Pep Guardiola walked into the post-match press conference with a gloomy face. The extent of Patrick's injury is not yet fully understood, and it will take a thorough examination to determine how long it will take to see the results of a thorough examination, although the team doctor said the situation is not optimistic. In the Catalans' imagination, this is the first question that journalists ask.

Sure enough, this is it. And he was an agitated English journalist, and his broken Spanish drew even a little laughter. But the Barcelona boss could hear the same worry and anxiety in the Englishman's tone as he did. I am afraid that the English journalist was also one of the few people on the scene who really cared about Patrick's injury.

Pep told reporters what he knew so far and answered a few more questions about the game, but he was in a terrible mood and quickly left the press conference.

By the next morning, Patrick's injury was largely clear, and all the sports media reported the news that he would have a fractured second metatarsal bone in his right foot and would undergo immediate surgery, which would require about three months of recovery time, which also meant that the young talent would not be able to return until April at the earliest.

****

Patrick woke up once in the middle of the night and again in the early morning, and after a series of tests, he continued to fall asleep, waking up around noon. There are countless missed calls and messages of condolence on his phone, the earliest ones including QPR, Barcelona and a group of good buddies and teammates in the national team, of course, relatives, and Amber, as well as Steve and Nate, members of the coaching staff of the England national team, football celebrities with whom he has a good relationship, and even a few ex-girlfriends, and the person who caused his injury......

In fact, many of these people who called and sent messages later came to the hospital to see him.

At this time, the girl who was drinking coffee while scrolling through social media with her mobile phone lowered her head said, "A, Pat, you always pretend to be cool, I thought no one liked you except for those good buddies......"

Patrick smiled and glanced at Amber, but didn't speak.

Amber shrugged her shoulders and continued, "What can I say, you're so beautiful and sexy. ”

Patrick still smiled slightly, "I hope those guys don't like me for that reason." He turned his head to look at the window. Warm sunlight peeks in through the cracks in the curtains, and it's a country that's not so cold even in January.

It's been a year since he came to Barcelona. It's been a year since he left QPR.

He thinks about his injury, which has left him a little frustrated, and he will miss a number of league games and the knockout rounds of the Champions League, and maybe even the knockout rounds of the Champions League......

When the head coach talked to him on the phone in the morning, he actually complained about Pablo Flores. In fact, Flores has apologized to Patrick through social media, and in private, he has also sent a message to Patrick to sincerely apologize. But still, the Spaniard was attacked by many fans on the Internet.

Amber put away her phone, propped her chin, and asked him, "What are you thinking?"

Patrick looked at the window, still smiling, "Nothing. It's just that...... Feel the pain. He turned his head and looked at the girl. She arrived in Barcelona early this morning, and she had just finished filming a movie in Hong Kong two days ago, so she could take a break. They had made an appointment to meet on Monday, but perhaps because he was injured, she flew in a day early. Earlier than she arrived were Mom and Dad and Anna. And no one arrived as early as Steve. In this way, maybe Steve is the person who loves him the most in this world. Patrick thought mockingly.

Amber looked at his right foot, the operation was scheduled for tomorrow, and he was still going to be in pain for a while. She looked into his eyes, which were beautiful, though smiling but a little sad. She had acted in love scenes with so many handsome male actors when she was making movies, but her heart didn't pound like she did when she looked into their eyes, like she felt before her first kiss with her first boyfriend at the age of thirteen. That's not good. She thought.

Amber got up and kissed him on the mouth, "Would that be better?"

Patrick closed his eyes and shook his head, "Ly."

"You should say it's much better. I like your honesty though. Amber sat back. But she felt she understood his grief, and she knew it was the worst injury of his career. She grabbed his hand, he opened his eyes, and she said, "Don't worry, you'll be fine, when you get back to the Camp Nou, you're still king." ”

King.

Patrick's brow moved. He remembered something, looked at the clock, and said to the girl, "Mind turning on the TV for me? ”

****

Sunday, West London, sunny.

On the bus to Stamford Bridge, Lu Ling received a text message. It's the director of football, Monchi.

