<h4>Chapter 335: Goals for the New Season</h4>


    To deal with a yer like Henry, who had already won the World Cup, Aldrich knew he had to be patient and sincere. That''s why he personally visited him, engaging in an open conversation. Aldrich never assumed a superior posture over the yer; the authority of the head coach was one thing, butmunication between coach and yer was entirely another.


    When Henry inquired about his standing within the team, Aldrich was equally candid.


    For Millwall''s new season, if they decided to adopt a three-forward strategy, the seasoned forwards over twenty years of age would include only Van Nistelrooy, Larsson, Klose, and Gronkjaer—just four yers. Ronaldinho, Duff, and Van der Meyde were all under twenty and, considering their fitness and the need to protect young yers, Aldrich nned to limit their ying time to no more than thirty games. Naturally, there would be distinctions; for instance, Ronaldinho would appear in more critical matches, while Van der Meyde and Duff would primarily fill roles in the substitute lineup.


    How many games would Millwall y in the new season?


    The Champions League, League, League Cup, FA Cup, plus the European Super Cup and Toyota Cup, if these games all reach the finals, there may be nearly 60 games this season.


    And that''s not even counting the international games yers would be involved in with their national teams throughout the season.


    Moreover, yers'' form tends to fluctuate, and when they''re not performing well, it''s essential to take a break and recover before stepping back onto the pitch.


    Aldrich stated, "If you''re concerned about ying time, I can at least assure you of a fair opportunity. As long as you''re in good form and performing well, I won''t keep you on the bench. Sometimes, too many matches in a season aren''t good for yers your age. You need to bnce work and rest, adjusting calmly when your performance fluctuates instead of stubbornly insisting on ying every match."


    Henry pondered this in silence.


    Looking at Millwall''s forwards, it was clear that Larsson and Van Nistelrooy would be the regr starters, while Gronkjaer had some limitations in his style of y. The younger yers—Van der Meyde, Duff, and Ronaldinho—were all very talented, and Henry didn''t believe he had lesser skills than them. Was therepetition for a starting position?


    Competition brings pressure, and having stronger rivals only serves to unlock one''s potential.


    After three hours of lengthy discussions, Henry agreed to join Millwall. The only remaining question is the details of the contract. Millwall has no shortage of funds and is in good financial shape. Offering a yer like Thierry Henry slightly less than the maximum wage won''t raise any eyebrows; after all, he''s a World Cup winner, not a nobody.


    Aldrich returned to London with Henry. Henry first checked into a hotel while the club searched for a suitable home that met his needs. Millwall''s littlemunity felt a bit shabby for a yer of Henry''s caliber; he needed a muchrger residence to enjoy a more pleasant andfortable life.


    The next day, Henry underwent a medical examination with Millwall''s medical department. The feedback for Aldrich was that he had minor injuries, with a recovery time of two to three months, and he would certainly be fine.


    Another day passed, and with less than three days to go before the Premier League opened, Millwall held a press conference to announce their new signing.


    Henry attended the press conference in casual attire alongside Aldrich, showcasing the new team jersey.


    Fleet Street was caught off guard by Millwall.


    Just the day before, they were busy doing pre-season round-ups for the Premier League teams, and while other clubs might still be making signings, the media''s analysis of Millwall was built upon the assumption that there were absolutely no new signings at all.


    Just after the media concluded their previews, Millwall announced Henry''s signing, which was indeed significant news.


    The young winger, who had scored three goals for France in the World Cup, had transferred from Monaco for ten million pounds!


    Tomson, a reporter from The Sun, joked, "Congrattions, Mr. Hall, Millwall has set a new record for signings."


    Aldrich was in good spirits, and Henry smiled beside him.


    "Indeed, this is the most expensive signing in the club''s history, but I think it''s worth every penny. I won''t view Thierry through the lens of a ten million-pound yer. He needs a greater challenge and a better stage—Millwall can provide that for him. With his joining, ourpetitiveness will significantly improve, and I''m filled with confidence for the uing season."


    It sounded, in truth, somewhatckluster.


    Champions of the Champions League, and their single transfer spending record is just ten million pounds? That doesn''t exactly reflect the might of a top club.


    With the Premier League teams making a full recovery and rapidly enhancing theirpetitiveness across Europe,st season they jointly imed two of the continent''s most prestigious cup titles. Many foreign media outlets sent reporters to follow and cover the Premier League, and Gancarlo from Gazzetta Dello Sport was among them.


    He wouldn''t measure Millwall''s transfers in solely financial terms; instead, he believed that Italian clubs should learn from Millwall''s business model.


    Don''t buy expensive yers, only buy the right ones!


    Gancarlo, with his Italian ent, asked Aldrich, "In thest two seasons, Millwall won a league title and a Champions League title, in addition to capturing two major domestic cups. The past two years were undoubtedly sessful, but what are Millwall''s goals for the future? More realistically, what are the targets for this season? Henry is an excellent forward, but there''s a clear drop in Millwall''s overall strength."


