Lambert09

I agree with this but it worked with Was, Huth and Wes so it is possible. Although I’d probably take the 2014 versions of them over what we have at the moment. I’m not sure what Soyuncu’s pace is like either.

I dont think we need to accommodate them though. Its not like the change would loose us a key player. The best of the 3 would start the rest on the bench. Football isnt all about having the best rated players on the pitch at the same time its about balance, we couldnt have been less balanced against Bournemouth. All of those players fighting for the first team spot would give us excellent game changing options from the bench. We all know it might not work, it could just be something that seems good in theory but we just want to see it tested. If we gave it a go against Wolves in the cup and we went out, I think everyone would say fair enough. We'd perhaps see some of the faults with the system ourselves, but on paper it seems like the way we should be going to get the most out of our assets.

Puel is a huge admirer of Gray but he wouldnt play him there. He'd be considered a striker if we were to play this system & Ghezal an attacking mid. The only players this system would harm would be Simpson, Silva (not sure he has the defensive attributes for this role) and Gray. Anyone else would fit in perfectly.

thats a 1000bht bill, they’re worth more than £20 each ...

I cant be the only person who doesnt know if they are Puel in or Puel out... he's the most conflicting manager we've had for me. Everytime he seems to get things moving in the right direction we soon take a step in the opposite direction. Slow progression or slow deterioration... I honestly cant tell right now.

I know this is worthy of the foxestalk death penalty, but 3-5-2 is really the way to go isnt it? I know Puel has never played the system but surely football managers are supposed to be adaptable and it seems we have the perfect players to make this work. Maguire, Soyuncu, evans are ball playing centre halves that would thrive with the extra defender as all 3 are prone to defensive brain farts. Whilst Wes lacks the pace to keep up, as a 3 any of the four would fit well IMO. As a 2 we are always going to ship goals. Chillwell and Ricardo both have more attacking qualities then defensive, but neither are good enough to play a flat wing role. (Albrighton has proven he can also play excellently in this role) Mendy, Ndidi and Ibora- all of these are most comfortable in a holding role rather than box to box and would look good tidying things up in front of the back 3. Maddison is perfect to sit just in front, Ghezal would also look goord and I actually think Demari would be a handful to deputise in this position. Iheanacho gets to play! This is huge for me as I think we are missing out on something with this guy, give him a run of games and goals will flow. In tough fixtures or away games, we can use the workhorse that is Shinji. The potential of this line up really is mouth watering, I know we need to stop going on about it but when you watch a game like Bournemouth its hard to not think about how we've dropped points AGAIN in a winnable game. One that you need to be smart about and not treat like the lesser teams in the league, they are simply too good to paint with the same brush and its these teams I think we seem to struggle against. Rant over, ill await my hanging. Kasper Soyuncu Maguire Evans Ricardo Chillwell Mendy Ndidi Maddison Iheanacho Vardy

The Swansea game is probably my favourite game of all time. The feeling in the stands was nothing id ever felt before, pure nerves.. fully packed but a strange quiet around the place pre-match. We had that feeling that we could 'do a Liverpool' and slip at the final hurdle. Our star striker banned after a game that felt like the officials were against us, a feeling the media would love for us to trip up and the stage was set for a us to prove to them that we were just a 3 man team. Then Leo steps up, with a performance that he always seemed to come up with when we really needed it.... He may not be everyone's immortal but I know that memory is firmly cemented in my head.

Our owners should have sent over Kingy and Benny as well... that would have sorted them right out! May as well have gotten something for the money they're paying them.

Look at the draws from the last 3 years. The big teams avoid each other consistently. It was only a half serious sentiment but It just seems weird that it could be random. The fa would want the big teams at the latter stages to make bigger games. There was an fa cup I think it was 2 years ago that was mind blowing how all the bigger teams avoided hard games (including us) Last years fa cup had Everton Liverpool first round then that was it. I lost faith in it after that, hope I’m just paranoid and this year throws some of the big boys together.

