At the new Queen's Park, in the final minute of the first half, everyone watched in amazement as the ball flew into the QPR goal for the second time. QPR, who had only conceded 10 goals in 23 games, conceded two goals in the first half against Tottenham.

Their manager stood on the sidelines with a blank face, no more emotion in her eyes, and the only thing one could know for sure was that she was thinking. As the half-time whistle blew, she immediately walked to the players' tunnel.

In this game, QPR adopted a new style of play. The three centre-backs have been used a few times this season, but the mix today is completely different.

JT, David and John make up the three central defenders. On both flanks, Gonzalo played at left wing-back and Jacob on right-wing-back.

The first goal conceded was in the 29th minute. After a QPR attack, Tottenham counter-attacked, Gonzalo didn't have time to get back into position, and JT swooped over and nearby Benjamin didn't chase back. David Ruiz wanted to make up for it, but he couldn't keep up, and Tottenham picked up the pace and immediately hit the QPR penalty area, where Alli fired the ball in.

The second goal conceded was that the right side of the group did not form a good tacit understanding, when John defending to the touchline at central defender, Jacob was also on the sideline, the two were huddled together, so the opponent was scored from the empty ribs, Eriksen assisted Kane to score.

Throughout the first half, the home team's possession, field, number of attacks, and number of shots on goal were completely suppressed. Lu Ling knows this clearly without specific data. Tottenham, on the other hand, scored two goals with few attacking chances. In a way, this is not accidental. To revert back to a back four? But this is also undoubtedly claiming that his starting role is self-defeating.

Before Lu Ling walked into the players' tunnel, he heard a QPR fan shouting in the nearby stands:

"What's wrong with you, Christine, Jacob Harding is not a right-back!"

Right wing-back. Jake is a right wing-back. Lu Ling corrected in his heart. Then, she walked into the players' tunnel.

She knew there would be a price, she knew it might be, but it came a little quickly and violently. But she has to stick to it. Even if...... This one lost points.

She was also keeping an eye on the players in the dressing room as she spoke to the coaching staff and analysts.

- She couldn't say she wasn't surprised at all, but she took it for granted.

There's always a lot of talk about what kind of team Kristen Lue's team is. It is impossible to abandon tactics and philosophy, and in fact it is impossible to talk about it. To put it simply, her team is young, her team has decent athleticism, her team has skill and passing, and her team has the nuclear weapon of Patrick Amber.

As for herself, she is not a die-hard school, nor is she loyal and honest. It's easy to draw these conclusions from her past words and deeds.

And now, the team's identity has finally merged with her own.

Because what she saw was—

With two goals down, her blue and white team remained confident. This is already the mentality of the strong.

They are not slacking off, nor are they overly optimistic. She saw reason and passion in them.

Tim didn't even ask her if she would change her play, he knew she wouldn't. She needs to let the players know about that. So she applauded. The dressing room fell silent and the players looked at her.

'We're going to stick to that style of play in this game, so in the second half we were still a back three. Jake, remember what I told you in training yesterday, talk to John. ”

Jacob nodded. Although he was actually a little depressed. For him, this new position is really unaccustomed, and the way of thinking needs to change. But he believes in the manager.

"JT, remember your duties. The first goal is conceded, you are right, but the timing of the pounce is a little later. Remember, give your teammates time to get back into position and don't get too far away. ”

JT nodded. He told himself in his heart not to think too much, not to think too much.

After Lu Ling finished speaking, he looked at his watch, glanced at all the players firmly, and finally said, "Believe me, and believe in yourselves." Then, she looked at Ian. There is still a little time, and the captain will say a few words.

There's one thing.

Lu Ling looked at Benjamin.

Benjamin half-hung his head, holding a bottle of water in both hands. His hands had been playing with the bottle of water. He was about to take a sip, and when he raised his eyes, he found that the bright eyes that appeared in and out of his dreams were looking at him.

The Scotsman's majestic voice rang out in the locker room.

