How can we get a message to Claude?

[grobyfox1990]

I don't think it's anything to do with Puel, he put out a team strong enough to beat Fleetwood after an insane run of matches in very few days. That's why you have a squad, to make changes. Fact is they didn't play well enough and Fleetwood were brilliant. Likewise against Man City we lost on pens. Our two best players, Mahrez and Vardy, were on the pitch around the 55th minute. That's football, that's life, it happens. There's not always someone to blame.

 

Puel took Southampton to their first cup final for however many years last year and should've won, it's unfair to say he's not bothered by the cups IMO.

[ZeGuy]

6 minutes ago, Captain... said:

This is not a criticism of Puel, but I don't think he understands how much fans want to win the FA Cup, maybe he doesn't know it is a trophy we have never won, maybe he doesn't know we hold the record of most FA Cup final appearances without a win. I'm not saying sack the guy, I'm saying how can we let him know, and the board and the owners, that this is important to us, more important than a mid table finish.

 

I disagree that that assessing the players is the exactly the purpose of these games. The purpose is to qualify for the next round. Even if that was the purpose what exactly do we learn about playing Dragovic in front of Jakupovic with Amartey on one side and Benalouane on the other and a midfield 3 comprising of 2 unfit players in front of him against an up for it team on a crap pitch? What could you learn from playing Barnes in that side, at least give him Iborra to feed him, or Ndidi/Albrighton/Okazaki to be the water carriers. If you want to see if a player is up to it, you have to play them with first team players not in a scratch side experimenting with a new formation. If we need to do that so badly organise a behind closed doors friendly. We could have played that instead of this needless replay.

The board might have other plans. None of us knows what has been discussed and where the priorites exactly lie (I suppose staying up isn't negotiable). And as I said it's a long term project.

 

A friendly ain't a competitive match. In a friendly even Musa can score a brace against Barcelona. There is no pressure. And when are you going to organize a friendly exactly? Next summer?

 

Morgan and Huth are injured, Maguire needed a much deserved rest, that's for Dragovic. Simpson is injured so Amartey had to play one way or another. That's for the back line.

 

Silva needed game time and it was perfect for him, he did fvck all which was to expect but you have to start somewhere. Same for James had a good game against Huddersfield and is also coming back from an injury.

 

I thought King would be at least able to handle against that lot, especially in a midfield three. Turns out it wasn't the case, not that the other two had a better game. But at least you know exactly what you have in the midfield and how much you can rely on the squad players.

 

Vardy was injured and you wouldn't risk your best creative asset (Mahrez) against these plodders on that kind of pitch.

 

So which part of we HAD to rotate is still unclear to you?

[notnow john]

1 hour ago, Captain... said:

We are a football club that doesn't really understand how to do it. We do have a tendency to alienate players like Benalouane, Ulloa, Musa, Nacho, then expect them to take their chance in the cup competitions, but when they do, they get rewarded by being left out of the match day squad again.

 

If we had proper squad rotation we would have played Dragovic, Amartey, Benalouane in the league rather than Playing Morgan and Simpson until they broke.

 

Puel is starting to get there and hopeful with Silva getting to match fitness we will have rotation in midfield, Silva, Ndidi, Iborra, rotation upfront with Gray, Shinji, Mahrez, Albrighton and Chilwell all getting their chance behind Vardy. But apart from LB our back 5 and lone striker is not rotated and 3 of them are now injured.

 

You're making excuses for players lack of commitment but yeah blame the manager,

easy way out,if you think they were committed you're deluded.

 

[Nod.E]

3 hours ago, Captain... said:

Did you not see the team he put out for the Fleetwood game and Man City game?

Context, context, context. For goodness sake why can nobody understand the importance of context?

Both of those fixtures came in an absolutely mental festive period, during which we and every other PL team fielded rotated squads.

We'll still probably field some of our usual benchers in the replay for squad rotation purposes/keeping players hungry, but I'd expect Riyad and Vardy to play a role, and that along with the home advantage should be enough to see us through.

 

Edited 9 January 2018 by Nod.E

[foxinsocks]

just email vichai

[Gerard]

I fully support Puel in his team selection for both Man City and Fleetwood.

