ridiculous headline, asking, *Why doesn't Liverpool have 19 Premier League teams?*
Everyone knew about Aldrich's itinerary: Liverpool—London—away games.
The article quipped that if Liverpool had 19 Premier League teams and the FA allowed a double round-robin system that sent Millwall on the road, Aldrich-Hall would certainly be all for it. Perhaps he had even contemplated moving Millwall to Liverpool!
Of course, these were merely humorous tidbits meant for the readers' entertainment, and Aldrich took them with a laugh.
During the week, Millwall faced Hertha Berlin for their first UEFA Champions League match, triumphing with a clean 4-1 victory at Wembley, signaling a successful start to their Champions League campaign.
Everything went as expected. With three years of European competition under their belts, both Millwall's manager and players were familiar with the Champions League stage, allowing them to adapt faster than many newcomers. Their smooth victory over Hertha Berlin illustrated this well: the German team arrived at Wembley, visibly tense and either overly nervous or overly eager. If not for a lapse in concentration by Pirlo, who, while leading 4-0 in the second half, accidentally assisted an own goal with a careless back pass, Millwall would have sealed a flawless victory.
Just after the opening day of the Champions League group matches, shocking news broke in the Premier League.
Newcastle United had sacked manager Ruud Gullit!
The Dutchman's new campaign began poorly, failing to secure a win with the Magpies after seven matches, finding themselves at the bottom of the Premier League. The club finally decided they couldn't tolerate the dismal performance any longer and let Gullit go.
Having arrived in English football four years ago as the World Footballer of the Year, Gullit bid farewell to England to pursue his next journey, having brought a romantic vision of football but failing to deliver on his promises.
Although Gullit left, he didn't do so in vain; his contributions to the Premier League, particularly to Chelsea, had been invaluable.
In the landscape of the Premier League's resurgence, Gullit's time at a Premier League club had raised interest and paved the way for other stars to follow.
While his tenure at Chelsea was brief, he deserved recognition as a legend, having played an integral role in the club's evolution in recent history.
If we were to segment Chelsea's modern history, it begins with Bates assuming control and establishing Chelsea Village. The second phase launched in '95, when Gullit signed on, guiding Chelsea forward to the present. And the third phase? That crucial moment when a man, as if fated, appeared to lead Chelsea's future in a whole new direction.
The broader landscape recognized Gullit's impact on the Premier League and English football. Thus, even with his dismissal, many, including Aldrich and fellow managers, offered praise.
At the very least, Gullit had aspirations and ambitions, along with his reputation and distinct style. When they faced each other on the pitch, Aldrich might clash with him, but off it, there was no need for hostility—no reason to exaggerate any rivalry.
Aldrich had triumphed over Gullit many times in their coaching careers but never held it over him as a mark of superiority—that would be foolish. Just as Gullit would never mock Aldrich for not being a player, the two understood their boundaries. With Gullit now a free spirit, Aldrich sincerely sent him best wishes—just common courtesy.
Immediately following Gullit's departure, Newcastle United announced another significant piece of news.
"Bobby Robson returns to English football, taking charge of Newcastle United!"
This announcement invigorated Newcastle fans and stirred the entire English football scene.
Bobby Robson - He had an epic duel with Aldrich when he was coaching Barcelona.
Now, after nearly a decade of "traveling" abroad, the veteran manager has finally chosen to return home, a leaf falling back to its roots.
British fans held great admiration for Robson; he was a highly respected figure who led the England national team to its best World Cup performance since the 1966 victory. Unfortunately, he faced heartbreaks in 1990 and 1986, failing to reach the final stages.
Yet, the old maestro had weathered decades of football's storms, gaining respect rather than animosity. News of his ongoing battle against cancer spurred even deeper admiration. Thus, the English football community welcomed him back with open arms.
Before Aldrich attended a pre-match press conference, he received an unexpected phone call in the hallway—it was from Bobby Robson.
"Hi, Bobby! Welcome back! You're not actually asking for Boas, are you?"
"Ha, no, I just wanted to call an old friend. I hear Velas is doing well under you. I wouldn't want to hinder his future. Before I came back, I invited Jose to join me, hoping he could help. When I can't manage in a couple of years, he could take over, but it seems he has his sights set elsewhere."
"Ah, Mourinho? He definitely has something special in him, and turning you down is clearly his loss. He could learn so much from you."
"Perhaps. It's your time now, young man. Who knows, maybe he'll challenge you one day. Oh, you've already surpassed many; I can't keep up."
"I'll hang up now. You really flatter me, and it makes me feel a bit self-conscious, haha."
"Okay, please send my greetings to Bert and Earl."
"Thank you!"
Aldrich hung up, feeling a slight disappointment.
Mourinho, why did you turn down Robson's invitation?
I'm already eager to see you in the Premier League!
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