"I'm not going to answer any questions about her personally. ”

'I'm not going to answer any questions about the Everton manager personally. ”

That's what the two managers made at Friday's pre-match press conference before reporters started asking questions. The difference between before and after may be about 20 minutes.

Both managers went to press conferences after the first training session. The habit is similar to that of the two, with the majority of league pre-match press conferences taking place after the first training session on Friday.

Of course, it is impossible for the two sides of the press conference to go to the same journalists. But when reporters on both sides of the flank put the words of Nick Flores and Kristen Lue on social media, respectively, it sparked a lot of discussion.

If it weren't for the fact that these two people were expressionless when they said this, and even their body language was slightly uncomfortable, the media would happily ridicule this as a tacit understanding between couples, or simply an appointment, but it seems that things are more complicated than that.

In the end, the two men's pre-match press conference did not mention each other at all, and even the names of the clubs were used instead where the names of the other should be used. Although, strictly speaking, there is nothing wrong with that.

After the press conference of the two, the discussion about the strange words and deeds of the two was no longer limited to fans, and many people who did not watch the game also joined the discussion of this high-profile relationship.

****

Lu Ling glanced up and was attracted to his gaze.

Sky Sports' tactical analysis may not seem like a good job to professional coaches – they're always the media, what can you ask of them? but when it comes to promoting games, they're professional.

Last season in the Championship, Pyte and Knicks hugged, Pat and himself hugged, he and Knick stood side by side, QPR fans shouted "Nick Flores!", and, this season, when Bielsa was still the team's manager, all the details of the QPR game away to Everton were cut into this short film. With high music, the last shot was an intimate hug between her and Nick at Goodison Park six months ago when she was an assistant coach.

Bielsa's QPR ended up losing away to the Toffees in that game, and they were just falling in love at that time.

This game, although it was only a game between QPR and Everton at home, has become the focus of this round of publicity for Sky Sports in the Premier League.

After reading it, Lu Ling was in a trance. There are a lot of shots, even she doesn't remember herself. But immediately, she came to her senses. She turned off the TV, there was still a lot to study, and there wasn't a lot of time.

****

At around 10 o'clock on Saturday morning, Everton's team bus had already left Liverpool. They arrive in London by 4pm at the latest, with a game time of 5:30 p.m., the final Premier League game on Saturday.

Ross Barkley glanced around the car, and it was like they were going to play a normal team. Of course, QPR would have been an ordinary team, if it weren't for the fact that the head coach of this team is a close friend of their head coach.

In fact, for the past week, the major media have been building momentum for this game. Judging from the attention that Everton and QPR have received, the heat of this game almost overshadows a big matchup.

But the Spaniards had warned them a long time ago, so even if almost all the players had a little different feelings about the game, none of them expressed their words in words.

Last month was winless in four league games, and if this continues, Everton will be in danger of falling out of the top four, let alone the title race. So, perhaps, this won't be an ordinary league again. Rather than opt to leave Everton in the summer, Rose has put his trust in the new young Latin boss and he doesn't want this to be a disappointment.

At the very least, to keep the top four.

Juan had his own judgment on things after Nick's press conference. Although the picture on Nick's desk was still there, and it didn't look like he was going to put it away. But the truth is, he has broken up with Christine. Otherwise, there is no way to explain this qiē.

Juan touched him with his elbow, "What will happen to you if we lose?"

Nicholas frowned, didn't look up, still watching a game of the QPR season.

"Number one, I don't like this pre-match assumption. You tell me it doesn't matter, but if you let the players hear it, it's going to be a very bad psychological cue. Second, we can't lose. ”

All week, all the sports media have been building momentum for this game. They thought they were going to see a romantic match. However, it can never be a romantic match. In any case, it won't be.

Nicholas looked at his watch.

I've been waiting for a long time. Long.

****

It had just rained.

Lu Ling walked out of the players' tunnel. At this point, only a small number of fans sat in the stands. There are several lawn rangers on the lawn who are still doing final inspections and repairs.

