<h4>Chapter 248: One Superstar a Year</h4>


    In a match that felt more like a warm-up for the Community Shield, both the Red Devils and The Lions were not looking to engage in heavy physical confrontations. Although they approached the game seriously, Keane''s tackle was excessive.


    What had started as a match without a single yellow card changed quickly when Keane injured Lampard and simultaneously hurt himself. Before he could be taken off on a stretcher, the referee showed him a red card.


    Ferguson''s face darkened, and he swiftly substituted key yers, abandoning any hope for the match.


    Aldrich decided to use two more substitutions, bringing on Materazzi and Ferdinand to rece Southgate and Lampard, while Elguera pushed forward to see what he could do.


    As Manchester United started to retreat with one man down, Millwall''s attacking y became less aggressive and fierce.


    The two new wingers struggled as the defense closed in on them, and their performances weren''t as effortless as during their counterattacks.


    Duff was ying with one leg; his right foot technique was frustratingly poor, almost incapable of trapping the ball while running.


    Van der Meyde dribbled, dribbled, dribbled until he found himself cornered and with no choice but to eke out a shot...


    Aldrich watched from the sidelines, scratching his head in disbelief.


    Though these two had made it to the first team this season, they still needed more time to adapt. Their ying habits and awareness needed improvement, and their personal skills required honing.


    Van der Meyde was overly attached to the ball, while Duff''s right foot seemed useless.


    In thest few minutes of the game, even though The Lions'' fans were thrilled about their first-ever Community Shield victory—after missing outst year against Manchester United—they couldn''t help but feel that Duff and Van der Meyde''s performance in those crucial moments felt like watching twopletely different yers.


    No team at Manchester United''s level, even with substitutes, could easily let inexperienced youngsters have their way.


    Regardless, when the match ended, Millwall''s yers were thrilled to have another trophy in their cab.


    The Community Shield was a continuation ofst season''spetitions, thus allowing Millwall to include this trophy in their list of des from the 96-97 season.


    Fans unfurled banners from the stands featuring four trophies, boldly dering: "Four-Time Champions."


    Aldrich walked over to shake hands with Ferguson and then stood by the field to speak with reporters.


    When discussing the match, Aldrich delivered some clichéd remarks. After all, it was just a warm-up; winning didn''t need to be overly celebrated, and losing didn''t warrant an angry reaction. He hadn''t felt any regret after losing this matchst year.


    Following the awards ceremony, the yers didn''t celebrate extravagantly. Captain Southgate led the team to leave Wembley quickly, as they needed to rest for the uing opening match of the Premier League a few dayster.


    On August 7th, after lunch, Aldrich arrived early at the club, where the staff presented the preseason family photos. He ced the framed picture on his desk before walking into his office.


    His office had a simpleyout with a desk against the floor-to-ceiling window, a sofa with a coffee table in the middle, and a bookshelf filled with football-rted books as well as non-football reading material for moments of rxation.


    On the other wall hung three frames disying team family photos from the 94-95, 95-96, and 96-97 seasons.


    As for the trophies the team had won, they were disyed in the club''s honor room, while Aldrich kept his personal awards at home.


    Carrying the newly framed family photo into the room, Aldrich suddenly froze in ce.


    His gaze drifted back and forth among the three photos.


    After some time, a knock on the door broke his focus. The office door was open, and Yvonne stood by the entrance, having watched Aldrich for a minute.


    Aldrich snapped back to reality, and Yvonne walked beside him, looking up at the photos on the wall. "If they make you feel sad, why not just put them away? I think it''s better to showcase the photos of the team winning trophies; at least they''ll bring some joy to those who see them."


    Aldrich looked down with a wry smile. "What''s the difference? Don''t those photos also feature yers who have left?"


    Yvonne shrugged helplessly. She had always been a die-hard supporter of Millwall, the team''s most loyal fan.


    Sometimes, thinking of the yers who had left made her feel downhearted.


    They had once been so passionate about the team, yet they couldn''t stick around.


    Aldrich retrieved a small toolbox from the bottom drawer of his desk and nailed a hook to the wall, hanging the newly framed family photo.


    With the fourth season about to begin, he took satisfaction in admiring the four photos, realizing that while the new one featured missing faces, many familiar ones remained.


    Time had certainly marked the faces in those images.


    The yers were growing, and the team was bing stronger alongside them.


    "I need to talk to you about something important."


    Yvonne sat down on the sofa and poured herself a ss of water.


    Aldrich leaned back against his desk. "Go ahead. Need me to close the door?"


    Yvonne thought for a moment before responding, "No, I''m responsible for the club''s publicity. Given our recruitment policy and long-term building philosophy, since we can''t create a sensation in the transfer market, we need to be capable of promoting a world-ss yer on our own. You can''t deny that, can you?"


    Without hesitation, Aldrich nodded in agreement.


    It wasn''t just about whether Millwall had the funds to attract stars; it was that stars simply weren''t inclined toe here unless they were washed-up yers—all hype, with skills that had long faded.


    "So, in terms of publicity, even though our club''s mission is to avoid highlighting individuals and prevent yers from bing arrogant and overshadowing their teammates, to enhance the club''s influence and reputation, we need to focus on promoting one yer each year."


    Yvonne''s suggestion left Aldrich puzzled, causing him to furrow his brow. "Can you borate on that?"


    Yvonne patiently rified, "Last season, when the team won so many trophies, who were the heroes?"


    Aldrich naturally replied, "The entire team deserves credit; there''s no distinction between starters and substitutes. While contributions may vary, we needed everyone."


    Yvonne continued, "Who was the standout yer?"