Doesn’t matter if It’s open or not, it’s fixed. majority of big teams will get easy games, one will play a prem team they would expect them to win but hides the fact it’s fixed... unfortunately we are one of the sides that would fall under that.

might have missed something but where's Sam Hughes gone?

He had a good game. My post might have seemed to suggest other wise but I didn’t mean it like that. He will have good games and that’s why I said he’ll be a superb back up. But pre-game I was just disappointed he was selected, as I’m hoping we are moving forward with a new cb pairing. He won’t consistently play like that anymore, it’s just natural at his age. If Puel is planning on rotating I can’t see that doing us any good either.

100% this. My gf asked me why I was annoyed at Wes playing and I had to explain that it's nothing against him. He's a legend in my eyes, always will be... I just don't want his legacy to be tarnished because the manager is making the wrong calls. Wes is going to be a fantastic back up for those rainy days but his best days are gone and we need to be moving forward now.

Chillwell has had a cracking start to the season, weird feeling that we’ve had a bad start to the season... then you look at the table. Hoping the luck turns into performances now. Side note- Ghezal looked tidy when he came on

Not for me, if he starts delivering for the under 23's then give him a chance... if he gets out performed by a youngster we already have, why should he get picked over them? What message does that send?

Surprised we couldnt ship him after that Athletico performance, yet Spurs managed to make $14 mill profit on Wimmer

I think what hurts the most is that our imaginary links to players arent even inspiring. I just want to hope! I remember logging onto foxestalk back in 2006 and seeing us linked to robert pires... it was just nice to be linked with someone too good for the club, it gives you hope even though its never happening. This season has been bottom of the barrel all round, except maybe 2 names. Some one get Sean From Enderby to tweet about a superstar. Then we can all enjoy the rest of the week, before crashing to reality at old trafford where our man of the match is Benny for 2 footing 8 players and sending Jose into a stroke of anger.

Yeah I agree. I’m not saying he will be worse but there’s an argument that he could be. I just don’t personally see us stronger in cb than last year. Hopefully JE will prove me wrong.

Based on watching football, Leicester’s not exactly His first club is it?

Surely Mahrez is enough to make the squad worse? We've also lost Dragovic who is arguably better than Evans. But forgetting that, some of the better players in the squad are all older (Vardy, Fuchs, Simpson, Morgan, Iborra, Ulloa, Slimani) You can argue they would all be worse than last season whilst the first team youngsters who you'd think would improve are only (n'didi, Gray, Chillwell, Iheanacho) Just my opinion but the overhaul the squad needed simply hasnt happened.

I am definitely concerned. I thought we were at a point where we be making progress yet our squad is clearly worse than last season. Add to that the fact that 2 of the newly promoted teams, look to have done great business. You could argue they will compete with us if not do better than...Palace finished strongly, Southampton, West Ham and Brighton have made good signings, Huddersfield seem to just thrive with Wagner, this season could be the toughest yet. When I think of the teams I think we will comfortably finish above it seems the list is getting shorter by the week. I just think we need all the new signings to be hits in order to have a good season, whereas in previous years if they didnt we were already had a good enough squad to do okay.

Unpopular opinion but I think he’d be decent. Always thought he was a decent player. If we moan about a player only having one good season surely it works the other way as well? Hes been very consistent in an over achieving west brom team, pretty much every season until last year. If we were picking up Evans and Dawson at the start of last season, our fans would think we were going to be competing again.

After Roy Essandoh we have a right to hate it! When it it became obsolete justice was served. Best day in the clubs history imo

If last season taught us anything it’s that shit happens. A couple of injuries and he starts picking up minutes. I actually think we need 5 cms for the season. But the only way that works is if you have someone comfortable being that guy, hopefully Kingy would still be okay with that role. If he was that fussed about starting, he would have gone back to Swansea and I’m sure they would have taken him. *id imagine James will need to go back out on loan after another lengthy lay off

I watched a few Swansea games and he was their best player every time. More than adequate back up for us, but maybe I have my Kingy specs on