 

I'd be more pissed off if in both competitions we selected a weakened side and a lot more of the top six had been eliminated. Even if we had beaten Man City the chances are we go into the SF draw with three other top six teams. We were never any closer to winning the competition than we were in August if truth be told. Also by the end of the match it was more or less our best XI on the pitch and we lost on the lottery of a penalty shoot out, it's not like the cup was surrendered as soon as we saw the team selection.

 

For Fleetwood that team we put out was far superior to their's. I expect us to beat them in the replay and put a similar side out against Peterborough.

 

 

[UpTheLeagueFox]

3 hours ago, Captain... said:

How do we tell Claude Puel that we the fans want to take the FA Cup seriously?

@UpTheLeagueFox do you ever have contact with him, or those at the club?

I only get to interview him post match and I doubt the important people at the club would take notice of anything I had to say so sorry I can't help.

However, some club employees do read this forum and some even post here.

[Captain...]

13 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

The board might have other plans. None of us knows what has been discussed and where the priorites exactly lie (I suppose staying up isn't negotiable). And as I said it's a long term project.

 

A friendly ain't a competitive match. In a friendly even Musa can score a brace against Barcelona. There is no pressure. And when are you going to organize a friendly exactly? Next summer?

 

Morgan and Huth are injured, Maguire needed a much deserved rest, that's for Dragovic. Simpson is injured so Amartey had to play one way or another. That's for the back line.

 

Silva needed game time and it was perfect for him, he did fvck all which was to expect but you have to start somewhere. Same for James had a good game against Huddersfield and is also coming back from an injury.

 

I thought King would be at least able to handle against that lot, especially in a midfield three. Turns out it wasn't the case, not that the other two had a better game. But at least you know exactly what you have in the midfield and how much you can rely on the squad players.

 

Vardy was injured and you wouldn't risk your best creative asset (Mahrez) against these plodders on that kind of pitch.

 

So which part of we HAD to rotate is still unclear to you?

 

We had to rotate some, but not all, not Iborra, Albrighton, Okazaki, Ndidi, Fuchs, Schmeichel and Mahrez, Fleetwood aren't cloggers, they are a decent league one side, this arrogance that we should be able to turn them over because we had some over-priced foreigners in our team is exactly the sort of dismissive attitude we would have hated a few years ago.

 

I'm all for rotation, but not throwing out a scratch side in an experimental formation that has resulted in another bloody fixture.

[Guest MattP]

2 minutes ago, Gerard said:

I fully support Puel in his team selection for both Man City and Fleetwood.

 

I'd be more pissed off if in both competitions we selected a weakened side and a lot more of the top six had been eliminated. Even if we had beaten Man City the chances are we go into the SF draw with three other top six teams. We were never any closer to winning the competition than we were in August if truth be told. Also by the end of the match it was more or less our best XI on the pitch and we lost on the lottery of a penalty shoot out, it's not like the cup was surrendered as soon as we saw the team selection.

Pretty sure you are always closer to winning a competition in the Quarter Finals than you are at the start. This is pushing the boundaries of insane to suggest otherwise.

 

I'm not criticising Puel here (no one is as far as I can see, we have no idea what his remit is) but it's not beyond reason for supporters to demand we have a go at winning things when we have a squad capable of doing so and we are safe in the Premier League, there always seem to be an excuse not to go full pelt for the cup, some of that is justified i.e we are top of the league, some of it simply isn't i.e now when we are sat in 7th.

 

The thought of becoming one of these clubs who just finishes 7th-14th every season whilst losing cup matches because we didn't play our best team scares me, we would be losing so many chances at glory, wonderful days out and wonderful nights following our team.

 

It's just becoming another West Brom or Stoke, we are far better than that.

[Strokes]

3 minutes ago, MattP said:

Pretty sure you are always closer to winning a competition in the Quarter Finals than you are at the start. This is pushing the boundaries of insane to suggest otherwise.

 

I'm not criticising Puel here (no one is as far as I can see, we have no idea what his remit is) but it's not beyond reason for supporters to demand we have a go at winning things when we have a squad capable of doing so and we are safe in the Premier League, there always seem to be an excuse not to go full pelt for the cup, some of that is justified i.e we are top of the league, some of it simply isn't i.e now when we are sat in 7th.

