Claude Puel reaches first anniversary at Leicester - but why does he always feel so close to the sack?

[Ian Nacho]

Claude Puel reaches first anniversary at Leicester - but why does he always feel so close to the sack?

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Fan opinion on Claude Puel seems to change on a weekly basis

•  John Percy 

21 OCTOBER 2018 • 10:30 PM

It is the anniversaire that many wondered if he would struggle to celebrate, but one year on from Claude Puel’s surprise appointment at Leicester City the Frenchman is still hanging in there.

Puel will bring up 12 months in charge on Thursday and it has been far from a smooth ride, with his presence continuing to polarise opinion among a divided Leicester fanbase.

 

Since the early months of this year his position has been under what seems constant scrutiny and there still remains a sense that his tenure could come to an end at any moment.

Twice this year it is understood there have been crucial matches  – against Arsenal in May and Huddersfield last month – where a failure to win could have pressed Leicester’s board into action. Leicester won both games but, for some, it has only delayed the inevitable. 

Yet there is also much to admire about Puel, a man with a clear long-term plan and philosophy. He has introduced a new possession-based style, broken up the ageing title-winning squad and suffered the £60m sale of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City this summer.

His determination to build a team around young players has elevated Harry Maguire, James Maddison and Ben Chilwell to the England senior squad.

There are many supporters who believe that, given time, Puel could build a team capable of challenging at the top end of the Premier League.

One guarantee is that ‘Puel In' or 'Puel Out' are the hashtags on social media after almost every Leicester game.

“There is not a lot of patience in England because we have the money to change things all the time, without taking time to build something that is sometimes stronger. I take this as a challenge,” said Puel.

Puel was under pressure before Leicester beat Huddersfield last month CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

“I am just an employee. I try to give my best for the club in the right way, to grow step by step. I will keep it that way whether there is pressure or no pressure.

 

“If I can help the club to develop, then I'm happy. I'm a professional and what has to happen will happen. It's not my concern, the most important thing is to keep the way. I will not change.”

Puel’s future will be decided by owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and his son Top, the vice-chairman, and Leicester almost take pride in the fact that their private thoughts are impenetrable.

There is an obvious reluctance to end the churn of managers, with longevity appealing to a club still smarting from the criticism which followed their decision to axe Claudio Ranieri [the right decision in this writer’s opinion].

The owners opted to keep Puel in charge for this season, despite opposition from many fans and a finish to the last campaign which was fraught with problems. Leicester limped to the line with five wins from the final 21 games, hopes of Europa League qualification obliterated.

There was alleged friction in the dressing room and around the training ground over Puel’s methods, training regime and team selections, with one source claiming there were “almost daily problems” due to player discontent.

Mahrez’s self-imposed strike in early February, and then his subsequent reintegration back into Puel’s plans after he returned, went down badly with some of the squad.

Michael Appleton, Puel’s former assistant, was sacked over the summer – given the news by phone days into his honeymoon - and his departure has removed the bridge between player and manager. 

Puel’s relationship with the fans is also a curious one, for it is difficult to remember many chants of his name or even a request for a wave. In a multi-million pound industry where profile is king, should that be important these days or does it really not matter?

Puel has shown faith in many less experienced players, such as Ben Chilwell  CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

But the 57-year-old has undoubtedly made brave decisions, excluding title-winners Andy King and Danny Simpson, and recently persisting with Wes Morgan despite the summer signings of defenders Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu and Filip Benkovic (the latter was loaned to Celtic). 

Christian Fuchs, another hero of the 2015/16 season, has been phased out for the emerging Chilwell and Marc Albrighton is not a regular starter any more. These are the ugly jobs other managers would possibly have resisted.

“I don’t know if it was the best time to arrive at Leicester because the club needed to evolve,” said Puel. “The players who won the Premier League were valuable to the team and for the fans, but we needed to improve. 

“Leicester had success and won the title without a lot of experience and without a process for strategy.

“It was fantastic, but the important question afterwards was, “is it possible to reproduce this performance for another year with the same ingredients?” For me it is not possible. We needed to put in place something strong.”

It is these thoughts, conveyed intelligently by Puel in the players’ lounge at the King Power, which will appeal to the remainers. Over an hour in his company showed a different side to him which is seldom seen.

