Puel

[coolhandfox]

13 hours ago, TJB-fox said:

goal scoring fullbacks. heard it all now.

Everything that people wanted when shakey was in charge has happened/is in motion and people still moan.

-Gave the fa cup a good go (in terms of lineups not neccessarily performances)
-Started to replace an ageing back 4
-Integrated a more possession based style of play
-Brought in (and improved) young players
-top 8 finish

 

I would have to argue with some points of your post.......

 

Improved young players, who exactly? Chilwell has been give more game time, but I see no improvement in he's game, Gray started well under CP but has gone backward to being a bench warmer again. I would agree he's given them more time, but he hasn't improved them as yet?

 

Where has he done more the CS in terms of reducing the age of the back four CS brought in Harry and had already had include Chilwell in the squad and games..

 

FA Cup run as soon as we face PL opposition we were out, only really one tough game against Sheff U, not overly impressive really.

 

As for a more possession base approach, we knock the ball around a bit more in our own half, but still struggle in the oppositions half or when we are pressed hard, possession stats don't win games.

 

However he has done well to drag us in to the top 8 and also seems to be able to get the best out of our key players, Vardy and Marhez. 

 

For me he's done enough to stay in charge, manly due to the lack of quality options and due to the WC as have a new manager would make a already tough transfer window to operate in near on impossible. 

 

[murphy]

6 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

This is exactly why he’s earned a real crack next season. This season is really similar to a classic MON season - no fear of relegation, solid in the league and decent runs in the cup. The sort of season I was optimistically hoping for when we got promoted. 2015/16 spoilt us because the emotional thrill of that season felt so good!

 

If we finish below Burnley then that’s a disappointment given relative team budgets and starting 11’s, but they’ve had a great season and been top half all season long, so some credit where it’s due. 

 

Our three run spell against Swansea, Stoke and Bournemouth is where we dropped the ball in terms of points thrown away. We could also have put out a stronger team against Man City in the Carabao Cup and we went out to Chelsea despite being the better team in the FA Cup. But overall Puel has been very solid and compared to where we were with Shakespeare has improved us a lot. 

 

If we could finish 7th it would be a good season. Finish 8th and it will be a decent one. 

A lot of teams with bigger budgets and better squads will finish below Burnley this year.  I agree, we should just give Burnley a lot of credit if they get seventh and say good luck to them.  A lot of rival fans gave us credit during our title win.

[winteriscoming]

Does anyone really think Shakey would of given chilwell game time and tried to change the back 4? I like what puel is doing but with everything it takes time. Puel has what Shakey didn't - a clear game plan of how to play. He wants us to keep possession more instead of just lumping it up for vardy to chase first chance we get. There's no guarantee if you have like some want on here a manager shouting and moving every 5 seconds on the touchline of success. Look at klopp he's been their 3 seasons and not won anything. Let puel get who he wants and get rid in the summer. 

[Chocolate Teapot]

23 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Over 15 games it would have us 9th in a mini league.

Over last 16 games 7th.

Over last 9 games 7th.

 

Not sure how any of that could be constituted poor, average at worst.

We've won 4 games since the win at Southampton. 

 

If you take out the last two wins against Brighton and West Brom we were 16th in the form table so what does that tell us?

 

I'm hardly inspired by the following wins, but some of our fans are blown away by possession stats:

One against Huddersfield, who are on one of the worst runs of form in the league, may well get relegated.

Against Watford - who sacked their manager the next day.

Against West Brom - who sacked their manager yesterday.

Against Brighton - and I'm not sure anyone could explain how we won it, but a wins a win and all that.

 

 

 

 

[Chocolate Teapot]

1 hour ago, Donut said:

Well, were going to have to agree to disagree.

 

Puel isnt Guardiola but he has brought with him a plan and a vision, and he is improving us with players who dont ideally fit the way he wants to play. Hes lifted us up to 8th and scored some very impressive wins along the way. And even without winning, some games weve been very impressive....Chelsea away 0-0 comes to mind.

