The National Team’s Critical Turning Point
The verbal clash between Ferguson and Aldrich has escalated to a fever pitch, with both being described by the media as mortal enemies!
The Premier League has entered a phase where the competition is too close to call, with the two teams now poised at the top.
Every two rounds, the league leader changes hands, with Manchester United and Millwall always within a 3-point gap, where one mistake will see the other team leapfrog ahead. But neither side can string together consecutive victories to hold onto the top spot.
This is partly due to the pressure within the teams and injury concerns, and partly because the Premier League has reached a stage where most teams are fighting for survival, with mid- and lower-tier teams battling to avoid relegation, while the teams in the middle are aiming for European spots. The teams with the least to lose are those already safe from relegation but far from European qualification.
Fleet Street continues to fan the flames of the rivalry between Millwall and Manchester United, with Aldrich and Ferguson's verbal sparring frequently hitting the headlines. Everyone knows that, no matter who wins, there will be a loser, and the words uttered by the loser in this battle of words will be ridiculed later.
In March, Millwall was knocked out of the FA Cup by Liverpool in the quarterfinals, with a second-string lineup failing to make it past the Reds, who were under Gérard Houllier in his second full year as manager. Liverpool had shown signs of a revival, winning the League Cup and now continuing their cup run with a dominant win over Millwall in the FA Cup.
In the UEFA Champions League, Millwall began the second stage of the group stage in the same manner they had in the first stage. They drew against AC Milan at the San Siro, but bounced back with a huge home win against Anderlecht's defensive set-up. But in their third match, they were held to a draw in Paris, which raised doubts about their ability to progress.
Aldrich's assessment of their performances in these matches was simple: "Standard."
But that was exactly what he wanted.
It wasn't time to go all out yet. Don't exert yourself too early!
AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain struggled, each managing just a draw at home.
Millwall then went on a three-match winning streak, finishing the group stage with four wins and two draws, a total of 14 points, and confidently advancing to the quarterfinals.
Anderlecht, desperate for qualification, were outclassed by Millwall's counter-attacking style, suffering a 3-0 defeat.
At Lion King Stadium, people witnessed Paris Saint-Germain's inability to break Millwall's defense, and AC Milan's desperate struggles—both teams were beaten 3-0 in two straight games.
With three wins and nine goals scored and none conceded, Millwall was beginning to show its upward momentum and improved form as they looked forward to the Champions League quarterfinals.
Fleet Street was excited!
But it had nothing to do with Millwall.
To the outside world, Millwall's qualification for the quarterfinals was a given, with the real challenge starting at the semifinals.
However, when the quarterfinal draw was announced, England was buzzing.
Millwall. Manchester United. Arsenal. Leeds United!
Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich.
Four English teams in the quarterfinals!
Serie A was in decline!
Now it was the era of the Premier League and La Liga!
Fleet Street couldn't wait to chant the slogan of the Premier League's rise, highlighting the new TV broadcasting deal set to exceed £1 billion, demonstrating the league's viewership value and ensuring long-term financial support for the teams.
The most pressing concern for everyone was the Champions League draw.
The worst-case scenario for the four Premier League teams would be if they ended up facing each other in the same group, and even worse, if they were placed in different halves of the draw. If they were in the same half, at least one team could make it to the final!
Once this possibility was brought up, the managers of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Leeds were all ready to explode!
"FUCK! Who the hell wants to be drawn against Millwall? I don't even want to be in the same half as them!"
But when the draw results came out, the entire UK was shaken!
UEFA really delivered.
The four Premier League teams didn't face off against each other. They all drew foreign teams.
Upper half:
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Arsenal.
Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich.
Lower half:
Leeds United vs. Deportivo La Coruña.
Valencia vs. Millwall!
Apart from Manchester United, the other three English teams' fans were all celebrating!
Arsenal drew Paris Saint-Germain, a relatively weak team, while Leeds United had good fortune, drawing Deportivo La Coruña, whose strength was comparable to theirs. Millwall, on the other hand, would face Valencia. It seems last season's Champions League final opponents are meeting again!
Once the draw results were out, bookmakers quickly adjusted the odds for the Champions League title, and Millwall's odds, as the favorites, were slashed dramatically!
Valencia was decisively beaten by Millwall in last season's final. In their two-legged 180 minutes of play, Millwall had a higher chance of advancing than in the final. At the same time, in the lower half of the draw, the semi-final opponents—Leeds United and Deportivo La Coruña—didn't seem to have the strength to stop Millwall from reaching the final. Since Aldrich took over, winning titles in important finals had become an unbreakable rule for Millwall!