 

The thought of becoming one of these clubs who just finishes 7th-14th every season whilst losing cup matches because we didn't play our best team scares me, we would be losing so many chances at glory, wonderful days out and wonderful nights following our team.

 

It's just becoming another West Brom or Stoke, we are far better than that.

Personally I’d always go full pelt for the cups, regardless of league positions. 

[Captain...]

14 minutes ago, notnow john said:

You're making excuses for players lack of commitment but yeah blame the manager,

easy way out,if you think they were committed you're deluded.

 

I've said that Puel is getting there, I have applauded the way he has managed our 3 behind Vardy using Gray and Chilwell to rotate with Albrighton, Mahrez and Shinji, he has done similar with the midfield and hopefully that will improve with Silva. It is an improvement over Shakespeare and Ranieri who have both alienated players rather than incorporate. Whether it is Inler, Musa, Ulloa, Mendy, Slimani, Benalouane. We have a big squad but we don't seem to rotate in the league and then just trot them out in the cups. Even when they play well and score and look good, I can think of Amartey and Slimani this season doing well in the cup game, next match day squad and they are back with the kids.

 

If you do that players lose the motivation to bust a gut again in the cup, because there is no reward.

[Gerard]

Just now, MattP said:

Pretty sure you are always closer to winning a competition in the Quarter Finals than you are at the start. This is pushing the boundaries of insane to suggest otherwise.

 

I'm not criticising Puel here (no one is as far as I can see, we have no idea what his remit is) but it's not beyond reason for supporters to demand we have a go at winning things when we have a squad capable of doing so and we are safe in the Premier League, there always seem to be an excuse not to go full pelt for the cup, some of that is justified i.e we are top of the league, some of it simply isn't i.e now when we are sat in 7th.

 

The thought of becoming one of these clubs who just finishes 7th-14th every season whilst losing cup matches because we didn't play our best team scares me, we would be losing so many chances at glory, wonderful days out and wonderful nights following our team.

 

It's just becoming another West Brom or Stoke, we are far better than that.

 

Not when the likely path from the QF was to beat Man City then Man Utd over two legs and Chelsea in the final. I would have been a lot more annoyed if we knew the other SF teams were going to be Stoke, Brighton and Cardiff for example.

 

We lost on a penalty shoot out with more or less our best XI on the pitch it what was the start of a crazy fixture list. We still didn't have enough of a buffer to say we were safe from relegation and 7th place was still in reach. In fact IIRC some people were talking about top four at the time.

 

IMO Puel's team selections and subs for both cups have been absolutely fine. It's easy for the armchair managers to say what team he should select as they give no consideration to managing players fatigue and higher potential injury chances that come with flogging the first team.

[Webbo]

You have to consider the prize money you get for your position in the league versus the prize money for the cup. Also are we sure the club really want to qualify for the Europa league, most clubs in it seem to suffer from the extra games. 

 

As fans we don't care about the money we just want to win things #metoo, but there are considerations involved.

[Captain...]

3 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

Not when the likely path from the QF was to beat Man City then Man Utd over two legs and Chelsea in the final. I would have been a lot more annoyed if we knew the other SF teams were going to be Stoke, Brighton and Cardiff for example.

 

We lost on a penalty shoot out with more or less our best XI on the pitch it what was the start of a crazy fixture list. We still didn't have enough of a buffer to say we were safe from relegation and 7th place was still in reach. In fact IIRC some people were talking about top four at the time.

 

IMO Puel's team selections and subs for both cups have been absolutely fine. It's easy for the armchair managers to say what team he should select as they give no consideration to managing players fatigue and higher potential injury chances that come with flogging the first team.

You know that the team we lost to are facing Bristol City tonight? That could be us, that has been an extra handful of salt to rub into the wound.

 

If you want to manage players fatigue do it throughout the season, don't wait until a cup game to decide that they need a rest, because it's funny how they always seem to need a rest for a cup game. Yet the game before we flogged Iborra and Albrighton until 77 minutes and Vardy until 85 before making subs in a game that was lost and we looked like we had no chance of coming back in. Managing fitness should be a season long philosophy not one that only applies to cup games.

