In the strong wind, Lu Ling took two steps back, looking at the sunset that was about to be blocked by the stands of the Britannia Stadium. In the seconds she was in a trance, the final whistle sounded. QPR got the three points here without a hitch. The most dangerous moment came in the minutes before stoppage time, when the home side came close to scoring, but Hans saved several must-scores. Even Lu Ling felt that this kid was in an amazing state today.

After shaking hands with the Stoke City manager, she breathed a sigh of relief when Tim came over to talk to her, and she sighed: "I was thinking that if Hans wasn't in such good form, we might only get a point here today. Thirty-eight league games in a season, sometimes, three points take the effort of the coaching staff, of course, the players need to play consistently, but sometimes, it seems to be a little luck. Who says a stronger team can win against a weaker team?"

Tim felt a little inexplicable about her words, "I thought you always preferred to talk about containment and counter-containment. Of course, I did have good luck today. Stoke's stoppage-time onslaught exposed the fatigue of our defence. ”

'That's exactly what I'm talking about, but I don't think it's just the back line getting tired, it's the whole team getting tired, so in that case, the probability of being scored increases, and isn't it because Hans is in great form because of the variable?' she said, heading to the players.

Almost every player went to clap and hug Hans and thank him for his amazing performance in this game.

Everyone understands that in the league, the goal of playing strong matches is to get points, and the goal of playing weak teams is to score three points. Of course, the irony and inevitability is that sometimes the three points that are desperately snatched from a strong team will be given to a weak team. And if you want to win the top four, or even the Premier League, you have to try to avoid this kind of thing. The good news is that so far this season, not much of this has happened to QPR.

Hans patted Yu Zixiang on the back and took off his gloves. He looked at the scoreboard and blew, still drenched in sweat. He conceded goals in the first two games against Manchester City and Liverpool, and both of them made him very angry, and he didn't have much chance to make a save. This time, he was finally able to satisfy himself.

The tall German looked down at everything on the field with a somewhat solemn expression. When he shook hands with the Stoke striker who had shot the goal, the opponent said: "You are very good, otherwise we should have taken points." ”

Hans did not respond. He thought back to the man's shot, a close-range grab. He hit the ball forward with a strong wind and knocked his opponent straight over. Obviously, everyone knew that he didn't mean to hurt people. But this kind of deterrence in the penalty area is what he wants to show, and it does affect the mentality of his opponents.

On the other side, Phil walked down from the bench in a down jacket, shook hands with Leon, Thorin, and Claudio and said exactly the same thing as an assistant coach.

"Good kick, boy. ”

Leon was in a good mood, but after a game, they were also relatively tired, and Phil looked obviously underwhelmed, and they didn't bother to bother with him.

Actually, Leon doesn't think much of Phil.

Phil, an "amateur player", has better basic skills than Leon imagined, but the level of technical sophistication naturally cannot be compared with himself; Phil is a lone wolf, half a season, and no one in the locker room is a friend, but he talks a lot and loves to be sarcastic, Leon sometimes thinks that it is just a good character, so he is not to blame for Phil; what really makes Leon dislike Phil is that he has a personality that says what he wants to say and do, and Leon thinks that his experience in the first 18 years is deserved.

There are too many players who have come out of a hostile environment, but why is Phil so arbitrary?

When Phil walked up to Hans, Phil didn't say, "Good kick, boy", what Phil said: "German, I didn't expect you to be a ruthless character except for peeking at the boss's ass." ”

Lu Ling came from the other side and heard this sentence completely. She saw Hans's face change in an instant.

Phil turned his face and saw the head coach as well. He didn't play this time, and he was a little dissatisfied with her in his heart. He has been in the limelight lately, with a lot of reports about him, more and more fans discussing him on Twitter, and his followers on Twitter and Instagram are increasing by tens of thousands every day. But in the first game of the new year, the boss, no, this bitch didn't even give a chance to play for a minute......

Hans looked at Lu Ling. He was so tall and his chin was always straight, but at this time it made people feel that he was annoyed and a little shy, he grabbed his gloves and pushed Phil away, "full of nonsense!" and then followed Yu Zixiang and them to the away stands.

Phil was still stunned, and after half a second, he asked the manager, "What did I say, he was so angry?"

