Puel 'Facing the sack' - reports

[Ian Nacho]

I think people become extremely frustrated with the fact we get above average results against the top 6 and then as a whole, poor results against the rest. If we were more consistent with our performances and results we quite easily would be pushing for top 6. 

[Ian Nacho]

I wonder if Puel's obsession with defensive midfielders stems from the fact he was himself, a defensive midfielder as a player?

[chapero82]

12 minutes ago, Ian Nacho said:

I think people become extremely frustrated with the fact we get above average results against the top 6 and then as a whole, poor results against the rest. If we were more consistent with our performances and results we quite easily would be pushing for top 6. 

There was a time when would batter the smaller teams but struggle against the top  

 

so he’s improved it the other way around I guess  

[foxfanazer]

15 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

Game after game after game. Months has gone by. We can see the problem. But Puel does not. It is really frustrating.

 

To be honest, I like Puel and what he has done in terms of the possession based element of the game that he brought to the team and also development of young players. But his insistence on using Ndidi and the problem he does not see with the lack of creativity in CM is extremely frustrating. 

 

After the Chelsea and Man City wins, I thought he saw the light. But his reversion back to his old ways against Cardiff tells me that he didn’t see the light. It was a fluke against Chelsea and Man City in terms of his team selection.

 

Why the particular frustration? Because it was also those two games that showed that the players we have really are very good and are capable of beating any team. We should be doing much better and more consistently than we are. As the commentators kept repeating during the Cardiff game too, Leicester has much more quality in them than they have shown. Yes I fully agree.

 

If we can get the players playing more consistently at the Chelsea/Man City game levels and not play with such defensive formation, leaving Vardy alone up front particularly against lower teams, we would be much higher in the table. We did win the league (so we are capable of more) and I truly believe we can do better as we still have very good players.

 

I am in two minds. I like Puel overall but his stubbornness on a few things is continuously costing us our winning mentality and results. I rather that he sees the light and stay with us, but if he will never do that, than I rather him leave sooner rather than later. 

We do have good players but you could also argue they're very one dimensional. Counter attacking we're almost as good as anyone but teams sitting back against us we have no way of breaking them down. 

[Tom12345]

39 minutes ago, foxfanazer said:

We do have good players but you could also argue they're very one dimensional. Counter attacking we're almost as good as anyone but teams sitting back against us we have no way of breaking them down. 

Of course when we play with a lone striker and no creativity from CM. This is a tactical and selection issue more than players’ abilities. 

Edited 30 December 2018 by Tom12345

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, pmcla26 said:

We should just stick to counter attacking but work on developing the players technically to do it better. No point doing something we’re shite at and Atletico don’t seem too bad off with their style of play, all started with Ranieri post title trying to change the way we play and every time we gone back to it it works again, surprise. 

But it only works against better, more adventurous sides. We can't counter the likes of Cardiff really

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Tom12345 said:

Of course when we play with a lone striker and no creativity from CM. This is a tactical and selection issue more than players’ abilities. 

From the current crop I'm struggling to pick out a player that can unlock a stubborn defense with either a pass or a bursting run

[foxfanazer]

Just now, pmcla26 said:

You can counter anyone if you press the right way and set up the right way, it’s not like Cardiff would never attack if we sat back against them 

Hmmm maybe. You'd get people going mad at Puel for sitting back at home against Cardiff though

[TeaMen Tom]

I don't think Claude is a much above an average manager, but what no one seems to take into account is average teams can look really good for a couple of matches - and crappy for another couple.  That's what average is all about.  LCFC has some above average players - but also some crap that prevents the club from having consistently good results.  When you look at their overall talent level, it's average. Better than the bottom half of the league, nowhere close to the top 6, somewhere in the 7-10 range. For every Vardy, there's a Iheanacho. 

 

The games come fast during the holidays and Claude tried to get away with running most of the same guys who helped beat Chelsea & City. It's not surprising that they'd look sluggish for large portions of the match.  

 

This is what average is all about. Average coach, average talent level - average results.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

38 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

You can counter anyone if you press the right way and set up the right way, it’s not like Cardiff would never attack if we sat back against them 

Agreed

[Bob Weasel Fox]

He won’t be sacked until at least the summer so we might as well all get behind him for now 

 

as painful as that night seem

[Matt]

5 hours ago, Nickfosse said:

Im sorry, you have been consistently critical of our manager for almost a year now. Your tweet today suggesting that our record is not good enough is yet more evidence. I have no agenda, neither am I a fool. My very simple point is that undermining our Manager and not giving them time to develop a young team is foolhardy. 

The records a record though isn't it, there is an argument to be made based on it or are we not allowed to use such things to support our reasonings now.

 

Just as others use whatever records or stats to counter the debates.

 

He's been critical, highlighted the issues because they are there is reason to be critical, there are issues to be highlighted, its not as if a minority are disgruntled with what we are witnessing and he's fuel that fire to win fans over to think that way, alot of people have problems with whats going on and that record speaks for itself.

[reynard]

8 hours ago, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

Yes if we are to push on we need to be winning more of these games of course. But at least you can admit that today for example we were a hair's breadth from 3 points. 

