Next game, Tuesday: against Manchester City (EFL Cup, quarter-final)

[Guest MattP]

4 minutes ago, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

Everyone on here was saying Palace was a priority game because we have a tough run of fixtures

 

You can say that but if we put out a shit team for Palace and a shit team for Chelsea and lost this anyway!

 

Come on MattP, cant you see what a gamble that is and likely outcome and everyone would hammer Puel for it as they do for everything

 

The fact is that rotation needs to happen in this period.  Lets see what team he puts out anyway, we dont know yet

If he was getting hammered for doing his best to win a cup I think a lot of fans would jump to his defence.

 

Anyone saying Palace was a crucial game is an idiot to be frank - we are finishing somewhere in mid table and that's it, no league game is a massive priority this season.

 

Its unlikely we'll get anything in either match, but doesn't mean you don't give a cup competition at the QF stage your best, the bookmakers have us a shorter price to win tonight than at Chelsea. 

Edited 18 December 2018 by MattP

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

Just now, MattP said:

If he was getting hammered for doing his best to win a cup I think a lot of fans would jump to his defence.

 

Anyway saying Palace was a crucial game is an idiot to be frank - we are finishing somewhere in mid table and that's it, no league game is a massive priority this season.

 

Its unlikely we'll get anything in either match, but doesn't mean you don't give a cup competition at the QF stage your best, the bookmakers have us a shorter price to win tonight than at Chelsea. 

To be honest I would like to see a strong team tonight as probably most of us.  I would like to see the strongest team tonight

There are some reasons why thats not possible, injuries, and Vardy's groin might be one of them.  I dont know what the rest of the team will be like, but like I said, Vardy not playing for a few weeks and then playing this game isnt great because he wont have played competitive games, needs match practise to keep his touch and fitness up

 

Maybe its a crying shame if we field a second string team, i'll be disappointed tbh.  But this squad is struggling anyway with injuries and i'm not sure its just Puel's choice to do this.  He needs to keep players fit for the long haul

[That_Dude]

3 minutes ago, MattP said:

Why did we have to prioritise Palace over this?

 

I actually disagree with you on the last point - I think many would have a lot of respect if Puel did that and then was honest, telling fans we are going all out to try and win something isn't something that would strike me as being unpopular at all.

Because a win against Palace was more likely than a win against Manchester City and we still have a tough run.

 

Playing Vardy too often right now and see him injured would have tremendous consequences for the rest of the season. He has to manage him no matter what we might think.

 

Frankly he's in a lose-lose situation here. If he didn't play Vardy against Palace, he'd have been hammered. Lose tonight and he'll be hammered anyway. With or without Vardy.

[Guest MattP]

4 minutes ago, That_Dude said:

Because a win against Palace was more likely than a win against Manchester City and we still have a tough run.

That's not logical. 

 

If we had a home game against Cardiff before an FA Cup final with Liverpool, the former is a more winnable game, but we wouldn't prioritise it over the latter.

 

The league isn't of much importance, we aren't going down, we aren't qualifying for Europe.

 

We made the same mistake last season - left Vardy and Mahrez on the bench and missed out on what would probably have been a win and a trip to Wembley to play Arsenal, then after doing that we took 1 point from the next 9 anyway.

[Ric Flair]

6 hours ago, That_Dude said:

Would you rather play him tomorrow and risk seeing him out for a couple of weeks if not months? Who's going to step up if we lose him?

Yes I would risk him if he was happy to play, we then go and sign someone in January as a worst case scenario. It doesn't matter if we finish 7th or 15th and I bet you all the players want to win a cup this year in honour of Vichai. 

 

Vardy's record against the elite teams in England is ridiculous and has to be utilized if even remotely possible.

 

It's almost as if Puel is anti the idea of daring to show some intent and ambition of taking on the best and winning something. Is it a fear of failure, a pressure thing? He can get fcuked if we lose tonight with a pony team, leave everything we've got on the field with no what it's.

[Stevosevic]

26 minutes ago, That_Dude said:

We only need 18 points and won't be in a relegation fight unless something goes massively wrong.

 

It was European qualification only for people deluded enough to think we even were in a position to do so.

The manager and players then. Several players have spoken about that being the aim.

[coolhandfox]

We have had a heavy workload during December, the manager has no choice than to manage individual player fitness.

 

Puel is in a no win situation

[Guest MattP]

5 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

We have had a heavy workload during December, the manager has no choice than to manage individual player fitness.

