The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 161: Launched a fierce attack on the media

Aldrich returned to London and proactively visited Southgate's home the next day.

Outside Southgate's apartment, paparazzi clustered in large groups, and irrational London fans eyed his residence with hostility, with some even holding signs with insulting messages.

Having missed the chance to advance to the final of the 1996 European Championship at home, the England team, which was also absent from the 1994 World Cup, viewed it as a disgrace. Southgate, who had stepped up to take the sixth penalty in the shootout, became the scapegoat for the crowd's frustration.

Aldrich drove in his old BMW, parking right outside Southgate's house. As he stepped out of the car, reporters swarmed around him, snapping photos and firing questions.

"Mr. Hall, what are your thoughts on Southgate missing the penalty?"

"Will Millwall be pressured to sell Southgate?"

It's worth noting that some players, labeled as "public enemies," can't handle the pressure and choose to leave their home country; Ginola is one such example, and in the future, Beckham would contemplate the same.

Aldrich took a moment to collect himself and, as the reporters finished their photos, remarked nonchalantly, "Are you all idiots? And those irrational fans out there—missing a penalty is pretty normal. I feel sorry for English football. The national team is clearly in severe decline. When will you all face failure calmly and rationally? Look for the reasons behind the loss and learn from it. But somehow, the England national team has started to make excuses in the face of defeat—it's the coach's fault, the players' fault, the pitch's fault, the weather's fault, who knows if it's even the bloody breakfast they ate that day! Now, everyone is blaming Gareth. I just want to say, you're all morons. Do you think the England national team would be stronger without him? That they could win? If that's your goal, we'll see how many dare to serve England in the future. Wake up, idiots!"

After finishing his critique, Aldrich pushed past the people in front of him and walked directly into Southgate's home.

To be honest, he intentionally activated his "mocking" skill with a simple goal: to attract hatred.

He knocked on the door, and it was Southgate's wife who answered. Her eyes flickered as she dared not look outside at the ravenous reporters and fans. She only opened the door slightly to let Aldrich in before quickly closing it behind him.

Southgate was not in good spirits. The blow from missing the penalty, coupled with public scorn and threats to his family, weighed heavily on him.

Aldrich spent the day at his home, offering words of comfort to Southgate and even cooking for him, acting as if he were a good friend supporting the family.

Late at night, Andrew sent an assistant to arrange a flight for the Southgate family to a Mediterranean vacation, allowing them to escape the limelight temporarily.

The next day, Aldrich became the target of ire, as he started firing shots at the media and football commentators across the UK.

His criticism was primarily directed at England's head coach, Venables, tearing into him without mercy.

Regarding the semi-final match between Germany and England, Aldrich published a tactical commentary in the Daily Mail titled, "England Destroys Its Own Wall!"

England's strength lies in its 4-4-2 formation. It's not that the tactic is outdated or out of line, but there's a profound difference between national that level of competition and club football. Clubs can develop a cohesive strategy over one or two seasons, or even longer.

However, the national team lacks that time and condition. The lack of chemistry among players is a primary issue. Spain's national success came from their ability to adapt a mature tactical system from club football.

"What exactly is England's tactic? In the starting lineup, apart from goalkeeper Seaman, ten players include Pearce, Southgate, Adams, Ince, Platt, McManaman, Anderton, Gascoigne, Shearer, and Sheringham. Among these ten, how many are actual dedicated defenders? Three: Adams, Southgate, and Pearce. Many people say England's tactic is varied, but in fact, this game just played a system that most of the players weren't familiar with—either 3-5-2 or 3-4-3. Three defenders, two defensive midfielders, two wing midfielders, one attacking midfielder, and two forwards. What was Venables thinking? I don't know, but from the most basic formation, we could see the players' lack of chemistry. Gascoigne put in a lot of effort, but his performance in the attacking midfield position was average because he was successfully contained by the Germans. England's only goal from open play came from a corner kick in the first three minutes, while the opportunities created in open play were merely some long-range shots from the deep midfield and a near chance missed by McManaman. Conversely, the German team exploited gaps in England's defense and repeatedly breached the flanks. The equalizing goal came from a left-side attack, where a German full-back advanced and drew England's defensive attention, creating space. In an instant, a brilliant through ball pierced through the defense, and the Germans unexpectedly passed to the other side, allowing the young Kuntz to score and save Germany. What did we see in that defensive lapse? England's defenders almost outnumbered the Germans' attacking players! But why did they still concede? You can't fault Gascoigne for running back to defend. But there were only three dedicated defensive players on the back line. That's the crux of the problem. I believe if it had been a traditional four-defender system, relying on attacking players to track back, England's flanks would not have exposed so many weaknesses. If Germany hadn't missed several chances, they could have wrapped it up in 90 minutes. Many of their opportunities stemmed from penetrating England's right flank defense. Was the penalty the reason for the loss? Yes, but does England really need to rely on all their players being penalty specialists? If that's the case, then we don't need to talk about the future development of English football. Just have all eleven players huddle in the penalty box every match and wait for penalties to win the trophy."

