Is this how everyone felt about us?

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

On ‎13‎/‎05‎/‎2018 at 19:13, HighPeakFox said:

I think that's where I was coming from - I'd rather we get into Europe with momentum and unity, rather than shithouse it, as we might have done this time around. I am sure most people on here would happily trade Europe this coming season (and I know it's hypothetical, and there are no guarantees this will happen, of course) if they knew that next season would be more positive and show growth.

I dont really get this not wanting Europe.  Its more games, more chance to play all the squad in competitive matches.

And like you say, no guarantees either way.  That next season wont be completely dross domestically is not a sure thing

 

The Europa league should be our aim, to be involved every season.  We had too many players this season not having enough chance to have game time, surely Europa is a chance to fix that, get a more balanced squad with competition in more positions arising

[MC Prussian]

14 hours ago, Legend_in_blue said:

 

I'm not pinning the blame on Mahrez but pointing out the fact that our downturn in form came at the same time he decided to go off on one.

 

I'm not going to put all the blame on Puel either - for me certain players "downed tools" and recapturing form when we play high tempo football against teams that just sit back is never going to be an easy task.

 

What do the players want to achieve?  What is left for many of them to achieve?  What motivates them further?  They have all the luxuries they could possibly want, what drives them for more success?

 

Not a lot it seems - hence the clearout is needed. 

 

That's not Puel's fault - he's worked with what he's got.

 

 

That's the big question with regards to motivation - how much is down to players motivating themselves and how much is down to the manager able to motivate his players?

 

I can see it being a problem on both sides - we have quite a high number of players quite "satisfied" after winning the league title or players that are sadly past their best (Schmeichel, Morgan, Simpson and maybe Fuchs stick out - I exclude Vardy, Mahrez, Okazaki and Albrighton because they're either hard-working on the pitch still or have come up with the goods - in Mahrez' case, even with his January hissy fit, I shall be a bit more forgiving, but he has disappointed a lot this season), questioning/doubting themselves how much further they can or want to push themselves... Saturation has set in. They need a new challenge and either ought to move on or get better competition in their respective position.

 

And we have a manager who - on the outside - comes across as dour, lacking the proper communication skills, unable to express himself to the media and players alike. A manager with some dubious starting XI and substitution choices and wondrous tactical decisions, a manager trying to implement a new system during an ongoing season, without the proper personnel at hand.

 

Not the most ideal of combinations.

 

Plus a recruitment team with a questionable track record over the past two summers. A clearout is necessary, the question is whether we can achieve that over the course of one summer and whether we've learnt from our mistakes in the past two seasons.

Edited 17 May 2018 by MC Prussian

[HighPeakFox]

@Ric Flair@AlloverthefloorYesNdidi Fair points, fair questions - I'm not against participation in the Europa whatsoever (although I think the competition is badly put together, but that's a digression from the point). However, I was simply trying to see a bit of a silver lining to this failure, rather than be part of the 'concentrate on the league' brigade. I think, with potential upheaval in players (and manager), if we were going to bugger it up, this was the time to do it. Does that sort of make sense?

[FOXYTALK]

They enter at the qualifying rounds correct?

They probably need to get through that match first. 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

7 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

@Ric Flair@AlloverthefloorYesNdidi Fair points, fair questions - I'm not against participation in the Europa whatsoever (although I think the competition is badly put together, but that's a digression from the point). However, I was simply trying to see a bit of a silver lining to this failure, rather than be part of the 'concentrate on the league' brigade. I think, with potential upheaval in players (and manager), if we were going to bugger it up, this was the time to do it. Does that sort of make sense?

I see where you're coming from now.  Yes, definitely.  Have to look at is as an opportunity to find our feet under this transitional period, blood in the new players and progressive style of play and improve the club domestically.

 

I feel positive about this upcoming season.  We talk about our disastrous signings and missed opportunities etc. but I think we've been creeping in the right direction, the signings we've made are starting to get there (Silva, Iheanacho, not to mention Maguire) and a few decent signings this summer will sort us right out

 

Just remains to be seen if the Puel way works for us, but i'm not pessimistic about that

[HighPeakFox]

Here's hoping @AlloverthefloorYesNdidi

[Sir Steve Howard]

On 15/05/2018 at 22:54, st albans fox said:

Everton - don’t care, irrelevant once we aren’t 7th

 

burnley - we should have been 7th - end of. But that went tits in February with our home form. 

 

i have a wierd idea that we are going to recruit well over the summer and really have a go at top six next season. I can see some of the existing top 6 having issues next season under new management. just feel that a mid July start and Thursday night games will spoil our opportunities re top six. If several of the those have a tough season  then who says we couldn’t have a go at sneaking fourth?? 

 

assuming the top six remain uncatchable then we should be targeting  7th which should mean you can have your July start to the season in 2019. 

 

deluded perhaps but I think next season is going to be our best chance for a fair while of achieving something to follow on from 15/16.  come back to me in mid August when the window shuts! 

hahahaha 4th. i like your optimism but you're an ostrich if you think that's an actual possibility. most likely going to lose mahrez, also going to be very hard keeping hold of maguire. can't just assume we're going to be able to replace them. could easily wind up pissing 20/30 mil up the wall like we did with slimani and musa.

 

bearing in mind all of the current top 6 will likely go spending crazy like they always do, which will add further distance between us. add to that everton surely won't be so rubbish next season, they'll be odds on to finish ahead of us. it'd also be deluded to think we're definitely going to finish ahead of west ham and newcastle next season. most likely outcome next season is mid-table mediocrity again, which is fine for KP as they can reap the financial rewards, not particularly thrilling for the fans though, especially when we continue to not take the cups seriously.

