When did you start to doubt Puel

[lgfualol]

38 minutes ago, indierich06 said:

Everton/Swansea/Stoke games was where the rot set in for me. 

Started with Mahrez throwing his strop I guess. Rest of the team probably saw how shit we are without him and lost confidence.

[Vestan Pance]

The 2 quarter finals. No excuses over building for the future and developing a new style, these were one off games where we needed to have a real go at it. Both attempts were pathetic.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Ian S said:

And what exactly is sufficient time.We are going downhill faster than the Titanic and if someone is not up to the job you can give them forever but the end result is that they just not good enough.The worst thing is that results like Saturday are not really that surprising.

Enough time - that means he gets to bring some players in to fit his style and work on the style. 1 full year at least from the day he was hired.

 

He took over with us in the relegation places and we're presently 9th - I don't think you quite understood your history on the Titanic.

 

I'd be interested to know what position you thought we'd finish this season before it started? Pretty sure it wasn't top half.

[cc_star]

22 minutes ago, lgfualol said:

Started with Mahrez throwing his strop I guess. Rest of the team probably saw how shit we are without him and lost confidence.

Good job we employed a manager who said he'd seduce Mahrez

 

Wait, maybe he said he'd induce him in a coma.... That all the players seem to be in when they take the pitch, with his words ringing fresh in their ears

[cc_star]

4 minutes ago, FIF said:

Enough time - that means he gets to bring some players in to fit his style and work on the style. 1 full year at least from the day he was hired.

 

He took over with us in the relegation places and we're presently 9th - I don't think you quite understood your history on the Titanic.

 

I'd be interested to know what position you thought we'd finish this season before it started? Pretty sure it wasn't top half.

Cool

 

Let him blow the £90m profit PLUS the £40m+ Mahrez money, then get rid

[Ian S]

6 minutes ago, FIF said:

Enough time - that means he gets to bring some players in to fit his style and work on the style. 1 full year at least from the day he was hired.

 

He took over with us in the relegation places and we're presently 9th - I don't think you quite understood your history on the Titanic.

 

I'd be interested to know what position you thought we'd finish this season before it started? Pretty sure it wasn't top half.

Yes it was definitely top half. I thought and still think we have the 7th best squad in the division, don't you ? and I expected us to finish around that position.Our poor start was not helped by the fixtures but when Puel took over exactly how many points behind 9th were we.With the squad at his disposal his record is dreadful,his team selections are dreadful bordering on farcical at times,his tactics are dreadful and we play dreadful football.Apart from that I think he is doing really well

Like many I am not for getting rid of managers willy nilly but sometimes when something is wrong you just have to deal with it.So let's give him until when you say,on what basis from what you have witnessed as I presume you go to the games, do you expect a miraculous turnaround.He has a worse win percentage than Shakespeare and that was before Saturday.

Nearly 11am, still amazed he is still here.If he makes Saturday the ground will be in meltdown when the inevitable happens and we put on another s*** show.

[Captain...]

23 minutes ago, FIF said:

Enough time - that means he gets to bring some players in to fit his style and work on the style. 1 full year at least from the day he was hired.

 

He took over with us in the relegation places and we're presently 9th - I don't think you quite understood your history on the Titanic.

 

I'd be interested to know what position you thought we'd finish this season before it started? Pretty sure it wasn't top half.

To bring in players that suit his style we need at least 8, only Iborra, Maguire and maybe Diabate look comfortable playing this way. Every other player would having passing and possession as their lowest ranking on skills.

 

New RB: Simpson is not an attacking overlapping right back and is not that comfortable on the ball, his pass caused Schmeichel to be injured against Burnley.

New CB: Morgan is not comfortable with the ball at his feet.

New LB: Chilwell is ok in this role, but Fuchs is off and we need more than Chilwell

New CM: Ndidi is a destroyer, his passing is often poor and erratic and gives the ball away in dangerous positions.

New CM: Silva looks  completely lost in this formation, by all accounts he is a great footballer, but he looks clueless playing in 2 man midfield

New WF: Mahrez  is off, Gray doesn't look like he knows what he is supposed to be doing and doesn't do enough defensively and Albrighton is working his balls off but has nobody to cross to and isn't great at ball retention.

New 10: Okazaki has many qualities keeping possession and patient build up aren't among them pumping crosses into him and Vardy is pointless, like Ndidi he does his best work off the ball, keeping possession for the sake of it nullifies a lot of our players strengths.

New CF: Vardy is not the player to lead the line in this formation and style. We've seen for England and in the last few months under Puel that pointless passing about in the middle stops any chance of him getting in behind the defence.

 

That is 8 new players, minimum, to make this work, not even considering players leaving, the need for quality back up players that can play this way, another keeper is badly needed either as a quality back up or to replace Kasper. None of this addresses the fact that whether or not you agree with Puel's style and formation and his vision for the club, he can't motivate the players, his style doesn't excite the fans and even if he buys 10 players that are a perfect fit, this style can be easily countered in the premier league, especially at home and destroys any identity we have built up.

