Arriba Los Zorros

I'm not sure if this is a blip or if Puel cannot play against defensive sides. If its the former ok, but I think it's the latter and we'll be seeing the return of 0-1s from the 2000s. Oh great 3-0 ffs.

Come on Shinji save us

Performance is ****ing unacceptable, this isn't a blip, we can't break teams that defend in numbers down and it's been the problem for a while. All very well to be dynamite on the counter attack when teams don't leave any space in behind. We're so one dimensional

Well this is ****ing shit. Congratulations everyone expecting us to steamroll them. I think our home form is gonna take a nosedive even if we look better away than before

This is why Saints wanted Puel out, poor home performances. Expect us to carry on winning away and being shite at home

Exactly. This thread is bloody ridiculous! I'd imagine we'll be at least 10 points off 6th place too.

Just the idea that we're in form, at home where we are strong and they're near the bottom so we should walk it. It's not that attitude that's won us all these games since we were back in the PL. I worry if you go into a game not expecting to have to play well and put in 100% in order to win you will struggle

Its that sort of overconfidence that would lead to Palace scoring their first away goal and winning their first away game. I'm hoping Claude and the boys aren't as arrogant going into it!

Hear hear. I love Puel based on what we've seen so far but can fully understand why Southampton got rid, his style of play didn't suit their team and they hardly scored at St Marys all season. Jesus, look at how most of here reacted to his appointment 'failed at Southampton with boring football' etc. this coming after some lovely football under Koeman and St Marys being a fortress for them. Their error has been getting someone in worse than Puel to replace him.

Both good decisions. You're letting the fact that Puel has been good for us cloud your judgement. Southampton have followed him up with an even worse appointment for them but Koeman, Pochettino and before him Adkins have got more out of worse players for them

Remember how pissy we got when we were attacked by all and sundry for sacking Ranieri? I didn't see it as banter and not many City fans did. Saints probably feel the same and especially coming from us, its pot calling kettle black. For the record I was 100% in favour of sacking Ranieri (thank fook we did) and admire Southampton for sacking Puel because of performances and not results

Na, he's just a passionate Saints fan, what's wrong with that? Le Tissier is a good bloke and he's got a point

0-1 all over this after 2 away wins

Huddersfield and Swansea and one of Brighton / West Brom / Newcastle / Bournemouth / Palace. Would go for Newcastle

Post deleted. But I warn you that's how your posts come across at times.

(deleted)

Its not directed at Burnley (admittedly not one of my favourite clubs anyway) but rather at their manager who has shown himself to be a very jealous and ungracious bad loser in previous encounters with us.

Per day or week?

Rubbish aren't they. Beggars belief they keep on winning. Although they are also one of the luckiest sides I've seen for a while too. Hopefully teams will start taking them seriously and preparing properly for games with them and they'll drop like a stone

Burnley are fooking wank. Can't wait for them to get sussed

Your best one yet. Undeniably racist but that only adds to its appeal. The guy looks like Okazaki meets Tom Cruise so you've done OK

Call this an unpopular opinion, but I think getting top players to play to their potential under a massive weight of expectation and having to take the game to teams every week is a much more impressive achievement than getting a group of players to overachieve. Its a lose-lose, if you win the league people say you should be doing so anyway, and if you don't then you're an overhyped failure. How many managers have got a group of players playing well and possibly above their potential against heavyweight opponents in the PL? So many, its not rare - Moyes, Ranieri, Pochettino, Rodgers, Koeman, Dyche, Pardew at Newcastle for one season. How many managers have we seen that have built a team that can dominate Premier League? Ferguson, Pep, Mourinho albeit with ugly football and possibly Wenger all those years ago. Few and fair in-between. Note that many (previously 'proven') managers have tried to build a team that can dominate the league and failed - Klopp, Pochettino, Wenger for most of his time at Arsenal, Rodgers, Pellegrini, Van Gaal, Moyes, Mourinho's second stint in England. Getting the best out of the top players and consistently winning is much more impressive than developing a team to punch above their weight for a while, no doubt in my mind.

I'm just outside of Aylesbury and sister lives in High Wycombe and can confirm its pretty cold and snowy in this part of the country! We're just not used to it either. Getting around any B road or village is a mission, especially hilly ones.

And then you go and spoil it all by saying something special...... Oh.

No read the whole of what I wrote again particularly the England part