 

Puel is in a no win situation

That's such a cliché.

 

Guardiola has less players to choose from than Puel at the minute, also had a Champions League match last midweek and he appears to putting out more first team players than we are.

 

If we really don't care about trying to win tonight tell people.

[Ric Flair]

Just now, coolhandfox said:

We have had a heavy workload during December, the manager has no choice than to manage individual player fitness.

 

Puel is in a no win situation

But he's extremely erratic with how he does this. I agree that to a certain extent that you have to be careful during busy periods but he rotates for the sake of it and we lose all momentum. It happened the same last year when we were on a good run and we then plummeted during the busy period and it was pointless.

 

Also, he doesn't rotate the likes of Morgan who at 35 and with a few severe injuries over the years is likely to feel the burden but he'll sure rotate his young players like Gray, Ndidi and Maddison for clowns like Diabate and Choudhury. As the Southampton fan who has come to light over his blog on Puel, it's as if every decision is decided off a spreadsheet. It's very peculiar.

 

It's not going to be the end of the world to play our strongest side twice in 4 days, Ranieri managed to do it week in, week out and we didnt get hit with life threatening injuries.

[Buce]

1 minute ago, MattP said:

That's such a cliché.

 

Guardiola has less players to choose from than Puel at the minute, also had a Champions League match last midweek and he appears to putting out more first team players than we are.

 

If we really don't care about trying to win tonight tell people.

 

Pep doesn't have a 'first team' - he has a squad of twenty-odd first team capable players.

[dnewty]

All I know is tonight what ever the result we should be seeing an O'Neill era type performance with energy and passion. The players should be coming out completely fired up. If it's slow paced and lethargic it's down to the manager for me and it's defenatly time for a change.

[rachhere]

1 minute ago, MattP said:

That's such a cliché.

 

Guardiola has less players to choose from than Puel at the minute, also had a Champions League match last midweek and he appears to putting out more first team players than we are.

 

If we really don't care about trying to win tonight tell people.

In Pep's case though a few of his first team players have been out injured, and he's likely to use this as a game to ease them back in. 

 

[TheUltimateWinner]

Can see why he's rested Vardy. Puel can be criticised for quite a few things, but this, I don't have a problem with. 

[Guest MattP]

4 minutes ago, Buce said:

Pep doesn't have a 'first team' - he has a squad of twenty-odd first team capable players.

He does have a "first team" - every manager does.

 

In any huge match City play this season with all fully fit you'll see the 4-1-2-3 formation and guaranteed starters are Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, David Silva, KDB, Bernardo, Sterling and Aguero.

 

The only decision he really makes is Kompany or Stones at CB and maybe Sane in for someone.

[Ric Flair]

6 minutes ago, TheUltimateWinner said:

Can see why he's rested Vardy. Puel can be criticised for quite a few things, but this, I don't have a problem with. 

When your other two strikers have scored 4 goals in 65 games then yes, it's a no brainer to rest Vardy in a crucial game.

[Merging Cultures]

We are going to get slaughtered.

[Babylon]

9 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Disgusting if he prioritises an almost guaranteed loss in an away league game in London on Saturday over a home game that could leave us on the verge of winning a cup. 

 

Hamza Choudhury and Danny Simpson, who couldn't even get a sniff in the early rounds and yet now will start against the best team in England. Beggars belief.

I think it pretty much signals that Silva either has something lined up or we're trying to force his hand to move. If we can move him and King on it might give us some room to bring in the type of CM we desperately need.

[rachhere]

6 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

When your other two strikers have scored 4 goals in 65 games then yes, it's a no brainer to rest Vardy in a crucial game.

Although saying that, Nacho's league cup record (for Leicester and Man City) is played 9 and scored 4. 

[ithuriel]

On ‎16‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 22:30, shailen_patel4 said:

For a quarter final this is poor 

Well, you can paint a wall and stay warm watching it rather than pay to go to the stadium to see a similar performance, or you can watch it on TV and nod off in an armchair 

[ithuriel]

Just now, rachhere said:

Although saying that, Nacho's league cup record (for Leicester and Man City) is played 9 and scored 4. 

I watched one of those games earlier this season, he was dire, had more chances to score than a rock star in a brothel but only bagged one before being subbed off and that was the most dynamic I have seen him in a Leicester shirt.