 

Or instead of wholesale changes to the team, we replace one man with someone that is willing and able to tailor our style of play to the players we have.

 

Edited 30 April 2018 by Captain...

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, cc_star said:

Cool

 

Let him blow the £90m profit PLUS the £40m+ Mahrez money, then get rid

Can you lend us your crystal ball please.

 

I must go and see which manager you've got to replace him too.

[Dan]

Stoke at home I started to have doubts about him but not enough to say that he should go.

 

Up until Saturday I was still quite on the fence but now I think it's hit the point where there's no point in keeping him on. He hasn't got the fans backing or any kind of rapport, I don't think he's got the players on side and I think unless he starts brilliantly, which we all know won't happen, then it'll turn toxic again.

 

I do have a degree of sympathy with Puel as quite frankly I think this job's become a poisoned chalice. You've got higher expectations than we should have***, an inept, yet untouchable director of football who has cocked up as much as any of Shakespeare, Ranieri and Puel yet keeps his job and will likely swim while Puel himself sinks, and a squad has a number of them that proved to me this weekend that they just aren't bothered anymore.

 

 

*** Don't treat what I've said there as acceptance of mediocrity, take it as me thinking that it will take years of clever investment and organisation to realistically break that top six. Chelsea have had a crap season, and Arsenal are regressing, and they're still absolutely miles in front of us. We are lightyears behind all of them, and it would take a miracle to catch them in our current state.

[lee7]

Stoke/Bournemouth doubts started to creep in. The we had Chelsea rocking and they were their for the taking in those last 10 minutes of the 90 but he didn't throw Diabate on until late into extra time. That sub should've happened much sooner. 

 

Then the last 4 performances/results have just been appalling considering what was at stake.

 

The position he is in now I see no way back from. A lot of fans are calling for his head and as much as the players say they're behind him what's happening on the pitch says otherwise. 

[oxtonfox]

It's been on the slide since the Watford win 2-0 at home. We got done by Everton and then we have progressively got worse and now - as can bee seen on Saturday v Palace the players collectively don't believe in him or the method. That was embarrassing. 

I think the Vichai and co. see this and will be preparing a change in the next couple of days. 

 

[Captain...]

18 minutes ago, Gerbold said:

I think that ship has sailed - the one that Pearson built, that is. Our style doesn't really exist any more - and you've damned several players who, you appear to be inferring, need a manager to accept these limitations and play to their limited strengths.

It appears that a certain number of players just gave up on Saturday. Are you saying we should ask a manager to come in and conform to the squad we have now?

i do agree with your assessments - mostly. For me N'Didi can be excused passing duties if players like Silva and Iborra are there to lay off to. Chilwell is constantly improving - there's a panache about him that is encouraging. I wouldn't want to give up on Silva just yet - Mahrez leaving may well be the best thing that can happen. We might find a replacement who is willing to work hard and work for his team mates. That would be a huge piece of corrective surgery on the team.

Albrighton has most success when Mahrez is trying (and succeeding) to contribute. Neither are potential match winners (at the moment) but Albrighton at least works hard and continues to be an asset.

I agree that Vardy's potential is being cruelly wasted - at the time when his potential as limited 'shelf-life'. This is the worst of the problems the team have.

You've not mentioned Iheanacho - oversight or intended oversight?

I've kind of accepted that Puel will need to go but I'm not blaming Puel for a problem that's seen three managers sacked. I'm just wondering about the competence of the selection process and those who decide. Benitez and Rogers might take a look at City and then say "meh" and make alternative arrangements. Dyche would have been the right guy for these players but would he have wanted Diabate? And, frankly, I think he'd have been a fool to come here.

 

I'm asking for a manager to be able to assess the squad and implement his style around the players he has, not force players to play in a way that they are not very good at.

 

I  don't think Puel is a bad manager, in some ways it almost quite impressive how much he has changed our style, but it can only be applauded if it was bringing results and or performances. He had the template for how to play when we had a great run of results, but he has failed to recreate that and pushed us further into  pointless passing.

 

Our players are limited, all players are limited, they have strengths and weaknesses, but we have assembled a squad of players with very clear strengths and weaknesses and they are being exposed by Puel's system. If we are to keep Claude and rebuild the squad it will be a very expensive summer and CP has not shown enough for me to think it will be worth it.

 

Nacho really  hasn't had enough game time to be assessed, I do find it odd that he hasn't played him up front on his own and Vardy in a wider or deeper role, it might not work, but nothing else really has, with Vardy up  top we are very predictable and easy to defend against. Playing him deeper would give the defence something new to worry about.

Edited 30 April 2018 by Captain...

[indierich06]

3 hours ago, lgfualol said:

Started with Mahrez throwing his strop I guess. Rest of the team probably saw how shit we are without him and lost confidence.

We should have had enough to put away at least Swansea and Stoke without Mahrez though, same goes for teams like Bournemouth too. Can't build a system and a team around the form of one player who has a tendency to go missing.

[Dan]

4 hours ago, lgfualol said:

Dont know, but Morgan coming back into the side really pissed me off this weekend. I think him playing Matty James over Iborra for ages was my first concern. 