[Gerard]

2 minutes ago, Webbo said:

You have to consider the prize money you get for your position in the league versus the prize money for the cup. Also are we sure the club really want to qualify for the Europa league, most clubs in it seem to suffer from the extra games. 

 

As fans we don't care about the money we just want to win things #metoo, but there are considerations involved.

 

I don't think it's nothing to do with prize money. I'm sure the club would rather finish 10th and be in the SF of the Caraboa Cup than 8th and not in it.

 

Some people aren't happy unless the best XI is on the pitch game after game. If we were quite close to winning a trophy then I'm sure the best XI would start. Puel took a calculated risk with his team selection against Man City and Fleetwood whilst balancing our league aspirations of both safety and European football next season. No matter what Puel does there is always someone who thinks they know better.

[KingsX]

Dear Claude,

 

We think you’re doing an awesome job of giving the youngsters a chance to show what they can do.  And 22 or so “holiday fixtures” take their toll on the eleven, LOL.  But seriously.

 

If you rotate two starters out against the mighty Cod, we’re coming after you with knives and torches.

 

You will surely agree, eighth and a Cup final and you’ll be sitting pretty.

 

sincerely,

 

FoxesTalk

[ZeGuy]

18 minutes ago, Captain... said:

 

We had to rotate some, but not all, not Iborra, Albrighton, Okazaki, Ndidi, Fuchs, Schmeichel and Mahrez, Fleetwood aren't cloggers, they are a decent league one side, this arrogance that we should be able to turn them over because we had some over-priced foreigners in our team is exactly the sort of dismissive attitude we would have hated a few years ago.

 

I'm all for rotation, but not throwing out a scratch side in an experimental formation that has resulted in another bloody fixture.

Jakupovitch had a decent game. Okazaki and Albrighton came on and it changed nothing. Iborra was for me the only really odd one, I don't know if he's not slightly injured. The problem is that we're shit forward when Mahrez isn't playing. Should we lose him this month and 8th won't even come to discussion.

 

There is no arrogance, who would have believed that we could not even have one shot on target? They were on three defeats in a row. No manager would have put his best XI, especially when a tough away game is waiting. It was a massive let down and it came first from the players.

 

It changes nothing to the matter, we'll beat them at the KP.

[filbertway]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42537815

 

I love this from Pep. Focus on winning your next game. Admittedly it's easier to say that when your squad is packed with class but it's refreshing to hear a manager talk about trying to win everything they're competing in.

[Gerard]

8 minutes ago, Captain... said:

You know that the team we lost to are facing Bristol City tonight? That could be us, that has been an extra handful of salt to rub into the wound.

 

If you want to manage players fatigue do it throughout the season, don't wait until a cup game to decide that they need a rest, because it's funny how they always seem to need a rest for a cup game. Yet the game before we flogged Iborra and Albrighton until 77 minutes and Vardy until 85 before making subs in a game that was lost and we looked like we had no chance of coming back in. Managing fitness should be a season long philosophy not one that only applies to cup games.

 

Ah the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure if Puel knew we would be playing Bristol City instead on Man Utd he would have put a stronger side out. Due to the strength of the other teams left Bristol City are still 50/1 to win the cup despite being in the SF so they're not really that much closer to winning it than they were in August. They're now about a 2% chance of winning from about 0.75% in August.

 

Puel had a decision to make about keeping his best players at peak fitness and lessening the chances of injuries by over playing his best XI, I think the reason most people are moaning about the cup selection teams is that they're overestimating our chances of winning them.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

51 minutes ago, MattP said:

Pretty sure you are always closer to winning a competition in the Quarter Finals than you are at the start. This is pushing the boundaries of insane to suggest otherwise.

 

I'm not criticising Puel here (no one is as far as I can see, we have no idea what his remit is) but it's not beyond reason for supporters to demand we have a go at winning things when we have a squad capable of doing so and we are safe in the Premier League, there always seem to be an excuse not to go full pelt for the cup, some of that is justified i.e we are top of the league, some of it simply isn't i.e now when we are sat in 7th.

 

The thought of becoming one of these clubs who just finishes 7th-14th every season whilst losing cup matches because we didn't play our best team scares me, we would be losing so many chances at glory, wonderful days out and wonderful nights following our team.

