Chapter 44

Aldridge rarely read newspapers, not because there was no news, but because there was too much news. Despite the lack of specialized football newspapers in the UK, the various large and small newspapers were filled with football news, from on-field to off-field gossip, from seemingly real "explosive" headlines in the club dressing rooms to baseless speculations about the future of teams and players, all of which were overwhelming and made it impossible to determine the authenticity of the news.

Moreover, the low professional ethics of the British media made Aldridge naturally reluctant to flip through newspapers. Most of the time, he watched BBC news during meals, and any truly valuable football intelligence was collected and verified by dedicated staff at the club.

On the morning of the third round of the FA Cup, Aldridge got up, dressed neatly, and went downstairs to the dining room to have breakfast with his parents.

Although he was already an adult, Aldridge still lived with his parents. Perhaps because he was often away from home in the past few years, Arthur and Amelia were delighted, and the family atmosphere was always warm and harmonious during their daily meals together.

But this morning, as Aldridge sat down at the table and the nanny poured him a cup of coffee, Arthur, still in his pajamas and with a potbelly, slammed the newspaper on the table, fuming, "That bastard Graham! He's dirty himself and is trying to disgust others! The rubbish he spews, and The Times actually publishes it on a large scale. Damn it, Ross, from today, we won't subscribe to The Times anymore!"

Ross, an employee of his older brother Barnett's company but assigned to assist Arthur at the Hall household, was a reliable man in his thirties. He handled all of Arthur and Amelia's travel and expenses, serving as Arthur Hall's full-time manager. He would always arrive at the villa by 7 a.m. to await orders.

Eating breakfast at the Hall household had become a habit over the past two years, and Ross nodded lightly.

Arthur glared at Aldridge, still angry, and said, "Son, you need to give them a good lesson today, especially that Graham. Don't think a few championships make them great. Arsenal? Ha, even the Milwall of a few years ago played better football than they do! That ungrateful bastard!"

Aldridge nodded with a smile and picked up The Times from the table.

Before reading the content, Aldridge first thought of George Graham.

This legendary manager of Arsenal had a connection with Milwall, but it had nothing to do with the Milwall Aldridge knew.

Before Aldridge arrived in 1986, Graham was the manager of Milwall, leading the team from the third tier to the then-Second Division. In the 1985/86 season, he helped Milwall establish itself in the Second Division. After that season, he moved to another London club: Arsenal.

Arthur's claim of "ungrateful" was a bit exaggerated, as Graham's achievements at Milwall were not particularly noteworthy.

After taking over Arsenal, Graham helped the club achieve pre-Premier League glory with an extremely pragmatic and utilitarian style of football. He introduced a five-defender formation, and under his leadership, Arsenal won several trophies, including the European Cup Winners' Cup last season. However, Arsenal did not flourish under his tenure. Even Arsenal fans felt despair, as the 1-0ism and the record-low 18 goals conceded in the championship season made watching Arsenal matches as dull as entering a library.

Aldridge read the news carefully, his expression calm.

The root of Graham's inflammatory remarks was the lineup Milwall was expected to field in the FA Cup.

Milwall had two squads, which was no secret. Pre-match lineup predictions were a favorite pastime of the media. Thomson of The Sun wrote an article previewing the match. As one of the first journalists to meet Aldridge, Thomson was well aware of Milwall's current situation. Using the League Cup match against Newcastle United as an example, he boldly predicted that Aldridge would field a younger second squad against Arsenal.

"Compared to the rising Newcastle United, Arsenal is on the decline. The glory of the previous season was the last gasp of that great Arsenal. Facing such an opponent, Aldridge should continue to use the second squad in cup matches."

Such words reached Graham's ears, and he began to criticize Milwall the day before the match.

It wasn't entirely baseless.

For instance, when Aldridge took over Milwall, he forced the entire coaching staff to resign. From the previous season, only goalkeeper Keller and young Lucas were retained.

Even Aldridge's spending on transfers became a point of attack.

Aldridge was a maverick in the relatively conservative English football scene.

After finishing the front-page headline in The Times, Aldridge calmly finished his breakfast and went to the club as usual.

The Sun's prediction was correct. Aldridge indeed planned to use the second squad for the FA Cup match. Although the current momentum might have allowed him to use the first team, he dismissed the idea.

Milwall's first team had 26 players, excluding two on loan from Manchester United, leaving 24. If they were to be promoted to the Premier League next season, many young players would struggle to adapt, even the first-team players. The difference in intensity and level between the Premier League and the First Division was vast.

He needed to accelerate the growth of the young players, which required more playing time and exposure to big matches.