Lu Ling ignored him. She raised her hands above her head to thank the away fans.

"Oh, ass!" Phil remembered. He said that sentence without thinking about it just now, but in fact, that sentence was in his heart, and he forgot it when he said it. He pondered it again, and he was right.

He took a few steps forward, came to her, and said, "I'm telling the truth." Also, boss, why haven't you talked so much lately......"

After Lu Ling greeted the away fans, she turned around, she had no expression, and her voice was very cold, "Phil, you are embarrassing everyone, including yourself." ”

Phil snorted, "I'm not embarrassed at all. She walked a little farther away, and he ha. Leon, who was passing by, glanced at him with disdain. Phil didn't like Leon's gaze, he didn't like it very much.

****

It's foggy outside. The city has not been called the fog capital for a long, long time, and in fact the city is rarely foggy anymore.

Lu Ling glanced out the window and thought of an old Stephen King horror movie. She's always like this these days, and her mind is uncertain. In addition to Pat, Nick, Tim, Alice, Anna, Ian, and other people close to her already knew about Lu Yungui, and she told them that their only request before was not to give her too much sympathetic look, which she said made her not know how to deal with it.

She knew very well that no one was obligated to understand and accept her grief, even if it was real and profound. She told these close friends because she didn't want to face it alone. If one day she really wanted to cry, any of them would lend her a shoulder. It made her feel lucky.

She took a sip of her coffee, calmed down, and looked at the schedule again.

At the weekend, QPR will play Ryan Giggs' Manchester United at home in the FA Cup third round. In midweek, Nick will take Everton to London for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. QPR will also face Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

She casually complained about the busy schedule at her post-match press conference for the previous win over Stoke City. Although she had been mentally prepared for the fourth-line battle, she felt tired after a week's double matches that lasted for several months. Not to mention the players.

The winter window has opened, and the top six clubs, including QPR, have not made any moves, but the small clubs aiming for relegation have set off a little transfer high/wave. Meng Qi offered some candidates, but Lu Ling didn't have anything particularly to like. This winter should not be able to buy the player you want. Fortunately, there is no place for urgent replenishment.

She looked at her schedule again.

On the Monday after the Manchester United game, there will be the annual FIFA Awards Ceremony.

Patrick is in the top three candidates for World Footballer of the Year. In the previous Ballon d'Or awards, Patrick ranked fifth. In the end, it was Neymar who won the prize. Ahead of Patrick are Gabriel Jesus, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba, and it is clear that the Ballon d'Or judges value the previous year's team accolades more.

However, in the selection of World Footballer of the Year, Patrick entered the final nomination along with Neymar and Jesus. Due to Brazil's World Cup triumph, Patrick is unlikely to win the award. His most likely win is the Puskas Trophy – the 'epic goal' against Manchester City is almost the only candidate on everyone's mind.

And the main reason why Lu Ling was invited was that she was shortlisted for the best coach of the year.

In addition to her, the other two candidates are Spaniard Nicolás Flores, who led Everton to their first Premier League title, and Tite, who led Brazil to their sixth World Cup.

In fact, the reason why she was shortlisted for the Coach of the Year was naturally because she led a small club like QPR to win the Premier League runner-up in two seasons. But Carlo Ancelotti, who led Bayern to the Champions League last season, was unexpectedly omitted from the list.

A lot of speculation, both explicit and implicit, is at best hinting at the influence and topicality of the Premier League that has put both Premier League managers in the candidates, and at worst, it is hinting at Kristen Lue's female identity and FIFA's artificial inclusion of her in consideration of SS.

The general media is reluctant to engage in large-scale discussions on the sensitive issue of "women", and only a few tabloids have some sarcastic remarks.

But it's a different story on social media. Many fans think that Kristen Lu is indeed outstanding and has excellent results, but he has very little experience in European competition and did not win any honors last year. Although most people are paying attention to what they say in the context of the UK and even Europe, there are still statements like these on Twitter:

[Traditionally, the Champions League-winning coach will inevitably be among the three best coach candidates, and this time FIFA is an exception, but did Kristen Lu win any titles last season? Or is it just because she is a "she"?]

