<h4>Chapter 238: The Unexpected Cold Shoulder</h4>


    Aldrich initially thought that Millwall''s sessst season would earn him some respect from Fleet Street. Even if the four first-team yers they brought in weren''t well-known, at least they should give him some face, right?


    Just a photo, a few symbolic questions, and an exchange with Aldrich, and they could wrap up the whole affair.


    But unexpectedly, the atmosphere grew cold.


    These reporters were terribly realistic!


    He didn''t expect the four new yers to arrive to much fanfare, but being treated this coldly was a different matter entirely. Not only might the yers feel ufortable, but Aldrich also felt like he''d lost face.


    "Cough, cough."


    As the silence hung in the air, Aldrich cleared his throat and turned to the four new yers, wearing a smile as he began to speak passionately.


    "When Napoleon was ten years old, due to his background, ent, and name, he became the target of bullying at his boarding school. French boys mocked him and ridiculed everything he did, including his name."


    As soon as Aldrich started speaking, the atmosphere shifted dramatically; the reporters transformed into eager students, listening intently and taking notes, recording every word he said.


    They were here for news, and the announcement of Millwall''s four signings had already been made public. There wasn''t much to hype up; the reason for the packed house, with reporters from well-known media outlets, was not for these new yers—it was for Aldrich.


    In the lonely summer of ''97, struggling with ack of news stories, they were barely scraping by. The hottest topic in English football was not some celebrity yer, but this young manager.


    Nearly two months passed, and Aldridge was nowhere to be seen. He wasst seen with reporters surrounding his home, trying to get his opinion on Cantona''s retirement.


    The lot of football reporters from Fleet Street had been waiting for ages, wishing on a star, and finally, Aldrich had returned.


    When they heard Millwall was going to hold a press conference, they were thrilled, practically ready to celebrate.


    But once they arrived, they were stunned to find that Millwall was merely announcing the formal signing of four new yers.


    The reporters were internally disgusted: After waiting two months, this was the news? No, this wasn''t news; it was the kind of waste paper you''d use in the restroom.


    However, once the young manager began to speak, the reporters perked up, eager for the feast of information.


    Napoleon faced exclusion and discrimination until he was almost sixteen. Each year, the evaluations he received were peppered withments that worked against his future. How did he respond? He simplyughed off the mockery and chose not to associate with the boys who wasted their time mocking him. While at the Brienne military school, he fully utilized every opportunity given to him, no matter how humbling it was. He voraciously devoured books. This road was bound to be lonely, and in his deep reflections, he wrestled with thoughts of quitting, even contemting suicide at times.


    Aldrich''s storytelling captivated Van der Meyde, Duff, and Gudjohnsen, while Klinsmann wore a wry smile.


    "Boss, I don''t understand. I don''t know English very well."


    "But he overcame everything: external challenges and inner demons. By the age of 22, he had acquired knowledge that most people take 30 or even 40 years to gain. He penned numerous meaningful articles, filled with grand strategies and political reform ns that revealed his ambitions. The rest of the story, I believe everyone knows—he transformed from the son of Italy to the father of Italy. The French who once mocked him, and the noblewomen who despised him and would never consider him for a son-inw, ended up bowing to call him Emperor."


    When Aldrich finished, he smiled slightly at the audience and turned to the four new yers, saying, "When Trezeguet came, some said he was just a wild kid from Argentina; when Pirlo arrived, they said he would cry in fear. Many yers were doubted by the media, yet Millwall has produced one Napoleon after another, proving themselves through hard work and talent. If you can focus all your energy on striving, you too can be a Napoleon. Our goal is to be the Emperor of Europe! If one day we achieve that, then we''ll have to shift our target: to avoid bing Napoleon at Waterloo."


    Laughter erupted in the venue.


    Some reporters chuckled, others shook their heads in amusement, and a few sighed.


    You can''t help but respect this young manager.


    His story seemed to encourage his yers, yet it sounded like a jab at their shortsightedness, as if he was calling them blind to true value.


    He even made a humorous remark at the end.


    Now, this was a proper press conference!


    Everyone got the news they wanted.


    The young manager used a Napoleon anecdote to motivate his team.


    This is just the kind of news we love to see!


    In the spirit of reciprocity, they began to ask some trivial questions.


    They inquired about how the yers felt about joining Millwall, their aspirations for the future, and whether they were adjusting well to life in Ennd.


    Basically, it was just a waste of time to build rapport, giving Aldrich some face.


    As for the serious answers from the four yers, what they said would likely be boiled down to brief remarks in tomorrow''s papers, such as "The neers are full of expectations for the future" and "I''m d to y for Aldrich."


    After the main program of the press conference had concluded, the reporters turned their attention back to Aldrich.


    David Miller from The Times raised his hand and asked, "Mr. Hall, I have a question, I hope it''s convenient for you to answer."


    "You can ask; how would I know if it''s convenient if you don''t?"


