The match against Preston ended up with a score of 1:1. Nicholas scored 4 points in two games, which is a reasonable result, after all, it is a double game in a week.

At the post-match press conference, there were finally no more questions from reporters asking the assistant coach. They focused the problem on a few players.

On Patrick's position and assessment of his abilities, on the question that Charlie might be leaving in the winter, about Yu Zixiang, who came off the bench, about whether Clint should start......

Nicholas was not in a bad mood and answered them all.

"I think Patrick's position and ability will continue to be seen. ”

"Charlie is leaving? Who are you listening to?"

"Zixiang is good, we need talented young players. ”

"As for Clint, he did make a mistake this game, but players make mistakes and that's normal. ”

When he talks to reporters, he is always a little true, a little fake, and a little untrue.

Next, the players can finally catch their breath.

Nicholas has a week to prepare for Middlesbrough. That would be his first away game.

********

As soon as Lu Ling returned to the Harrington training base, he received a call from Lu Yungui. He babbled on the phone what he thought about the game that had just ended, and muttered that although he played well, he unfortunately didn't win, causing him to lose money. When Lu Ling heard this, he hung up the phone, and when he called again, she didn't answer.

Lu Yungui was a player when he was young, but later suffered a major injury and retired early, and he did not catch up with the golden age of A-A. He married a British-Chinese girl, Liu Lili, and came to the UK with his wife and children after retiring. I was thinking of getting a degree in sports, but in my junior year, I got into a bad habit of gambling - and I didn't graduate.

At first, he was able to find a job as a football coach, but then his gambling addiction became more and more serious, and he became so blessed that even the youth clubs in the community did not want him.

When Lu Ling was fifteen years old, Liu Lili divorced him and found an American man to take Lu Ling away, but Lu Ling was unwilling and stayed. The father and daughter have been dependent on each other for a few years, and in those years, Lu Yungui gambled very little for his daughter, and An An was a taxi driver. Only on weekends will he sneak a Premier League shot. Later, his daughter became a young man and moved out, and he relapsed into his old ways, did not work properly, and spent half of the day in the casino.

Lu Ling couldn't remember when he didn't like calling him dad anymore. When she was a child, she had a little garden at home, and her father would teach her how to play football and tell her lots of football stories, while her mother would watch them and bring them freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. That's how she fell in love with football.

At the age of fifteen, Mom was gone, and they moved to a dilapidated apartment in East London. She never talked to him about football again.

She sometimes wondered if she would have gone down the coaching path if she hadn't met Patrick.

At that time, the little boy who lived next door stared at the big round eyes and said innocently, "Hey, Kristen, you're awesome, you should be a coach." ”

She couldn't remember it because she taught him a very handsome move. That action was taught to her by Lu Yungui when she was a child.

When Nicholas walked into his assistant's office, the assistant was staring at his phone.

"Christine. He screamed.

Lu Ling came back to his senses, looked at him, and smiled, a little nervous. Soon, though, she came back to normal, "Oh, I'm sorry. What's the matter?"

Nicholas looked at her several times before saying, "What do you think of Ian Parker and Sandro?" he said, sitting across from his assistant. Her desk is a bit of a mess.

Lu Ling said while thinking, "Ian currently has two problems, one, he has no first-team game experience, and two, he is too thin. But judging from the potential of playing in the midfield, it is definitely better than Sandro. ”

"Do you think so?" said Nicholas, thoughtfully.

"Yes, I don't dare say Ian is going to be a superstar, but I think if he gives him a chance, he'll surprise us. He's really too thin, though. The position of the back waist is not good for confrontation, and it is always easy to become a weakness. This is also the reason why Lu Ling did not introduce him to Nicholas aggressively, but he did a lot of homework himself - he seems to know a lot about Ian.

"Well, you tell the strength and conditioning coach to let him help Ian grow muscles, but slowly, definitely not losing flexibility. He stood up, "Damn it, you know?" Sandro wants to leave in the winter. In that case, let's make some time for our Ian from the end of the game. ”

The Championship has been played for half a season, and if the goal is relegation, there is no need to change the manager, and the results are passable. But QPR is a team that is aiming for promotion after all - 12th place is still far away.

There are three places for promotion to the Premier League from the Championship, with the first and second teams promoted directly. The teams from third to sixth place play promotion play-offs. The third place meets the sixth place, the fourth place meets the fifth place, and finally there are two teams left, and one more game, who wins and who is promoted-because promotion to the Premier League is related to the huge economic interests behind it, so this game is also known as the battle of 120 million pounds.

For now, they are six places away from qualifying for the promotion play-offs.

It's no wonder that the players in the squad who are playing a little better want to leave - and not next summer, but this winter in a hurry to jump out of the fire pit. Lu Ling knows that it is Southampton and Newcastle that have their eyes on Charlie Austin, and West Brom who has their eyes on Sandro. Who would play in the Championship if they could play in the Premier League?

