The Young Lion

Arriving at Ferguson's home in Cheshire, Aldridge met the legendary Scottish old man face to face for the first time.

The first impression is neither the majestic majesty of the all-powerful and commanding country, nor the majestic and stern momentum that seems to set off a storm.

The old Scottish man fell asleep sitting on a deck chair in the garden. Under the soft sunset, he looked more like a man who returned to the field after returning to the field with a knowing smile.

Ferguson, who was wearing a casual T-shirt in the middle of summer, was gently nudged awake by his wife, Kathy.

Ferguson had said before that there would be guests at home, but while waiting in the garden, he took a sweet afternoon nap.

After waking up, Ferguson rubbed his eyes, then squinted his eyes and looked at the visitor not far away, as if he couldn't see clearly. He found the glasses on the table beside him and put them on before he regained his energy.

Kathy brought tea for the guests and put it on the table, then left.

Ferguson avoided talking about any football-related matters at home. If it weren't for the guests brought by their favorite son, I am afraid Ferguson would not choose to be at home even if he agreed to meet with Aldridge.

Aldrich considers himself a very simple person. He does not have the different standards of dealing with people brought about by the influence of region, race, culture, religion, etc. in the British bones. He can and is willing to be friends with everyone, which makes him in the He is very open and natural in front of anyone, with no pretensions in etiquette, words and deeds.

Mr. Ferguson, hello.

Aldrich greeted Ferguson with a smile on his face. Ferguson looked up at him, stared at him for a long time, and then waved to Jason, as if he didn't want outsiders to be present for the next talk.

When Ferguson spoke to the club owner and manager Aldridge in the role of Manchester United club manager, there was a lot of content that could not be heard by people outside the circle.

Even though Jason is Ferguson's son, strictly speaking, Jason is someone outside the football circle.

This is closely related to the conservative tradition of the United Kingdom. Football is actually a very small circle. Whether it is well-known to passers-by or a mysterious mystery, everything should stay in this circle and be sealed in history.

Aldrich cast a wink at Andrew, signaling him to follow Jason and leave.

Andrew greeted Ferguson politely, and Ferguson nodded to him with a smile, and then watched the two young men enter the room.

Ferguson stretched out his hand, and Aldridge sat down calmly, at the table next to Ferguson, with steaming tea on it.

The British like to drink tea, and it has almost become their tradition.

More than a hundred years ago, it was the British aristocrats who fell in love with tea crazily, which caused China to cause a British trade deficit in international trade, and indirectly led to the subsequent Opium War, and then the British shamelessly stole China’s tea Technology and tea varieties have established a large area of ​​production gardens in East India.

After Aldridge and Ferguson had a sip of tea, they started chatting. Basically, Ferguson asked about Aldridge's recent situation.

That's what Aldridge did after he took over the club. Ferguson seemed to want to learn about this stranger he met for the first time from Aldridge's series of crazy actions.

From the bottom of his heart, Ferguson hated Aldridge, and his first impression was not good.

No manager wants to be in the middle of a press conference and suddenly learn that the club has a new owner.

And it caught everyone by surprise.

Forcing the first-team coaching staff to resign voluntarily is simply contempt for the rules.

Ferguson was very curious about Aldridge. If there were only deeds like the collapse of Millwall's first team in the past, Ferguson would only taunt Aldridge with the people around him. As for the introduction of his own son as an intermediary, Ferguson would also Reject directly.

But Millwall's actions in the transfer market in the past month are too surprising, and can even be regarded as a summer storm in English football. Although Ferguson has no interest in Millwall, he occasionally reads the news , found something that made him curious.

Although Millwall's summer signings are mainly young players, and even the average age of all players may be less than 20 years old, Ferguson, who knows a little bit, has a keen insight into Aldridge's signings. A new team!

Regardless of the player's ability and reputation, just looking at the player's position, it really does look like a team.

Although Ferguson can't figure out the details, after all, there are many players whose positions on the field are uncertain, because many players are penniless in English football, and they are like people who popped out of the cracks in the rocks.