As for using a mixed squad to try to win, Aldridge never considered it. The lack of chemistry between the first and second teams would disrupt the team's tactical system.

At the pre-match press conference, Aldridge arrived as scheduled. Over thirty journalists were present, as this match between the First Division leaders and one of England's traditional top three clubs naturally attracted attention.

Aldridge sat down calmly and smiled, "Any questions?"

Thomson of The Sun raised his hand and asked, "Mr. Hall, can you reveal the starting lineup?"

Aldridge casually replied, "Goalkeeper: Butt. Defenders: Neville, Richards, Matri, Zambrotta. Midfielders: Glen, Gattuso, Vieira, Ballack, Beckham. Forward: Solskjaer."

Thomson initially looked pleased, as his article had been prescient, but his face turned red as he heard the lineup. According to Aldridge, Milwall would play a 4-5-1 formation, which was significantly different from the 4-4-2 he had predicted.

He quickly raised his hand again, "Mr. Hall, who is Gattuso? And where is Kevin Phillips?"

Aldridge replied, "Phillips has a minor injury and will be on the bench. Gattuso is one of our young players. He plays in midfield, and I believe he is ready for a starting role. His performance in training has earned the approval of the entire coaching staff."

Previously, Gattuso had never appeared in a formal match, and the second squad usually featured Vieira and Ballack in midfield.

The journalists present, except for Thomson, who was eager to get praise for his article, mostly wore smirks.

Richard, a journalist from The Daily Mail who was also on good terms with Aldridge, asked bluntly, "Mr. Hall, have you read the newspapers today?"

The hall fell silent, and all eyes focused on Aldridge.

Aldridge blinked and said, "What? Hasn't Graham already given you news? What more do you want from me?"

Richard, a young and outspoken journalist, laughed, "George Graham is trying to divert attention. He is currently under investigation by the FA for accepting bribes in player transfers. Anyone can see that he is attacking Milwall to make people forget his legal troubles. Even if Arsenal faced another team today, he would still criticize them. This old trick doesn't fool anyone. His words are not news; they are more like a poor performance."

Richard's words resonated with his colleagues, except for the journalist from The Times, who shook his head and smiled bitterly. The front-page headline today did not boost sales. Fans are not fools; they know Graham is in a black money scandal, and attacking Milwall is just to reduce the negative impact.

Aldridge also laughed. He was reluctant to comment further, as Graham was facing a black money scandal and possible FA prosecution, putting Arsenal under internal and external pressure. He wanted to be a spectator, but Graham insisted on dragging him into it. So, Aldridge decided to add fuel to the fire.

After all, such under-the-table deals have existed since the birth of English professional football. Even a legendary manager like Brian Clough was brought down, so what was Graham? Such scandals would continue to emerge in the future.

Aldridge cleared his throat and said, "I understand. For today's media, a dog biting a man is no longer news. A man biting a dog is what they want, right?"

The journalists burst into laughter.

Aldridge was always polite and witty, giving them unique news. This trip was not in vain!

Graham was indeed acting like a mad dog, biting anyone in sight.

Who was Aldridge?

He was already the most famous young manager in English football!

Although not in the Premier League, his presence had already attracted widespread attention, and he was almost certain to win the LMA (League Managers Association) First Division Manager of the Year this season.

Attacking Milwall and belittling Aldridge would only make Graham look foolish and humiliate himself.

Because it was baseless. Milwall's performance was outstanding, while Arsenal had slipped to mid-table in the Premier League, far from their former glory.

Aldridge's face tightened, and he said in a serious tone, "Mr. Graham's comments about Milwall disappoint me. He seems to have forgotten that he was once a part of Milwall."

"His Arsenal is ugly!"

"He could have turned the batch of outstanding young players that emerged in the late 1980s into one of the best teams in Europe, but what do we see now? I don't see the champion's spirit in the current Arsenal, not even the drive to challenge for the title."

"Rumors of him accepting bribes, I will not comment on. I only know that the rumors have harmed the Arsenal club. Imagine being an Arsenal player, can you focus on your game when your manager is distracted by off-field troubles?"

"Do I hate Arsenal? No, there is no war between Milwall and Arsenal. I admire some Arsenal players, like Tony Adams and Shilton, but they will never join Milwall, even if we are promoted to the Premier League next season. I admire them, but I don't envy them. I am proud of every Milwall player, and we have a bright future. The current Arsenal, however, has no light at the end of the tunnel."

Aldridge, who had always maintained a gentle image, for the first time publicly criticized another club in front of the media.

After the match, the major newspapers all featured large headlines, and sales were astonishing!

"Still watching a dog bite a man? No, come see a man bite a dog!"