    "That would be the main yers. They yed more matches and had more key moments; naturally, they shone the brightest."


    "So the issue arises here: in the public''s eyes, many fans admire Larsson, others appreciate Nedved, and fans of Trezeguet, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Schneider, and so on—there''s a prevailing notion that although Millwall doesn''t have a top-tier star, these first-team yers collectively make us a top team."


    "While this idea has its ws, it''s not entirely off the mark either."


    "However, if we want the club''s influence to reach new heights, we must have yers with greater recognition. So I believe we can implement a ''one superstar a year'' strategy in our publicity!"


    "One superstar a year?"


    Aldrich looked up at the ceiling with a bewildered expression.


    This strategy sounded familiar.


    But he knew it wasn''t the same as Real Madrid''s superstar policy.


    Yvonne detailed her proposal.


    "The criteria for a superstar include not only team des but also top individual honors like the Ballon d''Or and the World yer of the Year. While these aren''t hard metrics, most yers who win the Ballon d''Or or are named World yer of the Year are recognized as superstars. Millwall''s yers may not ultimately achieve these honors, but they should at least aim to rank high in thepetition; evening in second or third ce is better than not making the top three."


    Aldrich nodded in agreement.


    What defines a superstar?


    It''s not just the des but also the influence.


    George Best was a superstar in his time thisd not onlymanded a legion of fans during matches but also influenced various realms, such as fashion, making him a true icon.


    Many who are called "top yers" and have excellent skills might not achieve the level of influence that qualifies them as superstars.


    Of course, it''s simr to how the term "genius" has been overused; in the future, with themercialization of football and its global dissemination, the term "superstar" will also be diluted, with anyone achieving a bit of sess beingbeled as a superstar—a tant exaggeration.


    Over the next twenty years, David Beckham stands out as the most sessful football superstar.


    When ites to pure skills, he had his unique talent, even if he wasn''t the team''s soul. However, when considering his cross-industry influence stemming frommercialization, Beckham undoubtedly fits the bill of a superstar. You could ask a hundred non-football fans, "Do you know who Beckham is?"


    Many would know Beckham, while only a few would recognize names like Zidane or Figo, despite their superior on-pitch talents.


    "Your idea of publicity is quiteplicated. Let''s put it this way: some yers don''t want to be in the spotlight, dislike showboating, and prefer their private lives mostly kept out of the limelight, which inevitably lowers their visibility..."


    "I know, I understand. My intention isn''t to force yers to change; you certainly wouldn''t agree to that. What I mean is that we can focus our efforts on promoting one yer each year, allowing him to achieve highermendations in personal honor selections. Last season, Millwall was outstanding, but have you ever considered how many yers from our team would be nominated for the Ballon d''Or?"


    Yvonne''s words plunged Aldrich back into thought.


    "At least three, right? Defensive yers often go unrecognized; even if nominees arise, it''s for bnce''s sake. In the final selections, few voters would cast their votes for defensive yers. Pirlo is still too young; while the most professional football critics sing his praises, he likely won''t attract much attention in popr evaluations. Among Nedved, Larsson, Trezeguet, and Shevchenko, ah, I might be overly optimistic—two would be a good oue: Larsson and Nedved."


    Aldrich sighed.


    Yvonne continued, "Assuming Larsson and Nedved both get nominated, who do you think has a better chance of winning?"


    Aldrich hesitated to answer, knowing it would not sit well with him.


    "Larsson."


    "But many voters might admire Nedved and vote for him."


    "Oh, I get what you mean now."


    Aldrich rubbed his forehead, reflecting on the future Ballon d''Or voting scenarios.


    The Spanish national team, boasting three major tournament championships in four years and centered around the Barcelona system—a champion team—didn''t have a single Ballon d''Or winner.


    And with Barcelona, powered by stars like Xavi and Iniesta, dominating Europe during those years and the national team achieving unprecedented glory, how was it possible that not a single yer received the Ballon d''Or?


    Were the voters blind?


    Not entirely...


    Firstly, one cannot deny that in those years, Messi was simply outstanding, with plenty of favor among the voters.


    However, both Xavi and Iniesta demonstrated their worth at both the club and national levels. Theirbined brilliance may have split the vote among those who appreciated them, preventing either from securing the coveted award.


    This posed a dilemma: voters favoring Xavi would vote for Xavi, and those favoring Iniesta would vote for him. Both yers shared equal honors at their club and national team level. In the context of Barcelona''s dream team, they were inseparable. Voters felt justified in their choices, yet this left the Spanish team, with such remarkable achievements, without a single Ballon d''Or winner.


    "So how am I supposed to discuss this with my yers? I can''t exactly tell Pavel, ''Hey, Henrik performed excellentlyst season; he''s a contender for the Ballon d''Or, and the club will do everything to support him—just take it like a champ, alright?''"


    Aldrich understood the reasoning but felt uneasy about it all.


    Then again, having multiple standout yers within a club can createpetition for individual des, which often leads to internal conflict. Rather than letting others benefit from that, it''s better to lift one''s own.


    "Don''t worry about it. The club will handle the publicity. Some efforts will be visible, while others might be more discreet. No need to alert the yers andplicate their focus."


    "And what do you mean by discreet efforts?"


    "Publicity strategies—we can privately connect with specific media outlets, sharing an abundance of our goal highlights. We''ll liaise with certain television programs, arranging to feature interviews focusing on Larsson''s performances. We can even recruit some publications to praise him in writing... You don''t need to approach this from Millwall''s angle to promote the yers."


    Aldrich widened his eyes in surprise, gazing at Yvonne, who wore a charming smile. "So you''re the clever one!"