The future appears bright for Leicester, with a core of young players aligned with the experience of Maguire, Jamie Vardy and Kasper Schmeichel. 

Demarai Gray will also return from injury soon and Harvey Barnes is one of the Championship’s most outstanding players on loan at West Bromwich Albion. 

Leicester are also due to move to a new £100 million state of the art training ground and the owners have been generous and fully committed since the takeover in 2010.

But Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty. The debate over his future appears certain to continue whether Leicester win, lose or draw at Arsenal on Monday night.

[Guest Harrydc]

He always feels close to the sack - as most managers these days do. Fans can be very fickle, the media like it for story's, and sacking a manager does put the said team in the spotlight. Even if sacking the manager brings the club bad publicity, it is still publicity. 

 

 But, in my opinion, Puel has done a fantastic job at Leicester. He has steadied the ship after what was a somewhat messy season after we won the league. Yes, we may have lost Mahrez, but we have a very bright future, with him securing contracts with Maguire, Chilwell, Schmeichel and Ndidi, and finally Jamie Vardy who is now set to finish his career here.

 

 

[yks]

He looks close to the sack because journalists write he is close to the sack. Nothing more.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

John Percy: There was alleged friction in the dressing room and around the training ground over Puel’s methods, training regime and team selections, with one source claiming there were “almost daily problems” due to player discontent.

---

"I'll only believe it when John Percy writes about it."

[brucey]

1 minute ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy: There was alleged friction in the dressing room and around the training ground over Puel’s methods, training regime and team selections, with one source claiming there were “almost daily problems” due to player discontent.

---

"I'll only believe it when John Percy writes about it."

Interestingly Percy has used the past tense there. Are you aware of any ongoing problems with the players still, or has he somehow won them over?

[Suzie the Fox]

8 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy: There was alleged friction in the dressing room and around the training ground over Puel’s methods, training regime and team selections, with one source claiming there were “almost daily problems” due to player discontent.

---

"I'll only believe it when John Percy writes about it."

alleged

adjective

 

1. said, without proof, to have taken place or to have a specified illegal or undesirable quality

    

   Sorry to be a pedant but when above word is stated i sort of switch off to any facts. Not saying its wrong or anything but for me i take it with a pinch of salt. 

Edited 21 October 2018 by Suzie the Fox

[UpTheLeagueFox]

8 minutes ago, brucey said:

Interestingly Percy has used the past tense there. Are you aware of any ongoing problems with the players still, or has he somehow won them over?

John Percy is a well connected journalist.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines.

It would be a curious article to write - especially in a broadsheet like The Telegraph - if he thought all was well in the dressing room.

In the final sentence: "Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty."

People can make up their own minds either way.

[brucey]

5 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy is a well connected journalist.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines.

It would be a curious article to write - especially in a broadsheet like The Telegraph - if he thought all was well in the dressing room.

In the final sentence: "Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty."

People can make up their own minds either way.

That's interesting. I don't doubt there were massive problems last season, but wondered if that might have changed this season, given that the majority of the starting players are kids (or Puel-associated players) who have it in their best interests to keep Puel around.

Edited 22 October 2018 by brucey

[Stadt]

The worry is that apparently we're deciding if he stays or goes on the basis of a single game, very very naïve if true. He seems close to the sack often due to a combination of results (primarily last season), fans not warming to him, alleged player unrest (last season too by the looks of it) and our owner's reputation for sacking managers. We don't actually unfairly sack managers, that's just the media perception which created the narrative. If we really were as trigger happy as some sections of the media depict we would have sacked Puel at about 5 different junctures.

 

The owners are pragmatic enough now to stick with Puel whilst there's off the pitch risk and upheaval with the training ground and expansion. It's not overly exciting but it's sensible.

[fuchsntf]

16 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy is a well connected journalist.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines.

It would be a curious article to write - especially in a broadsheet like The Telegraph - if he thought all was well in the dressing room.

In the final sentence: "Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty."

People can make up their own minds either way.

One journalist...a lot of hot air fans creating stories from their own opinions,then a few days later post again as facts..facts

The journalist just as to use one negative opinion,

to start insinuating and  carry it with alledgingly.........

Pathetically......simples

then ,have a poster come out with "People can make up their own minds".......

