The team's analysts have analysed the situation at the weekend's league opponents Burnley in great detail, with Thiem adding a few to the top. Lu Ling looked at it and estimated that it was not a big problem. But at this stage of the league, there must be no mistakes in every link, otherwise, the whole season's efforts will be in vain. So she thought she would still pull Burnley out of the last game.

Shaun Dyche is still Burnley's manager, and Gary, who has not been seen for a long time, is still Burnley's assistant coach. However, Burnley's road to relegation has been extremely difficult this season, and the current situation is that they are almost certain to be relegated.

And the team she brought to the Premier League in the same year as Burnley -

This could be the closest Queens Park Rangers have really come to a Premier League title in three years.

A three-point gap, but with a direct head-to-head matchup with the top team. The initiative is definitely still in their own hands.

That night, she and Nick barely talked about football. She wasn't sure if they were both deliberately avoiding it, or if they simply didn't have time to talk about it. Everton are in a more delicate situation than QPR –

An article in the London Evening Banner said:

'With QPR out of the Champions League, it is clear that they have an advantage in terms of fixtures, with QPR's squad able to stay alive in a Premier League one-on-one situation, while Everton still have two tough games against Barcelona before heading into a crucial league clash with QPR. ”

Actually, this is a fact that anyone can see, but it may not turn out as people think.

However, in any case, the major betting companies have lowered the odds of QPR to win the championship (and are more optimistic), and there is almost no gap between them and Everton.

The Telegraph reported yesterday:

"The QPR squad is out of the Champions League, the players and coaches are hungry for the Premier League title, and the team's current form was reflected in the win over Liverpool. Mitsu Batshuayi's absence is a good opportunity for Phil Warren as he begins to prove himself. ”

This is also true. Lu Ling found that even Leon and Phil cooperated more and more tacitly on the field, and in the locker room, the two would occasionally joke and quarrel.

At the end of the afternoon training session, Phil also shouted that the whole team would go to his house to watch the coach dance like a frog at the end of the season.

Lu Ling didn't mind showing off her funny dancing again, but there was a premise.

****

After having dinner with Lu Yungui, Lu Ling went home.

It was not yet dark, and emerald green and blue became the main colors of this country. Such colors will make you feel happy, and with the Japanese breeze, you will realize that summer is coming. Although summer days in London are always a little chilly compared to continental Europe.

Lu Ling took a shower, and turned on the TV after coming out wrapped in a bath towel.

A footage of the Barcelona squad arriving at Liverpool at noon today is being shown. Pep Guardiola is followed by a host of Barcelona superstars. Patrick, who wears sunglasses and headphones, is conspicuous, and at one point fashion magazines and gossip news said that the English had become more fashionable since dating Amber. Lu Ling had heard Zixiang taunt this in the locker room, she didn't pay much attention to it, didn't Pat always wear it like this? She wiped her hair, thinking that she could tease him for a while.

She finished wiping her hair and looked at the time, there was still half an hour left for tonight's Champions League game. She wouldn't have time to take a hard look, but she wouldn't mind glancing twice while she worked. But before that, she had a call to make.

By the time she had changed her clothes, the pizza she had ordered arrived. She tipped generously, and the pizza boy was happy, but what made the boy even happier was getting her autograph. Although she signed it on his overalls. But the boy said, "This way I can show off to others every time I deliver pizza." This is the signature of the famous 'Kristen Lu'. ”

He wouldn't be bigger than Phil, Lu Ling thought, but he was still a child. In this way, Phil is not so much like a child.

She closed the door and placed the pizza on the table. Then, she picks up her phone and opens the pizza box as she dials the phone.

It looks like it tastes good. But she has always lacked a genuine passion for the food.

For me, it's not poison/medicine. If I only eat pizza in this life, although it will be painful, at least I can live. Lu Ling thought indiscriminately while waiting for the phone to be connected.

She once asked Pat how he felt about letting him eat only pizza for the rest of his life.

"It was like heaven for me," he said. ”

She said that she didn't believe it, no matter how much she loved the food, it would be painful to eat it for the rest of her life.

He added, "Well, I'll admit I might get bored, but that's just food, after all." As long as you're not talking about love and sex through food. ”

She swore she hadn't, it was just a boring conversation between lovers.

