The beautiful curse

[Captain...]

I disagree about it being a curse in any way, the issues with Puel is that we all know that more can be got out of these players.

 

This goes back to something that I associate with Pearson and O’Neill the opposition were often better footballers, they could pass better, run faster, shoot more accurately but they would never work harder than us. This is something I don’t see in Puel’s side. We have players that even when having a stinker could redeem themselves and contribute by putting a shift in and working their bollocks off. This style doesn’t reward that approach unless the whole team does it. It’s like a one man press, it doesn’t work. 

 

I understand the call call for getting in someone who will at least make the players look like they are giving 100% and actually care. This can be done whilst also playing better football, look at Klopp’s teams. I don’t want Pearson or O’Neill back but I do think we can do better than Puel.

[Dahnsouff]

You misunderstand, the title was tongue in cheek. It clearly wasn`t a curse, I merely meant it from the point of view that it (rightfully) raised expectations, and that the teams compared against were unlikely to underperform as "that" season or ourselves to perform to such a high level due to various mitigating circumstances.

[hackneyfox]

It's a stupid myth that Ranieri didn't change anything in his first season.

Fcuk knows why people believe it, did they not go during 2014/15/16?

[mazarron fox]

He changed little but tweaked us into the best counter attacking team the league had or has ever seen! Now we haven’t the little bloke that started it all and the team that delivered plus the fact that teams work out how to play it? We got away with it because we were little Leicester and we delivered that year like no other and some . It’s no point harping on about that because this is the here and match by match , we have a good squad but who can pull it all together? 

[hackneyfox]

4 minutes ago, mazarron fox said:

He changed little but tweaked us into the best counter attacking team the league had or has ever seen! Now we haven’t the little bloke that started it all and the team that delivered plus the fact that teams work out how to play it? We got away with it because we were little Leicester and we delivered that year like no other and some . It’s no point harping on about that because this is the here and match by match , we have a good squad but who can pull it all together? 

According  to Premier League  stats  we've scored more goals on the break this season than we did in 2015/16.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

I knew the club and fan base would always struggle with the ‘what next?’ question after basically completing football.

 

If you want progress, for us progress is being comfortable in the Premier League - like an Everton. Always there, the odd bit of success and the odd European adventure. There’s a lot to be said for mid table mediocrity. That’s a realistic aim for progressing as a club of our size after winning the title.

 

The alternative is wanting managers gone after 3-4 bad games. That will soon see us competing at the wrong end of the table, and then you are one bad transfer window and manager from going down - and we all know, or at least we should know, how hard it is to come back. It took a decade last time ffs.

[Matt]

2 minutes ago, bmouth_fox said:

I knew the club and fan base would always struggle with the ‘what next?’ question after basically completing football.

 

If you want progress, for us progress is being comfortable in the Premier League - like an Everton. Always there, the odd bit of success and the odd European adventure. There’s a lot to be said for mid table mediocrity. That’s a realistic aim for progressing as a club of our size after winning the title.

 

The alternative is wanting managers gone after 3-4 bad games. That will soon see us competing at the wrong end of the table, and then you are one bad transfer window and manager from going down - and we all know, or at least we should know, how hard it is to come back. It took a decade last time ffs.

I'm sorry but it's been abit more than 3-4 bad games, a large majority of the last 12 months have been bad, to put it another way there's been far less good games.

[David Hankey]

The only "curse" I can see at LCFC is that we appear to be a graveyard for strikers. Long gone are the days where we have players capable of scoring 20 goals a season.

[Guest MattP]

1 minute ago, David Hankey said:

The only "curse" I can see at LCFC is that we appear to be a graveyard for strikers. Long gone are the days where we have players capable of scoring 20 goals a season.

We literally have one up front now.

[promised land]

6 minutes ago, MattP said:

We literally have one up front now.

I counted three towards the end on Saturday, surprised me too. 

[Corky]

4 hours ago, Matt said:

Whilst I don't agree with player power or them being picky I can sympathise and understand them to some extent.

 

Ranieri - Changed nothing in his first season, so we're led to believe by his own admission, second season changed to much, too quickly, got rid of key staff, forced through players that didn't fit, rocked the boat, which all led to a dreadful run as you say.

 

Shakespeare - It was just poor unfortunately, he's not a manager and set up not to lose games rather than win them.

 

Puel - Like Ranieri I think he's trying to change too much, not as quickly as Ranieri tried though. If reports are to be believed training is slow and ponderous, with high intensity (ooops, can I mention that word) they day before the game which players aren't taking well too and it seems to be very much Puel's way, accusation of him being stubborn and arrogrant whilst not willing to listen to players - Now I don't expect him to bow down to players demands, far from it, that would only mean player power won, again if you believe reports that was a key part of Pearson's success and why the players were so tight and took to him so well, he listened and let them have a say. Add to that these players simply can't play in this style, whilst they are all talented, very talented, not in this way, it must be frustrating, as i've said whilst I understand Puel trying to implement time, like us fans being told to be patient, he needs to be patient with the transition, in the meantime he needs to get the best out of what he's got - he's not.

 

As you've just said in "Time for Puel to go" thread, "If anything, too many draws have been his biggest problem, both in recent times and at home throughout 2018" I don't think in terms of what he's getting out the team he's too much different to what Shakespeare did.