[The player's agent told me that there are other clubs that want to sign him, including a Premier League powerhouse, possibly Arsenal, a La Liga team and a Chinese Super League team.] 】

And then another:

[His salary requirements are not low, at least 120,000 pounds a week, you can consider whether it is worth it, after all, he is 33 years old. 】

Lu Ling thought about it quickly and replied to Meng Qi:

[I think this salary is too demanding, and Simon will not be satisfied.] Let me think about it. 】

The bus is slowly moving into Stamford Bridge. There were plenty of QPR fans waiting around, as well as Blues fans joining in the fun.

Lu Ling looked out the window, the sun shone on the glass on this side, and she felt a little dazzling. At this time, another message popped up on the phone.

[Babe, good luck today.] But we'll still be at the top of the list. 】

Lu Ling shook his head with a smile and did not reply. She was going to call him again in the evening, and she only hoped that she was in a good mood at that time.

The bus had stopped, the players were getting up one after another, and she heard Hans on the phone—

"Man, I'm sorry you're going to hurt for three months......"

After that, Zixiang's voice said: "You should say that you envy him, this is a three-month long vacation." ”

Ian's voice: "Come on, Zixiang, if you are injured for three months, you are afraid that you will cry, I still remember the way you cried when we lost the Premier League title last year......"

Phil said, "Do you look like you're crying? hahaha, she must be like a." Hey, did you say Pat cried or not?"

"Shut up! Ian!" Yu Zixiang turned around and smiled and punched Ian in the shoulder, then looked at Phil, "You'll never know, is Pat like a guy who cries in front of people?"

……

Lu Ling didn't seem to hear it, she looked back, and met the eyes of the Uruguayan boy, but he staggered her gaze.

Leon has been sullen for the past few days. After being directly criticized by the boss last time, he was a little dissatisfied in his heart. After all, his high goal percentage in the QPR over the past two years has caught the world's attention at the World Cup...... Let him understand his own value. But he didn't want to tell anyone.

****

The sun shines on some of the lower stands and half-courts at Stamford Bridge. When the players of both teams entered the stadium, the managers of both teams were shaking hands on the sidelines.

This is not the first time Lu Ling has met Diego Simeone, they have met in some coaching exchange meetings, and they have also had a superficial chat about some tactical issues. But this was the first time Lu Ling had fought him.

The man who was known for his fierceness and arrogance as a player, when he became head coach, turned his style of play into the code he built for the team. His huge success at Atletico Madrid has made him a world-class manager, and Atletico at his peak is the embodiment of Simeone's stubbornness and aggressiveness. In the three years that Atletico have reached the Champions League finals twice, few teams have been able to get a clean win against that team. Simeone's Atletico's fighting spirit and resilience are astonishingly terrifying.

The sun fell on each other's shoulders. Lu Ling looked into the Argentine's eyes. Simeone was slightly taller than her, and she raised her eyes slightly. He was dressed in a black trench coat with the same black suit and black slender tie. This is Lu Ling's familiar image of Simone. Whenever he was directing from the sidelines, the black tie and hem would fly everywhere.

Compared to Sampaoli who has played before, despite the passion of both Argentines and even the overlap of football philosophies, Simeone is not a teacher of Bielsa, he is more pragmatic, specializing in building defensive systems, good at containing opponents, and mastering chaotic battles.

Simeone took over midway through the game and expectations were lowered due to Antonio Conte's poor start and Chelsea were in the bottom line. But it was in this context that Simeone quietly lifted the Blues to sixth place in the league, ahead of Tottenham and Manchester United.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Simeone said: "Even though we are nine points away from the top four, we will try to win every game and we will not give up as long as there is a chance. ”

Then, he picked the corners of his mouth. That look Lu Ling remembered, forbearance and provocation coexisted.

And now, the eyes of this Argentine are full of this kind of thing.

Do everything, have profound skills, and are calculating, and the city government is immeasurable.

She couldn't help but wonder if Nick would be like this in five or ten years? No, he was similar to every powerful enemy she had ever met, but he wasn't them. And if you ask him personally, he will definitely say—

"I think you're more like me. ”

When they had breakfast together on Wednesday morning, he said, "Simone must be jealous of me." ”

She looked up and asked him with a smile, "Why?"

"I'm more handsome than him. ”

She couldn't help but laugh, and the Everton boss played the role of a gentle lover, buttering her toast and handing it to her.