Perhaps, for all people, eating only one type of food for the rest of their lives is painful, but for many people, it is wonderful to love and do/have sex with only one person for the rest of their lives.

How can it be compared?

The phone was answered at this point.

"Hi, Tina. Patrick's voice rang out, a little excited.

Lu Ling picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite, full of cheese and meat, maybe hungry, she actually felt like heaven for a moment.

"Hi Pat, guess what I'm eating?" she continued to chew.

"HMM, since you asked, the answer couldn't be more obvious, pizza. He laughed over there, "Hey, you're so bad, you know I have a game tomorrow and I can't eat it." Actually, I probably won't be able to eat it until the end of the season. Damn, I feel like I can even smell your pizza. ”

Lu Ling laughed, "I'm sorry if this really hurt you. ”

"It's okay, you've hurt me too many times, I won't mention the time you ate fried chicken in the middle of the night and I ate dry chicken breasts without even a creamy sauce......"

"You said it was okay. If you say you mind, I don't order fried chicken at all, and as a professional soccer coach, how could I tempt my players to eat junk food in the middle of the night?"

"I'm kidding, Tina. His voice was smiling and a little helpless, "At that time, no matter what you eat or what I eat, I will not be dissatisfied." That's just a trifle...... It's a little thing that I think about from time to time. ”

Lu Ling pretended not to hear and asked, "I still have seven pieces left, do you want me to send them to Liverpool for you?"

"So, you're not my coach now, and you're going to trick me into eating junk food?"

"Sensitive kids. She wiped her hands and prepared to eat another slice later. "By the way, I called you to thank you. ”

Patrick had already returned to his hotel room, and when he heard her words, he was momentarily stunned, and then smiled and said, "It's okay." ”

Lu Ling said again: "Thank you very much." ”

At dinner in the evening, Lu Yungui said that he wanted to go to a warmer place to recuperate, and before she could ask him where he was going, he told her that he would go to Bournemouth, and Patrick had promised to lend him the villa.

She thought about it, Bournemouth was close to London, easy to use by car or train, and the weather was indeed better than London in this season.

She was just a little worried about trouble Pat, but Lu Yungui, who had always been cautious, waved her hand, "I have a close relationship with that kid." It sounds like the two have a lot of personal contact.

Patrick heard her say it again, and as if something was choked in his throat, he replied astringently, "I said, it's not a big deal. After saying that, he was a little unwilling, and added: "I have always had a good relationship with Alex, isn't it because of you, do you feel more comfortable?"

Sounds like he's already angry, Lu Ling thought. She didn't want him to have too many mood swings before the big war, so she hurriedly said, "I didn't mean that, Pat." All in all, Bournemouth is a nice place and I hope he gets a good rest there. ”

"I miss the sunshine there. His tone became soft again.

"Alright, Pat, I'm going to work, get a good night's sleep, I'll be at Goodison Park tomorrow night...... You should know that Ian, Zixiang, and Hans will also go. ”

"Yes, they told me. Patrick paused and joked, "Praise me, I'll be happy to go back and watch your show tape." ”

"Please, all of England is praising you. Lu Ling smiled, "As your former coach, I can't say that you played badly, even if you really played badly, I would say that you run very diligently and have a very careful hairstyle, please, apply less hairspray!"

Patrick laughed, "Hairstyle? Oh Tina Tina, you're making fun of me too. Okay, I promise you, I'll try to wipe a little less. But tomorrow, I'll probably be really running and diligent. So, good night, Tina. ”

"Good night, Pat. Lu Ling hung up the phone.

She picked up another slice of pizza, which was already a little cold.

On TV, the match between Real Madrid and Manchester City at the Bernabeu, is about to start.

****

At the end of the first half, the score was still 0:0.

Lu Ling couldn't help but find that he still picked up his notebook and pen and made a lot of records quietly, while the second slice of pizza was only half eaten.

The phone vibrated and it was a facetime request from Nicholas. Lu Ling threw the notebook on the sofa and accepted the invitation.

"Hi Nick, I'm eating pizza right now, don't judge me. Also, I'm actually taking notes on this game, and I have your opponents in the final, and if you can take Everton to the final, I'll sell you this note. ”

He frowned, curled the corners of his mouth again, and asked, "If we are eliminated, will we sell it to Pep?"

"If he's interested. I can sell it to you, though, a little cheaper. How does that sound?"

