The Psychological War

On January 1st, Millwall officially announced that Pagliuca had transferred from Bologna for a fee of £9 million. Italian media commented that Bologna had made a good deal, subtly mocking Millwall as being "foolish with too much money."

Fleet Street shared the same opinion, feeling that Millwall had made a foolish transaction.

They had spent the kind of money usually used to buy a starting goalkeeper from a top-tier club, only to acquire a backup goalkeeper, and not just any backup, but an aging one with little potential for growth, whose value was only decreasing.

Aldrich, however, took the transfer very seriously, considering it the second-highest transfer fee in the club's history. He personally attended the press conference with Pagliuca, praising him and expressing his confidence in the goalkeeper. He also emphasized that this was Millwall's most important transfer of the season.

Fleet Street was somewhat speechless. Whether it was the summer transfers or the upcoming potential signing of Kaká, Millwall was clearly investing in the future. As for Pagliuca, there was no question about his ability to perform now, so from a present-day perspective, he was indeed the most important signing.

Some journalists in the room, not shy about voicing their opinions, questioned the wisdom of Millwall spending such a large sum on Pagliuca. Aldrich, without hesitation, angrily rebuked them for their shortsightedness. He didn't focus on the importance of Pagliuca's contribution in the second half of the season, instead emphasizing that the goalkeeper's experience was invaluable and would bring a range of intangible benefits to the team. Others might not have understood Aldrich's words or grasped his underlying message, but Aldrich was actually counting on Pagliuca to push Butt further. As Butt grew steadier, the gap between him and backup keeper Keller widened, making his starting position more secure. Now, with an experienced "old hand" coming in, it would provide some pressure for Butt, but not in a way that would jeopardize his spot. This balance was something Aldrich looked forward to, especially considering the aging factor at play.

At the same time, Aldrich hoped that Pagliuca's arrival would also influence the next goalkeeper he had high hopes for: Joe Hart.

The goalkeeper position often has a long turnover cycle, particularly for those who become famous young or hold starting roles early. How many players did Kahn stifle at both club and national level? How many excellent Spanish goalkeepers were left despairing while Casillas was dominating at Real Madrid and with Spain? Buffon. Van der Sar...

By the time Joe Hart was of the age to take over, it would likely coincide with the retirement of Butt and Pagliuca, and Aldrich hoped Hart would become even more exceptional under their influence, eventually assuming the responsibility of being a world-class goalkeeper.

As for the £9 million fee, it did seem like Bologna had taken advantage of Millwall.

But Aldrich didn't see it that way. The constant mockery from low-tier media or pundits didn't bother him. The truly professional pundits chose to remain silent.

Everyone's perspective and scope were different. At Millwall's level, whether they were actually overcharged by a few million pounds was up for debate.

If Pagliuca turned out to be a flop, even if he had been priced at £2-3 million, Millwall would still be ridiculed for wasting money.

But if Pagliuca performed to expectations and helped Millwall secure a solid defense in the second half of the season, what was £9 million? When you consider the huge revenue differences between the league champion and runner-up, and the potential for extra match-day income, broadcast revenue, and competition bonuses from the Champions League, £9 million? That was the kind of money Bologna's caliber of team might squabble over.

Aldrich considered this when he didn't hesitate to spend such a large amount on Pagliuca.

Rather than buying a goalkeeper for £3-4 million and losing sleep over it, he'd rather spend a bit more for peace of mind.

Signings are always a risk—there's no foolproof option. But from the list Boas provided, Pagliuca was the one who gave Millwall the highest probability of success. While saving a few million pounds was tempting, everyone knew there was a risk of getting a dud. When Millwall was short on funds, they might've taken the chance. Now, however, there's no reason to take that gamble.

Let the outside gossip be.

After the press conference, Pagliuca returned to Italy to handle his move and arrange things for his family, which would take some time.

Meanwhile, Millwall announced that Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole had been loaned out, heading to The Valley, Charlton's nearby stadium, for the second half of the season.

This loan deal stirred up significant controversy. Even the fan organizations immediately sought a conversation with the club to understand the reasoning behind it.

Two stable substitutes leaving made Millwall appear to be weakening its squad intentionally.

Aldrich understood that this was a necessary path for the club at this stage.

The club had reached a crossroads.

Would they maintain the dynasty with a stable group of core players, or continue the tradition of developing young talents?

The advantage of the first option was that it guaranteed better results and the potential for further glory. The downside was that if this group of core players underwent a major overhaul, the club could fall into a state of instability.

One of Millwall's trademarks is its ability to nurture young talent, demonstrating outstanding self-sustaining power.

Players can be loaned out, but in the early stages, they must be cultivated within the Millwall system, imbuing them with the club's DNA. Therefore, players like Alonso, when they reach a point in their careers where regular playing time is necessary, must first play within Millwall's environment to absorb the club's football philosophy. After that, they can be loaned out. Upon their return, there won't be much difficulty in reintegrating them because they have already been shaped by Millwall's style. If, however, they were loaned out too early in their careers, there's a risk that their return might lead to a situation where they don't match the team's footballing style, which would ultimately defeat the purpose of the club's youth development.

Aldrich believes that there is an unchanging factor behind the development of modern football: perseverance.

Whether it was Ajax, once a European shocker, Barcelona in its rise, or the emerging revival of German football, all these clubs adhered to the principle of persistence and eventually reached the peak of prosperity.