After all, the current information is not as developed as it will be in ten or twenty years.

In the process of chatting with Ferguson, Aldridge neither pretended to be profound, nor was he cautious. He said what he had and did not hide anything.

He even confessed that he unexpectedly appeared at the press conference to embarrass the team coach and make the other party submit his resignation voluntarily.

This is not to show off, nor is it to make an example of others, but if Aldridge wants to control the team, he must start over and build a team that he can control.

Chatting and chatting, Ferguson at least let go of the prejudice against Aldridge when he didn't meet. As the owner of the club, it would be really difficult for the other party to serve as the head coach of the team without the Thunder's methods.

It wasn't until night fell that Ferguson remembered to ask the other party the purpose of his visit.

After chatting with the old man for more than an hour, Aldridge expressed his intention with a wry smile.

My squad is still a little thin, so I want to loan players to Manchester United.

Ferguson stared at Aldrich with a strange expression, and asked, Why don't you buy it, but borrow it?

The subtext is all too obvious.

You have already spent more than ten million pounds. Who else is there for you? Why don’t you spend more money?

Aldridge scratched his head, smiled wryly and said, To be honest, I like a lot of players, really, but I can't afford them, and those players will definitely not come. Many of the people in my current team are unknown. The famous players of the generation are not the stars of the major leagues.”

Ferguson nodded, thinking to himself that this young man is still sensible, not the kind of nouveau riche who brandishes money and thinks that everyone will bow down.

Who are you looking for? Maybe I can really sell it to you.

Hearing this sentence, Aldrich was stunned, then turned his head to look at the old Scottish man with his eyes narrowed into a line and smiled harmlessly, suddenly smiled wryly: You are kidding me!

Okay, Neville Brothers, Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Nicky Butt, just these few, you make an offer, and I will accept everything up to five million pounds.

It was originally just a joke, but Ferguson's expression became serious.

The British transfer record is only 3.75 million pounds, but Aldridge is willing to pay 5 million pounds for these young people?

You mean to pack 5 million?

They are not Chinese cabbages. Each player costs 5 million pounds. If you are willing to let them go, I will take them all at once. How about it? Even if you can't sell them all at once, one or two will be fine, right? This is a new transfer Recorded.

After Aldrich finished speaking, a smile appeared on his face, and he stared at the change of Ferguson's expression without blinking: Reverse the general!

Ferguson slammed his mouth, and suddenly sighed: Who do you want to rent?

Aldridge didn't expect the old man to be so cunning, so he changed the subject directly.

Beckham.

After thinking for a while, Ferguson asked, Playing time?

At least 20 games.

Rental fee?

Millwall pays the loan wages, nothing else.

After another period of contemplation, Ferguson raised his head and said, I'll give you another person and give him 20 playing time, how about that?

Aldrich frowned, this old man was not only cunning, but also a little bit climbing up the pole.

He helped his players level up for free, and the opponent directly regarded himself as a professional leveling for free.

Who?

Phil Neville.

Although the little brother of Gary Neville was promoted to Manchester United's first team this summer like Beckham, but like Beckham's fate, if he does not go out on loan this season, he will definitely sit on the bench.

Phil Neville is a backcourt player, who can play as a fullback or a midfielder. In Aldridge's lineup, the midfielder, especially the midfielder, he has Makelele and Vieira, as well as the 17-year-old Gato Suo, these are jades in the rough, and they need a lot of games to temper. Even at the risk of losing, Aldridge would rather give them training and growth.

Aldridge said frankly: Mr. Ferguson, for Phil Neville, I can only say that if Manchester United loan him to my team, Phil Neville will only appear in the full-back next year. position.

Aldridge didn't know Ferguson's specific training plan for Phil Neville. He stated his position and let Ferguson make a choice.

Well, yes. It's getting late, let's stay and have dinner together.

Ferguson got up and moved his body, and then asked Aldridge and Andrew to stay at home and have a simple dinner.

The next day, Millwall officially announced the end of the summer transfer, and the team will conduct training for the next season on July 21.