Benjamin's lips moved, and he looked at her as well, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. In fact, he vaguely knew the reason. The first goal was conceded and he didn't chase it back. He was delayed for a second, and it was impossible to chase again, so he simply stopped chasing.

Lu Ling never looked away. Ben's hair has grown long and has been tied with a headband lately. That made him look a little melancholy. He shouldn't be. Where did Benjamin Hamilton, who knew the world so well, go? He bowed his head in the middle, raised his head and continued to gaze.

After Ian finished speaking, the time was almost up, and the players stood up in twos and threes. Lu Ling tilted his face at Benjamin and asked him to follow.

Benjamin stood up with the water. He caught a glimpse of Patrick and Leon's gazes, not paying much attention.

He walked over to her. He didn't speak, waiting for her to speak. Any order she gives him, he will obey. He had told her that he would always be her soldier. It's true.

They had already walked out of the locker room. It's crowded, it's noisy, and there's cameras everywhere. Lu Ling covered his lips and lowered his voice, "You like puzzles, don't you?"

Benjamin didn't expect her to say this again. His eyes lit up, he also blocked his lips, and asked in a low voice, "You demolished it?"

His voice was full of excitement. Lu Ling didn't answer him. She continued to cover her mouth and said: "Ben, for me, every season is a complete picture, every game is an important piece of the puzzle. For you, if a game is a complete picture, then every action you make is every piece of the puzzle. Peace down. Imagine yourself completing a beloved piece. Okay?"

Benjamin heard the words before he walked out of the players' tunnel. Her voice was unusually soft. He smiled slightly. There were all sorts of noises in his ears, but when he looked into her face, those seemed to be gone. One by one, his teammates and Tottenham players ran past him. He said to her, "Okay." ”

She nodded and patted him on the back.

Benjamin ran to the field.

****

Patrick had a first-half shot that almost went in.

Tina told him the night before that this game should not rush to attack, but more to participate in the organization and grooming, integrate the team's positioning, and help her teammates understand and digest new tactical ideas. In the new 3412 formation, he stands in the number ten position as an authentic forward midfielder, which is quite important. Tina didn't give him any instructions individually at halftime. He watched her walk out with Ben.

Now, he's running behind Benjamin, and Tina has walked to the dugout. He knew Ben was a bit out of shape today. In fact, this has been the case for some time recently, but it seems to be especially true today. For professional footballers, there are always times like this. This is normal. Patrick himself has had times when he didn't feel well.

Only, there are other reasons.

Ben's passing today, sometimes casual, sometimes aggressive, lost his usual orderliness. There were no major problems with his movement, except for the return problems when he conceded the ball.

Patrick knew what to do now. Maybe Tina has said what needs to be said, but he has his position.

Before the whistle, Patrick covered his mouth and said to Benjamin, "If you have any questions, come at me after the game." A game is a game. Can you do it?"

Patrick spoke calmly, but asked provocatively. Benjamin stared into Patrick's eyes, and after a few seconds, he nodded.

The second half began.

51st minute.

Patrick retreated to a position similar to Benjamin's. Then, he made a quick pass with Ben. Patrick's eyes swept over Benjamin's face, his gaze staggered, and he motioned for Benjamin to short the ball again. Ben was a little sluggish, but gave the ball over anyway.

By this time, Patrick was almost back in front of his centre-back, further back than Benjamin.

Benjamin knew what to do, and he immediately ran forward.

In doing so, he and Patrick had a vertical transposition.

Patrick gives him a short pass of the ball forward, and immediately asks for it on the spot.

Benjamin finally understood. Pat was asking him to work with him to stabilize the situation.

Jacob on the right doesn't fully understand the wingback's responsibilities at the moment, and several other players have similar issues, so the QPR needs to be solid.

Benjamin got the ball and drew the opposition defenders at the back, before he fed it back to Patrick. Patrick immediately sent the ball straight down the right, by which time Jacob had pressed and the QPR formation was finally able to push forward.

For Benjamin, understanding the process is not difficult. But for a moment, he had mixed feelings.

