Chapter 80: Two very different cities

When Aldridge walked out of Old Trafford to take a taxi to the train station, his cell phone rang.
It was just a habit of pulling out the phone to cancel the silent mode. He found that there were several text messages and two missed calls. It happened that when he took out his phone, there was a call.
Caller: Melanie.
"Hi."
"Aldrich, where are you? You are so crazy today!"
"I am going back to London."
"Huh? Are you still in Manchester?"
"Yes, I just chatted with Manchester United manager in his office for a while."
"What's there to talk to him about? You aren't from the same age. Then you come to my house for dinner. My mother wants to meet you too. She said she would take a look at my boyfriend."
"Okay, then tell me the address, I will take a taxi."
After hanging up the phone, Aldridge temporarily depressed his gloom.
He did not promise Ferguson in person, or refused.
There is no problem with transfer fees. In this year, Manchester United’s offer is reasonable, although perhaps after three to five years, Larson and Trezeguet’s worth will soar to more than 15 million pounds.
However, the transfer involves three aspects, Manchester United, Millwall, and the players themselves.
If Manchester United does not offer, Aldridge can be taken seriously, but Manchester United offers, the situation is very different.
Aldridge will not rashly agree, because the importance of these two players to Millwall is self-evident.
But it cannot be refused decisively, what if the player wants to go? Manchester United did not offer an insulting offer or could not meet their salary needs.
If there is a conflict between the player’s will and the club’s will, staying in the team is not necessarily more than a disadvantage. Moreover, Audridge wants to establish an image. He forced the player to make some discordant rumors and sign new players for him in the future. There will be a negative impact. Millwall itself is not attractive. If the head coach can no longer attract players to vote, then this club will have no future at all.
Aldridge is not unable to sell players, he borrowed his brother Barnett 30 million pounds, what to pay back?
Does it only depend on the low income of the club? I'm afraid it won't last for ten years.
He relied on the salary of almost the first-line players in England to pay the main players, just to retain the players, if they want to sell in the future, they will also sell a good price.
If the deal between Larson and Trezeguet is reached, Aldridge can make nearly ten million pounds a year from two players!
In the next two years, he must make up for the breakeven by selling players. The budget of the club will run out of light after this season. If the operating income can increase significantly this season, then Odri Qi can persist for another season, but by the year 97, I'm afraid he will become a poor man.
It’s not natural to just go in and out, but it can’t sell people this season. The first season of the Premier League is too important for Millwall. This is not only about survival, but also about the limit of achievement.
Aldridge called Andrew while waiting for the bus. When Trezeguet was introduced last year, the agent changed to Andrew. Larsen renewed his contract in the summer and became Andrew's player.
It's not easy to talk to Andrew about what the Manchester United will offer the two players. What is left to do is not Audric's question. In fact, he and Andrew, the two brothers, should be parties with conflicts of interest.
If it was not Larsen and Trezeguet who had just signed a new contract in the summer, and the wages rose sharply, especially Larsen, whose weekly salary rose directly from £8,000 to £15,000, then Andrew, as an agent, Working around, either help the player to move to Manchester United, or use this to help the player get a bigger contract at Millwall.
Everything between the brothers is self-explanatory, Aldrich actually feels relieved, at least the most difficult agent in the transfer transaction is his brother, he is sure that Andrew will not stab him in the back.
The taxi came and Aldridge got the driver to drive to Liverpool.
From Manchester to Liverpool, it takes less than an hour by car. The two cities are so close, but culture, religion, politics, economy, and football are opposites.
Despite all the worries, Aldridge looked at the street scene outside the car window. On this way, the landscape that can be seen is a very different cultural atmosphere of the two cities, and he can also feel the historical changes leading to the different destinies of the two cities.
Manchester’s conservative tradition, the
world factory
that emerged more than two hundred years ago has fallen, and industrial decline after World War II. The manufacturing industry has been declining in the past three decades. Large-scale layoffs have caused Manchester to embark on a painful transformation from manufacturing to service. Industry, and in the streets and alleys, Manchester City people are sad and nostalgic for the glory of this city.
As a well-known port city in the UK, Liverpool is more open and free, so the talented Beatles can be born here. It also quickly embarked on a road of revival in the 1990s. In recent years, the economic growth rate has surpassed London and has become the British economy. Pioneer of growth, Liverpool is an artistic city with many artists.
The sight in the eyes changes, and Audridge suddenly thinks that Melanie is a Liverpool man. Perhaps her musical talent and inspiration are mostly from the magical city of Liverpool.
Aldridge favors talented people, respects diligent people, perhaps because Melanie also possesses these two samples, which makes him tempted.
But he is indifferent to the women with empty skin, otherwise, he is too young, he can already spend the Spring Festival with countless three editions of girls.
After he got off the car in front of Melanie's house, Aldridge looked down at his meter and regretted it.