 

Shakespeare had no plan at all. He played more or less the same football Ranieri played which we knew was starting to fail, and as many do, capitalised on his early bounce to some successive wins. Those wins were almost all at home, and against teams like Sunderland and Hull.

 

He didnt have any kind of vision for what he wanted HIS Leicester City to be like, or if he did, he didnt translate it into action very well.

 

He did a fine job in steadying the ship and keeping us up. Getting us through the Sevilla game too. But then he should have been either kept in the backroom team, or moved on.

 

It was the easiest cop out in the world to give him the job full time, and it was never going to be the same task it was coming in as an interim manager.

Sorry going to have to quote a stat here.....Their record was virtually identical after the same number of games.

[Chocolate Teapot]

44 minutes ago, brucey said:

Puel's done fine, as did Shakespeare. They both have similar records overall.

Correcting for the level of opposition, the results have also been pretty similar.

Against top 6 clubs, both had one convincing victory (Shakey - Liverpool, Puel - Spurs), one battering (Shakey - Spurs, Puel - Man C), and a few narrow defeats where we arguably deserved something from the game.

Against the mid-low table clubs we've had awful bore draws and lucky wins with both. Although I don't think Shakey lost to anyone outside top 6?

 

Yes we were near the relegation zone when Shakey was sacked, but let's not forget the tougher opponents at the start of the season, and that at the time Shakey had to play King instead of James/Iborra/Silva. Under Shakey when we had Ndidi+James (Arsenal) we could  and did play beautiful attacking football too. Couldn't keep it up for the whole game but even now we can apparently only do it for the last 30 mins.

 

Yes the football's more progressive now if your definition of progressive is possession and playing it on the floor. Most people feel that the passing game is a more attractive and enjoyable play style to watch, which is fair enough. But a few of us (myself included) genuinely enjoyed watching the rapid forward long ball direct play more. It isn't a 'wrong' opinion to find long balls over the top more aesthetically pleasing than intricate passing. I'm also not totally convinced there's enough evidence to say our old style was 'found out'. All teams (except Man C) struggle against bus parkers.

 

I'm not knocking Puel, I think Shakey was abysmal at subs and I do think Puel is better for the future due to the emphasis on youth. And I agree he needs to get his own players in before we can properly judge him. But the stuff about Shakey being about to relegate us rather annoys me.

This. Good post.

[Babylon]

4 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

We've won 4 games since the win at Southampton. 

 

If you take out the last two wins against Brighton and West Brom we were 16th in the form table so what does that tell us?

That you're ignoring the fact it's still better than most teams in the league, and that if you remove wins from your record it's not going to look so good.

[Stinkenzo]

If you take out all the winless games since Southampton we've won 4/4.

[Chocolate Teapot]

8 minutes ago, Babylon said:

That you're ignoring the fact it's still better than most teams in the league, and that if you remove wins from your record it's not going to look so good.

I think it demonstrates that outside the top 5 it's a shower of shite, but ho hum.

 

 

[Nigel Graham Pearson]

Take out all games in which we won any points this season and we’re bottom of the table with 0 points. Comfortably the worst Premier League performance in history. I am ashamed. Boring Puel OUT!

[Donut]

3 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

I think it demonstrates that outside the top 5 it's a shower of shite, but ho hum.

 

 

People say this, and its just a daft thing to say to be honest.

 

What we have now is the most broadly talented Premier League possibly ever, with teams willing to spend vast sums of money and still not get anywhere close to the champions league places. All of which feature excellent players

 

Teams beat each other, because they are closely matched.

 

What realistically do you want from Leicester? its unlikely theyll get higher up the league, so essentially, we are not winning games in the style you like? considering it would be a 5000/1 miracle to be much better

 

 

[Stevosevic]

1 hour ago, Babylon said:

Over 15 games it would have us 9th in a mini league.

Over last 16 games 7th.