She walked near the sideline and crouched down. Touched the turf.

The grass is about two centimeters long, neat, clean, green and shiny. Very pleasant to the touch. Soft but not too smooth. It's the best form to play. A qiē is just right.

She glanced up at the court again. It's so small, and it's so beautiful. It won't be long before it's full of fans and all the voices coming from all directions.

George called out to her from behind. Lu Ling hurriedly stood up. She walked over to her assistant.

"You look a little nervous. George said hesitantly.

"Why am I nervous? No, I'm not nervous at all. Lu Ling said with a smile. She didn't want anyone else to think that this game was so special for her, even though it was. Although, she was really nervous. I was so nervous that I couldn't help but want to check every inch of the turf.

She and George walked up a few flights of stairs down the players' tunnel, turning right into the home dressing room and left into the away dressing room. The locker rooms of the two teams are no more than 10 meters apart.

As George held the locker room door for her, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Juan, tell the masseur to come over quickly, Rose said he ......"

Lu Ling's body involuntarily stopped for half a second, but she didn't look back and entered the locker room.

In front of the visitors' dressing room, the Everton manager looked at the back and paused for half a second until the door of the home dressing room was closed, and he continued: "Ross [Barkley] said he had a little tight thigh muscles. ”

Juan went to the back, and right away, the masseur came with him.

Players walked into the away dressing room at Loftus Road. Nicholas stood in the doorway, talking to the players one by one, his eyes glancing at the QPR Club employees in the hallway from time to time. They smiled at him, and he nodded politely.

It's so familiar here.

A year ago, he and she were on that end.

A year later, she's on that end, he's on this end.

All the players and coaching staff went inside, and Nicholas walked into the visiting dressing room.

Later, he thought, the media might ask him stupid questions.

For example, if you will go to the wrong locker room.

****

The atmosphere in the home dressing room was a little strange, probably because today's opponent was a team led by the manager's close lover. It's hard for the players to ignore that. Not to mention that Nick Flores is the team's former coach himself, and he has promoted or favored many players in the team, including Patrick Amber.

In the dressing room, the players' lockers are U-shaped, with Patrick last on the left. His number 7 blue and white jersey was already hanging from it. There is a small safe on the back of the blue and white jersey that is used to store the players' valuables.

Patrick hung up his jersey, opened the small safe, and slipped his phone and wallet inside. He glanced at his wrist again, he didn't want to take it off, but it wasn't very convenient to carry it with him during the game. He hesitated, but took off the bracelet and put it in the safe.

John saw it and teased: "So precious?

Patrick locked the safe and glanced at the flower-armed boy, "Yup."

When several other players heard this, they all said a few words. The locker room gradually returned to its usual state.

It's a very young team, with most of the main players under the age of 25. In the locker room, it's always noisy.

Lu Ling held Everton's starting list in his hand, facing the tactical board, still thinking about it for the last time. Nick's starting lineup is not much different from what she thought, and he will not be surprised to estimate her starting lineup.

Both teams are fielding the strongest teams available.

Hearing their commotion, she turned her head.

"Didn't Pat sue you both if he had a new girl?" John asked Zixiang and Ian.

Zixiang and Ian looked at Patrick in surprise, when?!

"He said that the bracelet he was wearing recently was given by his mysterious girlfriend. John continued.

Patrick was putting on his shoes, and he looked down and smiled, meeting Tina's quizzing gaze as he looked up. He continued to laugh and silenc her.

This action was watched by the other players, and all they thought was that it seemed that the boss knew. Zixiang was a little puzzled, did Christine know, or did ......

Lu Ling never smiled, she was very strict. She turned her gaze to the pretty boy and glanced around the players.

Then, she slapped the tactical board.

"I have a few points that I need to emphasize, and I listened to them carefully. When I go out to warm up for a while, I do what I highlighted once or twice in my training session this week. ”

It was already extremely quiet in the dressing room, and all the players looked over carefully.

