Mickyblueeyes

After an entire pre-season and the new signings, it’s too early for us to even contemplate replacing the manager. Unless something amazing comes available, it would be foolish for us to “start again” this early in the campaign. If they wanted him gone, they should’ve done it at the start of the summer.

West Ham with all this spending, new philosophy and management look as bad as they did last year. Appreciate Liverpool look awesome but they’ve shown nothing at all.

But it wasn’t. Those chances I listed were not created by last ditch pumps into the box. In fact class the Vardy chance and goal in that too. They came about from proper build up play using our playmaker in the middle of the park. There were also two or three through balls that created half chances that may have led to something if it wasn’t for Bailly. We showed enough from open play not to warrant that criticism but it is an opinion based game.

Disagree with this. We created a good number of chances from open playing. Especially considering we were away at Old Trafford. The Kelechi chance in the first half, the Maddison strike which De Gea saved well and the Gray chance in the second half were all good quality chances which would’ve gone in against lesser opposition. I dont think its it’s fair to criticise the team for not carving open Man U, away every time we ventured into their half.

If there ever was a time to play United away, it’s now. Keep Jose in the dumps and get a win. Come on you blue boys !!!

Our greatest manager. Will be honest (and this a was a lesson for me for why the big name is not always the best bet) I was quite disappointed on his appointment. Simply because I thought we needed a more experienced manager at the time. Boy (to my absolute delight) did he prove me wrong !! That summer he rebuilt us for the first time with quality signings and re-energised the club. Legend - that game was the start of our upward surge. Hopefully one that isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

We needed all three. Benny is not first team material and Wes gradually has to be phased out with respect and a hero’s thank you departure next year. Good thing about snapping up two this year rather than 1 is it allows the new partnership to progress over a year before it becomes a mainstay.

What I really like about this window is that we seem pro-active rather than re-active. The two deals at the end mean (of course if both players adapt well etc.) we have contigencies in place in case Maguire does leave. In the last few transfer windows we seem to have lacked that initiative. How we deal with the Mahrez loss is going to be our biggest test this year. Maddison I think will be a big player for us. Generally, we have evolved the team. We have far more ball players in the squad than this time last year. This will aid Puel and his style. All in all, a good window.

Good point, well made sir.

It’s got to be agent paper talk. Nothing in this. Can’t be. No one is that stupid.

Not neccessarily comparing to Mahrez in terms of what he can achieve. However, only an absolute turnip would not recognise that some players, regardless of age, past performance and/or attitude react better at some clubs, under certain managers and under certain coaching methods. Puel has history of getting results from players others have struggled with. If the manager is throwing his hat on this guy, he has a reason. His videos show he has some technical ability (like Riyad did, when he came) and though in his mid-20s that technical ability, with the right programme, coaching and man management could be an asset. Writing him off from the getgo would be foolish.

Give the guy a chance. Riyad came here as a £400k nobody, no one in France rated him and the Algerians classed him as garbage. Combined with his natural talent and our talent coaches, he’s now a £60 million player. The opinion has changed somewhat. You can see from the video, this guy has natural talent and in Puel a manger who knows his strengths and weaknesses. If we coach him right and he applies himself, we may have a player on our hands. The finished article is never never going to be a target of ours. I back Puel’s judgement on players. He has proven that before.

Personally think he will shoot himself in the foot going to United. Harry, for all his World Cup heroics is still rather raw. To play at the top level, you can’t make mistakes or get binned almost immediately. If United had a settled centre back they were looking to pair with Harry I would say let him go. However, just looking at their squad, he would most probably go in as head man. I think he needs two maybe three seasons to get to that.

If we end up bringing him in, surely we are going 1 up top with a number ten in behind. A proper, creative number 10. Kelech, Maddison and Paco. With two energetic/attacking wing backs, we may have found two routes to goal and not just the one that has served us so well for a few years.

Love Drinky. Always will. Thought he was our most consistent player in our championship title season. However, do not see how adding him to squad now will do us or him any good. We have filled the role he left with two accomplished players. We are all ready overloaded with players we either do not need or want. He is probabky better suited elsewhere.

Brighton official twitter commented on that post, then deleted it.