The sun at Stamford Bridge was deceptive, as if it were going to be a cosy winter afternoon. Lu Ling narrowed his eyes, and the Latin man opposite had a serious face.

Lu Ling has been keeping an eye on Chelsea's situation, with previous manager Antonio Conte bringing in some of the most valuable players from Serie A, such as Berottti, Pjanic and Romagnoli, all of whom were replaced by three of Simeone's winter arrivals – former Atletico Madrid confidant Lucas Hernandez, Brazilian striker William José, known as the second Diego Costa, and versatile Argentine midfielder Rozales.

Simeone's English is not good enough and can only speak simple sentences. But he is not afraid to express himself and never uses a translator for interviews. At this moment, a few words popped out of his mouth: ".

Lu Ling responded politely.

But the Argentinian finished speaking, with a hint of banter on his seemingly serious expression, and finally gave her a fake smile, then shook hands with Tim behind her and turned to the home team's dugout.

It's not an easy opponent to play against. Lu Ling thought as he walked towards the away team's coach's box. And the rare sunshine in this winter day made her back sweat a little.

Simeone sat in the dugout and glanced at the away team's dugout, it was no ordinary young coach, it was a young coach who had beaten many opponents he had beaten or wanted to beat. Was the confidence and arrogance in her eyes innate? or was it the result of the good results of the past few years? Simeone smiled lightly and stood up, the whistle already blowing. He always liked to stand on the sidelines.

****

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were surprisingly cowering near their own penalty area.

Lu Ling has so much to do over the past few days, but she still finds time to study the footage of Chelsea's recent games for herself – she doesn't really like to leave all the work to her assistants. This point, in fact, is a bit like Pep.

In the past tough battles, Simeone often chose to start at home, take the initiative to attack, and forcefully press and trap the opponent. But this is not the case. Leon Ferreira and Mitsy Batshuayi started today together, and they have combined for 29 goals this season and are one of the hottest strikers in the Premier League and Europe.

Lu Ling decided to wait and see. But she also knows that if Chelsea decide to defend to the death, it will definitely be difficult to attack.

QPR is more likely to use crosses because the opponent doesn't give room to operate in the middle at all. Yu Zixiang's crosses have improved a lot in the past two years, and John O'Connor's crosses have been excellent from the start. But they could only barely find Michy Batshuayi, who seemed to be distracted by the huge boos from his old boss and lost back-to-back balls in the aerial scramble.

Lu Ling frowned tightly on the sidelines.

She began to make the team change the way, deliberately putting the center of gravity of the formation behind, hoping to lure the snake out of the hole and then take advantage of the weakness. QPR is already very good at this tactical plan that has been developed in the early stages of the season.

But Chelsea stood still, without any gaps.

Lu Ling casually glanced at Simone on the other side.

The Argentine, who is much taller than Sampaoli, but they both like to run around on the sidelines, at least not losing the distance to the goalkeeper on the pitch. The slender black tie fluttered messily with his steps.

Despite being in charge for less than half a season, the Blues have struggled to find a flaw.

So far, Chelsea haven't had good attacking chances. However, two energetic forwards – Brazilian Willian José and Spain international Alvaro Morata – have always been a huge threat to the QPR's backfield.

Lu Ling shouted loudly to the field, asking Ian to make some more direct long passes.

That way, Chelsea will have the ball easily.

She would like to see what Chelsea do when they get the ball.

QPR retracted across the board.

Chelsea, who got the ball, didn't seem to care about how to manage the attack well, and still drove forward with big feet. Alvaro Morata and William José have a strong rivalry and can compete with Mensah and Mario. Chelsea started with a series of set-pieces up front.

This is also the Simone that Lu Ling is familiar with.

The construction of the offense is still practical. Set-pieces are his weapon, and at the same time, the game is fragmented, creating constant confrontation and scrambling, and even some intentional or unintentional foul actions, making a profit from chaos.

This was the situation in the first half, until the end of 45 minutes, Lu Ling found that he was actually relieved.

It was an ugly game. If you stand in the perspective of fans, you will definitely scold that the ticket price is not worth it, and if you are watching TV, you must want to transfer the channel.