Once Aldrich's commentary was published, it immediately stirred up a storm.

Even if Venables would be held accountable for England's exit in the semi-finals, leading to his dismissal, and Glenn Hoddle was about to take charge, the public still believed that Venables had produced attractive football, with the group-stage 4-1 victory over the Netherlands standing out as a classic match.

In the following days, Aldrich was in high demand, appearing in various media interviews and football commentary programs, engaging in heated debates with various legends and experts.

Even the significant 4-1 victory over the Netherlands was deemed trivial by him, as the Dutch's all-out style exposed their defensive vulnerabilities, and in today's international competition, defense and victory is the mainstream.

Numerous neutral, objective football analysts supported Aldrich, clearly illustrating the frailty of England's tactical setup and especially their defense as they repeatedly reviewed footage of the England-Germany match.

Some reporters stated clearly that Aldrich's sudden transformation into a fervent critic had one purpose: to protect Southgate. Whether it meant making himself a villain or letting Southgate disappear from the public eye, it was all aimed at helping him recover from the emotional blow.

Finally, the European Championship concluded at the end of June, with Germany defeating the dark horse Czech Republic and lifting the trophy in England, sparking outrage among the English fans.

Perhaps England had always been repaying the debt from the 1966 World Cup, where they defeated Germany and claimed the Jules Rimet Trophy. Over the next thirty years, every encounter between the two teams in major tournaments left England in pain, and they haven't beaten Germany in over twenty years!

As the dust settled on the European Championship, the Olympics approached swiftly.

In Millwall's squad, there were players who participated in the European Championship and those recruited by various national youth teams for the Olympics, such as Pires and Vieira.

Aldrich's holiday concluded sooner than he anticipated, and after returning to London, he found himself entangled in many unforeseen matters. Engaging in a war of words about the England-Germany clash was not his intention.

Following France's semi-final elimination by the Czech Republic, Thuram did not return home; instead, he stayed in London and directly approached Aldrich to request a transfer.

Thuram began his career in Ligue 1, becoming a star, and had originally come to Millwall to strike gold. He never expected to achieve considerable fame in England over the past two enjoyable years, and he felt it was time to move on.

If the 1990s was a hell of a trial for strikers in Serie A, then for defensive players, it was a paradise for achieving greatness.

Thuram aspired to Italy, much like most defenders of his era who dreamed of becoming world-class defenders there.

Coincidentally, that summer, a club in Italy officially made its move toward him: Parma.

Every day, Millwall's club received numerous faxes regarding transfer interests, ranging from bids to inquiries and requests to loan young players.

Aldrich had to sift through at least twenty offers from clubs in different countries daily, with most of them being offers he considered insulting.

Two or three million pounds for his players? That was simply absurd, even if it came from a prestigious club.

Some players didn't want to transfer, like the team offering ￡12 million for Nedved or ￡7 million for Trezeguet.

Most players, however, prefer not to change teams; some are loyal, while others are unhappy with their potential new clubs. If they decide to move, it will certainly be to a team that offers greater competitive opportunities than Millwall.

Parma had embarked on a remarkable rise in the early 90s, having competed for the Serie A title over the past three years and winning the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup. Plus, the significant investment from their owner, Stefano Tanzi, allowed Parma to emerge as a force in Serie A.

Although Parma wasn't a giant and hadn't claimed the Serie A title, during this era, the Serie A league was immensely prestigious. The reputation of "little World Cup" wasn't unfounded; in the eyes of the public, even if a team placed third or fourth in Serie A, they were often perceived as more formidable than champions in the Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, or La Liga.

Because of this, when the ￡5 million offer from Parma reached Millwall, Aldrich immediately rejected it without hesitation. To make his position clear, he added in the reply: "￡10 million plus Buffon!"

Buffon was just 16 years old and an absolute gem, and Parma would never part with him as part of any deal.

What he didn't expect was that Thuram proactively approached him with a transfer request.

It was clear that Parma had privately contacted Thuram, no doubt about it!

Such matters were unsaid rules in football, and Aldrich had nothing to complain about. Ninety-nine percent of transfers violate FIFA regulations. Aldrich saw no need to lodge any accusations, as it would only lead to his isolation in the football world. Only those clubs facing bankruptcy from losing players would lament helplessly.