Team Selection

[UniFox21]

Seeing critisicm from everywhere about the team selection tonight, unfairly for me. 

 

But, if you were picking the team, who would you have changed and why? 

 

For me, I'd have swapped Albrighton for Ghezzal, who frankly has shown little to no reason to be started. And possibly Simpson replaced by Ricardo.

Taking Vardy as being unfit to play as Puel has come out and said.

[VLC86]

If it was one strange selection in isolation then fair play, I think the most bizarre thing in recent weeks is Diabate. Comes into the team for a game we should and needed to win and then is back in the wilderness.

 

Then when you add that to this line up, Choudhry played really well and I wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest if Puel doesn’t pick him for another month.

[chapero82]

6 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Seeing critisicm from everywhere about the team selection tonight, unfairly for me. 

 

But, if you were picking the team, who would you have changed and why? 

 

For me, I'd have swapped Albrighton for Ghezzal, who frankly has shown little to no reason to be started. And possibly Simpson replaced by Ricardo.

Taking Vardy as being unfit to play as Puel has come out and said.

he said he wasn't unfit but tired! reporters who seem to be getting info from Vardy's camp have said he was FIT to play! Puel is bound to say he is tired to save face!

[Guest MattP]

I would have played our strongest team. Who knows if that would have won or not, but that's what I would have done.

 

Same last year as well. The players selected were in the main terrific but it still fells like another "what if" moment.

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, chapero82 said:

he said he wasn't unfit but tired! reporters who seem to be getting info from Vardy's camp have said he was FIT to play! Puel is bound to say he is tired to save face!

Reports coming out after saying he wasn't fit to play

[UniFox21]

3 minutes ago, MattP said:

I would have played our strongest team. Who knows if that would have won or not, but that's what I would have done.

 

Same last year as well. The players selected were in the main terrific but it still fells like another "what if" moment.

What would your 'strongest' team have been though?

 

I do agree on those selected playing well.

[The_Rorab]

9 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Seeing critisicm from everywhere about the team selection tonight, unfairly for me. 

 

But, if you were picking the team, who would you have changed and why? 

 

For me, I'd have swapped Albrighton for Ghezzal, who frankly has shown little to no reason to be started. And possibly Simpson replaced by Ricardo.

Taking Vardy as being unfit to play as Puel has come out and said.

I'm not sure really. I think I would've been tempted to drop Ndidi and play Mendy and Iborra  with Maddison ahead of them (even though he was fantastic I wouldn't have picked Hamza!), I think Simpson was a solid choice at RB and kept things tight which was needed against Man City, and I do agree that I don't think I'd have played Ghezzal over Albrighton, but after his sub cameo against Palace where he looked decent enough, I'm not sure I think picking Ghezzal was an awful mistake - having Marc twat crosses into Iheanacho all game wouldn't have worked for me, and I can see why he went for Ghezzal even though it didn't work. The only thing I think I'd pinpoint as a bad decision was not starting Maddison really.

[UniFox21]

5 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

If it was one strange selection in isolation then fair play, I think the most bizarre thing in recent weeks is Diabate. Comes into the team for a game we should and needed to win and then is back in the wilderness.

 

Then when you add that to this line up, Choudhry played really well and I wouldn’t be shocked in the slightest if Puel doesn’t pick him for another month.

Diabate is a funny one, maybe more to it than we know. Think he brings some raw flair to the pitch that we are missing.

[UniFox21]

1 minute ago, The_Rorab said:

I'm not sure really. I think I would've been tempted to drop Ndidi and play Mendy and Iborra  with Maddison ahead of them (even though he was fantastic I wouldn't have picked Hamza!), I think Simpson was a solid choice at RB and kept things tight which was needed against Man City, and I do agree that I don't think I'd have played Ghezzal over Albrighton, but after his sub cameo against Palace where he looked decent enough, I'm not sure I think picking Ghezzal was an awful mistake - having Marc twat crosses into Iheanacho all game wouldn't have worked for me, and I can see why he went for Ghezzal even though it didn't work. The only thing I think I'd pinpoint as a bad decision was not starting Maddison really.

I can see why he didn't play Maddison, given the system we started with. Felt we went for power and height, giving Iborra the ball to ping around the park.

Agree with everything else you've written!

[VLC86]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

Diabate is a funny one, maybe more to it than we know. Think he brings some raw flair to the pitch that we are missing.

Don’t get me wrong the guy clearly isn’t ready but my point is he went from being an outcast to starting a game to an outcast agains. That screams of a manager that is clutching at straws and doesn’t know his best team.

[The_Rorab]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

I can see why he didn't play Maddison, given the system we started with. Felt we went for power and height, giving Iborra the ball to ping around the park.

Agree with everything else you've written!

Yeah, I agree with you that I can see why he didn't, but I feel like Maddison has to start most of our games - he's for me our best creative player and we look a bit toothless and panicky on the ball without him on form.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

Not sure that Puel rates Albrighton much and / or sees him as part of his grand plan.

