The Rise of Millwal

What Aldrich wanted Andrew to do was, in terms of method, a tactic commonly used by politicians.

It was like how some heads of state might use war or national security crises to rally unprecedented unity and support among their citizens.

Although Fleet Street's media, which is Millwall's mouthpiece, can't be used directly, it's no challenge to have Andrew find a middleman and leverage the media to strike at Millwall.

Aldrich didn't want to repeatedly shout slogans at the team. Once or twice might work, but any more would make the team immune to them.

He believed the excessive praise from the outside world was beginning to backfire, weakening Millwall's soft power.

This kind of situation was common in individual players with weak mental resilience. Some players, after receiving a few compliments, would become complacent, forgetting their place. Millwall had been receiving praise for over two years now! Even the strongest team might eventually start to crumble under such pressure.

After finalizing the plan with Andrew, Aldrich received a call from Boas.

The search for a backup goalkeeper had yielded results.

In truth, there weren't many options that met Aldrich's criteria.

Starting goalkeepers from top-tier clubs were out of the question.

The best choice was to find an aging goalkeeper past his prime.

Young hopefuls didn't have enough experience, and no one could predict how they would perform. The goalkeeper position was unique in that developing players within the team often didn't guarantee quality. Unless someone like Casillas came along to seize the position by chance, or Buffon, who became a star at a young age, most keepers didn't make the jump without years of proven experience.

Aldrich let his family know and then drove back to the club.

It was Christmas, and he figured this would be his only day of rest. But because of the goalkeeper situation, he had to work overtime, heading back to the club to coordinate with the coaching staff and the transfer department to handle the winter transfer window.

The Christmas period had just ended, and Millwall was scheduled to play three league matches over the next week. In fact, they had 4 Premier League matches in just 10 days!

After returning to the club, Aldrich went over the materials Boas had prepared with the club's goalkeeping coach.

Boas didn't have many recommendations, but the most reliable one, in his opinion, was a player named Pagliuca.

Aldrich couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic when he heard the name. He had completely forgotten about him.

Was Pagliuca famous? Of course!

But in Aldrich's memory, the name didn't ring a bell. During his encounters with Inter Milan, Pagliuca had always sat on the bench, while Peruzzi started. When Millwall's coaching staff analyzed their opponents, they'd automatically ignore the backup goalkeeper.

Now, Pagliuca had left Inter Milan and was playing for Bologna. Millwall would never face him in European competition.

Aldrich watched the video and flipped through the match data Boas had compiled.

In Italy, Pagliuca had been heavily criticized for a time, which was understandable since it was a country where defense was considered an art, and any goalkeeper mistake was magnified.

Pagliuca might not have the ability to read the ball like Peruzzi, perform miraculous penalty saves like Toldo, or organize the defense like Schmeichel.

But he was a goalkeeper who perfected the basic requirements of his position. His style was not flashy but had a profound sense of solidity.

At 34 years old, Pagliuca still possessed the drive and composure that Aldrich admired. A goalkeeper had to be fearless when making saves, understanding that they often faced the opponent's feet at the same height, becoming a human target. A great goalkeeper needed to overcome their natural self-preservation instinct, to not flinch when danger approached—and Pagliuca embodied that perfectly.

While reviewing Pagliuca's statistics, Aldrich noticed something interesting. When the club assesses a player's performance, the goalkeeper's position is not simply listed by the number of saves or success rates. More comprehensive data, such as the average distance of goal kicks, passing accuracy, and success rate of decision-making during rushes, better reflect a player's overall level.

One statistic about Pagliuca surprised Aldrich.

The success rate of ending an opponent's attack in front of the goal during chaotic situations!

This stat was crucial, especially for a team like Millwall.

Their opponents often found it difficult to break through their defense in regular attacks, and the highest goals conceded came from chaos, particularly when the situation in the penalty area got messy. For example, when the opponent launched a second attack or when the ball unexpectedly deflected and landed in a dangerous area inside the box. In these cases, conceding a goal couldn't be blamed on the defense, as it appeared to be a result of an accidental, chaotic situation.

Aldrich couldn't help but think of Pagliuca, standing tall at 1.9 meters and 87 kilograms, his fierce and fearless nature. The truth is, when you gaze at someone, your subconscious will naturally make you admire them more the longer you look.

The recent memory of this person resurfaced because of Pirlo, and it wasn't a positive one. In the original history, Pirlo had once played a Panenka penalty against Pagliuca, which angered the Bologna players. As Pirlo went to celebrate his goal, one of them came over to warn him and then pushed him in the head.

But Aldrich also recalled a description of Pagliuca's entire career, which was very vivid.

Pagliuca was like an untouchable figure in the penalty area. Anyone who underestimated him would inevitably pay a heavy price. With his stubbornness and courage to face every challenge, Pagliuca could be summarized in four words: A steadfast figure!

"He's the one!"

Aldrich made his decision firmly while glancing over the other candidates' names, which all seemed less satisfying compared to Pagliuca.

