Chapter 85

With the wind in his favor, Audrich was in high spirits, and the professor's demeanor remained unchanged. The two old friends, suddenly reunited, were filled with deep emotions.

"Are you doing well in Japan?"

"It's been pleasant."

"Are you back for a holiday? No, the J.League should be in the middle of its season right now."

"Yes, I received an invitation from Mr. Dyne, just to come and watch a match," Wenger said without any reservation. In fact, David Dyne had long had his eye on Wenger. After Graham was dismissed more than half a year ago, Dyne had invited Wenger, but at that time, Wenger, who had just arrived in Japan, was still immersed in the exhausting five years he spent at Monaco, and he politely declined.

Dyne firmly believed that Wenger was the right person to revitalize Arsenal, so he waited in Wenger's hometown, France, using various "coincidences" to build a relationship with Wenger. This sincerity moved Wenger, and his longing for Europe grew day by day. This summer, Dyne invited Wenger to England to watch a match, which he arranged to be an Arsenal home game against Nottingham Forest next week. However, after looking at the schedule, Wenger decided to come to the away game between Millwall and Arsenal.

Audrich smiled and said, "I hope you enjoy the match here. I'll be off, but let's have a brief gathering after the game?"

Wenger shook his head and said, "No, I'll be heading to the airport as soon as the match ends. I need to go back and train the team."

"Alright, I look forward to your true arrival in London."

After saying this, Audrich greeted David Dyne and then left the box.

"Mr. Wenger, hello, it's been a long time!"

Arthur and Amelia also came over to greet Wenger. David Dyne, seeing this, found it a bit strange: Could Millwall have considered Wenger for a coaching position?

This thought quickly vanished as he shook his head. Impossible!

"Oh, my old friend, you scoundrel Dyne, come here, give me a hug!"

The rotund Arthur turned and hugged David Dyne tightly, almost suffocating him. In any other setting, Dyne would have pushed Arthur away, but with the distinguished guest Wenger present, Dyne had to grit his teeth and endure it, even forcing a smile to appear friendly with Arthur.

He hated Millwall from the bottom of his heart.

This damned small club was a parasite of the Premier League!

A dilapidated stadium, hooligan fans, notorious, and a thug of a chairman!

Dyne had no interest in coming to watch a match here, even if Arsenal were the away team, but since Wenger wanted to come, he had to hastily request VIP tickets from Millwall. He couldn't bring Wenger to stand with the fans; that would be poor hospitality.

Who knew that Millwall's tickets were already sold out, and only the box was available. Arthur, however, didn't give Dyne an empty box; he made Dyne share the same box with him. Even though there was no tradition of club chairmen sitting together in the Premier League, this arrangement was still considered a gesture of hospitality by Millwall. Dyne had no choice but to accept it, knowing that the old ruffian Arthur was up to something, probably wanting to show off at home.

I'm a cultured person, with manners and refinement, and I won't stoop to the level of a thug!

Endure!

Besides, who knows who will win or lose!

After the "pleasantries" with Arthur, Dyne put aside his contempt and shook hands with Barnett, the eldest son of the Hall family, engaging in a bit more conversation.

Despite his disdain for Arthur, Dyne held the three sons in high regard. Barnett was a rising star in the British business world, Andrew's agency was thriving, and Audrich was a sensation.

If it weren't for Audrich's age and background, if he were just an employee, David Dyne might have considered choosing between Wenger and Audrich.

Barnett was merely following social etiquette; he didn't pay much attention to David Dyne. He had dealt with countless elites and tycoons in the British business world, and he could chat with representatives of the Barclays Bank consortium, so a club vice-chairman was nothing special. Moreover, he always thought that Audrich choosing to be a football coach was a waste of talent!

Just two days ago, Microsoft released the Windows 95 operating system, and its stock soared. This new product was poised to enter different markets globally, indicating that Microsoft would experience a significant leap in the coming period.

For the past eight years, since the Black Monday, Barnett's preferred investment had always been Microsoft stock, based on Audrich's judgment. Every second, his net worth was increasing rapidly with the rise in Microsoft's stock price.

He felt that Audrich was a genius who could make money even in his sleep, but this younger brother only wanted to be a football coach, a job that would exhaust him and test his heart. Barnett felt sorry for him, but he never tried to persuade Audrich. Each brother had his own aspirations, and they never interfered with each other, only supporting each other.

