The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 179: Staying on Top

In the first round of the new season's league, Millwall claimed a narrow victory over their rivals in the East London derby, winning by a single goal.

After the match, the focus shifted to the security situation. Although there were conflicts among fans outside the stadium, the scale was nothing compared to last year.

West Ham United faced fierce criticism from the media, with *The Sun* using an image to sum up the match.

The image depicted a boxing ring where a tall, muscular fighter clad in a Millwall jersey ruthlessly pummeled his opponent, who could only cower and cover his head in the corner of the ring, wearing a West Ham jersey.

By the end of December, Millwall had completed twenty rounds of the Premier League, achieving an impressive record of 18 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss—more shocking than the sensational performance of Newcastle United in the first half of last season.

Every day, Millwall seemed to be writing new pages in their history. Although they had yet to break records for consecutive league wins, consecutive away victories, or consecutive home wins, given their current momentum, it seemed only a matter of time—especially at the Den. Despite Aldrich's unbeaten home record lasting two years being broken at the start of this season, no one doubts that the Den has become a fortress.

As the league standings stood, Millwall accumulated a total of 55 points, leading second-place Manchester United by 18 points.

*The Times* lamented that the suspense around the Premier League title had faded. Having already claimed the first half championship, Millwall could essentially crown themselves as champions of the Premier League early. The remaining tension in the league now focused on which teams would face relegation and who would battle for the second UEFA Champions League spot. It appeared that Manchester United, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Arsenal all had opportunities, while Hall and his team could sit back with their glasses raised and watch the chaos unfold.

Under pressure from European giants pursuing the financial interests of European tournaments, rumors circulated that major clubs were plotting to establish a new top-tier European league to maximize profits. In response, UEFA decided to make concessions, initiating further reforms to the Champions League. Starting next season, not only would champions of various domestic leagues qualify for the Champions League, but also runners-up would secure entry based on their UEFA coefficient.

Stimulated by the financial stakes in European competitions and the maturation of broadcasting mechanisms, the arms race among Europe's elite clubs intensified from last summer and has continued unabated.

In the summer, Manchester United and Barcelona were locked in a bidding war for Ronaldo, both offering $20 million. Ultimately, Ronaldo chose to join Barcelona. In the winter, rumors circulated that Manchester United made another offer to Barcelona for the same amount—this time in pounds. Meanwhile, Serie A clubs such as Inter Milan and Lazio also began their pursuit of the star player.

The transfer market is full of dramatic twists. Had Manchester United been bolder six months ago and outbid Barcelona in personal terms, they might have secured Ronaldo—an outcome that is hard to predict.

The same issues arose during their pursuits of Larsson and Trezeguet. One cannot deny that in this era, while clubs invest heavily in the market, they also tend to be frugal, often considering factors such as wage structures and player status.

Aldrich speculated that Ferguson's repeated setbacks during this period led Manchester United to splurge in the following years, almost gambling on player acquisitions. Although some exorbitantly priced signings ended up on their list of flops, many signings proved invaluable to Manchester United.

This high-risk strategy was also emulated by several clubs driven by greed, with varying degrees of success; some thrived while others plunged into crippling debt.

Millwall's winter was anything but quiet, with European giants inquiring about the transfer prices of their core players.

The most sought-after were Nedved, Larsson, and Trezeguet, but others like Schneider, Stam, and Makelele also attracted interest. Even key substitutes like Ballack were linked to German clubs eager to bring him back home, though some offers left Aldrich feeling insulted.

Bayern Munich made an offer of over ten million marks, which converted to less than one hundred fifty thousand pounds—Aldrich could hardly be bothered to respond. Not to mention the training costs, his investment in Ballack, including salaries, bonuses, and other expenses, exceeded one hundred thousand pounds. Despite Ballack not possessing the extraordinary creativity of Pirlo, he was comparable in overall capability. While Pirlo had youth on his side, Ballack's role in tactical adaptations was pivotal, and Aldrich had no intention of letting him go.

As the new year approached, the once-bustling streets of East London quieted, yet the bars remained lively. Aldrich had become a hero in East London, with people of all ages treating him with warmth and respect.

In the pub, he paid nothing; he didn't even need his friend Sande to foot the bill. Any fan who spotted Aldrich would spontaneously buy him a drink.

While shooting pool and enjoying a cigarette, Aldrich and Yvonne stood together, watching Brady's performance as they chatted casually.

"You're graduating this year, right?"

"Yeah, I'm currently job hunting."

"Is it difficult?"

"Not really. I already have a few job offers since I studied IT, and there's high demand for that. Some companies are just too far away, and others have inconvenient hours."

"Wow, you have no work experience and no connections, yet you're picky? To be at this point in your job search, you're quite a rarity."

Yvonne shot him an upward glance, pouting, "I'm just worried about not having time to watch the games."

"Watching games is more important than working?"