"The way you take notes...... Let me think, I picked up a notebook a long time ago, and I was thinking, can anyone really read it but me?"

"Please, I won't really sell it to you. Also, I'm worried that there will be headlines in the newspapers like "Everton manager picks up QPR manager's tactical map in bed". ”

"I love the title. You are gifted...... I mean, your sworn enemy, The Sun, must be surprised that you have this talent. ”

Lu Ling smiled and ate the half slice of pizza, and suddenly said seriously: "Nick, tomorrow Barcelona's Andre Gomez is suspended, I heard that they want to replace Rakitic? Pep really likes to use midfielders to change to defenders, just like the earliest Mascherano." I'm curious how you'll respond. ”

"You'll know tomorrow. Aren't you going to do a show with Lineker? I'll watch the video later to see if you analyze your intentions against me. ”

Another one who wanted to talk about watching the video, she smiled wryly: "Why do I think I shouldn't agree to BT Sport's invitation to the program, as if I want to submit a paper." ”

****

Wednesday, April 24, 7 a.m.

Patrick looked out the window at Albert's head, and the fresh breeze was blowing, and he felt full of energy.

Liverpool had a good day today.

At least, for now.

According to the weather forecast, there may be a few scattered rains today. How long can you expect good weather to last in the North West of England?

He stretched, turned around, ready to take a shower, and then joined the team, and he turned on the TV.

The voice on the TV said: "Gabriel Jesus strained his calf in Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Manchester City......"

Hearing this, Patrick glanced back at the TV, and it turned out that Manchester City had lost. He slept at nine o'clock last night and didn't know the outcome of that game. And, with Gabriel still injured, the Brazilian is likely to miss the second leg next week.

The probability of the final opponent being Real Madrid is obviously greater.

He realised that he didn't think Barcelona would be able to beat the Spaniard's toffee at all.

Patrick walked into the bathroom and turned on the showerhead, the water was cold at first and gradually hotter.

He liked it.

****

April 24, 4 p.m.

Lu Ling pulled the car into the parking lot of Goodison Park. As soon as she got out of the car, she immediately saw the producer of BT Sport, a very young brown-haired guy.

"Hello Christine, I'm Paul, we've talked on the phone before......"

Lu Ling greeted Paul with a smile. Afterwards, they entered the stadium from the entrance of the media area and then to the live broadcast room of BT Sport.

All this was new to her.

In the past, she watched either from the stadium stands or in a VIP box, but this was the first time she was in a live TV box. It was spacious, with all sorts of sophisticated equipment, and in front of her, Gary Lineker gave her a familiar charming smile.

"Long time no see, Christine. You look great. ”

"Mr. Lineker," she quipped, deliberately not calling him Gary, "after all this time, you are still so personable." ”

"Haha, Christine, I've said it so many times, call me Gary. ”

They hugged each other, and they both remembered that it had been more than two years since the last time they recorded a show together.

Lineker thought that at that time, the relationship between the QPR coach and the Everton coach had not yet exploded, and Barcelona's No. 7 was still a talented boy on Loftus Road.

And for Lu Ling, the match she wants to witness is a duel between two men who are both important in her life.

It's like a soap opera, and she wishes she could just watch it from God's point of view.

****

At 7 p.m., BT Sport's live show officially began.

Lu Ling stared at the rosters of the two teams. Barcelona, on their side, made a change compared to their second game of QPR, with Rakitic replacing the suspended Gomes, and the Croatian midfielder was temporarily converted into a defender by Pep Guardiola.

And Everton's side......

She took advantage of Lineker's opening remarks to think quickly.

She is aware that Everton have had some injuries recently, but the main players are available for this game, although the bench is a little thin.

The camera cuts to the faces of the three guests.

"Today's game will be watched with Leo Ferdinand, Michael Owen and the special guest of this issue, QPR coach Kristen Luke. Welcome, Christine. ”

"Thank you, Gary, for being able to sit here. I'm looking forward to this fight. ”

****

"Everton didn't start Ross Barkley today, is it a surprise?"

"It's a surprise, Gary. Ross Barkley is Everton's captain, the team's spiritual leader and a very good player. He's on the bench, I think there must be some reason, but Nick never hesitates to make a decision, he must have his reasons. Lu Ling said, his mind still spinning rapidly. She thought of some possibilities, but didn't say them for a while.