Lu Ling was very satisfied.

Patrick watched as the tactical board pulled up his socks. Tina was a little nervous. He thought. He unconsciously repeated the action of pulling his socks several times. Zixiang next to him patted him, and he stopped this action.

It's just an ordinary league game against a strong team, but it's no more difficult than the Manchester duo.

The head coach had finished speaking, clapped his hands and motioned for them to go out and warm up.

Patrick stood up, he wanted to say a few words to Tina, but she was already out. He knew that she was busy before the game and that she might have gone for a pre-match interview.

Patrick followed a few of his buddies out of the dressing room, and he glanced back at the visitors' dressing room, where the door was open and it looked like the Everton players were out.

He was just about to turn around when he saw a man coming out of the away dressing room. The man stared at him with no special expression, and he stared back, his face equally calm. Soon, the two of them staggered together, and the boy descended the stairs.

****

Lee Mason, the referee of the game, looked at his watch, and the time was almost up. He walked out of the players' tunnel. Behind him were the starters of both teams.

The Loftus Road Stadium erupted in applause.

In the 2016-2017 season, in the 27th round of the Premier League, the match between Queens Park Rangers and Everton is about to begin.

Sky Sports cameras cut to the biggest box at Loftus Road after giving a close-up of Patrick's face. There, sitting is the club's Malaysian owner, Tony, and Lawrence Jr., who is rumored to be a shareholder of QPR.

Sky Sports then gave the starting line-ups for both sides.

QPR starting eleven (4231):

Leonardo Ferreira

Eduardo Vargas, Patrick Amber, Nathan Raymond

Marco van Ginkel, Ian Parker

Yu Zixiang, Timothy Fosu Mensa, Nedham Onuoha (c), John O'Connor

Robert Green, GK

Subs: Alex Smithis (GK), Álvaro Cruz, Glenn Mitchell, Jack Steele, Massimo Rwango, Matt Phillips, Connor Washington

Everton starting eleven (433):

Romelu Lukaku

Ayoze Perez, Ousmane Dembele

Oliver Torres, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley (c)

Jose Gaya, Ramillo Forness Mori, John Stones, Sims Coleman

Hoel Robles (GK)

Subs: Russell Griffites (GK), Layton Baines, Mason Holgate, Gareth Barry, Aaron Lennon, Gerard Deulofeu, Florin Andone

Commentator Martin Taylor laughed: "QPR fans all seemed surprisingly excited today. ”

Indeed, for them, the opposing coach is not only the club's promotion hero Nick Flores, but also the close lover of the current manager, Kristen Lu!

Martin Taylor continued, "Everton under Flores have gone winless in the last four rounds and have drawn the last three games in a row, so many people think that this home game will go to his old club and there is a chance of a draw. Gary, what do you think of this game?"

Guest Gary Neville said: "The two managers know each other very well and I also think a draw is very likely. ”

The Sun wrote before the game that it was the most romantic game in football history. It can be boring too. The article also predicted that the match would end in a draw.

Nick Flores walked out of the tunnel first, still wearing his favorite dark suit. The home fans gave him a round of applause and he smiled and thanked him.

And when Kristen Lu walked out of the tunnel of the players, the applause from the audience was even more enthusiastic. She didn't wear a suit, she wore a down jacket from the club. She also smiled and thanked the fans. After that, she said something to the fourth official on the sidelines. Then she saw him walking towards her.

The moment the two made eye contact, the smiles disappeared.

They shook hands, and their bodies were far away.

"Christine. ”

"Nick. ”

"You've been doing well lately. ”

"I think I'm lucky. By the way, congratulations on becoming a father! I heard it was called Diego. ”

"Yes, thank you. Good luck with this game. ”

"The same goes for you. ”

By the time they let go, the referee's whistle had already sounded.

They each walked to the dugout.

He had an extra scar on his left hand, which must have been burned that morning.

Lu Ling sat down. A few minutes later, she walked near the sideline. On the other hand, the Spaniards have long been standing there.