But that's what Simeone wants. The score was 0:0. The second most attacking firepower in the league has struggled to break down the fortress built by the Blues at Stamford Bridge, and the pace of the QPR has been severely disrupted.

It would have been different if the team had been in better form lately, but in León alone, he was listless. In fact, after a harsh Christmas-New Year schedule, quite a few of QPR's players have entered a burnout period.

Lu Ling walked into the players' tunnel with a calm face.

****

The second half of the game has begun.

Lu Ling entered the court a little late, and the ball had already begun to roll. She discussed with the coaching staff in the locker room for a while, but it was too late.

Thiem told her that, based on his previous observations of Chelsea, the team would burst out at some point in the fight to win the game, which could be at the start of the second half, midway through the game or towards the end of the game. But it will definitely appear.

Lu Ling's point of view is similar to that of a teaching assistant, so she decided to strike first.

In the opening five minutes of the second half, QPR replaced Mitsy Batshuayi with Phil Warren.

Batshuayi was very frustrated. He has been in a short period of time lately, and today he lost his precision and foot feeling in the midst of a barrage of boos, and the fans of his former club did everything they could to interfere with him. The boss and the assistant coach comforted him a few words, and the Belgian was now sitting on the bench.

Lu Ling knew that Batshuayi could not play normally in this game, so it was better to change people to activate the attack. In addition, she asked Phil to hit the opponent's central defender hard to create space for Leon to get the ball.

Phil pouted. What he thought to himself was that the Uruguayan kid didn't like me, and most of the time he still wouldn't pass the ball to me, but I was just going to work as a coolie for him.

And the coach seemed to be able to see through his thoughts, and she admonished: "I don't care if you like Leon or not, and I don't want you to marry him, I just need you to have chemistry on the field!"

Phil pouted again, but he also knew the importance of the game. If Everton drop points against Manchester United later on, they will be at the top if they win this game.

On the pitch, Phil has already begun a ferocious tussle with two of Chelsea's centre-backs, Lucas Hernandez and David Luiz. The two are not easy to deal with, with Lucas being extremely physical and Luis being experienced. Phil looked a little struggling.

But León finally got the ball, and it was in the 65th minute, the Uruguayan was very flexible at his feet, and he used his body well, in a one-on-one confrontation with Kante, first leaned against his opponent with his body, then wiped it off the ground, and then immediately fired a furious shot with his left foot!

Phil attracted Lucas, and it was too late for David Luiz to go up to block, and Leon was extremely fast and the ball flew into the corner......

Courtois actually saved the ball!

Stamford Bridge erupted in cheers and applause, and Leon shook his hand in chagrin.

The QPR boss also held her head on the sidelines, but she immediately realised that the goal was not an absolute chance.

Chelsea allowed León to have that little space to get his feet up, but on the line of the box, which wasn't the best chance. It was only because of the Uruguayan's ability that the goal turned what wasn't a chance into a threatening shot.

Four minutes later, Dutch winger Genk de Graf tried another long-range shot from outside the box that went wide of the post.

Those two missed chances took a toll on the mood of both the players on the QPR pitch and the fans in the away fan zone.

The so-called "preemptive strike" failed to work due to various subjective and objective reasons.

And at this time, Simeone's "short-term outbreak" program was launched.

The QPR's backcourt players, including goalkeeper Hans, found themselves suddenly in a blue net, with little room for the ball and had to rush to the top. Chelsea were on the attack as soon as they got possession, creating three shots in the space of just five minutes, one of which was high and twice saved by Hans.

The rhythm of the game was forcibly pulled up crazily, and the physical and mental health of the QPR players on the field happened to be in a bottleneck. Simeone is very keen to ask the team to explode in this moment, like a long-suppressed spring, violently unleashing the power that has been stored up for a long time.

Lu Ling shouted loudly from the sidelines: "Phil, right! Hans, long pass to Fill!"

The German goalkeeper found that Jacob Harding in the midfield had a lot of space to receive the ball, and Jacob was reaching for the ball.

Hans didn't deliberately disobey the instructions, but many times the decision time of the professional players was less than a second, and he subconsciously made the pass.

Tim then jumped up to the boss and shouted, "*!"

Lu Ling had already realized that something was wrong. But that's the limit of a manager. Arsene Wenger once said something like that, if you go outside the white line, it's hard to completely influence the situation on the pitch.