Wenger stood at the front of the box, overlooking the entire Den Stadium.

About a year ago, he had come here to watch a match, sitting in the stands, and he didn't find anything special about the stadium. But today, the view was spectacular.

Except for a small patch of red in the corner of the north stand, the entire stadium was a sea of blue, with the south stand being the most eye-catching.

It was a pre-match cheer organized by the Lion Roar fan group. They spent over half a month creating a massive banner that covered the entire south stand.

The content of the banner was simple, just a copy of the official first-team promotional poster for the new season.

Not much different from last season's poster, Audrich, dressed in a suit, stood in the center, exuding a wild and confident smile, with his chest out and hands in his pockets.

Behind Audrich, the thirty first-team players, dressed in the home dark blue kit, were arranged in a V-shape, looking fierce!

The Lion Roar fans held up the banner, creating a stunning scene in the south stand!

The live broadcast repeatedly showed this image before the match.

As the players from both teams began to enter the field, Audrich had already returned to the coaching area, standing calmly and waiting for the match to start.

Not far from him, on the away team's coaching area, Arsenal's new head coach, Bruce Rioch, was also standing, his expression serious, clearly taking the match very seriously.

Taking over from caretaker coach Houghton in the summer, Rioch faced immense pressure. He wanted to change Arsenal but lacked the courage. Especially for a new coach, the first step was to eliminate the influence of the previous coach, but Arsenal's situation was unique. Houghton's four-month tenure as caretaker coach was insignificant, and Graham's departure was due to non-competitive reasons. The mark Graham left on the club over eight years would take more than a day to erase.

Moreover, the current players were already established, and Rioch could only adjust their state, not make sweeping reforms, or he would be driven out by the dressing room leaders.

Therefore, Arsenal's tactical approach this season remained the 5-3-2 system established by Graham.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Den Stadium, home of Millwall, for this match. I'm Martin Taylor, and today, as always, I'm joined by the familiar voice of Andy Gray."

"Martin, what are your thoughts on today's London derby?"

"This will be a battle of attack versus defense. Ha ha, Millwall's offense left a deep impression in the last match, while Arsenal has been known for their defense over the past eight years, maintaining a suffocating record of only 18 goals conceded per season. However, Arsenal's recent form has been poor, and they have had three different managers in less than a year: Graham, Houghton, and now Rioch. I think Rioch will play more conservatively at the Den, especially since they failed to beat the newly promoted Middlesbrough at home last time. The pressure on him is significant."

"But if Arsenal only takes a draw from the Den, I think the fans and management won't be satisfied. I'm not underestimating Millwall, but traditionally, people have a deep-seated view of Millwall's fighting power. This year marks Millwall's 110th anniversary, but they haven't won any significant titles. If you count the Southern League title a hundred years ago, Millwall hasn't tasted a championship in nearly a century. In contrast, Arsenal was the last team to rule England."

"You're right. This 110-year accumulation of suppression, anticipation, and persistence has made Millwall's fans exceptionally passionate, yet understandable. Will Audrich be the key to ending Millwall's title drought? I think if they can retain their current squad, a championship is not out of reach."

"Exactly. Now, the entire English football world is watching Millwall. The average age of the starting lineup is only 23, and they are far from their peak. In three to five years, this team could challenge the English football order, but the key is whether Millwall can keep these players from being poached by other clubs."

"The retention of Larsson and Trezeguet is a good sign, showing that the club won't be swayed by financial interests. The transfer fee of £12 million for the two players, I think many Premier League clubs would have already completed the transaction and counted the money."

"Alright, let's look at the starting lineups for today's match. Millwall's lineup is the same as the last match: Goalkeeper: Keller; Defenders: Thuram, Stam, Southgate, Neil; Midfielders: Schneider, Makelele, Nedved, Pires; Forwards: Larsson, Trezeguet. Arsenal's starting lineup is: Goalkeeper: Seaman; Defenders: Winterburn, Adams, Bould, Keown, Dixon; Midfielders: Mason, Jensen, Platt; Forwards: Wright and Bergkamp. Millwall's 4-4-2 against Arsenal's 5-3-2."

Looking at Bergkamp, who was about to kick off the match, Audrich remained calm, thinking to himself: Ice Prince? I'll freeze you in place today!

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