In short, it's time to salvage the game.

****

When the final whistle sounded, Lu Ling let out a sigh of relief.

In the 59th minute, Patrick sent a clever pass in front of the penalty area, and Leon fired the ball in.

In the 86th minute, Phil got another cross from Gonzalo and smashed the ball into the net.

The last few minutes of the siege of QPR were ferocious, but unfortunately they could not complete the reversal. However, the equaliser from two goals behind made the fans burst into high enthusiasm.

It wasn't until the 80th minute that she switched to a back four, by which time Tottenham had fully recovered and she made the right judgment. And when she shook hands with Tottenham boss Paul Clement, she saw the remorse on the other side's face.

2:2。

This is the fourth draw of the season in the first 24 rounds of the league for QPR. The rest of the games were all wins.

Overall, this is a proud achievement.

It's just that she knows very well that things will never be calm on another battlefield after the game.

****

"Christine, it's over, Everton are losing again!" said strength and conditioning coach Julian as he looked at the TV on the wall.

It was Sunday evening, and Lu Ling was holding his iPad and carefully reviewing the player's fitness report sent by Julian. She looked up and saw that the TV was exactly the end of the game. In this way, the QPR who drew in this round widened the gap with Everton to 7 points.

But earlier, Chelsea won. And, Simeone's Blues have come out of their pre-Christmas struggles, winning their last five matches without conceding a single goal.

This means that the gap between second-placed Chelsea and QPR has been reduced to three points.

She looked at Julian and smiled, maybe some people are naturally optimistic. Hopefully, in a week or so, the opponent I met, also named Julian, would have such blind optimism.

Recently, Lu Ling has been extra careful about monitoring the physical condition of his players. The game against Bayern is preceded by a league game against West Bromwich Albion, and she is ready to return to training next week and perhaps catch up with Julian Nagelsmann's Bayern.

If she can't catch up, she has another plan.

But the bad news is that her proposal, the 3412 formation that was tested against Tottenham yesterday, has received a lot of criticism today.

Simon texted her and told her that some of the QPR die-hard fans had also voiced their grievances on social media.

The Sun's David King didn't miss the opportunity, and he immediately concocted an article that the hateful Twitter account said about "love is stupid" and other illogical sarcasm.

The point of all criticism or ridicule is her change of formation.

Many people wondered why QPR suddenly chose to switch to a back three when the league was in a good situation? Was it because Kristen Lue was too arrogant to think the Premier League title was in her hands? Or maybe she was just on a whim? and some media discussed it from a tactical point of view. From what Lu Ling heard, no one talked to the point.

Thankfully, the current discussion is mostly focused on what is going on on the pitch, she thought. If yesterday it was a loss and not a draw...... Then it wasn't hard for her to imagine what would happen.

Julian went out, and Lu Ling also read the players' fitness reports. She immediately threw away her iPad, opened her laptop, and called up Bayern's game yesterday.

It's a dynamic team that mixes old-fashioned German style of aggressive running, tugging and pulling, physical confrontation, but also a bit of the last decade of passing. They are also talented. Lu Ling saw that player at first sight, the short Robin Schaffle, this young man is definitely a once-in-a-decade or even twenty-year wizard in German football, which reminded Lu Ling of Rummenigge, or the newly debuted Gotze, but it was a little different.

And Julian Nagelsmann, the young coach born in 1987 who has become the darling of the European media and fans. The German is two years older than Lu Ling. He started in Hoffenheim and took office at the age of 28, and the story of this super young marshal is almost as legendary as Christine Lu's in the eyes of the media. And last season, in his first season as Bayern Munich manager, he helped the Bundesliga giants lock up the domestic double and reach the Champions League final. In the end, though, Julian lost to Massimo Romano's AC Milan in what was dubbed the "duel of the two young marshals".

What's more, just a year ago, QPR, which was also the quarterfinals of the Champions League, was drawn to Bayern.