 

Shakespeare had us in a bad place, i'm not sticking up for him, he wasn't a manager, simple, it was only going to end one way, but because of the tough start we had last season compounded it, bear in mind that tough start and we're four points worse off and four places worse off compared to this time last season - Just to clarify, i'm just stating the fact there and using the comparison between last season/this because i've said for me the league position is fine that isn't under scrutiny, it's the way we're playing.

 

To be honest, if Puel goes I'm not overly fussed as I don't expect managers to be here for a long time. They are a bad run away from the sack. My main concern is that we aren't sure, beyond Pearson, what the players want in a manager and if he's the one they'll truly accept.

 

Puel will go. If the next man is similar in his methods and ways of managing, how long before we hear rumblings again? 

[Dahnsouff]

if that’s the case, time to get a proper Billy Big B*ll*ocks manager in, knock these kids into shape..

 

Step forward The Allardyce.....

[norwichfox]

I have been Puel in for a long time, until Saturday and half of Sunday, when I stepped into the Out section. I'm back in the in, we must have some long term stabiloity in the club, and that ain't coming by bring back MO'N, Nige, or Sam Fooking Allerdyce....however, statistics show that over the weekend we have dropped 3 places in the league, and at that rate we will be relegated by the middle of next week unless something changes for the better.

[Jimmy]

17 minutes ago, Corky said:

To be honest, if Puel goes I'm not overly fussed as I don't expect managers to be here for a long time. They are a bad run away from the sack. My main concern is that we aren't sure, beyond Pearson, what the players want in a manager and if he's the one they'll truly accept.

 

Puel will go. If the next man is similar in his methods and ways of managing, how long before we hear rumblings again? 

if that's the case get rid of everyone that played under him including Vardy, offer to transfer them to OHL if they want to play for him that much

[Brainy]

8 hours ago, KingsX said:

 

On the contrary.  This thread is the type of thoughtful discussion that keeps me coming back even in the midst of our collective post-Palace moan.  No doubt due to the quality of the OP.

 

 

OTOH.  This encapsulates my problem with too many Puel-outers, even as I gradually come to agree he doesn't look like the long term solution.  I. do. not. care. how much you relate to him.  I care how the players relate to, and perform for him.  You come straight out and say you were against him from the start.  So if you are judging from an initial bias, and not making an argument based on the football, I should consider your opinion?  There are lots of managers who don't "scream boring" who are much worse than Puel, and I do NOT want any of them.

 

Sorry to pick you out, you are a decent poster, you just came into my sights with the wrong post at the wrong time.

Bit OTT

 

I wasn't against him from the start. I never wanted him but that doesn't mean I wanted him to fail. I wouldn't even say im strictly a Puel-outer either, I won't shed a tear if he goes but tbh I don't see anything happening with him anytime soon. I have generally just lost an interest with him being in charge. It's all about setting an impression, if he'd came in and had a season even semi close to what Ranieri did in his first season we wouldn't have an issue with him. Then we could have a run like the one we've been on the last few months and nobody would really bat an eyelid about wanting him sacked for another month or so atleast. The best times under Puel was what, the first 5 or 6 games? Since then the only consistency has been the inconsistency. Thats a whole year.

 

It also has a similar feeling to the last few months of Ranieri's reign where you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. End of the day I can't relate to him seemingly no less than the players do, and in Puel's defence this has been a running theme with this squad for far too long now. Picking and choosing who and when they want to play for the manager. First and foremost I just want a manager who the players will fear to an extent. I very much doubt these players fear Puel. That said I don't feel like they'd fear anyone.

[KingsX]

24 minutes ago, Walkers said:

I wasn't against him from the start. I never wanted him but that doesn't mean I wanted him to fail. I wouldn't even say im strictly a Puel-outer either, I won't shed a tear if he goes but tbh I don't see anything happening with him anytime soon. I have generally just lost an interest with him being in charge. It's all about setting an impression, if he'd came in and had a season even semi close to what Ranieri did in his first season we wouldn't have an issue with him. Then we could have a run like the one we've been on the last few months and nobody would really bat an eyelid about wanting him sacked for another month or so atleast. The best times under Puel was what, the first 5 or 6 games? Since then the only consistency has been the inconsistency. Thats a whole year.

 

It also has a similar feeling to the last few months of Ranieri's reign where you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. End of the day I can't relate to him seemingly no less than the players do, and in Puel's defence this has been a running theme with this squad for far too long now. Picking and choosing who and when they want to play for the manager. First and foremost I just want a manager who the players will fear to an extent. I very much doubt these players fear Puel. That said I don't feel like they'd fear anyone.

 

All fair enough.  I'm seeing that "light" dim also, even though I'm totally in accord with the squad makeover and feel Puel is well qualified.  I'm just annoyed with those who actually feel their personal degree of engagement with a man they’ll never meet, determines his fitness to manage the club.

 

25 minutes ago, Walkers said:

Bit OTT

 

A bit?  Guess I inherited my old man's habit of storing it up and then exploding at the odd moment.  Thanks for taking it constructively -- even though you were the wrong target. 

[Leeds Fox]

17 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

The irony of your post is not lost on me...but seriously, this is a difficult situation (not Puel), the "why are here and where are we going" one

Patience is required regardless whoever is in the manager, guess some expect more progress sooner, or my standards are too low!

 

Some of us just want some progress. I wouldn’t say we’ve progressed at all. Some individuals have but as a team we haven’t.