[rachhere]

Just now, ithuriel said:

I watched one of those games earlier this season, he was dire, had more chances to score than a rock star in a brothel but only bagged one before being subbed off and that was the most dynamic I have seen him in a Leicester shirt.

Hey... our recent November goal of the month options were so limited they had to put a penalty as one of the options. If he managed to score, I will still take it!

[Matt]

31 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

But he's extremely erratic with how he does this. I agree that to a certain extent that you have to be careful during busy periods but he rotates for the sake of it and we lose all momentum. It happened the same last year when we were on a good run and we then plummeted during the busy period and it was pointless.

 

Also, he doesn't rotate the likes of Morgan who at 35 and with a few severe injuries over the years is likely to feel the burden but he'll sure rotate his young players like Gray, Ndidi and Maddison for clowns like Diabate and Choudhury. As the Southampton fan who has come to light over his blog on Puel, it's as if every decision is decided off a spreadsheet. It's very peculiar.

 

It's not going to be the end of the world to play our strongest side twice in 4 days, Ranieri managed to do it week in, week out and we didnt get hit with life threatening injuries.

Tbf the Southampton blogger actually gives Claude credit for the league cup run.

 

Quote

Undeterred, Claude got us through to a Wembley final, masterminding a quarter final win at The Emirates when we played more first teamers than Arsenal and did the business 2-0.  Then a two legged semi against a Mané-less Liverpool and we defended deep and well and nicked both legs 1-0.  Tactical masterclass, executed to perfection.  Jurgen Klopp and the ex-Saints at Anfield put back in their boxes.  Brilliant.

 

In between the semi-finals, Virgil had got injured and José Fonte had followed the money so we were forced to play your Yoshida and Stephens as the central defenders and after shocking home game against West Ham we did actually change to the formation we've been using for the last three years with two holding midfielders. We had a bit of success with that including a very good performance at Wembley when we should have won but ultimately, defensive frailties cost us.  The feel-good factor was there though – the fans had a fantastic day and the team and Claude did us proud.  The trouble was just beginning though.

 

https://leagueoneminus10.blogspot.com/2017/05/claude-puel-should-he-stay-or-should-he.html

 

But as you say about spreadsheets, when he writes about their European campaign I think that seems more similar to our situation.

 

Quote

Then the European games started and Claude went into rotation mode and with it, any pattern and understandings between players went out the window.  Rotation mode made it seem like he planned the whole thing out on the spreadsheet in advance and it wasn't so much mix and match but it was an A Team and a B team. At the weekends we played the first team (Cedric, Jose, Bertrand with Virgil) and in Europe we more or less played the B team (Cuco, Maya, McQueen with Virgil), with only really Virgil and Oriol Romeu being fixtures in both line-ups. Claude’s CV boasted a lot of European experience which was the main justification from Les Reed for taking on someone who was new to English football and a virtual unknown on these shores. This European expertise brought us to a good position in the group after four games and a famous win against and admittedly declining Inter Milan. We had got a hard earned 0-0 against Hapoel Be’er Sheva and suffered a very unlucky 1-0 defeat in Milan when the Italians scored with their only shot on target after we had missed literally shit loads. The home form in Europe was good having dispatched a piss poor Sparta Prague side three nil and as mentioned, beating Milan. Seven points from four games and we only needed one win from the final two games to get through.

 

It was in the away match at Sparta Prague where Claude’s truly negative mindset first came to the fore. As per the spreadsheet he picked what was basically a reserve side and we lost in one of the worst performances I have ever seen. As the season went on, I used the phrase ‘one of the worst performances I've ever seen’ quite often.  We could have gone for it in that game, got qualified and rested everyone in the last game… but no.  Be’er Sheva at home and a 0-0 draw would've got us through.  The fact that we could have got through with a 0-0 was a dangerous thing and we played for it, committing no bodies forward and sure as shit, Hapoel predictably scored with their first shot on target meaning that we had 10 minutes to score 2 goals. It was only then that Virgil took it upon itself to go and play as a striker and he scored to make it 1-1 but too little too late. The great European master tactician had totally ****ed it up. I can't imagine that his next meeting with Les Reed was a particularly pleasant one.

 

https://leagueoneminus10.blogspot.com/2017/05/claude-puel-should-he-stay-or-should-he.html

 

[Babylon]

37 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

But he's extremely erratic with how he does this. I agree that to a certain extent that you have to be careful during busy periods but he rotates for the sake of it and we lose all momentum. It happened the same last year when we were on a good run and we then plummeted during the busy period and it was pointless.