Over last 9 games 7th.

 

Not sure how any of that could be constituted poor, average at worst.

Too much sense. 

 

People's expectations are way off. Solid mid table is what people craved as a realistic expectation - well that's exactly what we are. 

 

 

Edited 3 April 2018 by Stevosevic

[Chocolate Teapot]

3 minutes ago, Donut said:

People say this, and its just a daft thing to say to be honest.

 

What we have now is the most broadly talented Premier League possibly ever, with teams willing to spend vast sums of money and still not get anywhere close to the champions league places. All of which feature excellent players

 

Teams beat each other, because they are closely matched.

 

What realistically do you want from Leicester? its unlikely theyll get higher up the league, so essentially, we are not winning games in the style you like? considering it would be a 5000/1 miracle to be much better

 

 

Yes and we're going to lose that player in the summer, and to be honest take Vardy and Mahrez out of our side and I don't think we're that much better than a lot of the other teams around us. 

 

I'm not arguing that being 8th in the table is a bad thing - I just think we should be 7th, by a mile, and also should be hunting down Arsenal, and we're nowhere near that.

 

In terms of style as well, people go on about it being an improvement, but for 75 mins against Brighton we were woeful, and Bournemouth, Stoke, Swansea, etc... as well. I don't buy that it's that much improved. We used to be an exciting side, I'm not sure we are anymore.

 

I'm non plussed about Puel to be honest, I don't think he's a bad manager. I just don't think he's improved us as much as some make out, the style is fairly boring and I'm sceptical as to whether we will be any good next year without Mahrez. I don't think he should be immune from criticism as some suggest on here.

 

 

[Donut]

1 minute ago, Abrasive fox said:

Yes and we're going to lose that player in the summer, and to be honest take Vardy and Mahrez out of our side and I don't think we're that much better than a lot of the other teams around us. 

 

I'm not arguing that being 8th in the table is a bad thing - I just think we should be 7th, by a mile, and also should be hunting down Arsenal, and we're nowhere near that.

 

In terms of style as well, people go on about it being an improvement, but for 75 mins against Brighton we were woeful, and Bournemouth, Stoke, Swansea, etc... as well. I don't buy that it's that much improved. We used to be an exciting side, I'm not sure we are anymore.

 

I'm non plussed about Puel to be honest, I don't think he's a bad manager. I just don't think he's improved us as much as some make out, the style is fairly boring and I'm sceptical as to whether we will be any good next year without Mahrez. I don't think he should be immune from criticism as some suggest on here.

 

 

You see, its post like this. Youre throwing out ludicrous statements without backing them up with anything.

 

Why should we be 7th "by a mile" with a team that, in your words, only has two good players?

 

Why should we be "hunting down Arsenal" who have got world cup winners in their team, 50 million strikers, one of the Premier Leagues most successful ever managers, and a pedigree that massively outweighs ours?

 

Were bound to be an exciting side when we were winning the league. Because by definition we were winning two thirds of our games. Ranieri's second season was not exciting by any stretch of the imagination, except the odd performance. Shakespeare was not exciting either. Did you go to Huddersfield away? did you watch Bournemouth pummel us all game for us to hang on to a 0-0? West Brom at home? what part of any of those excited you?

 

Why dont you think Puel, with the right players, could play a more attractive/exciting style? I dont think its particularly bad now in my opinion, why cant it improve further?

 

I dont think we are going to see eye to eye but I think with the attitude you have, supporting Leicester is going to leave you permanently miserable.

[Chocolate Teapot]

3 minutes ago, Donut said:

You see, its post like this. Youre throwing out ludicrous statements without backing them up with anything.

 

Why should we be 7th "by a mile" with a team that, in your words, only has two good players?

 

Why should we be "hunting down Arsenal" who have got world cup winners in their team, 50 million strikers, one of the Premier Leagues most successful ever managers, and a pedigree that massively outweighs ours?