 

It's just becoming another West Brom or Stoke, we are far better than that.

Correct.

 

Don’t worry about your posts coming across as criticism of the manager.

 

It is allowed, although some some twats on here seem very touchy about such things ?

 

We are at the stage with people on here where he gets credit for any wins, but poor performances are fine as ‘he can’t help how the players play’ despite that being the primary remit for employment.

[Captain...]

4 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

Ah the benefit of hindsight, I'm sure if Puel knew we would be playing Bristol City instead on Man Utd he would have put a stronger side out. Due to the strength of the other teams left Bristol City are still 50/1 to win the cup despite being in the SF so they're not really that much closer to winning it than they were in August. They're now about a 2% chance of winning from about 0.75% in August.

 

Puel had a decision to make about keeping his best players at peak fitness and lessening the chances of injuries by over playing his best XI, I think the reason most people are moaning about the cup selection teams is that they're overestimating our chances of winning them.

But with that logic you would never even bother with the cup, you could always meet a team that is better than you, but that is the joy of the cup, on your day anyone can beat anyone, the cups are littered with giant killings, you need luck to win the cup, with the draw and with big clubs getting knocked out early, but you have to give yourself the best chance of taking any opportunity that comes your way. That is why the cup is so much more exciting than the league. One slip up and you're out for another year. It's not like the league where you can lose to Palace and Watford and Liverpool still stay 8th.

[Manwell Pablo]

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, Captain... said:

Did you not see the team he put out for the Fleetwood game and Man City game?

The Man.City selection, was just a good a 1st  team selection than any other.

FLEETWOOD,  that team of fakers, should of been good enough, the players themselves not Puel were at fault.

 

Sorry @captain  I cant be that vain or egoistic, to believe  Puels attitude or approach to running the club, is

Worse than mine.....

FFs, I pity some people sometimes, I really do...Arrogance and over ambitious Egoism seems to be printed

on the welcome carpets of many a foxestalk forum posters homes..

You criticise over years the lack of flexability in management, for not selecting would be idols,

then when we get a clever manager, who puts these million pound players Into  the Arena,

to show why they earn their reputations, some go virile....

[Gerard]

6 minutes ago, Captain... said:

But with that logic you would never even bother with the cup, you could always meet a team that is better than you, but that is the joy of the cup, on your day anyone can beat anyone, the cups are littered with giant killings, you need luck to win the cup, with the draw and with big clubs getting knocked out early, but you have to give yourself the best chance of taking any opportunity that comes your way. That is why the cup is so much more exciting than the league. One slip up and you're out for another year. It's not like the league where you can lose to Palace and Watford and Liverpool still stay 8th.

 

It's easy for you to say what he should be doing but Puel has a responsibility of keeping this club in the league as well. 

 

Unless you're suggesting he should play his best XI every match?

 

We finished with more or less our best XI against Man City and got beat on penalties and the team against Fleetwood was still far superior to their's on paper. It was a good opportunity to rest Mahrez, Maguire,etc as it's probably no coincidence that Simpson, Morgan and Vardy have got injuries in this period because of over exertion to their bodies.

[Captain...]

8 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

The Man.City selection, was just a good a 1st  team selection than any other.

FLEETWOOD,  that team of fakers, should of been good enough, the players themselves not Puel were at fault.

 

Sorry @captain  I cant be that vain or egoistic, to believe  Puels attitude or approach to running the club, is

Worse than mine.....

FFs, I pity some people sometimes, I really do...Arrogance and over ambitious Egoism seems to be printed

on the welcome carpets of many a foxestalk forum posters homes..

You criticise over years the lack of flexability in management, for not selecting would be idols,

then when we get a clever manager, who puts these million pound players Into  the Arena,

to show why they earn their reputations, some go virile....

There has been very little criticism of Puel from me, in this thread or in general. My request in this thread is that we find a way of letting him know how important this is to us. We want it to be taken seriously, winning the cup is better than a top 10 finish. His team selection for the cup has shown every indication that cup games are a lower priority than league games. I want him to know that isn't the case for most fans. This culture that has invaded our cup competitions is not something we, as Leicester fans want to see. If he knows that, it might influence him, it might not, but I want him to know that this is important for us.