Of course, they did lose the Charity Shield, but no one considered that an important competition.
When Aldrich first appeared in front of the media after the Champions League knockout draw, he refused to answer any questions about the Champions League. His role had changed, from Millwall's head coach to the England national team's manager.
At the end of March, the national team gathered to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers.
The England internationals arrived at the Leo Training Base, and Aldrich held a national team press conference before focusing on preparations.
Reporters still asked him questions about the club, but he simply ignored them.
Moreover, he felt there was nothing more to discuss.
The strength was already laid out.
But regarding England's prospects for the World Cup qualifiers, Aldrich, as the national team manager, had to answer.
"The group England is in has eight matches. If we divide the eight games into two phases, the first five are a warm-up, and the final three are the decisive battles. I can't talk about the decisive stage yet because there's one prerequisite. That is, in the upcoming fourth and fifth matches, England must secure the qualification for the final stage! If we lose in either of these two games, the meaning of the last three matches will change. People think Greece is weak, but I don't agree. They still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Their match against us is a pivotal moment, and if they beat us, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs will increase significantly. If we underestimate them, we might miss out on the World Cup."
Aldrich's words didn't upset Fleet Street.
The public's support for Aldrich in his new role as the national team manager was unprecedented. People had seen the transformation of the national team under his leadership. As long as no issues arose with the national team, no one would want to make things difficult for him.
To qualify for the World Cup, it wasn't just about supporting Aldrich, but also about staying calm and objective.
Aldrich was absolutely right. In this group, England, Germany, Finland, Greece, and Albania were the teams to contend with.
The favorites for qualification were two traditional powerhouses. Albania had no chance of qualifying, and their chances for the playoffs were basically nonexistent—unless all the other teams decided to underperform.
But Finland and Greece were the potential dark horses, capable of ousting one of the traditional strong teams and securing a playoff spot.
Germany was currently leading, while England's situation wasn't ideal. After three matches, with one win, one draw, and one loss, they only had four points.
The upcoming fourth and fifth matches, while not yet the decisive stage, were critical, as Aldrich had pointed out. They were turning points for whether Greece and Finland could become dark horses.
At the Leo Training Base, Aldrich exchanged updates on the players' condition with Klinsmann.
"As the season draws to a close, the players from the top teams are generally in good form, which is positive news. However..."
"However, their physical condition isn't looking great."
Aldrich spoke up for Klinsmann.
"Yes, Millwall and Manchester United are both in double competition, battling for the league title and also in the Champions League quarterfinals. Liverpool has even more games, winning the League Cup, reaching the FA Cup quarterfinals, and advancing to the UEFA Cup quarterfinals!"
Aldrich didn't complain or sigh. The situation was what it was, and there was no point in blaming anyone.
He and Klinsmann walked onto the training field, looking at the fatigued England internationals. They organized a calm training session, focusing on light exercises. Even tactical drills were canceled, allowing the players to relax and rest as much as possible.
At this point, the most important thing was for the players to conserve their energy and be in top physical condition for the upcoming matches, so they could perform at their best when the time came.
The atmosphere in the national team camp was far from as relaxed and joyful as it had been during the last gathering. The pressure was mounting. Only a small part of this pressure came from the national team itself.
Most of it was driven by their clubs.
In less than two months, the outcome of the entire season would be decided.
With the intense fixture schedule and the league's current situation, even matches against mid- and lower-table teams had turned into crucial battles.
For players like Owen and Gerrard from Liverpool, the league title was already out of reach, but they still had to fight for a spot in the Champions League, as well as pursue the two cup competitions. They not only had a heavy schedule but, as members of a traditional giant club, the pressure on them might be even greater than that on Millwall players!
To take it further, if Millwall failed to win the championship this season, it wouldn't be such a big blow. But for Liverpool, if they didn't make it into the Champions League or win a more prestigious title, it would be hard to call them a top club with just a League Cup.
With all the pressure on the players, and the intense rivalry within the Premier League, conversations had become fewer. It wasn't that they were targeting anyone—it was simply that they didn't feel like talking. No one could feel at ease!
Because of this, during these past few days of local training under Aldrich, the players were rather grateful to him.
The young coach had done everything they needed at this stage.
He didn't talk about the national team's games in grand terms, emphasizing how important it was to win and unnecessarily adding more pressure.
He didn't make them train overtime, further burdening their bodies. Coming to the national team felt more like a chance to catch their breath and recharge.