At the Allianz Arena, QPR was beaten 4-1 by Julian Nagelsmann's Bayern Munich and Rafael Benitez was sacked immediately after the game. A dozen hours later, Nathan Neal Lawrence traveled to California and invited her back to New Queen's Park......

It all sounds like karma again.

She did come back, and, moreover, so did Pat.

If revenge is spoken, then the time comes.

She had to be prepared. Against Tottenham, she knew that experimenting with a new formation could bring problems – but it was the only way to solve or alleviate long-term problems.

Grades can propel a coach onto the altar while blinding him or her. But it won't be her.

She knew very well, and she always knew, that the real test of the team was to come.

Changing the back three and putting Patrick back in the forward 10 position are all preparations for this.

Even if it comes at the cost of sacrificing three points in a league. What's more, they got a point in the end, which is not bad.

****

Juan swiped Twitter as he walked. Then, he saw an interesting retweet. This is the remark of an English celebrity. Juan raised his eyes. The Englishman has some ties to Nick Flores. His name was James Barton. He was a player who played for QPR during Nick's time in charge of the Championship. It has now been decommissioned.

Juan stood in front of the Real Madrid manager's office and read the tweet to the sound of laughter. But the manager was staring at the tactical board, as if he hadn't heard of it. He continued: "Anyway, Christine did say on Motd in 2016 that she wouldn't date her players. …… Maybe the people at Bayern should take advantage of this. ”

Nicolas didn't look back, but his voice rang out, with a slight smile, "Juan, you know some managers, please don't assume who I'm talking about." He will tell the media that he will never be able to play with a double-decker bus......"

Juan laughed. 'Yes, we sometimes say we will never let our players do something on the pitch. These are all strategies. Christine knows, you know, most coaches do, it's just the fans and the media who are happy to look for some 'proof' and expect us to be embarrassed by that. It's just that what Christine said at the time was not like a strategy, but more like a promise. ”

"So?" Nicholas said, turning his head dismissively, "people are expecting to embarrass her with this 'stain' or what? or better yet, kick her out of the top professional soccer league? ”

"I think you'd love to see her and Patrick separate again. ”

Nicholas did not answer the question. He continued to stare at his tactical board and said arrogantly, "She's just like me, and we're not here to make everyone like us...... Even if we act carefully, humbly, and without committing any so-called 'moral' mistakes, we will not please everyone. Who the cares?"

"Do you think the German media or Nagelsmann will take advantage of this? She has drawn a game in the league recently and there has been some pressure from public opinion. ”

The corners of Nicholas's mouth unconsciously rose slightly. He watched the QPR game against Tottenham. He thought for a moment and said slowly, "First, they won't, football is a war, it can be without style, but it can't be without a bottom line, and even if they do do that, do you think Christine and Patrick can't have the ability to shut their mouths? Second, that draw...... It was supposed to be her tactical experiment. ”

"Sounds like you're supporting Patrick and Christine to finish a fairy tale. Juan thought it was sarcastic, even though he didn't want to sarcastically mock Nick.

Nicholas let out a sneer. He just wouldn't use these against them, especially her, and in another position, he knew Patrick wouldn't use them against him either. And she wouldn't deliberately hurt herself. And, since she had made that decision, he knew that she must have thought clearly. Although it now seems like Patrick Amber is in charge of something. Perhaps, at that time, when she told him that she didn't want to be sneaking around with Patrick anymore, she planned something. But that's when Patrick gave up. After all, Patrick was a little boy back then. It's just that the little boy has to grow up in the end.

As expected, Juan didn't wait for an answer, so he asked, "What tactical experiment?"

"We'll talk about that later. Would you like to talk to me about Real Madrid? I'm a little worried that you've forgotten your position. ”

Juan looked down and smiled, and walked over. He couldn't help but sigh at the end, "It's a pity that you have the same heart." ”

Nicholas didn't respond.

And that's probably the best part. Despite their heart-to-heart understanding, she still surprises him. He hoped that for her, he would always be the same. 166 Reading Network