Edited 22 October 2018 by fuchsntf

[fuchsntf]

Come on Claude,let's see you stay longer than Claudio....Build our next era,

You don't need to promise the title or top 5,but give us something that .. "Allows us to dream"

Give us 85% decent game day performances ,ban turgid...

Gives us your best French,when you lift...a cup........or two

 

Please !! Never...'.malade  comme un perroquet'

[st albans fox]

5 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy is a well connected journalist.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines.

It would be a curious article to write - especially in a broadsheet like The Telegraph - if he thought all was well in the dressing room.

In the final sentence: "Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty."

People can make up their own minds either way.

I think it’s been clear for quite a while that if an experienced,  more ‘media friendly’ etc etc  manger with the same long term ‘vision’ as Puel became available then the owners would wield the axe.  Someone is continually briefing against the manager (or at least non supportive messages) ....... if he were sacked tomorrow then how many would be that surprised. 

 

 in the meantime he continues ..........

Edited 22 October 2018 by st albans fox

[somebum]

Amazes me the dullard still has a job, 

[Bunyip]

Has he moved us forward? is his style of football boring? does his team selection borders on the bizarre ? Questions that most fans have a strong opinion on. But only the owner's opinion counts for anything in terms of how long his tenure will be.

[Nick]

1 minute ago, Bunyip said:

Has he moved us forward? is his style of football boring? does his team selection borders on the bizarre ? Questions that most fans have a strong opinion on. But only the owner's opinion counts for anything in terms of how long his tenure will be.

Thanks for that Bunyip.

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

We desperately needed to evolve from the entirely fast break side that relied almost exclusively on the Vards/Mahrez axis. Puel has set that transition in motion and overall has done an okay job. However we are someway off nailing our new identity/style down. Until that is achieved and results follow, Puel will be vulnerable to 'sack' chat. 

 

I have this sense that Puels eventual successor will reap rewards of the work Claude has done. Just my feeling. 

[weller54]

Who knows,  we might all miss him when Brendon 'Roy' Rodgers gallops into Town!... 

Not a qualitee upgrade IMO. 

[Paninistickers]

6 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy is a well connected journalist.

Sometimes you have to read between the lines.

It would be a curious article to write - especially in a broadsheet like The Telegraph - if he thought all was well in the dressing room.

In the final sentence: "Puel’s position remains the elephant in the room, a source of uncertainty."

People can make up their own minds either way.

As always, we all read what we want to read.

 

Reading between the lines, I thought the article was more opinion piece....and a largely supportive one, quoting his vision and ethics.

 

For me, that's two respected journalists (sharpe and percy) now who have both recently stated how pleasant, charming even, Puel is in private.

 

This personable side is, of course, the side the owners, Rudkin, whelan and the players see.

 

If I was to bet, those briefing against him are more likely to be disgruntled players... King, Simpson, rentaquote Albrighton   (for the record, I like all three of them ....but it'd be human nature for them to dislike Puel and nitpick at his weaknesses)

 

 

 

[Dickov22]

John Percy got all his info via Mickey Walsh (brother of Steve Walsh) when Steve was at Leicester. He doesn’t quite have the inside info now that he did have. Hence fewer stories. 

[volpeazzurro]

6 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

John Percy: There was alleged friction in the dressing room and around the training ground over Puel’s methods, training regime and team selections, with one source claiming there were “almost daily problems” due to player discontent.

---

"I'll only believe it when John Percy writes about it."

Wasn't there reported 'alleged friction' in the dressing room prior to Puel even coming? It was all over the press in a big way. In which case if true, it is a pre- existing condition so don't be surprised if it continues until we get a manager that is prepared to sort the main protagonists out and in doing so, if that is Puel, don't expect him to be popular. Claudio was allegedly ousted due to it, the players supposedly got their way with Shakespeare who picked the usual suspects in their favoured system and it became very much apparent that with who they'd got left, they were a shadow of their former selves in performance. Pearson too had a difficult job when he got here but sorted it out and did a good job.

To some extent a single minded hatchet man was needed and if that is Puel then good luck to him. It needed a change in style due to not having the players to sustain the last one, well we've got it, albeit in it's transition stage.  We needed to phase some of the old school out, he's done it and the replacement is talented but raw youngsters who by nature will make some mistakes and be a little inconsistent at times. We had some ill bought players, they've got rid of or loaned out as many as they were able. There's still some to go and they're probably going to disappear in the summer via end of contract, sold or loaned. Never going to be a quick or popular job but the overdue required revolution has started. We are in a far better place now than when Puel arrived.

