So, 5 games in...

[broughtonblue]

1 hour ago, DennisNedry said:

When have we actually played well?

 

Man Utd we were OK in spells, but too passive with the ball and created very little. Yes it was Man Utd but they got turned over by Brighton the week after.

 

Wolves, we were poor, we got outplayed by Wolves for most of the game, got the jammiest clean sheet ever and got 2 flukey goals.

 

Southampton we were terrible, and edged a dreadful game because Southampton were terrible too.

 

Liverpool, we again were OK, but Liverpool beat us in 2nd gear.

 

Bournemouth - we've been humiliated. Defending comical.

 

 

Not seeing anything positive in Puel at all (barring perhaps he had a good transfer window). 5 more games, if there's no improvement, I'm jumping on the Puel out wagon.

Good window that included buying 3 more centre backs. When we are so weak up front. Shows his tactics !!

[Vestan Pance]

57 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

4, then for him to return home and take his rightful place as the king of France.

 

 

 

 

Oh you wanted a serious response?

No I expected you to avoid the question.

Edited 15 September 2018 by Vestan Pance

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, Vestan Pance said:

No I expected you to avoid the question.

Id Like to see how he fairs this season and take it from there

[Smudge]

1 hour ago, RODNEY FERNIO said:

As a kid I remember sitting on the wall and watching David Nish … rose tinted spectacles maybe but I would say he was better than Fuchs.

Absolutely and I'd add Dennis Rofe to the list.

[Fox92]

We deserved a point at Old Trafford, didn't get it because we weren't clinical enough. Likewise, Wolves weren't clinical at our place. They had a good half hour but they certainly didn't deserve to win. 

 

It's how it goes. 

 

I don't think we've been as bad as some of you make out. There are still big criticisms for me but I didn't expect any manager to come in and completely change us within a year and get it right. There needs to be time too and I'm willing for that. Bournemouth (and Arsenal) were always going to be our toughest games coming up but we've now got a nice run of Huddersfield, Newcastle and Everton that are all winnable. I'll judge more after that because no manager should be judged after 5 games really, unless you're completely shit (ie Palace didn't score for about 5 games last season).

 

I'd be mortified if we were playing shit and weren't winning but we are picking up points at least. After these 5 games before the season started I expected 5 points but we've got 6.

Edited 15 September 2018 by Fox92

[KingsX]

57 minutes ago, Matt said:

Sideways, Sideways, Backwards, Sideways.

 

I have to smirk when I read people mentioning attacking style Where?!

Huh?

 

Today’s fatal flaw was a damn-the-torpedoes game plan, a high line with fullbacks committing forward, putting acres of space around a slow-footed CB pair. 

 

With the ball, we finally started to work through Maddison to Vardy, not just down the wings.  Vardy was fed three dangerous through balls in the first half alone.  We had 14 shots, eight  on target.  Not good enough today.  But “sideways and backwards passing”?   That has been less and less in evidence. 

 

So spare us that tired saw.  Or I’ll see your   and raise you a       .

[koop.]

People will slate me because it's not popular to be negative (even though I am generally very positive and we need to be careful what we wish for) but....

 

Puel should never have been appointed 

Puel should have gone in summer

The sooner he is out the better as we will just tread water under him.

[Guest Col city fan]

12 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

We deserved a point at Old Trafford, didn't get it because we weren't clinical enough. Likewise, Wolves weren't clinical at our place. They had a good half hour but they certainly didn't deserve to win. 

 

It's how it goes. 

 

I don't think we've been as bad as some of you make out. There are still big criticisms for me but I didn't expect any manager to come in and completely change us within a year and get it right. There needs to be time too and I'm willing for that. Bournemouth (and Arsenal) were always going to be our toughest games coming up but we've now got a nice run of Huddersfield, Newcastle and Everton that are all winnable. I'll judge more after that because no manager should be judged after 5 games really, unless you're completely shit (ie Palace didn't score for about 5 games last season).

 

I'd be mortified if we were playing shit and weren't winning but we are picking up points at least. After these 5 games before the season started I expected 5 points but we've got 6.

If you look at the pre match thread and the City v Bournemouth thread scoreline thread, many people on here predicted we’d win today, This doesn’t surprise me because some of the stuff I read on here is barmy.

So I don’t think it should now be dismissed as ‘it was always going to be one of our tougher fixtures’.... a large proportion of the forum must have thought it wasn’t going to be.