Millwall must not abandon the foundational approach that led to its rise and development. Every season, new opportunities must be given to young players, even if it's just one or two. This signals perseverance, instilling confidence in the youth, and will be the foundation for Millwall's long-term growth.

Things cannot be generalized. The loans of Lampard and Cole weakened Millwall's bench strength but were influenced by external factors such as their national team background. Internally, Aldrich had to prepare for the development of Alonso, anticipating future needs.

In January, Millwall entered the FA Cup competition. As the past two-time FA Cup champions, Millwall continued its tradition—no first-team players until the final!

With Nedved's return from injury nearing and Klose pushing the limits of his fitness, Aldrich was concerned about overburdening him. Since August, Klose had been playing as much as the regular starters, but more games than last season, and overloading him wasn't ideal. Although it helped him improve quickly, Aldrich still planned to let him rest after January and switch to a substitute role. In the first FA Cup match, he led the attacking trio with Villa and Gronkjaer, with Larmore, Alonso, and Pedretti covering the midfield. The defense had "veteran" Neil to ease the pressure on Barzagli, Metzelder, and Ferreira. Millwall played an exhilarating match, winning 6-1 against Stamford.

From this month, the Premier League saw Millwall and Manchester United battling for supremacy. Despite Arsenal's efforts to catch up, their poor away form (with a win rate of only 25%) prevented them from closing the gap even when Millwall and Manchester United alternated mistakes. The title race was a contest between the red and blue teams.

Pagliuca kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets, quickly earning the trust of the fans and the team.

Aldrich's psychological battle with Ferguson also began, becoming the main theme of the second half of the Premier League season.

In January, Manchester United faced a series of draws, while Millwall won more and drew fewer, overtaking Manchester United in the points standings.

Ferguson declared that Millwall would inevitably make mistakes. Their unbeaten record had been broken, and after years of glory, the players would slack off once ahead, with the drop in offensive power being the clearest evidence.

Aldrich retorted, pointing out that Manchester United had been runners-up for four consecutive years. Millwall's lead was like a nightmare hanging over Old Trafford, and this momentum would crush Manchester United's confidence. Psychological collapse would be Manchester United's first downfall.

Fleet Street mused, "The tide has turned!"

In the past, Ferguson had provoked Keegan into losing his mind, with Newcastle United blowing a 12-point lead and eventually falling apart. Back then, Manchester United had won two titles and one runner-up in three years, while Newcastle won nothing. In terms of championship pedigree, Manchester United was superior. Keegan's desperation to prove himself played into Ferguson's hands.

Now, Ferguson was trying the same tactics. Aldrich was no Keegan, and Millwall was no Newcastle. What was different?

Championships. The number of championships.

Would Millwall collapse? With the gap between the two teams not being large, and Manchester United close behind, ready to overtake, how could Millwall relax?

If the gap between Manchester United and Millwall widens, it's true that Millwall might fall into the kind of complacency that Ferguson mentioned—where they win so many titles that they lose their fighting spirit. But if Manchester United falls too far behind, will they still have the momentum and determination to turn things around against Millwall? Aldrich's rebuttal is sharp and to the point: for four consecutive years, Manchester United lost to Millwall three times and once to Arsenal. It's not that Manchester United is used to being the perennial second place, but when you're always in second, always just out of reach of the championship, this kind of inertia and psychological shadow will weigh heavily on Manchester United.

At the same time, media outlets on Fleet Street began criticizing Millwall. Aldrich repeatedly stepped up to defend his team and his players, using his signature tactic of playing both the good cop and the bad cop. This started to foster unprecedented unity within the Millwall squad.

In February, Millwall's war god Nedved made his return from injury. His form was initially average, and as the top four teams in the Premier League entered the second stage of the Champions League group stage, Millwall faced two consecutive draws in the league. Manchester United, in full force, overtook Millwall to reclaim the top spot.

Before Ferguson could make a statement, Aldrich fired the first shot: "Manchester United has gone four years without winning the league title. The team is desperate for it, but now they must make a choice: go for the Champions League or the league title? Manchester United cannot handle a two-front battle. On this, Millwall is absolutely better than Manchester United! If they're greedy, they'll end up with nothing!"

Ferguson, enraged by Aldrich's remarks, shot back, "When Manchester United were winning titles, Millwall didn't even know what the top tier of English football was! Has Millwall already made its choice? The league? Or the Champions League? Do you really think you can defend both? You're dreaming!"

Aldrich, unflinching, responded, "That dream? The whole Millwall squad is living it! Glory? Let's forget about the old stuff. I'm not asking for too much—let's start from the Premier League era, from the 92-93 to 94-95 seasons. Even if we take three seasons of trophies off Millwall, let's count the league titles. Hmm, same number. Now, count the Champions League trophies—Millwall has one more. Fine, let's include Manchester United's Champions League from decades ago. We're still even. Want to talk about the FA Cup and League Cup during the Premier League era? Millwall dreams big, because we're dreamers. The championship gene runs through our blood!"

The two championship-winning managers clashed head-on, much to the delight of the spectators. After all, both teams had plenty of enemies. Manchester United had always made plenty of foes, and Millwall had also been targeted in recent years. The rivalry between Ferguson and Aldrich was a source of great pleasure for many, as both teams were hated by a large number of people.