[Ric Flair]

I think he's still in a job purely based on his principles and ideas, they obviously impress the owners but he needs to win over the fans. I'm not convinced the players hate him as much as the press indicate but I'm sure those frozen out won't be enjoying themselves. 

 

He needs to win a cup this season to build any sort of bond with our fans, he's just unable to show any form of persona that our fans can buy in to. I'm still wildly unsure on him, one week I want him gone but after every international break in the days before the next game I slightly warm to him and desperately want him to succeed. That said if we're toss again tonight then I'll be livid and struggle to back him, that's the moronic state of things for me and many other fans. He's basically got very little chance of making it here.

[Ric Flair]

25 minutes ago, Marshall Cockney Fox said:

We desperately needed to evolve from the entirely fast break side that relied almost exclusively on the Vards/Mahrez axis. Puel has set that transition in motion and overall has done an okay job. However we are someway off nailing our new identity/style down. Until that is achieved and results follow, Puel will be vulnerable to 'sack' chat. 

 

I have this sense that Puels eventual successor will reap rewards of the work Claude has done. Just my feeling. 

Yet, we still are at our most dangerous and score most of our goals on the counter attack. We needed to blend what we were very good at with being more comfortable in possession, Puel did this quite well in his first few months but the longer he's been here the more slow and rigid we've looked as a team and they aren't that comfortable with it. 

[Langston]

Don't think I've ever been so undecided on a manager after such a length of time.

I think he's a strange in that he doesn't seem to have much credit in the bank with a lot of our fans (a cocktail of their impatience, his reserved media persona, as well as some of the horrid football we played at times last season) so immediately after a bad result he seems to really take a bit of a battering, regardless of the circumstance of it. I've definitely been guilty of it. Granted, there are some supporters that choose to carry that for longer than the day of the game and clearly don't think he's the right fit for the job. For me, when the dust has settled after the weekend and that needle dies down, and you look at things as a "plan" – the decreasing age of our squad, the (correct) filtering out of some of our title-winning heroes, changing our style of play and having people committing to long-term deals – it's difficult to carry quite that same level of dislike, or feeling that something is going terribly wrong. 

I think that about sums up why his position is so difficult to read. We have started the season either winning or losing, there isn't any middle ground at the moment, so opinion seems to swing so much week-by-week.

 

It's almost weighing up the gratification of immediate results against the long term comfort that a) we aren't going down and b) we have a young squad that are only going to get better with match practice.

 

 

[ealingfox]

Does anyone actually know why Appleton was moved on? Still seems like a bit of a random move that hasn't really helped things (nor hindered them in fairness).

 

To be honest I have decided to lay off Puel and let him get on with it now. Whilst we are hovering around the middle of the table and younger players are being brought through I don't see much mileage in making a change, particularly with the risk that the next appointment will be a terrible one. Puel seems like a decent enough bloke and he has done some good things.

 

I regret that we look so poor at the back, won't try a formation that looks so well-suited to the players that are playing and are very easy to beat. The style of play does seem ludicrous at times and whilst I can't blame him for how bad some of the players are I can blame him for continuing to pick them. I think we might also see Vardy struggle if things carry on this way as well.

 

But we do look good sometimes and we still have a strong core of good players.

 

Do I think given time, Puel could build a team capable of challenging at the top end of the league as the article says? No, I don't. But I don't believe that's a requirement for our manager according to our fans, as some seem to believe.

 

(That isn't to say he couldn't possibly end up 'doing a Pearson' and building a good team with which his sucessor has a lot of joy).

Edited 22 October 2018 by ealingfox

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

2 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yet, we still are at our most dangerous and score most of our goals on the counter attack. We needed to blend what we were very good at with being more comfortable in possession, Puel did this quite well in his first few months but the longer he's been here the more slow and rigid we've looked as a team and they aren't that comfortable with it. 

As I say he hasn't 'nailed' it yet.  The question is whether he will be around long enough to complete the transition. 

 

Having 4 young lads in the Eng squad suggests the evolution has some positives already.