    Aldrich calmly replied, "It''s true that we lost several crucial yers over the summer. The outside world ims that Millwall''s power has diminished, but I don''t think that''s entirely urate. People are overlooking one key point: my team is on the rise. Van Nistelrooy scored eleven league goalsst season; this season, he can at least fifteen. Ronaldinho had seven assists and five goalsst season, and he will perform even better this season. Additionally, with the improvements of yers like Van der Meyde, Duff, and Lampard, the overall strength of the team hasn''t taken a severe hit. And now, with Henry joining us, if you want to know what Millwall''s goal this season is, it''s simple—the league title is our primary objective!"


    The calm confidence that Aldrich expressed was not an act; he genuinely meant it: Millwall was among the favorites to win the league title!


    Gancarlo found himself deep in thought, unable to determine whether Aldrich''s confidence was merely bravado.


    After Ajax won the Champions League, they faced the threat of losing key yers but could only sell them gradually, afraid to strip the squad of its main talent. This cautious approach ultimately led to many yers leaving the team for new opportunities. In contrast, after Millwall''s Champions League triumph, they swiftly sold five crucial yers along with a promising substitute. This decision was driven not only by the necessity to clear debts and secure significant profits from the transfer market, but also by the need to strengthen the team''s foundation.


    Over the past few years, there had always been talk of how young Millwall was, but no one ever imed their squadcked depth. Arge number of young yers were continuously developing, and the age structure was remarkably bnced, clearly showing a tiered distribution. This meant that even if they sold star yers at their prime, immediate recements were ready to step in, avoiding any gaps in personnel.


    The more Gancarlo thought about it, the more he found Aldrich hard to decipher. Building a pyramid-like team isn''t difficult; the real challenge lies in ensuring that each block of the pyramid is of high quality. If young yers cannot live up to expectations and fail to inherit the legacy of their predecessors, then that pyramid could copse in an instant.


    "Millwall is determined to reim the league title, but who do you think are the biggestpetitors this season?"


    Aldrich''s priority this season was indeed the league. The Champions League has too many uncertainties; the length of thepetition and the intervals between matches leave room for unexpected events. Moreover, losing several star yers means that the league serves as the foundation for the club''s survival. Millwall must first help the new generation of The Lions gel and mature in the league.


    The most crucial reason is that to determine whether a team has dominance, one must first look at the league. Millwall may have won a league title, but if they fail to maintain that sess, their reputation—even with strong performances in Europeanpetitions—would lose credibility. The priority is the league. Who remembers ckburn, the Premier League champions three years ago?


    "If we fail to win the league title in the next two years, the perception of our sess will diminish significantly."


    "The biggestpetitor is Manchester United, followed by Arsenal."


    Aldrich stated unequivocally.


    Richard of the Daily Mail asked curiously: "Why not Arsenal, who won the league titlest season, but Manchester United, who were narrowly defeated by Millwall''s substitutes at thest minute? Do you think this is the biggest Threat?" "


    Aldrich chuckled, "It''s simple. Arsenal is going back to the Champions League this year after many years. However, their squad does not have the depth to sustainpeting on two fronts. Even if they exit in the group stages, it will affect their performance in the first half of the season. Many people think that six group stage matches are just six games, but the reality is, if you treat each of those six matches as critical, they will impact twelve league matches! Traveling for away games in the group stages poses significant challenges. Last season''s inexperienced Manchester United found that out the hard way in October and November. Millwall''s failure to defend their title was simrly caused by too many draws in the first half due to the pressures of Europeanpetition. I believe Arsenal will face the same issues this season. Manchester United is top of the list because their squad is just as strong as Millwall''s. If Keane hadn''t been injuredst season, they might have secured the title much earlier. Although they also face the Champions League, their experience over thest two years—reaching the semifinals and the quarterfinals—will help them navigate it more smoothly. Therefore, Manchester United is Millwall''s biggest rival for the league title, not Arsenal."


    "What about Liverpool and Chelsea?"


    "I don''t know about Liverpool, but as for Chelsea—they''ve spent heavily again, and I don''t know their debt levels, but it doesn''t matter. Millwall''s title race is between us and Manchester United and Arsenal; Chelsea isn''t even in the same league as us."


    After Aldrich finished,ughter rippled through the audience.


    This young coach surely stands firm, disying unyielding disdain for his rivals!


    After the press conference concluded, Aldrich took Henry to the training grounds for his official introduction to the team, allowing him to change into a jersey and pose for a team photo.


    Once the family photo for Millwall''s 9899 season was taken, it was just a matter of waiting for the new season to kick off.


    ### New Season''s Millwall Roster


    **Goalkeepers:** Butt, Keller, Wright.


    **Defenders:** Schneider, Ferreira, Mills, Materazzi, Southgate, Ferdinand, Zambrotta, Neil, Cole.


    **Midfielders:** Makelele, Gattuso, Pirlo, Lampard, Nedved, Duff, Van der Meyde.


    **Forwards:** Larsson, Van Nistelrooy, Henry, Klose, Gronkjaer, Ronaldinho.


    **Total: 25 yers.**