David Beckham packed his bags and left London the same day.

That evening, Aldridge received a call from the Manchester United manager.

"Aldrich, I've learned about David, and I don't want this to affect our relationship."

Aldridge heard the opening words of the old Scottish man a little strange.

"Huh? You think I'm a three-year-old kid who is unhappy with David Beckham and hate the club as a whole? Don't worry, I'm not that careful, David is not mature, and with the fact that he is on loan at Millwall, it is normal that he will not listen to me. ”

Ferguson, who was a tactical observer on the pitch, naturally came to call Aldridge after watching the video of Middlesbrough's away game against Millwall, and he had already learned the details of the incident from another player, Phil Neville.

He would not accuse David Beckham, not even mention it, nor would he make a special phone call to explain anything to Aldridge, which Aldridge could have expected, but Ferguson said that it would not affect the relationship between the two clubs, which made Aldridge feel strange.

"Well, you are a free and easy young man, so good, don't say anything else, see you later."

Aldrich hung up the phone and felt confused.

Don't say anything else?

Ferguson clearly has something to say!

It's just that the timing is wrong.

Aldridge was soaking in the bathtub at home before he figured out: this old man was afraid that he would resent Manchester United and would not sell the player to Manchester United!

Does Ferguson want to buy people?

Definitely!

Although Andy Cole was bought as a striker for the team in January, Ferguson was complacent to fight Blackburn Rovers in Dalglish in the second half of the season, but no one expected that just half a month later, in the match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace, Cantona kicked Crystal Palace fans and shocked the world.

The FA's fine has been issued and Cantona is banned for eight months!

The winter transfer window has closed, while Eric Cantona's suspension extends until the end of September.

That is to say, in the first few rounds of the Premier League next season, Manchester United is still lacking Cantona, and it will be unknown how Cantona will be in shape after eight months of no games.

And Beckham, who returned to Manchester, was not just on Larsson's eyes after Ferguson asked, Trezeguet and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were both on United's scouting list.

The day after the match day, the team had a break in the morning and in the afternoon the players came to the training ground for a relaxed recovery session.

As the sun sets, Aldrich calls Phil Neville in his office.

Neville, who had changed into casual clothes after training, was an honest young man and went straight to the point as soon as he sat down in Aldridge's office: "Boss, I want to stay, at least for the rest of the season, and at Millwall, I think I can gain valuable experience." ”

Honest people just don't sell off.

Phil Neville has made more than 10 appearances this season as a substitute, and at Millwall, Aldridge would not dare to say that he has done his best to train him, but with the first team, the entire coaching staff can do a good job.

Aldrich sighed softly, "I want you to stay, too, but it can't." You should understand that if you stay, your life here will be difficult in the next few months because you are a Manchester United player. ”

Knocking Beckham away and Neville staying, he will definitely be isolated in the dressing room, and Aldridge can't expect his players to be elevated.

Neville may not have caused outrage, but his Manchester United background has prevented him from establishing himself in a team sport that is based on a collective framework.

Neville's face turned lost and he didn't refute anything.

He was kind of a fish in the pond, and it is no surprise that Millwall's players distrust and reject him because of the Beckham incident.

Aldridge picked up the two stacks of thick documents on the table, handed him and said: "This is the matter of calling you here, this is the training report of you and David since August last year, and there is also a training proposal for future development." ”

Neville reached out and took the two thick stacks of papers, and he suddenly didn't know what to say.

Aldridge is known for his hard work, and the coaching staff are all conscientious, treating him and Beckham on loan as equals, and Neville was speechless with both reports.

"You brought these two documents back to Manchester United, I'm just doing my part, you and David are both young, it was really helpless when you came here on loan, but now that you're at Millwall, I feel compelled to be responsible for your growth."

Aldrich babbled a lot, and even he felt verbose, but he couldn't stop his mouth, and only felt a touch of sadness in his heart.

Anyway, they got along for half a year, and they suddenly separated, and he was not mentally prepared.

Neville listened attentively and nodded frequently, especially when Aldridge exhorted him to train hard when he returned and not to be distracted by off-field matters, Neville nodded heavily, remembering every word in his heart.

Following in the footsteps of David Beckham's departure, Neville also returned to Manchester United, a matter that was not mentioned until the press conference for the FA Cup tie in midweek.

Led to a second visit to St James' Park this season, Aldridge was bombarded by the media during his pre-match press conference.

