Chapter 32

As the sun set in the west, under the glow of the twilight, Audrey held a whistle in his mouth and continuously shouted instructions to the players on the training ground who were practicing short passes in small groups.

"Robert, don't just stand there waiting for the ball! Create space for yourself! The pitch is big, do you want to dance in one spot?"

"Lucas, press forward! Do you see Claude's position? If you step up, you'll cut off Michael's passing route!"

"Pavel, when there's no good passing option ahead and you're being surrounded, don't just try to break through. Pass to the sides or back! As the midfield core, your primary task is not to lose the ball. If you make a passing mistake, it could be fatal!"

...

The players on the training ground were drenched in sweat, diligently training under Audrey's supervision, striving to meet every requirement he set to perfection.

When the training ended, Audrey dismissed the team without much ado. He and his coaching staff then picked up the balls one by one and put them away. After everything was tidied up, the sky gradually darkened. Audrey walked under the shade of a tree and lit a cigarette. Jason approached, curiously noticing that Audrey looked troubled, as if there was an unresolved worry in his heart.

"What's wrong? Not happy? We won the game the day before yesterday. In the first eight rounds, we have five wins, two draws, and one loss, and we're at the top of the league table."

Audrey scratched his head and sighed, "I'm considering whether to unleash the team's attacking potential. But I'm worried that the defensive system we've just built might collapse."

Two days ago, before the FIFA match day, Millwall won 2-0 against Burnley at home. This victory wasn't particularly impressive, as Millwall created few opportunities but managed to capitalize on them.

When facing teams that play defensively or have a solid defense, Millwall's chances of scoring through counterattacks are becoming increasingly slim, and their positional attacks are somewhat conservative, leading to a somewhat somber atmosphere in the team.

Audrey knew without asking that players like Pires and Schneider would want to push deeper into the opponent's territory to showcase their talents, and Nedved, the tireless workhorse, would prefer to cover the entire pitch from box to box.

But Audrey was hesitant.

The first team had played seven league matches without conceding a single goal, a defensive record that was unexpectedly excellent. Audrey believed that even with this conservative approach, they could secure a playoff spot by the end of the season, if not a promotion to the Premier League.

However, the players were clearly not satisfied. The young and ambitious players wanted to display more of their skills.

Audrey was also not content. Attacking football was the trend in the football world, but a solid defense was a necessary condition for winning championships. He was just worried that taking this step forward might undermine the solid foundation they had built.

The league had only passed eight rounds, less than a fifth of the season. Audrey had planned to make the next adjustment halfway through the season, but the team's suppressed atmosphere forced him to make a decision now.

"I think we can give it a try. The training reports over the past two months show that the first team has made significant progress in team coordination, pressing, and passing."

Jason said this.

Audrey thought for a moment and nodded. He knew he didn't have absolute authority in the team. Winning was one thing, but if he did something that the players resented, it could create an irreparable rift between him and the players, especially since he was only eighteen years old.

"Mr. Hall, there's a call for you!"

A staff member shouted from a distance. Audrey said a brief goodbye to Jason and walked back to his office, where he picked up the phone and heard a familiar voice, which surprised him but also made him realize what was happening.

The professor was about to travel to Japan!

Standing outside the club's main gate was a tall, middle-aged man, none other than Arsène Wenger, who had just been fired from his first coaching job.

He gazed thoughtfully at the old club building, as if searching for something that could pique his interest.

"Arsène!"

Audrey waved and called out to Wenger from across the street. Wenger turned around and smiled.

It was already dinnertime, and Audrey invited Wenger to his home.

Barnet had moved to West London, and Andrew only came home occasionally. In the large villa, only Arthur and Amelia were there. They were delighted to see Audrey bring a guest home.

At the dinner table, Arthur formally thanked Wenger for his help when Audrey was studying in France.

After dinner, Audrey invited Wenger to his study.

"Monaco's performance this season has been poor, so I was sacked. But my luck is good, and I've already been invited to coach another club. Audrey, you're so smart, can you guess where I'll be coaching?"

Despite his light tone, Audrey could sense the bitterness in Wenger's words.

After all, he was leaving a club he had coached for five years.

Where was his next destination?

Audrey, of course, knew it was Nagoya Grampus in the J.League.

But he smiled and shook his head, pretending not to know.

He knew it was unnecessary to appear omniscient, as it would only make him look showy without any real benefit.