Aldrich couldn't help but feel this kid had a tendency to be a little irresponsible.

Yvonne feigned deep thought, furrowing her brow, "Yes, and I owe you thanks for that."

"What do I have to do with it?"

"Don't you remember? We invested through your brother, and the capital was from you. As long as we spend frugally, not working is manageable."

Aldrich turned to her, his expression slightly blank.

Seeing his reaction, Yvonne nudged him with her elbow playfully, causing Aldrich to take a step back, rubbing his side with a wry smile, "I feel a strong sense of guilt."

"Why?"

"Because my good intentions might have turned my friends into lazy slackers."

Yvonne pushed him harder, a fierce light in her eyes, "You're the one who's a slacker. Just wait—you'll be in for a big surprise."

Aldrich didn't think much of what she meant by "surprise." He took a sip of his beer and leaned closer, whispering, "What about them?"

Frankly, although Aldrich had known them for over a decade, his relationship with them was still a bit distant.

To put it simply, he worried that his family background and career achievements could create a gap between them.

Yvonne knew exactly what Aldrich was asking. She replied calmly, "They set up a football-themed website."

After a moment's thought, Aldrich asked, "Where did they get the money to build a site and hire people?"

"Their staff were classmates I recommended. Their wages aren't high. They're doing well—it's not just him; a lot of people here buy you drinks because they're thanking you for helping them earn money."

Aldrich was bewildered.

Yvonne loved seeing his perplexed expression and couldn't help but chuckle multiple times.

In her mind, Aldrich had always been the serious, composed type, unafraid of anything, seemingly having everything figured out. Opportunities to see him look bewildered were rare.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, it's quite simple. Millwall wins, they profit. No one here is a professional gambler; they're just happy to win enough for a meal. Over the past year, people have made quite a bit; before the new season started, many placed bets on Millwall to win the Premier League. The money will be coming in a few months, so buying you a drink isn't a big deal."

Aldrich's expression transformed dramatically as he glanced at the beer in his hand. It felt like everything had changed.

He had thought he was simply being celebrated with free beer, but it turned out that many were grateful because he had turned Millwall into a cash cow.

Of course, this was just a humorous take on a relaxed mindset. In London, betting companies were ubiquitous, and the general public treated gambling quite rationally. When they went out shopping and had some spare change, they might casually stop by a betting shop to support their favorite team, treating it more as entertainment. Ordinary folks wouldn't view it as a shortcut to wealth.

Given that Hall's family earned their fortune through betting, their mindset about it was balanced. Now that they had reached their current level of wealth, they remained distant from betting—once you get involved, it requires significantly larger sums of money. Aldrich didn't fully understand the behind-the-scenes operational models of that industry, but he was aware that betting companies, like other industries, had invisible hands. Furthermore, his status kept him from directly engaging in financial dealings with betting companies; while sponsorship fees were a separate discussion, placing bets with his own money could have various ramifications, even if regulations restricting industry personnel from engaging in betting hadn't been introduced yet.

"Hmm, a football-themed site sounds great. If it evolves into a portal site, venturing into football media could be a good move."

Aldrich stated sincerely.

At the moment, there was gold everywhere; it simply depended on whether one could seize opportunities.

Maximizing potential meant becoming wealthy was not an issue.

Yvonne smiled playfully, eyeing Aldrich's beer bottle and said, "Did you just think about tossing the beer bottle aside?"

Aldrich scoffed, "That's small-minded thinking."

"Ha ha ha, so you admit it."

The graceful girl's beautiful smile was interrupted when a slightly tipsy patron stumbled past her, accidentally bumping into her. Yvonne leaned forward and nearly fell, but Aldrich quickly wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.

The passing patron, with bleary eyes, didn't bother to look back, continuing on their way to the restroom.

Aldrich noticed the sudden closeness and felt a wave of her enticing fragrance fill his senses.

"Whoa, whoa—if you care about my girl, it doesn't matter if you're black or white."

This scene was witnessed by Brady and Fred, who both cheered on their friend in unison.

Aldrich quickly released Yvonne and turned to Brady and Fred with a teasing grin, "When are you going to grow the hell up?"

Yvonne watched as Aldrich walked over to join Fred for a game of pool, her heart inexplicably racing.

...

After the New Year, Aldrich's team immediately encountered a draw, halting their winning streak at 18 matches.

Aldrich aimed to focus in the second half of the season on clinching two cup trophies—the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

If the approaching 15-point lead were to be overturned, Aldrich would have no excuses to offer.

This year's squad was significantly stronger, with many substitute players performing better on the pitch, yet there was still room for improvement. Based on a successful tactical foundation, even if these players weren't incredibly gifted, they were capable of ensuring stable results rather than catastrophic failures.

However, two players were causing Aldrich headaches: forwards Phillips and Tony, both of whom were considering leaving the club.