"So, how are Everton going to deal with this game?"

'Obviously, it's a three-centre-back formation. Lu Ling said, "In the second leg of our previous game against Barcelona, we also used this formation, and when defending, we became a back five. Everton's three centre-backs and two midfielders all have very good physicality and defensive ability one-on-one, so it will be a big test for Barca. ”

The camera immediately cut to the shot of Barcelona breaking down the QPR defense in the second leg against the QPR. Lineker peeked at the QPR manager's expression, and she looked poised.

"There are similarities in Barcelona's first two goals, both of which were when we were heavily defended, and with Pyte's individual ability, which is a genius's individual ability, I can praise him for a day – but we have to note that in the process, Pate still had a quick passing connection with Messi and Neymar, and I think that connection is also crucial. He kept our defenders from focusing on marking Pat alone. "So, I think what Everton needs to do is need to cut off the connection between these three people, especially Pat and the other two. It wasn't easy, we had hoped to do the same thing, but failed. Nick must be well aware of that, so I'm interested to see how he copes. ”

Lineker teased, "So, Christine, have you talked to Nick about your thoughts?"

Lu Ling's expression did not change, and he behaved professionally, but he also made a joke: "No, Nick is an excellent coach and an outstanding tactician, and he doesn't need my guidance." I think he might have dealt with it differently. I've noticed that both Bolasier and Dembele have very good dribbling and attacking ability in this line-up, which may make a difference. Nick never just uses his brains on the defensive end, he will definitely find a way to score at home. ”

The camera cuts to Barcelona's training footage.

Patrick Amber appears on camera, and the blonde man has a relaxed face, laughing with Messi and Neymar.

Leo Ferdinand spoke first: "It's undoubtedly the best attacking group in the world, for me they are better than MSN in previous years, and I don't think I said that because Patrick is English. ”

Michael Owen on the side also said: "I think Patrick Amber is the best player in the world, and he's definitely at the heart of the man group right now. ”

Lu Ling smiled and said, "I may have more favorites than you at this point, Leo and Michael. I think Patrick Amber is not only the best player in the world right now, but probably the best player in history. He has everything, and I can hardly think of the shortcomings. ”

"So, what do you think of Everton's squad?" Lineker asked.

"I think their defense is definitely not inferior to ours...... Although they have conceded more goals than us in the league, it has something to do with their previous injuries at the back. Rojas, Jimenez and Mori are very South American-style defences, and Nick likes that kind of defense, and he can handle it. Ousmane Dembele is also a superstar and I don't think he's much worse than Neymar. ”

Lu Ling said as he thought to himself that this might be what we lacked. Perhaps it is this that gives Nick the possibility of beating Barcelona.

Lineker picked up the conversation and said: "Now that we have the picture from the interview with the Everton manager, let's take a look at how he explained that Ross Barkley was not in the starting line-up today. ”

The camera cuts to Nicholas in front of the billboard, where the BT Sport reporter is pointing the microphone at the Everton manager.

"I would say it was a special game. Rose is our captain and we need him a lot, but I have my own considerations in the starting line-up. I talked to him, so there was no problem. Nicholas didn't mind the problem at all, it looked like it was just a normal rotation.

Lu Ling looked at his lover's facial expression seriously, hoping to see some clues.

Maybe you have your reasons, but taking Ross Barkley, really, Nick?

She wondered if she would be so calm if she needed to take Ian one day, and she immediately realized that this was not a comparable situation. Even if Ian sits on the bench, he will never complain.

But Ross ...... Rose is a player with a leadership temperament and a cold look on the outside, but at times he is violent. Although Pat told her that Rose was cute and gossipy in private, the Englishman's personality was completely different from Ian's.

If the Nicks take Ross Barkley for competitive reasons, the locker room impact if they lose......

Of course, this is a good thing for QPR.

It's just that Lu Ling is still uneasy about the Spaniard's move. Maybe he really has the confidence to be in control. He's now pushing himself to the edge of the cliff again, and the race hasn't even started yet.

On the other hand, the blonde Englishman also has absolute self-confidence. It always has been.

The whistle on the field was not sounded, and the temperature in the studio was also very good, but Lu Ling felt that his palms were already slightly sweaty. 166 Reading Network