Besides, he didn't want to delve into this topic, as there were many reasons for Monaco's poor performance, including the fact that Audrey had lured away their defensive star Thuram with a high salary.

Wenger leaned back in his chair and said, "I'll be heading to Japan at the end of the month."

After saying this, Audrey didn't respond, and Wenger looked at him in confusion, asking, "What? You're not surprised at all?"

Audrey shrugged and smirked, "Well, I'm surprised, so I can't speak."

"Hypocrite! Never mind, let's talk about your team. I came to London this time mainly to see your team."

Wenger held a cup of hot tea and looked at Audrey with a smile.

Before he came, he hadn't expected that Audrey's team would be leading the League One, even though the gap with the teams behind them was minimal, and they were only at the top due to goal difference.

But it was enough to surprise Wenger, especially since this was a newly formed team with a young core, and they had only lost one game in eight matches, which was a testament to the coach's strategic acumen.

Audrey was open and honest, and he spoke at length about his team-building philosophy, tactical system, and even the club's long-term vision.

However, since Millwall was still a second-tier team, the conversation eventually turned to the Premier League.

"Yesterday, I watched an England national team match at Wembley. Before the game, there was a phenomenon that I found incredible. Audrey, why do people in this country seem to hate Manchester United so much? I thought Manchester United was the most popular team in Britain."

Wenger frowned, puzzled by this question.

He recalled the national team match from the previous day, where he sat in the stands waiting for the game to start. About half an hour before the match, the stands at Wembley Stadium erupted in a repeated song.

"If you hate Manchester United, then stand up!"

In less than ten minutes, the entire stadium was on its feet as the song gained momentum.

Audrey laughed helplessly when he heard this.

"This is a complex issue, but Manchester United is indeed the most popular team in Britain. To put it simply, there are 22 teams in the Premier League, and each has many die-hard fans, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. But the fan base in Britain is much larger. Ordinary fans, those who watch games at home, and those without a local club to support, naturally gravitate towards Manchester United. When television broadcasts became widespread, it was during the glory days of the Busby Babes, and the core of the England team that won the World Cup was made up of Manchester United players. Therefore, Manchester United has the largest fan base in England."

"But the fans at Wembley hate Manchester United?"

"Where is Wembley?"

"London."

"London fans almost universally hate Manchester United. There are many factors, including political ones. Manchester is absolutely loyal to the Queen, economically, Manchester, once the world's industrial powerhouse, has declined, while London is open, flamboyant, and diverse. Culturally, Manchester is traditional and conservative, while London, well, it's a city rivalry, Arsène. You'll understand this in the future, just like how Manchester and Liverpool, which are only half an hour apart, are vastly different cities with deep-seated rivalries that are hard to express."

Wenger murmured, "Is this the birthplace of modern football?"

The hundred-year history of British football means that if it were just a sport or a game, it wouldn't have grown so much or become the most popular sport in Britain.

Football is the war of peacetime.

It's a passion fueled by politics, culture, tradition, economy, history, and human emotions.

Point to any place on a map of Britain, and you'll find a story of football's rivalries and passions.

The English football scene is never lonely, for it is a land of constant conflict!

Audrey and Wenger then discussed the current top teams in the Premier League.

Manchester United, the two-time champions, and Liverpool, the renowned European club, were obvious topics. Leeds United and Newcastle United were also on the rise, but one team in particular caught their attention for a long time.

That team was Blackburn Rovers, who finished second last season, just four points behind Manchester United.

This was a team with no history, from a town with a population of only 100,000.

But its rapid rise was astonishing.

Audrey was particularly interested in this team because of the future trend in football.

Money football!

Who was the pioneer of money football in England?

It was certainly not Chelsea a decade later.

It was Blackburn!

Steel magnate Jack Walker returned to his hometown and invested £30 million into Blackburn, transforming a team that couldn't even afford train fares for away games into a contender for the championship.

£30 million might be the transfer fee for a top player a decade later, but in the early 1990s, £30 million could turn a team around!

Blackburn brought in Liverpool's King Kenny Dalglish as their coach and signed several top players, most of whom were at the level of European national teams.

Blackburn had nearly won the league title last season, with Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton forming a formidable attacking duo. They even eliminated Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup.

This was the impact of money on football, and with the Bosman ruling about to usher in a new era in football, traditional rules would be fundamentally changed.

While Audrey had also invested £30 million into Millwall, he doubted he could continue with such large investments. To navigate this period of transformation in football, Audrey had much to consider, much to plan.