 

Were bound to be an exciting side when we were winning the league. Because by definition we were winning two thirds of our games. Ranieri's second season was not exciting by any stretch of the imagination, except the odd performance. Shakespeare was not exciting either. Did you go to Huddersfield away? did you watch Bournemouth pummel us all game for us to hang on to a 0-0? West Brom at home? what part of any of those excited you?

 

Why dont you think Puel, with the right players, could play a more attractive/exciting style? I dont think its particularly bad now in my opinion, why cant it improve further?

 

I dont think we are going to see eye to eye but I think with the attitude you have, supporting Leicester is going to leave you permanently miserable.

Firstly, 'only has two good players' - you sure you're quoting me there? Or just seeing it how you want to? My point, if you missed it, because I think you have, in fact I know you have, was that Vardy and Mahrez are the difference from us being better than most of the rest of the teams around us, and since they've been fit all year I think we should be ahead of Burnley and at least near Arsenal:

Burnley, in my opinion don't have any outstanding players, and one of their best players Brady has been injured since the turn of the year. They're still ahead of us and despite a run of about 10 games where they didn't win.

Arsenal, are having one of the worst seasons for a long time and had we won a lot of the games we should have won particularly at home. 

 

And yes went to both those games thanks. Think I've made my point on the rest so if you can't get your head around it, it's no problem to me.

 

Oh and a final one, Puel needs the right players to play a more attractive style does he? 

[richardsfoxes]

Game of opinions, think he's doing a decent job and in my opinion he cannot be judged long term until he's brought in his own players. 

[deep blue]

Puel comes across as a deep, strategic thinker about how he manages and develops his squads.  That is exactly what the club needs at the moment, to steady us and to find a way forward for us, after the debacle of the last 2 sackings.

 

If it's at the expense of a more voluable, excitable, media-easy manager than so be it.

Edited 3 April 2018 by deep blue

[Donut]

17 minutes ago, Abrasive fox said:

Firstly, 'only has two good players' - you sure you're quoting me there? Or just seeing it how you want to? My point, if you missed it, because I think you have, in fact I know you have, was that Vardy and Mahrez are the difference from us being better than most of the rest of the teams around us, and since they've been fit all year I think we should be ahead of Burnley and at least near Arsenal:

Burnley, in my opinion don't have any outstanding players, and one of their best players Brady has been injured since the turn of the year. They're still ahead of us and despite a run of about 10 games where they didn't win.

Arsenal, are having one of the worst seasons for a long time and had we won a lot of the games we should have won particularly at home. 

 

And yes went to both those games thanks. Think I've made my point on the rest so if you can't get your head around it, it's no problem to me.

 

Oh and a final one, Puel needs the right players to play a more attractive style does he? 

So how am i misquoting you then? youre saying Mahrez and Vardy are the only two players that are any better than anyone elses. So youre saying everyone else is on every other teams level other than those two.

 

Burnley are above us because theyre vastly exceeding expectation. They have payers in vastly exceoptional form than is realistic season to season. We vastly exceeded expectation when we won the league. Its not a benchmark to use. And they were afforded the luxury of a winless run because in the first half of the season, they were showing top 4 form, which is frankly crazy and no one would have expected to continue.

 

For Puel to play the style he wants, he does need different players yes. Ones that are happy to receive the ball, show good touch, find a team mate, pass and move.

 

It would be like taking Man City with david silva, aguero, de bruyne, bernardo......all small technical players and ask them to play like Wimbledon. It wouldnt happen would it? or at least, it wouldnt be as successful as their style now.

 

So for Puel's style to become more successful, yes the squad needs some tweaking.

 

If you think a sustainable platform for building a team is 30% possession, hope the opponent can do nothing with it, and then sucker punch them. Every game. Then youre entitled to your view but i think you are in the monority and personally i dont agree with you.

[Chocolate Teapot]

Just now, Donut said:

So how am i misquoting you then? youre saying Mahrez and Vardy are the only two players that are any better than anyone elses. So youre saying everyone else is on every other teams level other than those two.