In that second, Hans passed straight to Jacob, who was about to receive the ball.

This is the "oppression trap"!

It's a cunning tactic that QPR used against Manchester City and Everton. Jacob, a relatively rough player on the QPR team, was hit.

Lu Ling grinned, this trick was originally inspired by watching Atletico Madrid, but now Simeone designed her in reverse.

How ironic.

The Chelsea players deliberately let Jacob get on the ball and took advantage of the 'trap' to get the ball in and quickly circled it, with N'Golo Kante being the first to cut off the ball and his midfield partner Rozarez immediately fired a through ball to William Jose up front.

The Brazilian striker defended the ball sideways and immediately played the ball to Alvaro Morata who rushed over -

The Spanish striker is extremely fast, and he doesn't hesitate to strike hard!

The ball was too close for Hans to pounce on, but it was only to be blocked with a powerful shot from his chest, followed by Chelsea's young England winger Simon Lloyd comfortably filling the empty net!

Chelsea took a 1-0 lead in the 75th minute!

Amid the cheers of the home fans, QPR made a quick substitution.

Lu Ling stepped up his attack with the introduction of Hoel Campbell and Claudio Llamas, who were asked to concentrate on Chelsea's left flank before coming on.

On this side, Hazard had less defense, and Lu Ling asked them to tell John that he must be resolute in his insertion. However, the Northern Irishman was unable to break through the opposition full-back Ake this time, and instead was too impatient and pushed and received a yellow card.

Simeone was still roaring and jumping on the sidelines, directing the defence of his players and raising his arms from time to time to cheer on the Stamford Bridge fans.

The whole situation is extremely ineffective for the QPR.

Ian felt like he was going to suffocate. It turned out to be Simeone, he thought.

Then the Scots made their own decision—he motioned to Cledio, and he stepped forward.

Zixiang immediately gave the ball to the middle, Ian took the ball to shake off the space, and Leon was colliding with the wall, all the way to the penalty area!

It was a bold and risky attempt, as Ian took the initiative to step forward as a midfielder to increase the number of attackers, and it could indeed suddenly disrupt the opponent's deployment - Chelsea scored after a wave of impact, but also lost fitness, and Ian's choice did make some sense. Of course, once you lose, you will immediately expose the backfield and risk being counterattacked.

The QPR coach on the sidelines did not interfere with the captain's decision.

Leon picked up a pass to Ian, who wanted to volley, but he saw Phil outflanked in the middle and volleyed instead......

Phil looked at the ball and the goal that was close at hand, and his heart was excited. It's time for me to decide on the game again, haha......

But at this time, David Luiz leaned in, and there was a slight contact between the two feet, and Phil tripped directly, and when he tried to stretch his foot again, he had already missed the pass and could only watch the ball roll out of the bottom line at the other end.

Phil yelled: "It's a foul, referee, it's a penalty!!"

However, the referee on duty, Mike Dean, had no intention of awarding a penalty, and Phil was furious in his chest, and went up and dragged Dean to theorize.

Dean was shown a yellow card for turning around and warned him to be ejected if he made any further aggressive moves.

The home fans are already shouting "Down"!

Phil didn't give up, and Ian hurried over to grab him.

On the other side, Leon just glanced coldly, and then walked back.

The clock ticked by.

QPR's long unbeaten run in the league season began with a home win over Chelsea in the sixth round (which also led to Antonio Conte's sack) and now, in the 21st round, it looks very likely to end at Stamford Bridge.

The moment the referee's whistle blew, Lu Ling found his hands shaking - it started with Chelsea, and finally Chelsea's fate befell like this.

Tim pulled her and reassured, "If you do your best, we'll always lose." On the other hand, the end always means a new beginning. ”

Lu Ling said I know.

The afternoon sun still shone on the course, and the emerald green was even a little dazzling.

The cheers of the Chelsea fans were accompanied by the singing of the QPR fans, who were still singing:

Christine's Blue and White Army!

Christine's Blue and White Army!

Lu Ling walked towards Simeone.

Instead of showing her the joy of a victor, Simeone said in moderation, "."

Lu Ling shook hands with the Argentine, she actually wanted to win him, she wanted to.