********

It wasn't busy until midnight, after all, a game had just ended. However, when Lu Ling left, she saw that Nicholas's car was still there, and she wondered how many hours he slept a day?

As soon as I arrived at the bus station, the bus came, and the midnight bus often runs every half an hour, and she pinched it out, so naturally she would not miss it.

After getting off the bus, I walked for another ten minutes and finally saw Rush's shop. She read the contract before leaving work, the annual salary is really good, and she can finally change her residence. And the work will be getting busier and busier, and you have to buy a car quickly.

When I looked up again, I saw Lu Yungui squatting next to the convenience store. He was wearing an old black down jacket, and the cat was there, looking like a homeless man. But it was her father, and she recognized it at a glance.

Lu Ling walked in front of him, he quickly stood up, and said happily, "Xiao Ling, it's really cold today." ”

Lu Ling put his hands in his pockets, looked at him, and didn't say a word.

"Why don't you answer my phone?" Lu Yungui asked again.

It's cold indeed. The temperature in London in autumn and winter is not low, but it is windy. Today is not only windy, but also cool.

Lu Ling sighed softly, "Don't gamble in the future." ”

Lu Yungui sighed, first nodded, and then shook his head again, crazy.

A boy came out of the Rush shop, Lu Ling glanced at it, startled, it was Patrick.

"Why are you here?" Lu Ling took a step back, not wanting to block Rush's door.

Patrick was also wearing a black down jacket, no zipper, the wind was blowing at this moment, and he didn't feel cold, "I left you a message on WhatsApp, didn't you see? Alex has been waiting for you for a long time, I just arrived, and went in to buy something to drink." As he spoke, he handed Lu Yungui a bottle of Coke. Lu Yungui bent his waist and took it.

Lu Ling took out his mobile phone and took a look, there was still electricity, but he couldn't connect to WhatsApp.

"Maybe there's no money. What are you going to do?"

Patrickla zipped up, "Celebrate your appointment as an assistant coach." Then he shook the plastic bag in his hand, "I have red wine and beer here." Zixiang and Ian will also come over in a moment. Wouldn't it be nice that Alex was there, too?"

Lu Ling glanced at the plastic bag in his hand, he had rested for the past two days, maybe he could drink a little. This kid, just past the age when he could buy alcohol, seems to be a waste not to use this right.

"Okay, I'll give you the key, you go upstairs and wait for me. I'm ...... Alex has something to say. "Lu Yungui's English name, she has never been used to it.

Patrick glanced at Lu Yungui, took the key, walked around the porch, and went up to the attic.

Lu Ling lowered his head and didn't look at him, "I'm now the team's assistant coach, and according to the regulations, my relatives can't participate in gambling." If you want to continue, I'll get a lawyer to contact you and we'll ...... Severance. When he said the last four words, his throat seemed to be blocked, and Lu Ling felt extremely uncomfortable. For a moment, I thought of the scene when she scored a ball when she was a child and he carried her on his back.

Lu Yungui drooped his head, his hair was oily, and he was afraid that he hadn't washed it for a week. Hearing his daughter's words, his shoulders shook violently, and he kept nodding his head and muttering again, "Okay, Xiaoling, I promise never to gamble again, I promise." ”

Lu Ling sniffed vigorously, and when he spoke again, his voice was already silent, "I have raised my salary, and I will pay a part of it to your account every month in the future." Don't forget your promises. Go home early and stay safe. ”

Lu Yungui raised her head, the light was not good, Lu Ling couldn't see her father's eyes clearly, maybe she didn't dare to look carefully at all.

"Then you can celebrate with your friends. Lu Yungui said that he wanted to hug his daughter, hesitated for a moment and retracted his hand, "Xiaoling, congratulations! Also, don't care about those men's gossip." ”

"Hmm. Lu Ling turned around, "Dad, go back and pay attention to safety." ”

She didn't look back, Lu Yungui might still be looking at him, maybe he was gone, she didn't want to know.

When he went up to the attic, he pushed the door open and saw Patrick standing by the window, staring at him motionless.

Lu Ling closed the door and asked casually, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just...... Will you do this to me one day?" said the boy, taking a sip of his drink. The expression on his face was awkward and serious.

Lu Ling was slightly stunned, did he mean her attitude towards Lu Yungui? She glanced at Patrick again and laughed, "It's really strange, how could you think that?" Of course not. ”

"Really?" Patrick frowned, trying to be sure of her answer.

"Really. It's not like you don't know what kind of person Alex is. He is very pitiful now, but have you forgotten that he stole the money I saved from my part-time job to get my coach's license?What kind of father would ruin his daughter's dream with his own hands?" Lu Ling said calmly, as if telling someone else's story.

Then, they heard the sound of going upstairs. It's Ian and Zixiang.