The biggest concern is conceding goals. Let’s be completely honest, if Wolves would have taken just a couple of their chances in the first 20 mins, the game would have been basically over. They’d have shut up shop.

Opposition teams are slicing us open like a knife through butter and the fact that Puel today made zero changes at half time, either to personnel or tactics is concerning.

We were being battered. Yet he seemingly did very little.

Edited 15 September 2018 by Col city fan

[Ric Flair]

Fairly poor start to the season points wise and in terms of performances we've been a disgrace at times. I'm far from impressed. On paper and when we don't have to play, it looks a promising future but as soon as the weekend comes it's painful again. 

 

We gifted Man Utd 3 points, played some nice stuff at times but were far too soft. 

 

We were very fortunate to not be 2/3 goals down when we got the own goal bullet vs Wolves. We followed that up with a deflected goal and it was game over. You could argue that evened up the failure of getting something at Utd. Even so other than 3 points there was little to be satisfied about.

 

Southampton we were honking once again in the first half. Thankfully we were the better side in the 2nd half and I think we were just about deserving of the points.

 

We showed Liverpool far too much respect not playing a striker, couple that with 2 soft goals and it was a frustrating game. Liverpool barely got out of 1st gear and we showed very little until Iheanacho came on. Funny that, a striker! Some will say we deserved a point, but we were too negative for best part of an hour and were punished.

 

Today was a fcukin disgrace, it was like that Palace away game last season. No discipline, defence all over the place and the rest of the team very wasteful. We should have done what the opposition so far this season had done to us and got an early goal but we soon gifted Bournemouth the initiative and it was groundhog day. We are too easy to play against, there's a soft underbelly and I don't like it. 

 

In general there's been some very whiffy decisions from Puel this season. His bench he's selecting is unbalanced, you don't need 3 defenders on there. We had Iheanacho and Albrighton as the only players worth bothering with if we needed to chase the game (something we keep having to do) we don't have an abundance of attacking options but no Okazaki or even Silva over one of Amartey or Fuchs surely?

 

Our discipline is suspect, we aren't necessarily an aggressive team as I actually think we're soft but we are making too many mistakes and making it easy for referees to penalise us. We must have had 6+ red cards under Puel now which is worrying. 

 

Everything is screaming for 3-4-1-2, we've fcukin blown most of our money this summer on defenders and lost our mecurial winger in Mahrez. The balance in this side looks to be deploying 3 at the back to try and protect our attacking full backs. The only players that would suffer in this system would be Gray and Ghezzal but either of them could play in a front 3 with Maddison and Vardy at times so they'd still have more than enough opportunities to make their mark. We cannot continue to defend this badly and not do something about it, it's embarrassing. 

 

Puel badly needs a win next saturday, I think if we fail to win and a refusal to address the glaring problems then his position is untenable. We can harp all we like about this young squad but we need results, without them all that happens is under achievement, a risk of relegation and the bright sparks will be courted by better placed teams anyway so it's a farce. 

 

Not amused.

[ScouseFox]

sure 95% of this gaff was buzzing that we’d played well in most games this season the other day? we were better than united, we were a bit rubbish but “professional” against wolves, we were alright at southampton & we were very good against liverpool. we were also lively and creating chances this afternoon we were just a car crash defensively. 

 

mad thread this. 

[ScouseFox]

2 hours ago, MattP said:

We could actually have one point given the way matches have gone. Worried.

also this is possibly the single worst comment i’ve ever read on this forum for so many reasons it’s hard to explain. 

[STUHILL]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Fairly poor start to the season points wise and in terms of performances we've been a disgrace at times. I'm far from impressed. On paper and when we don't have to play, it looks a promising future but as soon as the weekend comes it's painful again. 

 

We gifted Man Utd 3 points, played some nice stuff at times but were far too soft. 

 

We were very fortunate to not be 2/3 goals down when we got the own goal bullet vs Wolves. We followed that up with a deflected goal and it was game over. You could argue that evened up the failure of getting something at Utd. Even so other than 3 points there was little to be satisfied about.

 

Southampton we were honking once again in the first half. Thankfully we were the better side in the 2nd half and I think we were just about deserving of the points.

 

We showed Liverpool far too much respect not playing a striker, couple that with 2 soft goals and it was a frustrating game. Liverpool barely got out of 1st gear and we showed very little until Iheanacho came on. Funny that, a striker! Some will say we deserved a point, but we were too negative for best part of an hour and were punished.