    "Um, it''s like this: I''m writing an academic article on Millwall''s remarkable sessst season, and there''s a phenomenon I''m hoping to rify with you. Millwallpeted on four frontsst season, yet your yers have suffered the fewest injuries among all Premier League and even top European clubs. Moreover, even when yers did get injured, their recovery times were the shortest. What sessful experiences does Millwall have that other English clubs can learn from?"


    To Aldrich, David Miller was a journalist with refined taste, and his writing style was professional rather than sensationalist.


    For instance, when he first saw Cruyff y for Ajax, he likened Cruyff to "Pythagoras in football boots." Ordinary readers sometimes found his articles tooplex; if you didn''t know who Pythagoras was, it would be hard to grasp what Miller was trying to convey.


    After pondering for a moment, Aldrich responded, "There are generally three reasons. First, our training system equips yers with strong physiques, reducing the likelihood of injuries in fiercepetitions. Second, reasonable rest—young yers shouldn''t have back-to-back matches. Moreover, if any yer feels slightly ufortable before a match, I won''t risk having them y. Of course, at times, yers might hide their difort just to get on the field. This requires coaches to be extra vignt in observing yers'' conditions. Thirdly, we take pride in our medical system; I can confidently say that Millwall has the best medical team in Europe."


    "Why are you so sure of that?"


    "Because there''s something topare it to."


    "What do you mean?"


    "How many team doctors does Manchester United have? How much do they budget each year for their medical system?"


    David Miller frowned, uncertain, "It probably doesn''t exceed ￡200,000, right?"


    "Alright, let''s say it''s 200,000 pounds. Millwall''s annual budget is at least five to ten times that amount. We have a medical team of over fifty people and eight licensed sports medicine specialists. Even with all of that, I still don''t think it''s enough, because it doesn''t guarantee that every single injury a yer has will be diagnosed without any errors."


    The journalists present were astonished.


    Millwall''s annual medical budget was that high!


    David Miller''s expression grew even more troubled.


    "What drove you to create such a high-standard medical department? I mean, if other clubs have a budget of one to two million pounds, they could recruit a decent yer or offer raises to keep their existing yers. For a club like Millwall, with debts over a hundred million, this money should ideally be saved instead of spent on injuries, right?"


    Other reporters nodded in agreement, acknowledging Miller''s viewpoint.


    Aldrich shook his head with a wry smile, saying, "If you want to consider economic benefits, the calctions should be made this way. Suppose a yer valued at ￡5 million gets injured and doesn''t receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. If he''s ruined, the club loses ￡5 million, plus his sry and the potential future value. If he could have recovered in three months but takes six due to improper treatment, the club incurs a loss for three months without his contributions and still has to pay his sry. However, I believe that''s not the initial intent behind Millwall''s hefty investment in its medical department. I respect my yers; they deserve the best care. The club has an obligation to keep them healthy. And everyone knows, football is a closed circle; the team doctor is part of the club. yers can only be treated by team doctors unless they face serious injuries. Often, conditions that appear to bemon issues like strains or ligament inmmation might be moreplex than they seem. Some doctorscking sufficient expertise may misdiagnose, which not only harms the club''s interests but also disregards yers'' health. The club binds the yers'' will, and some yers endure pain rather than seek treatment elsewhere, fearing it would be seen as betrayal. Meanwhile, some inept doctors keep their jobs by not revealing the truth, even when they can''t diagnose the issue."


    Once again, the room fell silent, the one most affected being Gudjohnsen.


    There were indeed ipetent doctors at PSV!


    They never diagnosed his illness correctly and never considered referring him to a more specialized medical institution. When they ultimately realized they couldn''t treat him, they just kicked him out!


    Despite therge investment in the medical department, Millwall was truly making a smart investment.


    For example, bringing Gudjohnsen on board for free was a won opportunity worth at least ￡1 million. If he trained hard, with his natural talent, it was easy to see his value rise to ￡5 million.


    Ensuring yer health trantes directly into revenue for the club, as only healthy yers improve rapidly, and their value appreciates quickly.


    David Miller didn''t pursue the matter further because the rtionships involved are incrediblyplex. There''s a long-standing distrust between traditional clubs and outside doctors. Clubs often prefer to reward loyalty by hiring non-professionals as team doctors to ensure that all information stays under wraps, including yers'' injury details.


    "Mr. Hall, thank you for your candid response. I''ll include your insights in my article. To be honest, I really admire your attitude and actions protecting yers. Other clubs should emte Millwall''s approach and let professionals handle professional matters."


    Aldrich smiled and nodded at David Miller, genuinely hoping the journalist would publish everything he just said. He wished for other reporters to do the same.


    Even if it would upset many colleagues, it would win the hearts of more yers, attracting them to join his ranks.


    Moreover, employing professional doctors as team physicians is an inevitable trend; in a few years, the FA will officially require that team doctors in professional clubs be licensed specialists in sports medicine.