'Why did David Beckham and Phil Neville suddenly return to Manchester United after the last game? Manchester United officially announced two players on loan at Millwall for an entire season before the season, what happened? ”

In the face of the reporters' insistence on breaking the sand pot to ask the end, Aldridge was reluctant to talk deeply, and finally could only say lightly: "The next Millwall schedule is more relaxed, the team's current situation is enough to cope with all the games, Beckham and Neville will not have a chance to play in Millwall again, I think it is better for their growth to let them return to Manchester United early." ”

It was only at this moment that Aldrich understood the difficulties of the reporters.

Originally thought that the two major news of last month would be enough to make England journalists stop for a while, whether it was Graham's sacking or Cantona's kicking of fans, it was enough to make reporters write about it, Aldridge declined to comment on the two incidents in the face of interviews at the time, Graham's Arsenal lost to Millwall, and Aldridge did not want to fall into the trap again.

And Cantona kicked Crystal Palace fans, and Millwall's derby relationship with Crystal Palace doomed him to not speak easily.

On the side of Manchester United, it is inhumane.

Standing on the side of Crystal Palace, isn't that just an elbow turning outward?

Don't help each other?

Opening your mouth is tantamount to offending both sides.

Can you do it?

And today, there is all kinds of speculation about whether Aldridge's relationship with Manchester United has broken down, or whether there is a hostile incident.

Judging from the questions raised by reporters, Aldridge was slightly relieved, at least no one told the truth, his anger in the locker room, no one in the team leaked out, that is a big taboo.

"Gentlemen, if there are no questions about the FA Cup game, then I'll go first."

Aldridge answered a few more questions about the game, then got up and walked away.

As for Kevin Keegan's high-profile announcement before the game that he would beat Millwall in this game, Aldridge didn't pay attention to it.

Kevin Keegan is also a wonder in English football.

It was a very successful player in the seventies and eighties, and he was considered a superstar in England in the seventies and eighties, especially in the last game of retirement, after which a helicopter landed on the pitch from the sky, Kevin Keegan waved goodbye to the fans in tears, got into a helicopter without changing his shirt, and then flew away by helicopter, and a generation of stars retired like this.

It really has the style of "brushing off the clothes and hiding the merit and fame".

Born as a striker, he coached the Magpies and coached Newcastle United to attack well, and in the last two years, he has been a little flustered, and he feels that he can wrestle with Ferguson, and Aldridge feels a little ridiculous.

If a soccer game is decided by offense alone, Kevin Keegan has a big chance of winning.

If Millwall didn't have any ideas about the cup competition this season, Aldridge was reluctant to change the team's strategy overnight, and he would have liked to use his young players to teach Kevin Keegan a lesson called "defensive victory".

The other party is proud, and Aldrich, who provokes something, doesn't bother to pay attention.

With the departures of David Beckham and Neville, Aldridge was a bit stretched in his line-up, and in the FA Cup replay, he kept Lucas Neal on the pitch, Zambrotta switched to right wing-back, and the midfield continued to play Arsenal's posture, Gattuso Vieira Ballack.

Striker three: Glen Schal, Phillips, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Aldridge wants to see how effective it will be when such a 433, Glen Schal and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer play as wingers.

At St James' Park, Newcastle United fielded their main players in a thrilling battle between the two sides.

The previous match was 1:1.

And in this game, no one expected that the score would be 4:4 after 90 minutes.

Facing Newcastle United, who have a gorgeous attack and outstanding individual ability, Aldridge knows that they can't hold on, and they are not facing a rough team in League One, but a strong team in the Premier League that relies on attacking top.

And the forward assist ability of Ballack and Vieira, coupled with the unexpected performance of the front trident, Millwall's attack is also booming.

Phillips scored twice, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer netted and Ballack headed in the equaliser just before the break.

Exhausted in extra-time, Millwall were eventually eliminated by the Magpies and knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.

Aldridge had no regrets, but in his post-game interview, he unexpectedly heard Kevin Keegan making another big talk.

'Mr Keegan says Millwall have paid the price for disrespecting the FA Cup, and even if Millwall are promoted to the Premier League next season, it will be difficult to stay in relegation.

"Did he say that?"

Aldridge looked a little confused by the camera lens of the post-match interview.

You won the game, no matter how you celebrate, why do you have to bite me and not let go?

Well, the beam is knotted!

"I'm glad to hear what Mr Kevin Keegan said, if Millwall enter the Premier League next season, of course our task is to avoid relegation, especially when we meet a strong team like Newcastle United, we especially need to get some points from them to avoid relegation, Newcastle United have lost the qualification for the Premier League title this season, then I wish Kevin Keegan the opportunity to touch the Premier League trophy next season."