As the lights began to turn on, Aldridge drove under the night to a hotel near Lions Den Stadium.
It is also Millwall's property. When he took over the team, he rented, bought and then renovated the hotel. It was originally a place for Millwall's indoor training, and later became a place similar to the club's internal leisure club.
He once insisted on regular indoor swimming here for two years, and also had long-term Monday night beer nights here with the coaches.
In the past two years, I have come less often because I want to spend time at home with my family when I have free time.
He parked his car in the parking lot outside the hotel, walked into the hotel alone, and took the elevator to the fifth floor. This floor was a small bar. The staff had already gotten off work. At this time, a man was sitting at the bar, drinking.
When Aldrich sat down next to him, he pushed a glass of wine and an envelope in front of Aldrich.
Klinsmann, who was already half-drunk, looked down and out. When he noticed that Aldridge did not pick up the wine glass, he said in a daze: "In the envelope is my resignation letter."
Aldrich put his hand on his wrist to stop him from continuing to drink.
Klinsmann suddenly laughed nervously.
Smiling, he lowered his head and rested his forehead on his other arm.
"Aldrich, I'm sorry, I couldn't meet your expectations, I..."
"Jurgen, it's not over yet. Even if this season ends with nothing, you still have one season left. At least in the past three months, your coaching results are obvious to all. They are developing in a good direction."
In fact, this is indeed the case. Just looking at the point-grabbing efficiency in the past three months or so, Millwall is first in the league. It just fell off in December.
There are still 5 rounds of the league. Even if the defense fails, the gap from the championship will not be obvious.
Klinsmann lowered his head and smiled miserably: "Aldrich, no, I don't have time anymore. I can feel it. Many players in the locker room are unwilling to talk to me anymore, even face to face. It's just a kind of respect to remember the relationship between past colleagues."
, no one is willing to listen to what I say, and I would like to thank them. If I change to another team, I’m afraid
I am afraid that I have fallen out with you a long time ago. No one stabs me in the back, which is the greatest respect for me. Aldridge, I can't do this job, I really can't do it, I am not you. There is not much in the Millwall locker room.
No one really believes in me. Now I ask myself: What can I do to convince these players who are so glorious? Still nothing."
Klinsmann's tone was quite sad.
Aldrich closed his eyes and suddenly remembered a mocking report from the Fleet Street tabloid two months ago.
After Klinsmann abandoned Larsson, Larsson has been silent, training diligently, and not making any comments to the outside world. It is more like isolating himself within the team and rarely communicating with his teammates.
As time passed, reporters outside also learned about the situation.
Larsson obviously had a cold war with Klinsmann, and the core was actually: The coach doesn't want me, so I will ignore the coach.
But Larson didn't cause any trouble, not even once. He was like a transparent person who didn't play and only trained at Millwall.
In order to exaggerate the contradictions within the Millwall team in Fleet Street, some tabloids took advantage of the situation.
The general meaning is that the conversation between Larsson and Klinsmann was virtualized.
Klinsmann: Obey me!
Larson: Why?
Klinsmann: I am the World Cup champion! The European Cup champion!
Larsson: We are a club and cannot participate in the World Cup and European Cup. I have 5 league championships and 4 Champions League championships. Why?
Klinsmann: I also have a league championship! I also have a UEFA Cup! In addition, I conquered the Premier League as a German!
Larsson: I conquered Europe as a Swede!
The purpose of the unscrupulous tabloid must be to fan the flames, because Larsson himself is not resisting Klinsmann. If Klinsmann re-employs him, Larsson will immediately go into battle without saying a word, showing the fighting spirit to die on the battlefield.
This idea is crooked, but the content of this virtual conversation has certain practical significance.
There are many honorable players in the Millwall team. If you want to impress them, the head coach must have very high capital.
This is also the biggest problem for Aldridge's resignation last summer. Inviting outsiders, let me ask, is there any coach in today's football whose honor is as good as this group of players? And once the outsider leads the team and the record declines, there is no balance.
In the intricate network of relationships in the locker room, countless swords and swords will probably appear immediately. Just like Klinsmann said, the players will stab them in the back! A bloody scene will immediately appear.
It is necessary to use Klinsmann's past work at Millwall to relax.
So it was calm at Millwall, but it was too quiet and turned into dead silence.
If you don’t explode in silence, you will die in silence.
The Millwall dressing room did not erupt, but now it is dying in silence.
It has become difficult for Klinsmann to even communicate normally with his players.
What's the use of just listening to him?
Can talking and communication help the team win?
Moreover, Klinsmann's insistence on trusting Klose and abandoning Larsson really hurt the hearts of many people.
This kind of confidence to continue winning and rebuild glory could not be seen in Klinsmann in the locker room, so he also reached a strange fork in the road.
As for these big-name players, Klinsmann has a kind of fear that he cannot afford to offend.