 

It honestly makes me think someone higher up at the club is telling him who to play, because the decisions on who to drop are so weird for a manager who I thought would offer no sentiment to the older lot.

There is literally no way a new manager who predominantly favours a possession game can think Morgan is a better option than Dragovic. It's unfathomable.

[HybridFox]

Dropping Dragovic to restore Morgan was the writing on the wall. Our defence has never been the same since

[Bob Weasel Fox]

3 hours ago, Vestan Pance said:

The 2 quarter finals. No excuses over building for the future and developing a new style, these were one off games where we needed to have a real go at it. Both attempts were pathetic.

Totally agree

[NotTheMarketLeader]

3 hours ago, Captain... said:

To bring in players that suit his style we need at least 8, only Iborra, Maguire and maybe Diabate look comfortable playing this way. Every other player would having passing and possession as their lowest ranking on skills.

 

New RB: Simpson is not an attacking overlapping right back and is not that comfortable on the ball, his pass caused Schmeichel to be injured against Burnley.

New CB: Morgan is not comfortable with the ball at his feet.

New LB: Chilwell is ok in this role, but Fuchs is off and we need more than Chilwell

New CM: Ndidi is a destroyer, his passing is often poor and erratic and gives the ball away in dangerous positions.

New CM: Silva looks  completely lost in this formation, by all accounts he is a great footballer, but he looks clueless playing in 2 man midfield

New WF: Mahrez  is off, Gray doesn't look like he knows what he is supposed to be doing and doesn't do enough defensively and Albrighton is working his balls off but has nobody to cross to and isn't great at ball retention.

New 10: Okazaki has many qualities keeping possession and patient build up aren't among them pumping crosses into him and Vardy is pointless, like Ndidi he does his best work off the ball, keeping possession for the sake of it nullifies a lot of our players strengths.

New CF: Vardy is not the player to lead the line in this formation and style. We've seen for England and in the last few months under Puel that pointless passing about in the middle stops any chance of him getting in behind the defence.

 

That is 8 new players, minimum, to make this work, not even considering players leaving, the need for quality back up players that can play this way, another keeper is badly needed either as a quality back up or to replace Kasper. None of this addresses the fact that whether or not you agree with Puel's style and formation and his vision for the club, he can't motivate the players, his style doesn't excite the fans and even if he buys 10 players that are a perfect fit, this style can be easily countered in the premier league, especially at home and destroys any identity we have built up.

 

Or instead of wholesale changes to the team, we replace one man with someone that is willing and able to tailor our style of play to the players we have.

 

You are correct.

 

The fact that Vardy has scored 18 goals while we play this horseshit brand of football, with chances at a premium really does show what a very very good player he is.

 

I have got a different idea....

 

Lets keep Vardy and get shot of Puel pronto.

Edited 30 April 2018 by NotTheMarketLeader

[Tuna]

The Man City quarter final where he played a weakened side. Man City had their reserves out and were there for the taking.

 

Puel messed up Southampton's Europa League campaign last season by being too conservative.

Edited 30 April 2018 by Tuna

[STUHILL]

I really enjoyed when he first got here. He was playing an exciting and fast paced attacking style, where we kept the ball and moved it quickly and with purpose. I liked that he immediately made changes and started Gray and played with a 3 behind Vardy. He also wasn't afraid to rotate and wasn't predictable in his selections early on. 

 

The only red flag I had at the time when he first joined, was how late he was making subs in games where it was clearly needed! He just wasn't reacting quick enough. - and of course his press conferences were so dull, that I did wonder how on earth he could motivate the team!

 

Things have been on a slow decline for a while now, and the exciting and quick possession based style has slowed to a crawl and he seems unable or unwilling to change that, and what's worse, seems to be satisfied with it! 

 

Palace is the final straw for me, and I just have no real confidence in the man and the idea that a few signings will change everything for him. I think he has lost the players too and there will no excitement going into next season with him in charge and a new manager and clean slated is needed if we are to kick on. Marco Silva is that man for me, unless we can attract a bigger name, but we also seem to try but get nowhere near, so lets go get Silva now and let him start planning for next season! 

[Out Foxed]

WHEN SOUTHAMPTON GOT RID

 

sorry for the caps

[kingfox]

Haven't liked his methods for months but that loss at home to Newcastle was the final straw for me, we had some crap performances at home before that; however between those games we destroyed West Brom so I had a little bit of hope. Things started to crash down straight after that, Newcastle being the worst moment, I've never felt so agitated watching a football match.

 

Last two weeks as well he's slowly become more and more deluded in the things he's said and done, when that happens then there is no hope, we saw it with Ranieri, now we're seeing it with Puel. 

[KJT]

When he stopped playing counter attacking football and went to playing totally possession. We were good at the start but he should have waited next season for wholesale change to possession football, we he had his own players.

[Stadt]

"Because he's French and boring"

[The Wizard]

Ermmm when he got of the French fishing boat at Southampton dock. 

[Mr Mister]

When he was appointed.