Especially considering that Pagliuca, at 34, was joining the team, he would not be replacing Butt, ensuring that Butt wouldn't overthink things during his recovery.

The team's goalkeeper coach had no objections. Looking at the list of candidates, Pagliuca's big-match experience and strength were unquestionable. Though his technical characteristics weren't as standout as those of top-tier goalkeepers, he didn't have any significant flaws. This man had perfected the basics.

Jensen furrowed his brow slightly and said, "Mid-season, suddenly going after a main goalkeeper from a mid-table Serie A team might be a bit tricky."

"Let's start with an offer."

Aldrich didn't want to waste time. Whether it worked out or not, they could at least begin negotiations.

Millwall quickly sent a bid of £3 million to Bologna for Pagliuca.

Bologna's response the next day was: Not for sale! No deal!

Pagliuca's return to Bologna was driven by his desire to contribute to his hometown club. If the club sold him for just £3 million, it would be heartless.

Millwall made a second offer of £4 million.

Bologna quickly responded: "No deal."

The "not for sale" tag had already been ripped off.

While Serie A had many wealthy clubs, not all of them had the natural economic background or rich owners to back them.

That afternoon, Millwall made a third offer: £5 million!

Everything was quiet in England. However, word leaked from the Apennine Peninsula.

Perhaps it was Bologna internally discussing the transfer and the news got out.

Fleet Street wasn't surprised.

Millwall's starting goalkeeper was injured, and the backup goalkeeper could not be trusted after his mistake against Manchester United. The second half of the season was going to be even more critical than the first.

On the third day, Millwall made a fourth offer: a fax with £6 million for Bologna.

Bologna finally relented: We can sit down and negotiate.

Aldrich marveled at the cunning of Serie A clubs.

Everyone knew Millwall was looking for a goalkeeper, and since they had their eye on Pagliuca, Bologna had no reason not to take advantage of the situation.

The winter transfer window was about to open, closing in a month, and the Champions League registration for the second half of the season had to be submitted to UEFA in February. Millwall couldn't afford to waste time negotiating slowly.

But since Bologna had shifted from "Not for sale" to "Let's talk," Aldrich didn't hesitate. He had the club make one final offer: £8.5 million!

If they sell, we'll negotiate directly with the player.

If not, we'll simply look for another replacement.

For a 34-year-old goalkeeper, Millwall's offer was already a show of great sincerity.

The Italian transfer market still deals in dollars, though it's gradually being replaced by euros. Meanwhile, the pound had made a strong recovery in the second half of 2000, rising from below 1.4 to 1.5 against the dollar. In other words, Millwall was offering nearly $13 million to buy Pagliuca.

If Bologna refuses to sell, they won't be able to get a cash return on Pagliuca, especially considering that in just a year, he'll be in the final stretch of his career.

Aldrich didn't understand what was going on in Italy, but every time Millwall put in a bid, the Italian media always seemed to get the news right away, like someone had a direct line into Bologna.

This made the team on Fleet Street start to think that Millwall might be crazy.

Spending nearly ten million pounds on a 34-year-old backup goalkeeper?

Millwall, known for their tight budget and reluctance to spend, had to be questioned. Was the club finally willing to spend its money?

Aldrich had voiced his frustrations within the club, but the transfer staff swiftly explained things to him.

There was no doubt the news had come from Bologna.

The purpose was simple: to make Pagliuca reconsider his decision.

When Pagliuca joined Bologna over the summer, it was because he wanted to help his hometown team and play out the last years of his career there. Now, with the club eager to make a quick profit, they couldn't just sell him off without some compassion.

They made sure to use the media to show him Millwall's ever-increasing offers, their growing interest, the aggressive tactics, the sincerity, the passion, and so on. The idea was to create an emotional impact on Pagliuca before having a direct conversation with him.

Selling him would be a good deal for the club, but it would also be a way for Pagliuca to contribute to his hometown team.

While Aldrich's team was preparing for the Premier League campaign, the club had already sent a negotiation team to Italy to discuss the transfer. The fee agreement between the clubs had been reached. In the end, Millwall relented, agreeing to 9 million pounds, roughly 13.5 million dollars.

Pagliuca was torn and in an awkward position. His club had essentially "sold" him, but if he stayed, what would happen? If he moved to London, it would mean a major change for his family, and it wouldn't be a short-term adjustment. It was a decision he had to take seriously.

On the day before the winter transfer window opened, Aldrich personally called Pagliuca.

He first made sure to outline the position Pagliuca would hold in the team.

For the second half of the season, Pagliuca would be the starting goalkeeper.

When Butt recovered from his injury, if Butt was in good form, Pagliuca would play as a backup. Millwall gave backup goalkeepers about 10 to 15 matches per season, and if the starting keeper struggled, there would be more opportunities for the backup.

In the end, Aldrich made a sincere offer to Pagliuca, pointing out that Millwall had an Italian presence in the squad. With plenty of Italian players around, Pagliuca wouldn't feel out of place.

On January 1, when the transfer window opened, Pagliuca signed the deal. He was expected to join Millwall in ten days and make his Premier League debut on the 14th.