[This is not a good decision, Lu will definitely not win the award, and it is a political/political act for her to be shortlisted. 】

[Kristen Lue is a good coach, but I think Carlo Ancelotti deserves to be selected, and I don't want women to be treated differently because of their gender, which is to reinforce the impression of gender in the public.] (This is from a woman)

[Of course I support women's rights, but just as I oppose the "Rooney Rule", I also oppose the strengthening of women's status in this way, which seems like a handout. (This was posted by an African-American woman, and the "Rooney Rule" is a preferential policy proposed by the NFL to increase the participation of blacks and minorities in coaching positions.)

Steve was the first to ask if Lu Ling would attend the FIFA awards ceremony. Of course, as her agent, he is also one of the people who cares the most about this matter. It was December last year, and Lu Ling hadn't thought about it at that time, plus it was her busiest stage, so where did she have time to think about it.

Later, in an exclusive interview with a media outlet, she was asked about this again, not so much whether she would attend, but what she thought about being nominated.

"I'm very honoured, but it's true that I didn't win any big titles this year, and the other two nominees deserved more than me," she said. ”

Privately, she was outspoken to Nick and Pat, including Steve, Tim, and Alice.

"Oh, I think it's a lot like SS, it's not that I'm being hypocritical, but Carlo Ancelotti, who won the Champions League, should be more of a candidate. ”

Lu Ling picked up the pen and drew a cross on the schedule.

Later in the evening, Nicholas called. He asked her if she would attend, and she said no. He laughed and asked, "If I go, will you go?"

Same answer. ”

"But don't you want to see me?"

"Are you going to kiss me at the award ceremony after you win the award or are you going to take me back to your hotel room after the award ceremony?"

He laughed even more heartily, "You can still make this kind of joke, it seems that you are better." I don't think I'll win the prize, I should be the one who won the World Cup. By the way, how is your father in China?"

"Yes, he seems to have gone hiking yesterday...... I don't know what to say. Lu Ling sighed slightly, "It's complicated, I sometimes think that I'm really not close to him...... But the thought of never seeing him again made me feel sad. ”

“…… We have always had a special connection with our parents, it has nothing to do with intimacy or not, they are a part of your life and one of the reasons why you are the Christine Lue you are today. Don't be afraid, love him, care for him. You won't get hurt by loving someone. ”

His voice was smooth and steady, but the content was so strong, like a glass of dry martini, blocking Lu Ling's throat.

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Nicholas called again, "Babe, are you okay?"

"I just feel that only by loving someone can you get hurt. ”

He paused and said firmly, "I promise, not this time." ”

Lu Ling stared at his computer screen in a daze, and when his eyes drooped, he saw the news headline in the newspaper next to him. There's the gossip about Pat and Amber – the two Amber are just playing games, there's the interview with Phil – I don't want to be a mold in a brick factory for the rest of my life, there's the report on Everton – the defending champions are still the favourites to win the Premier League this season, and her own – how far are Lu from the Premier League title?

She thought about the man's words, what was he referring to this time, whether it was her and her father, or him and her, maybe both, maybe just one of them. It doesn't matter anymore. That's a sweet enough phrase.

"Hey, you haven't told me yet. He added.

"What?" Lu Ling asked in a trance.

"You know, after we reconciled, you haven't said it yet. ”

Lu Ling said: "I want to pretend not to understand what you mean. ”

"You're pretending to be bad. ”

"Okay then. Lu Ling cleared his throat and licked his lips again, it always takes some courage to say this, "I love you, Nick." When this sentence sounded in the office, she was still startled.

"I love you too, sweetheart. He hurriedly smiled and continued.

This word brings bad memories. Lu Ling chuckled lightly, "So, next Monday, will you go to Zurich?"

"Yes, after all, Everton have a lot of players who will be in the best team. I'm their boss. I suddenly thought, "The reason you didn't go was that you didn't want to see me and Patrick at the same time?" And I, I'm missing a female companion. ”

"Haha, there's a lack of a female companion, is it? Okay, I'll allow you to bring a female companion that night, as long as you don't bring it back to the hotel room. ”

"Really?"

"Feel free. She knew he wouldn't, and she was a little more serious, "I don't care about seeing you both at the same time, I think, it's inevitable." ”

Maybe it's an unexpected encounter, maybe it's destined to collide, who knows? 166 Reading Network