 

Today was a fcukin disgrace, it was like that Palace away game last season. No discipline, defence all over the place and the rest of the team very wasteful. We should have done what the opposition so far this season had done to us and got an early goal but we soon gifted Bournemouth the initiave and it was groundhog day. We are too easy to play against, there's a soft underbelly and I don't like it. 

 

In general there's been some very whiffy decisions from Puel this season. His bench he's selecting is unbalanced, you don't need 3 defenders on there. We had Iheanacho and Albrighton as the only players worth bothering with if we needed to chase the game (something we keep having to do) we don't have an abundance of attacking options but no Okazaki or even Silva over one of Amartey or Fuchs. 

 

Our discipline is suspect, we aren't necessarily an aggressive team as I actually think we're soft but we are making too many mistakes and making it easy for referees to penalise us. We must have had 6+ red cards under Puel now which is worrying. 

 

Everything is screaming for 3-4-1-2, we've fcukin blown most of our money this summer on defenders and lost our mecurial winger in Mahrez. The balance in this side looks to be deploying 3 at the back to try and protect our attacking full backs. The only players that would suffer in this system would be Gray and Ghezzal but either of them could play in a front 3 with Maddison and Vardy at times so they'd still have more than enough opportunities to make their mark. We cannot continue to defend this badly and not do something about it, it's embarrassing. 

 

Puel badly needs a win next saturday, I think if we fail to win and a refusal to address the glaring problems then his position is untenable. We can harp all we like about this young squad but we need results, without them all that happens is under achievement, a risk of relegation and the bright sparks will be courted by better placed teams anyway so it's a farce. 

 

Not amused.

Totally agree, however I am willing to give Puel more than just next week to correct it. i'm tired of the manager merry go round and I just hope he can see the light sooner rather than later and change the system that best suits our players, as you said the 3-4-1-2. It is tailor made for our players and their individual strengths! 

[Ric Flair]

Just now, STUHILL said:

Totally agree, however I am willing to give Puel more than just next week to correct it. i'm tired of the manager merry go round and I just hope he can see the light sooner rather than later and change the system that best suits our players, as you said the 3-4-1-2. It is tailor made for our players and their individual strengths! 

I'm not so sure I can bare it much more, it's vulgar. Look how we bombed from January last season, he's now moulding the team exactly how he wants it and we're just as bad, if not worse. Either they are unable to do what he wants or he's the problem but it's not even slightly as promising as our club are trying to make out. 

[ealingfox]

Thing is if we were good at the back, solid and a good defensive unit, I genuinely wouldn't mind this style of play too much. But we aren't, so I'm not.

[STUHILL]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I'm not so sure I can bare it much more, it's vulgar. Look how we bombed from January last season, he's now moulding the team exactly how he wants it and we're just as bad, if not worse. Either they are unable to do what he wants or he's the problem but it's not even slightly as promising as our club are trying to make out. 

I think our next match will give us a real indication on where we stand and whether Puel can still be a big success here. I know it's only one game, but it's how we react to this result today, that I am really curious about. Huddersfield are a team we really should be beating and with style too, so let's see what we get next week. 

[Gazza M]

I think we are very one dimensional in our play and a bit lacking ideas when we get to the final 3rd. When it goes wrong and we need to change, Puel I think is often slow to make a change to improve our chances of grabbing a goal or keeping them out. I was gobsmacked not too see at least one change after half time today. Morgan should have been subbed off for Evans as you knew what was coming as on a yellow. 

 

Our defence is a shambles at the moment. We are so vulnerable at full back it is untrue, especially Ricardo. Morgan is done, Maguire is not as good in a back 4 as he is 3 and Chilwell is also vulnerable. It reminds me of when we had Schlupp and De Laet at FB and Ranieri went for a more solid defensive line up and dropped them. However our cover isn't strong so we need to allow them to do what they do best and be our width,but we need a workhorse like Albrighton in a narrow midfield to cover when they go forwards.

 

In summary Morgan has to get out of the picture. He is a liability and actually affecting Maguire. I actually think Puel is scared of him! Must be.

