An hour after the FA officially announced Hoddle's dismissal, Aldrich's phone was ringing off the hook.
Andrew asked him if he would be interested in temporarily leading the national team for next year's European Championship.
Andrew was the go-between, the intermediary for the FA Chairman Thompson.
Thompson believed that to stabilize public sentiment, maintain hope in the national team, and prevent the FA from becoming the target of criticism, they needed a head coach who could immediately reassure the public.
However, the list of potential candidates for the England manager position had already dwindled considerably.
The criteria for hiring were extremely strict. Over the past century, England had never had a foreign coach, and as FA Chairman, Thompson was unwilling to break that tradition. This was a tradition the English public adhered to as well. They were not like the open-minded Spanish; they preferred to follow the examples of football powerhouses like Germany and Italy, sticking with domestic coaches.
Without a second thought, Aldrich asked Andrew to turn down Thompson's offer.
What a joke! Millwall had been on a roll this season, and what they needed most right now was stability. The peace within the club had already made Aldrich content. Taking over the England job—even as a temporary measure—would undoubtedly have a negative impact on Millwall. He wasn't about to jeopardize his current situation. It would be a disaster, a self-sabotage.
With Fleet Street's keen sense for news, aside from reporting on Hoddle's departure, it was only natural that the next England manager would be analyzed. This led to numerous reporters calling Aldrich, eager to dig for information. However, Aldrich chose to ignore all of them.
The media voices calling for Aldrich to take over the national team were deafening.
The front page of The Times read: "FA, What Are You Waiting For?!"
Below the headline was a picture of Aldrich from the waist up, with a large array of trophy icons beneath it, each labeled with a year.
From the 1995 season to the end of 1998, Aldrich had led his team to win every trophy, even including the minor Charity Shield.
However, some media outlets predicted Aldrich would never take on the England job.
The only reason was simple: Aldrich would never give up his position at Millwall.
The debate around this continued to stir up a great deal of discussion and had a significant impact on Millwall as well.
As preparations for the weekend's league match were underway, the training ground was swarmed with fans, holding up banners that all read, "Don't leave Millwall, Aldrich."
Millwall was now financially stable and could hire a prestigious coach, and there were undoubtedly many famous managers willing to lead this talented group of players to glory.
But the Lions' fans didn't want to see that happen. In fact, during street interviews, most fans stated they weren't interested in any so-called "big-name" managers. Even if Aldrich's performance started to decline tomorrow, they still wanted him to stay as the manager of Millwall.
At least they had shared moments of glory. In their peak, Aldrich was with them. If the team were to fall into a low point, they were willing to stay by Aldrich's side. It was a bond, like family. Even without the excitement, they had grown used to each other's presence. When it was absent, everything felt off.
Ronaldinho casually ran up to Aldrich during training and asked, "Boss, are you going to coach the England national team?"
When Ronaldinho asked the question outright, Aldrich realized that this storm needed to end immediately. Perhaps Ronaldinho was simply voicing what everyone else was thinking. Even if the other players didn't ask, they must have thought the same in their hearts.
At the Saturday Premier League pre-match press conference, not a single journalist asked about the upcoming game. Every question was focused on the England national team manager position.
Aldrich took the opportunity to make a formal statement: "When I took over Millwall at 18, I made a decision: I would only manage one club for my entire life, and that's Millwall. I'm not ready to retire yet, so I will continue in this role. I wish the England national team all the best and hope they grow stronger and achieve great results in international competitions, but I will not be leading them into next year's European Championship. That's not in my plans. Right now, my sole goal is to help Millwall defend our league title and achieve even greater success in the Champions League than we did last season. Please stop speculating about whether I will take on the England job. Thank you."
Aldrich's statement immediately silenced Fleet Street. Now that the person involved had spoken, any further uproar would just be for show.
The weekend's match had him waiting at home for the arrival of an old friend.
Bobby Robson brought his Newcastle United team to The Den field.
Robson had taken over the team when Newcastle was at the bottom of the league. By the halfway point in the season, they had already pulled clear of the relegation zone, with a comfortable gap, and Robson had played a key role in that turnaround. This was something Aldrich deeply admired about him.
Some coaches can only play a good hand of cards—if they have the right players, they win, but when faced with a bad hand, they don't know what to do.
Others, like Robson, can make the best of any situation, whether the team is stacked with talent or lacking in depth. He was capable of leading Barcelona to an attacking football spectacle, guiding a weakened PSV Eindhoven into the Champions League, and now rescuing Newcastle from the depths of relegation.