 

Also, he doesn't rotate the likes of Morgan who at 35 and with a few severe injuries over the years is likely to feel the burden but he'll sure rotate his young players like Gray, Ndidi and Maddison for clowns like Diabate and Choudhury. As the Southampton fan who has come to light over his blog on Puel, it's as if every decision is decided off a spreadsheet. It's very peculiar.

 

It's not going to be the end of the world to play our strongest side twice in 4 days, Ranieri managed to do it week in, week out and we didnt get hit with life threatening injuries.

Morgan has been rest for games, he's also had a few breaks thanks to his red cards

[ithuriel]

5 minutes ago, rachhere said:

Hey... our recent November goal of the month options were so limited they had to put a penalty as one of the options. If he managed to score, I will still take it!

This was against a lower league team that made Mahrez-lite look world class and I cant even remember the name of the team it was such a great match then again, maybe the gods of fortune may shine upon Nacho and the ball will deflect in off him and Pep will be like, WTF how did this happen.

[That_Dude]

Ah crap, I'm about to reach my post limit per day and want at least to be able to moan about the starting XI. So beware, wall of text.

 

Just now, MattP said:

That's not logical. 

 

If we had a home game against Cardiff before an FA Cup final with Liverpool, the former is a more winnable game, but we wouldn't prioritise it over the latter.

 

The league isn't of much importance, we aren't going down, we aren't qualifying for Europe.

 

We made the same mistake last season - left Vardy and Mahrez on the bench and missed out on what would probably have been a win and a trip to Wembley to play Arsenal, then after doing that we took 1 point from the next 9 anyway.

 

13 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Yes I would risk him if he was happy to play, we then go and sign someone in January as a worst case scenario. It doesn't matter if we finish 7th or 15th and I bet you all the players want to win a cup this year in honour of Vichai. 

 

Vardy's record against the elite teams in England is ridiculous and has to be utilized if even remotely possible.

 

It's almost as if Puel is anti the idea of daring to show some intent and ambition of taking on the best and winning something. Is it a fear of failure, a pressure thing? He can get fcuked if we lose tonight with a pony team, leave everything we've got on the field with no what it's.

 

Look, don't get me wrong. I'm also not overjoyed with the rumor about throwing Choudhury in a game like this. I know what's at stake, want us to play the strongest possible team and would be more than happy to see Vardy play. And if I and every one here know that, I suppose Puel does too. I'm sure Vardy is craving for this game but let's be honest, he's not been at his best the last months and his injury certainly has something to do with it.

 

How things play out will be accordingly to what the medical staff says. As much as I want us to win this game, just going out with a bang and see our most important player ruled out for months doesn't sit well with me. We're utter shit without him and going for a crappy panic buy in January ain't gonna happen. The squad is bloated enough as it is.

 

 

24 minutes ago, Stevosevic said:

The manager and players then. Several players have spoken about that being the aim.

Can't recall Puel saying anything remotely similar but maybe I'm wrong. As for the players, well it's not like they're going to say: "hey we'll try to not be relegation fodder this season". And I repeat we do not have a team worthy of an European Cup.

 

 

4 minutes ago, MattP said:

He does have a "first team" - every manager does.

 

In any huge match City play this season with all fully fit you'll see the 4-1-2-3 formation and guaranteed starters are Ederson, Walker, Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho, David Silva, KDB, Bernardo, Sterling and Aguero.

 

The only decision he really makes is Kompany or Stones at CB and maybe Sane in for someone.

You seem to forget something. Guardiola has had his players for a bit longer than Puel and their quality as well as the bench's depth is not remotely comparable.

 

Even then, I saw quite a bit of their games and Guardiola rotates/tinkers A LOT either with the starting XI or the formation. The only guaranteed starters, aside from the GK, are D. Silva, Laporte, Fernandinho, Aguero and KdB. That's 6 players and the rest is filled depending on the opponent, form, injuries, suspensions etc. Not even Sané, Sterling, Bernardo, Walker or Mahrez are guaranteed starters.

 

Let's see ours: Kasper, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Ricardo, Ndidi, Mendy, Maddison and Vardy. That's 8 players who will always start under Puel when avalaible, generally in a 4-2-3-1. This after a couple of months and a bit of necessary tinkering.