Chương 56: The Closing Battle!
As early May approached, Millwall prepared to host their final match in the EFL League One against Swindon Town. Over the past two months, Millwall had enjoyed a stellar run, achieving eight wins, four draws, and just one loss in their last thirteen matches. They had secured the League One championship six rounds early, breaking the record with a total of 104 points. If they won their final match, they would set a new record of 107 points.
There is no doubt that the league's top scorer is Larson, who scored 38 goals in 39 League One matches, averaging nearly one goal per game. Trezeguet, in second place, scored 28 goals, while the assists leader is Schneider, with 21 assists, which also set a new league record.
This season wasn't just a rebirth for Millwall; it was an extraordinary one.
The final match opponent, Swindon, has endured a tough season.After being relegated from the Premier League last season, Swindon found themselves in the relegation zone before the final match, sitting fourth from bottom, just two points clear of Sunderland in fifth from bottom. To secure their survival, Swindon would not only have to defeat Millwall, who had an impressive unbeaten record of 19 wins and 3 draws at home this season, but they also needed to depend on West Brom to defeat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Even a draw for West Brom would render Swindon's victory pointless, as they trailed Sunderland by 15 goals on goal difference.
With the league championship all but secured, Aldrich approached the final match with the same strategy he had employed over the past two months: fielding as many substitutes as possible to give them experience.
In these past two months, Aldrich's career had been flourishing, and it seemed his romantic life was also experiencing a spring revival. Ever since he met the athletic beauty Melanie, they had been dating during his free time and shared nightly phone calls, growing increasingly close.
Recently, the dynamic duo was busy shooting their first single in London, preparing for their debut in the UK, which naturally led to fewer opportunities for them to meet. Aldrich didn't mind, as, with the league coming to an end, he knew that his real work would begin during the summer transfer window, where he would have to juggle his roles as both owner and head coach.
Earlier, the Premier League had wrapped up its penultimate round of matches, where league leaders Blackburn and second-place Manchester United both secured narrow victories at home. With Manchester United trailing Blackburn by two points, the final matches would take place in mid-month, with United traveling to face West Ham and Blackburn visiting Liverpool. The situation wasn't too grim for Manchester United despite their disadvantage, as their goal difference was significantly better than Blackburn's. If Blackburn failed to conquer Anfield, even just managing a draw, a win for United would turn the tables.
As the championship battle reached its climax, anticipation grew around the Premier League title.
During this time, media attention naturally focused on the Premier League champions, especially given Dalglish's return to Anfield with a real shot at lifting Liverpool's first league title in five years. Some unscrupulous media even speculated that Liverpool might show nostalgia and allow Dalglish to triumph over his arch-rival Ferguson.
Simultaneously, Manchester United was facing media scrutiny and speculation. After Cantona's ban, United had repeatedly missed opportunities to reclaim the lead over Blackburn in crucial matches. Losing at Anfield was one thing, but failing to win against Leeds, Spurs, or even mediocre Chelsea — and without scoring — drew even more focus to the struggles of United's attacking lineup.
Despite United leading the Premier League in goals, much of that tally came from matches against the already-relegated Ipswich, where they scored 11 goals over two games, one of which ended in a 2-3 loss. Their home matches had seen record-breaking margins, yet the points didn't reflect that success.
When Ferguson was repeatedly questioned about how to fix the attack, particularly its weaknesses in crucial matches, he mentioned a familiar name to the media: Henrik Larson.
The old fox praised Larson, stating that he should wear the Red Devils' jersey at Old Trafford, as his skill set perfectly matched United's tactical approach. In Ferguson's view, Larson could achieve great things with the club.
So, after Aldrich attended the press conference for the League One finale, more than thirty media representatives eagerly raised their hands. As soon as Aldrich settled into his seat, one reporter boldly asked, "Mr. Hall, Manchester United is very interested in Larson. Will Millwall sell him this summer?"
A tense silence fell over the room as dozens of eyes fixed on Aldrich, reporters ready with pens to jot down every word.
It was supposed to be a press conference focused on the League One finale, yet the only thing on everyone's mind was Larson.
Almost all the journalists cursed inwardly: "F—k! The league is over! The only suspense left is which team will get relegated — Swindon or Sunderland — and who will make it through the playoffs for the last promotion spot to the Premier League!"
Their real interest lay in whether Larson would don the Red Devils' jersey!
Larson, after all, was a superstar striker capable of scoring nearly 40 goals in a single season in League One. Even with the significant gap between League One and the Premier League, Larson was still young, and if he joined United, he could easily score over 15 goals a season, positioning himself as a future star.
The crucial question was: would Millwall sell him?
But could they actually keep him?
Would this young manager lose his composure if his player was poached?
News was just news, after all!
The press conference fell silent as Aldrich maintained a calm demeanor, scanning the room where the reporters sat like eager students, ready to take notes with intense focus.
After a moment of contemplation, Aldrich spoke slowly, "Ferguson really loves Larson? Is that true?"
"Absolutely!" the reporters echoed in unison.
Damn it, just say whether you'll sell or not!
Aldrich blinked and responded in a low, magnetic voice, "Love is a sweet pain, and true love is never a smooth road."
With that, Aldrich stood up composedly and strode out of the room.
The thirty-some reporters were left in shock, as if struck by lightning.
Two phrases swirled in their minds.
what－the－f－uck!
what－the－hell?
What the hell was going on?!
In the heavily charged atmosphere of the press conference, all the journalists were bewildered.
Thompson from The Sun, who was definitely a humanities major, was the first to react, exclaiming, "Shakespeare!"
Everyone turned to glare at Thompson, their eyes sharp with curiosity: what did he mean?!
"What Mr. Hall just quoted was a Shakespearean saying," he explained.
The press conference erupted in chaos!
Reporters began to whisper among themselves, asking if anyone understood what that implied.
Some journalists furrowed their brows, grappling to understand Aldrich's enigmatic words.
Was the relationship between Millwall and Larson merely undergoing a test, or was Manchester United — as the third party — attempting to snatch away someone precious with difficulty?
Some reporters racked their brains over it, but the interpretation remained vague; understanding it would likely require Aldrich to unravel the secrets himself.
As Aldrich left the press conference, he suppressed a smile, having learned the art of handling the media.
You simply cannot let the media lead you by the nose. Past interviews or press conferences were conducted in a straightforward Q&A format, which only left him passive to their game. Now, he aimed to take the initiative.
As for the players...
In the first week of May, the club had already begun contract renewals with all first-team players. Depending on their performance from the previous season, each player received a salary increase ranging from £3,000 to £10,000.
This was a significant pay raise, and there were also signing bonuses between £20,000 and £50,000.
Aldrich was truly investing heavily. Although the season wasn't over yet, the club's earnings had been largely calculated.
Throughout the season, merchandise sales had surged, bringing in nearly £500,000, and home attendance was consistently near full capacity, generating about £10,000 per match. By the end of the season, the club's total income reached about £5 million. Additionally, while broadcast fees were modest, combined with match bonuses, they still added up to over £400,000.
After deducting costs, Aldrich found that the £30 million he invested last year, after nearly £13 million on transfers last summer, left the club with a surplus of almost £20 million. This was unexpected, leading him to finalize player contracts quickly, and he didn't mind the significant raises since extending player contracts by a year carried enormous future benefits.
With summer sponsorship and fixed revenue from Premier League broadcasting for the next season on the horizon, Aldrich was even considering a transfer budget of £5 million for the summer.
For this upcoming summer, Aldrich had grand ambitions. He needed to lay a more solid foundation for the future.
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