[Beechey]

17 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

Not sure that Puel rates Albrighton much and / or sees him as part of his grand plan.

I don't think he does which is disappointing. If I had to guess it'd be because Albrighton isn't known for his on-the-floor passing ability, but he's so energetic and obviously cares so much.

[cityfanlee23]

1 hour ago, chapero82 said:

he said he wasn't unfit but tired! reporters who seem to be getting info from Vardy's camp have said he was FIT to play! Puel is bound to say he is tired to save face!

Reporters will twist anything that creates division.

[mod hero]

24 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

Not sure that Puel rates Albrighton much and / or sees him as part of his grand plan.

You heard anything through the grape vine? Unrest, revolt, imminent sacking?

 

please say yes

[UpTheLeagueFox]

3 minutes ago, mod hero said:

You heard anything through the grape vine? Unrest, revolt, imminent sacking?

 

please say yes

Journalists get info all the time from those in and around the dressing room.

That info has been coming out of lcfc for many, many months.

Those fans who have total faith in the manager just won't believe it.

As a fan it concerns me what I keep hearing and I openly express those concerns.

I'd love Puel to change a few things but he's stubborn and focused and believes his way is the only way, which is his right.

I want Puel to be successful with us as the team will ultimately be doing well.

 

[H.a.r.r.y]

I'm glad  Choudhry got a chance, looked the best midfielder on the pitch (for us)

[oadby.fox]

1 hour ago, UniFox21 said:

Diabate is a funny one, maybe more to it than we know. Think he brings some raw flair to the pitch that we are missing.

That may well be the case but I think the point is rather that it seemed strange to bring him in for that Fulham game when we had other players available who are arguably much better. It was a winnable game and it only would've made sense to bring him back into the fold if Puel had an intention to utilise him throughout the next few weeks. 

 

He's not good enough to make the bench and then all of a sudden out of nowhere he is in the starting 11 for a prem game, only to be cast out again? Just seems to be another odd one for Puel.

 

As for tonight's lineup, I was interested to see Soyuncu and Maguire. If we persist with 2 CBs then I'd like to see this become a regular pairing and give them time to develop a partnership. I think you could quite easily make the case for starting either Albrighton/Ricardo in place of Ghezzal, the inclusion of Maddison from the start and perhaps leaving out Iheanacho.

[fazzyfox]

It's not just the personnel, when I saw the line up I'd hoped that Iborra would play twenty yards higher than the other two midfielders to contribute to attacks whilst being a more dependable defensive player than Maddison when needed to be and be an early presser but instead we had a line of three and just like the Spurs game their midfielders floated around untracked like butterflies still finding huge pockets of space to receive the ball in. The immaculate lline of three seemed more important than using instinct to react to things, this is football not a Red Arrows display. Choudhury did break off a couple of times effectively to intercept balls, just hope he doesn't get in trouble for disrupting the perfect line of symmetry

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

Have a feeling Puel is still trying combinations, testing everyone to see who is worth persevering with.  The next 2 transfer Windows will be key

 

Clearly a long term perspective.  And yes, we are still remaining competitive, despite a couple of poor results

[KrefelderFox666]

9 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

Seeing critisicm from everywhere about the team selection tonight, unfairly for me. 

 

But, if you were picking the team, who would you have changed and why? 

 

For me, I'd have swapped Albrighton for Ghezzal, who frankly has shown little to no reason to be started. And possibly Simpson replaced by Ricardo.

Taking Vardy as being unfit to play as Puel has come out and said.

You say that but after Saturday's performance, he was one of the few that performed (and he came on as a sub).

 

But yesterday he was very average. He certainly has talent and we shouldn't deprive him of game time.

[coolhandfox]

At the end of the day, with regards to the team selection, no knows the objectives Puel was set at the start of the season. He could have been told the league is priorty.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

8 hours ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

Journalists get info all the time from those in and around the dressing room.

That info has been coming out of lcfc for many, many months.

Those fans who have total faith in the manager just won't believe it.

As a fan it concerns me what I keep hearing and I openly express those concerns.

I'd love Puel to change a few things but he's stubborn and focused and believes his way is the only way, which is his right.

I want Puel to be successful with us as the team will ultimately be doing well.

 

The only reason I'm not that into those murmurings from the club are that it seems some players think they just need to do what they used to do in the title winning season

 

When things were going wrong in the following season, Vardy and all were just all ''we don't know whats happening, we just need to keep at it and get back to winning ways'' bla bla

 

Doing something a different way is going to be hard and unpleasant at first, isnt the rest somewhat just a reaction to that?

 

Dont we need a firm hand at the top?

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

17 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

At the end of the day, with regards to the team selection, no knows the objectives Puel was set at the start of the season. He could have been told the league is priorty.

From quotes from the club before i'd say he's definitely been told that

[FLAN]

I’d have picked a training ground dummy to replace Nacho.