 

the best chance we'll ever have of getting in the champions league again would be to win the europa league, but apparently it's better to have thursday nights off and start in early august instead of mid july. not to mention the potentially brilliant nights we could have in the europa.

[Sir Steve Howard]

On 16/05/2018 at 09:04, Markyblue said:

Still  happy we didn't make Europa league. Not in football terms but travel and enjoying the trip wise.some very dodgy destinations unfortunately. Vicious circle want to do well but Europa league is like 2 day old Christmas turkey just wouldn't seem the same after Madrid Seville and so on.but good luck to Burnley not raining on their achievement. 

 

22 hours ago, Markyblue said:

As an English supporter anywhere can now be dodgy but meant more in terms of being spoilt with Madrid Bruges Copenhagen etc.sevilla was a fantastic experience other than the police. 

yeah you're right actually mate, now we've been to those destinations we've visited every single good city in europe, the rest of it is far too dodgy to bother with.

 

i still can't comprehend that there are leicester fans looking down their noses at the europa league after we've had one season in the champions league. this may be breaking news to you, but we're not a european heavyweight. we should be celebrating the prospect of any glimmer of european football.

 

so many people in england who are too stupid to think for themselves have been conned by the media into thinking that the europa league is a curse for any team to be in and it's far better to not be in it at all. especially with the squad size we've got more football can only ever be a good thing. 

[lancyclaret]

2 hours ago, FOXYTALK said:

They enter at the qualifying rounds correct?

They probably need to get through that match first. 

I don't think we will make the group stage. 

[Sir Steve Howard]

8 minutes ago, lancyclaret said:

I don't think we will make the group stage. 

Think you'll enter in the second qualifying round so will have to get through 3 2-legged ties to make the group stage.

With the coefficient points you get via being english, you should be seeded in the second and third rounds then probably unseeded in the play-off round. should give you a good mix of playing random teams you've never heard of and then the possibility of a big un to make the group stages. don't see why you couldn't do someone like feyenoord over two legs. be a belting away trip as well.

[lancyclaret]

Could get knocked out by Aberdeen or Rangers.

[norwichfox]

8 minutes ago, lancyclaret said:

Could get knocked out by Aberdeen or Rangers.

That would hurt.....

[HighPeakFox]

Thanks @Gerbold. I've read @Sir Steve Howard further, and although I don't care for being called a moron, or having words put in my mouth, he clearly is NOT a moron, and makes plenty of valid points. I hope he's read my further thoughts and might at least not dismiss my intelligence quite so readily, disagree though he might. 

Edited 17 May 2018 by HighPeakFox

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

6 minutes ago, Gerbold said:

 

This may be breaking news to you but you're going to look stupid, even moronic, if you use words that have no context within the comments you're making. Would you care to explain what exactly you meant by using it?

 

"Coefficient -[koh-uh-fish-uh nt]

 

Noun

1.Mathematics. a number or quantity placed (generally) before and multiplying another quantity, as 3 in the expression 3x.

2. Physics. a number that is constant for a given substance, body, or process under certain specified conditions, serving as a measure of one of its properties:

coefficient of friction.

 

Adjective

3. acting in consort; cooperating.

Such a grammar dick, Gerbs

[leicesterlad1989]

8 hours ago, Sir Steve Howard said:

 

yeah you're right actually mate, now we've been to those destinations we've visited every single good city in europe, the rest of it is far too dodgy to bother with.

 

i still can't comprehend that there are leicester fans looking down their noses at the europa league after we've had one season in the champions league. this may be breaking news to you, but we're not a european heavyweight. we should be celebrating the prospect of any glimmer of european football.

 

so many people in england who are too stupid to think for themselves have been conned by the media into thinking that the europa league is a curse for any team to be in and it's far better to not be in it at all. especially with the squad size we've got more football can only ever be a good thing. 

So we put out a reserve squad in the Europa League, just like Southampton, West Ham and Everton have all done previously and all of them were knocked out early.

 

Personally I didn't want Europa League by finishing 7th and playing qualifying games in July. Especially with how we have performed this year. We are at a transitional stage. Let's face it, most wanted Puel sacked. We don't know if Mahrez will be here. Most claiming an overhaul of the 'old guard.' 

 

So maybe some fans like myself are looking at then bigger picture. 

 

 

[Sir Steve Howard]

16 hours ago, Gerbold said:

 

This may be breaking news to you but you're going to look stupid, even moronic, if you use words that have no context within the comments you're making. Would you care to explain what exactly you meant by using it?

 

"Coefficient -[koh-uh-fish-uh nt]

 

Noun

1.Mathematics. a number or quantity placed (generally) before and multiplying another quantity, as 3 in the expression 3x.

2. Physics. a number that is constant for a given substance, body, or process under certain specified conditions, serving as a measure of one of its properties:

coefficient of friction.

 

Adjective

3. acting in consort; cooperating.

this is a great wind up. just in case you're being serious, try looking up uefa club coefficient on wikipedia or any other source of your liking.

[Nalis]

On 16/05/2018 at 04:57, Markyblue said:

As an English supporter anywhere can now be dodgy but meant more in terms of being spoilt with Madrid Bruges Copenhagen etc.sevilla was a fantastic experience other than the police. 

These days you get arrested and thrown in jail if you say you're English, don't you?