The New Position of Schneider

fter the match that evening, Aldrich invited Schneider over for dinner at his home. When Schneider arrived, Aldrich had just taken a steak out of the oven. He drizzled some sauce over it, opened a bottle of red wine, and smiled at Schneider, saying, "Please, my cooking isn't that great; my mother does it even better. Next time, I'll invite you to try her skills."

Schneider sat down at the dining table. This wasn't his first time having a one-on-one with Aldrich. During training, Aldrich occasionally brought players into his office to catch up, especially when they first joined the team. He often asked them about their adjustment to life in London.

"It's going pretty well, boss. I heard you make amazing Chinese food?"

"Hmm? Who said that?"

"Read it in the papers."

"Oh, it's okay, I usually prefer steak, but I love Chinese food."

Aldrich knew this information came from a gossip column that had interviewed Melanie. He didn't mind; it was harmless.

Dinner went smoothly. The two of them were around the same age—Schneider was just over two years older than Aldrich—allowing them to chat like friends about the latest music, recent movie releases, and new books in stores.

Schneider realized Aldrich must have invited him over for more than just casual conversation, but he didn't ask, waiting patiently for Aldrich to unveil his intentions.

After dinner, Aldrich went to wash the dishes, and Schneider offered to help. The two men quickly cleared the table and washed the dishes. Then, Aldrich brewed a pot of chamomile tea while Schneider relaxed on the sofa, holding his teacup.

Aldrich went upstairs to grab a tactical notebook. When he returned and settled into an armchair, he smiled at Schneider and said, "Bernd, you probably guess that I want to talk about football, specifically about your career."

Schneider nodded and took a sip of tea, awaiting more information.

Aldrich continued, "To be honest, Bernd, you have talent and a good work ethic. You are the kind of player every coach loves because you always obey and don't stubbornly question why. I hope you understand that today's discussion is meant to be open and honest, rather than me giving you orders."

"Boss, are you planning to sell me?"

Schneider thought Aldrich's tone sounded overly serious, as if he was about to say something hurtful.

Aldrich paused for a second, then shook his head. "Of course not. Take a look at this."

Schneider took the tactical notebook Aldrich handed him and examined it closely.

There was a tactical diagram showing a 4-3-3 formation, and the next page contained a 4-2-3-1 diagram. The player positions were symmetrically and logically indicated, along with lines marking attacking and defensive runs.

The dashed lines represented defense, while the solid lines indicated offense.

Schneider's attention was drawn to the position he played.

In the 4-3-3, he was a winger, and in the 4-2-3-1, he could be seen as an inside forward.

However, the attacking runs were similar in both formations, with solid lines directing towards the opponent's penalty area, while defensive runs tracked back to the goal line, just ahead of the full-backs.

"This is just a basic illustration of attacking and defensive positioning, Bernd. Do you understand what skills your current position will require in the future?"

Aldrich's question left Schneider a bit hesitant. He frowned and said, "Boss, do you want me to get closer to the penalty area?"

Aldrich replied candidly, "In the future tactical system at Millwall, both wingers and inside forwards must possess strong scoring abilities and not just be playmakers for the strikers. You can see how forwards need to support the play; Millwall won't just need pure scorers. Forwards have to score and assist, while wingers need to cut inside and threaten after receiving diagonal passes. You should understand that."

Schneider couldn't argue against it; someone beside him was excelling at this—Robert Pires. 

"Boss, if you think I need to improve my finishing skills in the penalty area, I'll work on it."

Schneider put down the tactical notebook and replied earnestly.

Aldrich shook his head. "I'm not planning to have you practice scoring from inside the penalty area during open play. Honestly, no player is truly versatile. Your dribbling and crossing skills on the wing are top-notch, combined with your excellent team awareness. If I were to have you focus on finishing runs into the penalty area, I think that would ruin you. Do you remember Hans-Peter Briegel, who was once praised in Germany as a template for future players?"

Schneider thought for a long moment, feeling the name was familiar, and finally recalled, "Oh, he was a key player for the West German national team."

Aldrich continued solemnly, "He came from a multi-talented sports background, but what were his accomplishments? In the '82 and '86 World Cups, whenever he was on the field, West Germany conceded at least four goals that he was responsible for. I've said multiple times that the future profile of players will be diverse, but that doesn't mean it's about having a balanced, well-rounded development. Every player has limitations; you need to focus on developing the most effective and pronounced attributes based on your position. My coaching colleagues and I have discussed your potential thoroughly, and frankly, we don't see you developing into the type of winger we will need in the future."

Schneider's face went pale upon hearing the last sentence, feeling as if the world was spinning around him, like he was facing the end of the world.

Noticing his expression, Aldrich quickly added, "Let me finish, Bernd. I truly appreciate and trust you. You are the model player in this team. I want to retain you until your retirement and even bind you to the club's administration with a contract. However, I must respect you and consider what is best for you as well. If you're unwilling to adapt to the team's future tactical system, then I can only recommend that you find a club that suits your attributes, allowing you to achieve the best success in your career rather than becoming a bench player due to tactical reasons."

Schneider said excitedly, "Boss, just tell me what you want me to do! I'll cooperate, no matter what!"

Aldrich pointed to the tactical notebook, saying, "Look again at the attacking and defensive requirements for the right-back position."

Schneider swiftly picked up the notebook and scrutinized it, his gaze fixing on the right-back position.