Aldridge put his hand on Klinsmann's shoulder and comforted softly: "To be honest, now I feel that I didn't think carefully last year. What you have to bear is heavier than I expected."
On the surface, last summer was almost the same situation as the summer of 1998. In the summer of 1998, half of the main players of the team were gone, and in the summer of 2002, four of the key players were gone.
But the actual situation is still very different.
In 1998, there were not many big-name stars left in the Millwall team.
In 1998, Nedvěd and Larson Southgate were the foundation for the rise of the second generation of the Lions. They were still between 25 and 28 years old, which was the golden age and they could definitely carry the team forward.
Coupled with the ambitions of rising stars such as Pirlo and Ronaldinho, the dynasty created by the second generation of crazy lions is not an accident. It is inevitable.
Last summer, let alone Southgate, who was 32. Larsson was over 30, and even Nedvěd was still seriously injured. At this age, maintaining the player's own form has become the main focus of energy.
Not to mention more dedication, even if it can take into account the overall situation of the team, it is very limited.
Aldridge misjudged the background of the team's construction last summer. It should not be a simple replacement, which is definitely not normal, but a new king must start to be promoted!
There is no rule without rules, and the same is true within the team!
During this period when Southgate, Larsson, and Nedved began to take their final bows, the invisible competition within Millwall had already quietly begun.
Just like on the front line, no one can shake the team and no one can question it. The iconic figure who carries the banner of the king should of course be Henry!
But Klinsmann asked Henry to make certain sacrifices and supported Klose.
The competition in the midfield is also very cruel. Alonso, Lampard, Nedved and Kaka, even if it is impossible to establish a new king at once, at least there must be a clear attitude. In two years
When Aldridge was still the head coach, the new king after Nedved was very
Kaka is none other than Kaka. Of course, Kaka is not qualified to be a stable starter and main force now, but you must give him a signal and let him understand that if he wants to stand in Nedved's position and take over Millwall's iconic
Midfielders must work harder, work harder, and fight harder!
However, the midfield competition within the Millwall team is extremely chaotic. Even in the post-Gattuso era, defensive midfielders were directly kicked out of the stage of competition for top positions. This is also Klinsmann's attempt to balance the big-name players in the midfield.
There were too many changes that had to be made, and this also paved the way for his betrayal and separation today.
The same is true for the back line. Nesta is very strong, but Nesta is not an iconic figure in Millwall. If he stays in Millwall for ten years, with his ability, he will become an unforgettable figure in Millwall history.
A forgotten figure, but Nesta is now 27, and the king of the next generation of defenders has still not emerged.
A team needs to have a clear internal order, and this kind of control requires even higher requirements for the head coach. Before last summer, Aldridge did not consider this aspect until Klinsmann led the team for nearly a season.
, he finally figured out the reason bit by bit through the problems that broke out at Millwall. This is something that can only be seen by a bystander who sees the problem and then reflects on it.
Inside Millwall, which cannot be seen by the outside world, in fact, this kind of disordered internal consumption and infighting is the reason for the obvious decline in the team's combat effectiveness. It has little to do with the technical and tactical advantages and disadvantages, because half of the team has world-class football.
No matter how the team, formation, and play style change, there will never be a huge difference.
"Aldridge, I also love Millwall and like everything here, so I resign. I can't accept the fact that I ruined Millwall bit by bit with my own hands."
Klinsmann raised his head and turned to look at Aldrich for the first time. There were two obvious tears on his face.
Aldrich suddenly felt guilty. He was always bold and easy to ignore many objective facts. Klinsmann's words made him feel like a knife.
We can't blame Klinsmann for overestimating his capabilities and daring to take over the coaching position of Millwall, a super strong team. That temptation was thrown to Klinsmann by Aldrich.
Aldridge shook his head slightly, lowered his gaze, and fell on the glass of wine. He said in a harsh voice: "I will not accept your resignation. Tomorrow, Millwall will officially announce your dismissal."
Klinsmann stood up, whispered two words and walked out.
"Thanks."
Thank you for what?
If Millwall sacks him, will they give him contract compensation?
Of course not.
It was Aldrich who maintained his dignity.
If Klinsmann takes the blame and resigns, it will prove that he is afraid, has retreated, and has no confidence to continue. In the eyes of the outside world, this is an act of coward and even self-denial.
Just like Keegan, who resigned after leading England to a loss to Germany, he himself admitted that he was lacking in ability.
Being a head coach is not a job that you can do without fighting for anything. The first thing is to make others believe in you!
If you no longer have confidence in yourself, who do you expect to convince?
If Millwall fired Klinsmann, it would more or less cover up Klinsmann's coaching failure this time.
After drinking the wine from his glass, Aldrich took out his lighter, lit a cigarette, and burned the letter.
Five minutes later, Aldrich took out his cell phone and called Jensen, saying only one sentence.
"Come back to the Wild Lion with me tomorrow." (To be continued)