The first thing the manager did when he got back to the dressing room was not to reprimand the players or ask the coaching staff for stats for the game, the first thing the manager did was to call Monchi. The director of football was not present for this game.

"Monchi, I've decided, meet all their conditions, you and Simon go and beat the competitors, I need this player. ”

"Christine, you've decided? Their salary requirements are really high. Is it because of today's result?"

'Yes, if we want to be successful in the second half of the season, we need David Silva. ”

****

Later in the evening, Pep called again and asked for some details of tomorrow's surgery, and in fact the Catalan had already spoken to the team doctor, Patrick's attending doctor and the medical team, but he still needed to ask the players how they were feeling.

Patrick was in a bad mood and said something perfunctory, and finally the young genius sighed on the phone, "I can't even imagine it, three months ......"

The Catalans, who had always been a little arrogant, comforted: "Patrick, don't be too depressed. Although it will be injured for three months, Christine and I are very happy that it is not a major part......"

Thinking he had misheard, Patrick interrupted the head coach and quickly asked, "What does that mean, what does that mean?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? She was the first to call me to ask how you were doing, and I got her call almost as soon as the game was over. Lo and behold, your former club manager cares more about you than your national team manager. Of course, I understand that you are friends who grew up together. Pep was a little teasing when he said the previous words, but when it came to the last sentence, he was a little sad. He also had such a friend, he said that they agreed to conquer the world together, and finally did it, but that friend is no longer there, it is really not in this world. The Catalans remembered Christine's anxiety when she called him, and he felt that anxiety was warm. He still remembers him asking her on the phone, "How could you sell such a player?"

Christine must have understood what he meant. Patrick is the perfect player. At least almost perfectly. At least more in line with his football aesthetic than Messi.

The girl said helplessly, "I have no other choice. ”

It was exactly the same answer Patrick had told him. Pep also asked Patrick why he left the QPR.

The boy said sadly, "I have no other choice. ”

Pep Guardiola didn't quite understand what that meant, but if he heard him right, they all seem to have regrets about it. Yes, there is always such and such helplessness in this world, just like he may not have wanted to leave Barcelona so much, and he never thought that he would come back so soon after leaving.

Everything is your own choice, but it is like a drama of cause and effect.

On the phone, Patrick was silent for a while, and when he spoke again, his voice was full of excitement that could not be concealed, "Coach, I hope to come back as soon as possible." ”

"Of course, I hope so, too. Pep said. Without Patrick, the next two or three months will be very difficult, and he can already expect it.

****

Amber was a little surprised to see Patrick playing a mobile game when she returned, he couldn't lift his spirits all day, especially after the loss to Chelsea at QPR......

"The pain is better?" she asked.

Patrick didn't look up and continued to play the game, but replied to the girl, "Yes, it doesn't hurt." ”

Amber asked amusedly, "You don't have to do surgery, do you?"

Patrick said: "The surgery still has to be done, and Barcelona pays anyway. ”

Amber's smile became brighter, "You were obviously very sad before I went to dinner, why did you change when I came back?"

Pep ...... Oh, my boss called me. He put down his phone, "I should be lucky, I mean my injury." ”

Amber sat on the edge of the bed and asked seriously, "It really doesn't hurt anymore?"

Patrick was stunned and nodded, something flashed in his pretty eyes, and he pouted again, "Actually, it still hurts." ”

Amber thought he was like a child. But he was younger than she was, as young boys always do, she thought.

****

Before falling asleep, Patrick receives her message.

[Hi Pat, are you okay? Sorry to ask about your situation now...... Today is a terrible day, and I'm sure it's the same for you. However, the area where you hurt is the least likely to affect your abilities, so don't be too frustrated and think of it as a vacation. Also, I'm still trying, even though the margin has actually widened after this round. It seems like January is always a bad month for me...... By the way, we might have a good signing after that, but I can't tell you the details. Hopefully we're doing well. Let me know the situation after the surgery. Good night. 】

In fact, after talking to Pei Ping on the phone, he didn't mind anything.

He typed a lot of words, but deleted them all.

[I'm fine, Tina. We're going to be all right, otherwise what's the point of those things? Good night. 】

Those things were the hardest things he had ever done in his life. 166 Reading Network