Of course, this doesn't mean Robson's coaching ability should be overly glorified. For example, he couldn't defeat Capello in La Liga, and he lost to Aldrich in the same season. However, his ability to flexibly apply his coaching experience and knowledge was undeniable and worthy of respect. Aldrich believed coaches like Robson were rare gems. Unlike many so-called "top coaches" who blamed players when their results didn't meet expectations, Robson's adaptability and insight made him deserving of admiration.
Newcastle had no real pressure now that they had escaped relegation, and with little left to fight for this season, they came to The Den field simply to play.
Before the match, Aldrich and Robson, with his head full of white hair, stood together and chatted.
Their conversation wasn't about the game; it was about the England national team's coaching job.
Robson was in favor of Aldrich taking the national team position, but Aldrich believed the FA wouldn't approve of him taking on the role on a long-term basis.
By "long-term," Aldrich meant a full tournament cycle. If he were to take over the national team now, it would only be short-term, and incomplete—since the European Championship qualifiers were already over, he would only lead the team through a few friendly matches before heading straight into the tournament. Aldrich felt the chances of success in such a short period were extremely slim.
"Actually, you've considered accepting the FA's invitation, haven't you?" Robson heard the hint in Aldrich's words. At the very least, Aldrich didn't outright deny it, which made Robson believe there was some interest.
Aldrich closed his eyes with a wry smile and replied, "Maybe I've been swayed."
The media's bombardment in recent days had indeed left an impact on him.
He hadn't thought much about this before.
Leading a club, an English Premier League club at that, and then also taking on the England national team? Would the FA agree to that?
No chance!
But with the loud calls from the media, if Aldrich said he hadn't thought about it, that would be impossible. He had to admit there was a stirring inside him.
As the players began to enter the field, Aldrich hugged Robson and then walked back to his coaching position.
Today, Robson's tactical approach was fairly pragmatic, and Newcastle's strength was not what it once was. Oh, even during their peak years, they had been defeated by Millwall, who were not as strong as they are now.
The Millwall players today were steady, taking a more patient and cautious approach. This wasn't due to fear of Newcastle, but rather a deliberate adjustment by Aldrich.
In the new season, Millwall had already secured 15 consecutive league victories, and with the additional 4 wins in the Champions League, the momentum and form of their starting lineup were reaching their limits!
Even the strongest teams can't maintain peak form indefinitely. The performance curve always fluctuates, just like other teams, but the difference between strong and weak teams is that the former's low points are shorter, their peaks longer, and their fluctuations less frequent.
Millwall has created a new record—19 consecutive league wins spanning across two seasons. Now, with every game they play, they have the chance to break their own record.
The players needed to take it easy, to hold back a bit. But even now, they were pushing themselves, driven by the goal of the Ballon d'Or. Every weekend, not just the British media, but European outlets followed Millwall closely, watching if they could extend their league-winning streak. This served as the best publicity campaign for the Ballon d'Or—if the players performed exceptionally, they would be in the spotlight, with the media highlighting their achievements.
However, Aldrich needed the players to hold back their form in this match. He didn't want them to explode with energy—not today. He wanted them to maintain a steady state and save their peak performance for the next match!
The next league match was going to be a showdown: Millwall would host Manchester United in a crucial Premier League battle.
When the final whistle blew, the Den erupted with massive cheers.
"Millwall has secured their 16th consecutive league win of the new season, extending their streak across seasons! The record for consecutive wins in Europe's top five leagues has been broken again. The scoreline, 2-0, may not suggest much drama, but Millwall's dominance on the field was undeniable. Newcastle managed only 3 shots throughout the match. This is Robson's second loss to Aldrich. The veteran coach showed great sportsmanship, offering a handshake to Aldrich after the match. The two iconic English managers shared a brief conversation post-game, clearly respecting each other. Now, all eyes are on Millwall, as fans eagerly anticipate the next match. Millwall will host Manchester United. Will the Red Devils break Millwall's winning streak? This is critical to the Premier League title race. See you all in a week."
Winning this match was crucial for Aldrich.
It would be completely different whether Millwall faced Manchester United after a halted winning streak or with 16 consecutive league wins. The morale boost would be starkly contrasting.
After the match, Aldrich quickly answered a few questions from reporters and left. He appeared deep in thought as he exited the club and got into a luxury car.
Andrew, who had been specially invited to the stadium to watch the match, was sitting in the car. Seeing Aldrich get in, he asked, "Where are we going?"
"I need to think about some things. Let's go somewhere quiet for a bit."
"What are you thinking about?"
"The England national team manager position."
"You've already made a statement, haven't you?"
"I've only said I won't lead England into next year's European Championship."
Andrew's eyes shifted as he smirked and said, "I see."