Puel has probably got the hardest job as a Leicester manager since I started supporting City. That includes McGhee when he took over from Little, Bassett when he took over from Taylor and is probably on par with Micky Adams first season. The side for the first time since Pearson in 2012/2013 needs to evolve. We’ve had a consistent squad since then for a few years. This is understandable but with the unprecedented success City achieved, it makes this evolution harder than any other in our history. We we have a lot of anomalies going into this season. Guys like Diabate, Kelechi, Silva, Perreira Chilwell, Chowdhury and Barnes are all players who in patches (albeit one of them at another club) shown moments of brilliance. The question is after a pre-season implementing Puel’s style how they respond. If they find that consistency, we could be in for a really good season - it’s a big IF. To add to that Gray is probably embarking on the biggest season of his career. No more patches of good form, he has had the bedding in time and needs to show it consistently. If Ndidi and Maguire progress how they have been, we’ve got some real gems there. Maddison could be a very important player too. Last seasons collapse was not acceptable. However, the last we collapsed like that, it definitely made the squad stronger. If Puel gets these players to have a good pre-season and gets them to buy into his philosophy, we should be on our way. He needs the time time and I think he will get it. Changing a squad and style takes time. If it works, we could be in for another great 5/6 years.

The Dutch league does tend to throw up some duds but also some real gems. This lads figures cannot go unnoticed. Never seen him play so basing my opinion solely on those figures and can’t help but get excited. Excelled each season and stepped up. If this is true, could be the man to get us off our seat next year.

I actually agree with you that no one has set level. Man City were a nothing club 10/12 years ago before they came into Arab money. However, the club though it has spent a considerable sum in the last 3/4 years has been run like a small club. Mahrez just about gave us TWO years that’s four transfer windows all of which came after an unprecedented title win. Who did we sign that would suggest to him that we are “champions league” quality? Ndidi maybe? Maguire ? I think Silva will come good. Iborra offers valued experience and Kelechi is another one I think we’ll be purring over. Please add whoever else to that list that you would like. In general though, we’ve put out a rolls Royce image with a fiat engine (nothing wrong with Fiats but it’s lesser level). These players can get fat contracts anywhere. Professionally, while some may be happy with a comfort zone, most in life are not. In my professional career I’ve made the jump to a bigger company on a few occasions. How can I begrudge Riyad doing the same. At this moment in time and for for the foreseeable future, we are light years behind Man City. It’s fact. The club needs to progress rather quickly to become a sustained and successful “big club”. He paid his dues. We have given him a platform. Neither side owes the other one anything.

Perception is an interesting thing. I’ve read some of the transcripts from his press conference and his comments on Maguire, I don’t find them offensive at all. He left City to go to a club who are building to win the champions league - that is a correct statement. He left one that isn’t - again correct. He may have implied his ambition to win the champions league would not have been fulfilled here at Leicester - again correct. He said his mate and ex team mate deserves to play at the highest possible level - I agree with that. Than may have implied City are not at the highest level - again true. We barely made the top 10 last year. Mahrez is a bit like marmite for some fans. He gave us some great moments and we gave him a platform. It was a great story. Thanks Riyad and best of luck.

It’s very important that we do keep Harry. He has head firmly screwed on and goes from strength to strength season to season. The experience in Russia will make him better. Two more years than the vultures can pay up.

Love Riyad but you’ve just indirectly rated him higher than Messi and Ronaldo. You cannot be serious.

The club uses some good (and in some instances, some not so good) law firms for years. General Counsel is usually hired where legal spend for a business is a bit higher than the board would like. The vast majority of work is still outsourced. Though, it would be a surprise for a new GC to pick up one deal to understand the process before engaging the external firms. i would be very surprised if the club entered any contracts without a corporate lawyers say so. The indemnity insurance would most probably breached as a result. Unfortuantely, loose drafting is the shit side of the commercial lawyers profession. Happens to the best of us. Some superstar corporate partners have been caught out by it. If Ruskin was task with negotiation the fine print, without legal training, that cannot be his fault - rather the person who told him to do it. Again, I doubt this is the case.

On finances - Man City are massive. As result of major investment they're now recognised as a major European player. However, if they think with 2 premier league titles, an FA Cup and almost going a season unbeaten makes them ever close a big a club as Man United or Liverpool in terms of prestigious. They seriously need to behave themselves. Man City are still ugly best mate you pull when the fit friend you really want (Man U) are not interested. I don't even need to know him but if you offered the same deal to Mahrez from United or Man City, I can guess who's he pick. P.S Riyad, please stay.

If it is the loyalty bonus, the club will probably want some assurance that it will not be claimed, before they agree the deal. If Mahrez were to give assurance, he would be estopped from making a claim after the event for the bonus.