We also aren't good enough to play with just one upfront as we don't have enough presence in the box. For Huddersfield I would go:

 

GK: Kasper

 

DR: Ricardo

DC: Soyuncu

DC: Maguire

DL: Chilwell

 

MC: Albrighton

MC: Mendy

MC: Ndidi

 

AMC: Maddison

 

ST: Vardy

ST: Iheanacho

 

Subs: Ward, Evans, Fuchs, Gray, Iborra, Ghezzal, Okazaki. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[l444ry]

2 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

I think our next match will give us a real indication on where we stand and whether Puel can still be a big success here. I know it's only one game, but it's how we react to this result today, that I am really curious about. Huddersfield are a team we really should be beating and with style too, so let's see what we get next week. 

Should win this. Probably will. Will then give Puel more time which worries me. David Pleat kept nicking the odd win which kept him in a job far longer than he should have.

[STUHILL]

3 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Should win this. Probably will. Will then give Puel more time which worries me. David Pleat kept nicking the odd win which kept him in a job far longer than he should have.

That's why I'm curious to see the manner of victory, if we do indeed win. I always want to see if Puel makes changes to the system for this game, which he really should be! 

[Izzy]

42 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

If you look at the pre match thread and the City v Bournemouth thread scoreline thread, many people on here predicted we’d win today, This doesn’t surprise me because some of the stuff I read on here is barmy.

So I don’t think it should now be dismissed as ‘it was always going to be one of our tougher fixtures’.... a large proportion of the forum must have thought it wasn’t going to be.

The biggest concern is conceding goals. Let’s be completely honest, if Wolves would have taken just a couple of their chances in the first 20 mins, the game would have been basically over. They’d have shut up shop.

Opposition teams are slicing us open like a knife through butter and the fact that Puel today made zero changes at half time, either to personnel or tactics is concerning.

We were being battered. Yet he seemingly did very little.

I notice on the Superbru predictor Col, you were one of only TWO out of SIXTY that predicted a Bournemouth win 

[reynard]

27 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

Totally agree, however I am willing to give Puel more than just next week to correct it. i'm tired of the manager merry go round and I just hope he can see the light sooner rather than later and change the system that best suits our players, as you said the 3-4-1-2. It is tailor made for our players and their individual strengths! 

That's fair enough but if we can't beat Huddersfield at home, and I mean no disrespect to them, then I would say we are in far more trouble than many on here seem to realise.

I'll be honest I'm not a Puel fan but I'm happy to be proved wrong. Sadly I don't think I will be..

[Guest Col city fan]

26 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

I notice on the Superbru predictor Col, you were one of only TWO out of SIXTY that predicted a Bournemouth win 

It was just about the only fixture I got right mate! Dropped 10 places today!

2 out of 60! My point is made...

Edited 15 September 2018 by Col city fan

[STUHILL]

14 minutes ago, reynard said:

That's fair enough but if we can't beat Huddersfield at home, and I mean no disrespect to them, then I would say we are in far more trouble than many on here seem to realise.

I'll be honest I'm not a Puel fan but I'm happy to be proved wrong. Sadly I don't think I will be..

Agreed, a loss against Huddersfield after today, would be tough for him to come back from. I do think the owners will give him 8-10 games though before they pull any triggers.

 

If we are really struggling around Christmas, then it is inevitable that Big Sam will show up. 

[yks]

We lost today away from home to a midtable team so Puel is the worst manager ever and almost all the players who have played are shit and should be replaced with other ones.
That's the absolute truth (until we win a game with them or lose with the back-up players who will become shit again).

If you ever doubt about the extent of human stupidity, read a football forum.

Edited 15 September 2018 by yks

[m4DD0gg]

What have we learned, well sadly its same old same old.

 

1) We have not played well in any of our league games.

2) We are very lucky to have the 6 points we have.

3) Every game we have played our defence has been a complete shambles.

4) I am beginning to think Morgan has something contractual keeping him in the first 11, because this is 3 managers that have persisted with him even though he consistently costs us points.

5) We look more imbalanced than ever.

6) Our right sided defensive problems have not been addressed and it appears we now have a big whole left sided as well.

7) Puel is just as tactically inept as he was last season, he has had a preseason, had a transfer window and we look worse than ever.

 

If we continue with Puel I am convinced we will get relegated.

[reynard]

Sadly we've just learned that this season is very much a continuationn of last. What is concerning is that our trajectory of performance is down. It is hard to comprehend how Puel has managed to turn us into what we are now after such a decent start to his time here. The perfomances at home to Spurs and away to Southampton were very good but the shambles of the 3-0 defeat at home to Palace seems to have been the start of a worrying downwards progression.

Including that game we have won 7, lost 18 and drawn 6. Seven wins in 31 league games probably ends in relegation.