 

Burnley are above us because theyre vastly exceeding expectation. They have payers in vastly exceoptional form than is realistic season to season. We vastly exceeded expectation when we won the league. Its not a benchmark to use. And they were afforded the luxury of a winless run because in the first half of the season, they were showing top 4 form, which is frankly crazy and no one would have expected to continue.

 

For Puel to play the style he wants, he does need different players yes. Ones that are happy to receive the ball, show good touch, find a team mate, pass and move.

 

It would be like taking Man City with david silva, aguero, de bruyne, bernardo......all small technical players and ask them to play like Wimbledon. It wouldnt happen would it? or at least, it wouldnt be as successful as their style now.

 

So for Puel's style to become more successful, yes the squad needs some tweaking.

 

If you think a sustainable platform for building a team is 30% possession, hope the opponent can do nothing with it, and then sucker punch them. Every game. Then youre entitled to your view but i think you are in the monority and personally i dont agree with you.

Seems to be going okay for Athletico Madrid....

 

And yes you're misquoting me because you made out I said there were only two good players in our team, which is not the point I'm making. I'll make the point again, Vardy and Mahrez are the difference between us being better than the rest of the sides around us - name two better players from 7th in the league downwards? And it's my opinion that if you took two players out of our side that contribute virtually 50% of our goals we wouldn't be as good - not that hard to understand is it?

[MPH]

i'm putting this season down to steadying the ship. It's next season that i'll pass judgement.

 

 

 

Remember - Pearson was very defensive minded when he first started out. Added more of a passing game/ little bit of flair once he felt we were more difficult to beat...

[Koke]

I've mentioned this before but cast your mind back to Shakespeare last game. A shocking stultifying 1-1 home draw to what is now the worst team in the league, and look at us now. We're far from perfect but we are a damn sight better than the shower of shit we were before. 

 

Our style needed to be revamped. And it was paramount that an outsider who had no emotional connection to our title win and players to come in and move us foward.

 

Diabate is a good signing and if Marcia and Puel can get the signings right in the summer I think we are in for some good couple of years.

 

I wish people would support the manager and players. We are on course to our 2nd best finish in decades. We are not crap and Chilwell is not a Championship player (he's a regular for a top 8 PL side ffs).

[lancyclaret]

1 hour ago, Koke said:

I've mentioned this before but cast your mind back to Shakespeare last game. A shocking stultifying 1-1 home draw to what is now the worst team in the league, and look at us now. We're far from perfect but we are a damn sight better than the shower of shit we were before. 

 

Our style needed to be revamped. And it was paramount that an outsider who had no emotional connection to our title win and players to come in and move us foward.

 

Diabate is a good signing and if Marcia and Puel can get the signings right in the summer I think we are in for some good couple of years.

 

I wish people would support the manager and players. We are on course to our 2nd best finish in decades. We are not crap and Chilwell is not a Championship player (he's a regular for a top 8 PL side ffs).

We lost 0-1 at home to West Brom...."smash and grab job" after we had completely dominated....so your 1-1 home draw was OK:)

[RowlattsFox]

I struggle to see how people think that 7th would be a good season but we are shit if we finish 8th just because Burnley are 7th. What if Everton were 7th? Would 8th be acceptable then? 

 

This year everyone outside the ‘top 6’ is beating each other, whether that is because everyone is shit or everyone average is open to debate. If we finish top 10 for next few seasons under Puel I’d take it, whether we like it or not we ain’t going to consistently challenge any higher than that. 

[winteriscoming]

Unless we have a catastophe we will have a manager who in the last 2 seasons has finished in the top 10. This is where we are as a side and anyone who thinks we should be challenging for the top 6 is deluded. 

[Stinkenzo]

Our next aim should be at minimum to be the sort of side Everton are some years where they are the are in a league of their own in 7th with a comfortable gap below