The suit is of excellent quality, without wrinkles, but the trouser legs with knees down, obviously have two stains. That was left when he rushed into the court to celebrate on his knees and slipped, and there were some dirty spots on the suit, yes The players were contaminated when they came to hug.
Taking off his suit and putting it on his arm, he stood in front of the door and said suddenly: When he first came to the door, he was empty-handed.
He has always paid attention to etiquette, feeling embarrassed.
I knew this was the case, and I should knock Ferguson a good wine before coming.
Standing for a long time in front of the door, he suddenly found that the door was open, and Melanie stared at him with a strange face, and asked in a low voice: "Why are you standing at the door and not ringing the doorbell? Don't you want to come?"
Aldridge smiled bitterly, "Hurry, I didn't bring any gifts."
Melanie rolled her eyes, dragged his arm to the house, and kissed him on the face, saying: "I know you just finished the game, just came to have a light meal, not the kind of high society dinner in your family, It makes people nervous, just casual, my family is very hospitable."
Aldrich's heart is slander: high society?
If someone else says so, Aldridge must think it is ironic.
In the United Kingdom, the real high-class people are not comparable to the Hall family. Authentic nobles can often have afternoon tea with the ministers on Downing Street, go horseback riding with the royal family to play ball...The Hall family is just an upstart. .
It is said that Liverpool is a Scots, warm and hospitable, Aldridge first met Melanie's parents, the impression is very good.
Melanie has a younger brother, and like Melanie is a Liverpool fan.
He went to watch Liverpool's game this afternoon, witnessing Liverpool's small win at Anfield Xie Xie on Wednesday, and happily returned home and heard that Manchester United had a difficult draw at home to tie the newly promoted team, which was very happy.
What surprised him even more was that he saw his sister's boyfriend at home at dinner, the magical head coach of the newly promoted team, Aldridge, who was a few years younger than him.
The dinner was very harmonious. Although Aldridge did not have the academic knowledge, but fortunately, he traveled around the world and was very knowledgeable and talkative.
The only thing that made him headache is that Melanie’s brother watched the highlights after the game and talked to him about football. While talking about which player of Millwall would have greater achievements in Liverpool, he thought about the book. Liverpool can win the league title this season.
Liverpool, it is also a traditional giant who has missed the league title since 90 years.
Aldridge didn’t want to hit him. Even without Millwall’s sudden emergence, Liverpool’s next top-level league champion would not know what year and month. At least in the history Aldridge has experienced, it has been almost 24 years! Will it be more than Manchester United ended the Ferguson era? Manchester United has no dark record for the top league for 26 years. It is hard to say that there is no sign that Liverpool will quickly win the league title after 20 years. After all, the Premier League at that time is already another pattern. Too.
After dinner, I had a pleasant chat with Melanie's family for nearly two hours. Audric saw that it was not early, and got up to say goodbye. Melanie's mother replied: "It's too late. Let's go tomorrow. There is a room at home for guests to stay in."
Melanie knew Aldridge very well. She picked up his suit and unfolded it. She smiled at her family after putting it on: "You don’t know, he is a workaholic, and he will definitely go to the club tomorrow morning, don’t embarrass him." ."
Melanie’s parents all smiled, kindly and comforted, and felt that young people who worked hard like Aldridge were rare, who made it a flashy society now.
Melanie sent Aldridge out, and outside the door, the two hugged and kissed goodbye, and when she was blushing and panting, she said: "I will go to London to watch the ball on the weekend, you have to cheer! Although I believe You, but the media thinks you are flat, still makes people angry, Aldridge, you will fight back those voices, right?"
She has had time for these last few weeks, and the Spice Girls group will be busy for the first album.
Millwall was not optimistic before the season. This is reasonable. No newly promoted team will be particularly optimistic. Especially Millwall, a team that has no heritage and does not introduce well-known stars on a large scale.
Aldridge squeezed her tender face and smiled: "I don't care what others say."
Seeing her stare and seemingly dissatisfied with what he said, Aldridge sighed: "There is no time, who would spend a few hours every day going through the newspaper to see what the outsiders are saying about themselves? Think about how to fight back? Tired or not? Well, no longer talking, I should go, anyway, I will be back in two weeks, when the time comes, hehe, it is estimated that your family will not welcome me."
Melanie kissed him on the lips again and laughed: "If Millwall defeated Liverpool at Anfield, you dare to be here, be careful not to go back to London! Hahaha, Aldridge, be careful on the road, Call me when you get home."
Aldrich shook his head and said, "That will be late and nothing will happen."
"No!"
"Send a text message."
"No! Phone, or I will call you every ten minutes."
"You won, I will call you home, good night."
Aldridge turned around and walked to the intersection of the community and got off in the car.
It wasn't until the taxi disappeared that Melanie bounced back home with her hands.
Aldridge closed his eyes tiredly in the car.
The timing of Manchester United’s transfer intentions is really not the time. This is the beginning of the Millwall Devil schedule. Next week, they will face the same city derby opponent Arsenal. Next week, they will come back here, although not Manchester, but Liverpool...