The dashed defense needed no explanation; a full-back is indeed the last line of defense. Meanwhile, the solid attacking line started from the goal line, directly pointing toward the opponent's byline.

Schneider began to understand. He looked up and asked, "Boss, do you want me to switch to right-back?"

Aldrich nodded with a serious look and replied sincerely, "The whole coaching staff has given you top marks for your defensive attitude. Your willingness to track back is outstanding; among our front players, you and Pavel are the best at coming back into the penalty area. I notice you often, while it's not the same with Robert. Bernd, you should have noticed that this season our tactics have changed. Last season, our full-backs didn't venture forward, and they participated in the build-up only in the second half. But this season, full-back involvement in attack has begun to play a crucial role tactically, which is why when Lillian pushed forward, you were expected to make overlapping runs into the penalty area to support or score, yet that's where your shortcomings were exposed."

Schneider scratched his head, realizing that Aldrich's observations were correct.

This season, Millwall's full-backs significantly impacted the attacking game, particularly on the left, where they were much more effective than on the right. The reason was straightforward: Neil or Zambrotta would push up the left wing to assist while Pires skillfully cut inside, but Schneider, on the right, couldn't replicate that sharpness with Thuram.

"Bernd, I respect you. So, in my future plans, if you're willing, you'll be the main right-back. Defense depends 50% on ability and 50% on awareness; teamwork is especially critical. You just need to focus on strengthening your defensive training and combine that with your advantages. The deeper position of a full-back offers you plenty of space to push forward and contribute to the attack. That's your strength; you have the physicality to cover up and down the flank. Honestly, in the future football world, good forwards are something you can buy, but good full-backs are hard to come by."

Aldrich said earnestly.

Schneider asked curiously, "What about Lillian? Should I switch to the left?"

Thuram was Millwall's starting left-back, an unquestionable choice.

Aldrich sighed at his words; he had truly opened his heart to Schneider.

"Lillian won't be staying at Millwall. Don't you feel he's very quiet in the locker room? Sometimes he seems to have many concerns yet doesn't share them with us, like someone not part of the team? His professionalism is top-tier, but for the past year and a half, I've been hoping to see some signs from him to give me confidence that Millwall could rely on him in the future. However, he lacks a sense of belonging here, and I trust you can see that too."

Schneider fell silent, looking a bit downcast.

As teammates, they found it hard to connect with Thuram. After the East London derby, even though they had won against West Ham United away, Thuram just quietly packed his things and got on the bus back to the team without a word.

Everyone knew he was angry.

During the match at Upton Park, there were fans in the stands who used racist slurs to insult the black players on the field.

Makelele was furious, and post-match, Aldrich condemned the crowd's behavior on behalf of the team, noting it all in their report against West Ham United. However, the Football Association's actions were merely to smooth over the issue; what else could Aldrich do?

Such incidents were commonplace nowadays, especially for black players visiting Elland Road, who would be subjected to such humiliation by Leeds United fans.

Even Manchester United players faced this treatment; what more could Millwall expect?

Moreover, looking around Europe, was there any place that was completely clean? Where fans treated others equally, regardless of skin color?

No.

And this was fundamentally not about racism!

It was simply hatred masked as racial bias because of the color of their jerseys. West Ham United despised Millwall and used this method to vent their hatred.

Historically, the FA has punished players and fans for racial discrimination, but was it truly about taking a stand against racism? Not at all. Take the situation between Suarez and Evra several years later; was that really about racism? If it was, then Suarez must be a racist, yet he was capable of coexisting with his black teammates at Liverpool.

Such occurrences merely used racial prejudice as a means to attack, deeply rooted in enmity stemming from the rivalry of team colors!

Makelele expressed his anger, which was a good sign.

Aldrich was saddened by Thuram's calm demeanor because it felt as if a transparent barrier existed between him and Millwall.

He was here to work and wanted to excel at his job; that was enough. As for everything else, he was either indifferent or held no hopes because he recognized that this place was not his true home.

"The club has four and a half years left on Lillian's contract, but in my view, we can only keep him for another two and a half years at most. Bernd, I told you I respect you. If you feel your future isn't at Millwall and you don't wish to change your current position on the field, I won't have any negative views on it, and I will assist you in finding a club that suits you best, enabling you to perform in your ideal position. I'm confident that you can excel there, and securing a starting role won't be a problem."

Aldrich sincerely laid everything out to Schneider.

Players must adapt to the tactical system of the club; if they can't, Aldrich wouldn't compromise but wouldn't insist on keeping a player against their will either. Beyond being a coach and player, they were also friends in life, and for each other's futures, Aldrich aimed to ensure Schneider enjoyed playing football. He would keep his promise to help him find the most suitable club, even if the transfer fee was lower.

Schneider smiled, stood up, and said to Aldrich, "Boss, thank you for your hospitality. I'll see you at training tomorrow. Looks like I should ask Lillian and Claude to be my mentors."

Aldrich closed his eyes, smiling softly as he got up to see Schneider off.

Schneider's words clearly indicated his determination. Thuram was the starting full-back of the team, and Makelele had also once played as a full-back. Both had proven skills in defense.

After seeing Schneider out and closing the door, Aldrich put away the tactical notebook from the coffee table. Even while soaking in the bathtub later, he couldn't help but smile.

He had formed an unwavering decision in his heart.

As long as Schneider didn't want to leave, Millwall would never abandon him!

Can players like this really be bought with money?!