 

The squad depth doesnt have substance, we are a couple of transfer windows from being able to play consistently how Puel wants. Its not really manager sacking territory

The question though is how does he want us to play? I really don't have a clue. What I saw yesterday was a team ponderous in attack, which spent most of the time passing the ball too slowly and sideways, didn't play on the front foot, was too passive and was panicky in defence. The gap between the forward players and the rest was far too big and the service to our one and only striker virtually non-existent. If this was a one-off then fine but I see this at most home games. Is this what he wants? Suely not, yet this is how we play, most of the time. So either the players can't hack his methods or he isn't able to coach them to play the way he truly wants.

I'm not saying to get rid of Puel but I really don't know what his style truly is.

We've scored 12 goals in 10 home games this season. Many of the games have been far from entertaining.

Obviously our current league position is fine and we could finish top half but to be honest I'd like a bit more entertainment and I certainly don't feel like I'm getting that at most games I attend.

For obvious reasons this season is a mess but what I saw yesterday is not a product of the last few weeks but was the type of performance I've seen regularly enough over the past few months.

 

[old koppite]

5 hours ago, pmcla26 said:

You can counter anyone if you press the right way and set up the right way, it’s not like Cardiff would never attack if we sat back against them 

Fair point, and as someone has already said if it becomes clear that it isn’t working , just change it after 30 minutes or at half time. Of course, the changes and plan at kick off didn’t work, because Cardiff came  out fired up  (like most Warnock teams) and attacked us for the first 10 minutes! How dare they- didn’t they know they should just roll over to our superior skills as we’d just beaten 2 of the best teams in the world. 

Also, I know the game has changed a lot since I graced Vickeh Park and the public pitches of Leicester, but some people make it sound like cdms can’t function in the final  third, and can’t strike a decent effort towards a goal. I’d love to take them to meet WD, PM, HC etc and see their reaction to that theory. 

Im old school; should’ve kept the winning team, ( assuming all fit) , instructed them to start with high energy, gambled on getting ahead, then managed it from there , putting fresh legs on when needed.

[M0901]

15 hours ago, The_Rorab said:

I can't believe anyone would support this club and at the same time have regretted beating Chelsea and Man City. Remember that rush when those games were over? That someone would prefer us 6 points worse off just to spite our manager is absolute madness to me.

 

[Nickfosse]

2 hours ago, Matt said:

The records a record though isn't it, there is an argument to be made based on it or are we not allowed to use such things to support our reasonings now.

 

Just as others use whatever records or stats to counter the debates.

 

He's been critical, highlighted the issues because they are there is reason to be critical, there are issues to be highlighted, its not as if a minority are disgruntled with what we are witnessing and he's fuel that fire to win fans over to think that way, alot of people have problems with whats going on and that record speaks for itself.

Ok then, if a record is a record as you say, we were hovering just above relegation when he took over and he got us a top 10 finish, and we are in the top ten after just over half of this season. Add in he is doing this while developing a young group of players and his 8th place with Southampton and I’d say his record is perfectly acceptable for a club of our stature wouldnt you?

[Bunyip]

12 hours ago, Buce said:

 

I think quite a few of our 'fans' fit that description.

Yes, especially the turd polishing deluded ones. 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

9 hours ago, Nickfosse said:

We weren’t awful today. If you think that I assume you weren’t around in the megson Holloway season? That was a true definition of awful. 

‘We’ve been worse’ is possibly the most uninspiring defence of a manager/performance you can get.

[foxinsocks]

Surely the issue for many of us is that we have no confidence in puels decisions before  and during games. 

 

How does hamza not start?

 

Our creativity was stopped at ht.

 

When gray doesnt start he is on the bench.. when hamza doesnt start he is in the stand. 

 

Puel seems deluded in his interviews. .. this is un inspiring for fans and players.

Leadership requires respect. 

The hest that puel in guys can say is "give him till summer".... he is not the one. .. .. puel ball is years out of date

Edited 30 December 2018 by foxinsocks

[lcfcbluearmy]

9 hours ago, Nickfosse said:

Couldn’t be further from the truth, I’ve not opened FT for a month because I couldn’t stand the whinging and moaning about just about everything. Chose not to be impacted by the negative energy and negative thought processing. Thought the booing and reaction at the game today was unjustified and became aware that some people with influence read forums so thought I’d  add my 5 pennorth. Not the best night to stand up for the manager if you want to play to the gallery. Anyway, love and peace to you for the New Year. 

Just to be clear I may not have liked the performance yesterday but I never have and never will boo my own team as I never think that that sort of reaction helps. 

[Matt]

27 minutes ago, Nickfosse said:

Ok then, if a record is a record as you say, we were hovering just above relegation when he took over and he got us a top 10 finish, and we are in the top ten after just over half of this season. Add in he is doing this while developing a young group of players and his 8th place with Southampton and I’d say his record is perfectly acceptable for a club of our stature wouldnt you?

 

Correct.

 

However I said at the start of the season and keep saying, the league position within reason isn't that important to me given last season, given my issues and frustrations with Puel from last season, it's performance related and that needed and still needs to be improved, very little in that regard has changed with his tenure, at times it seems worse.

 

For the record, i'm delighted with our current league position, but how we're playing....

 

Have we seen any improvement? Very little. Have we seen much developing of young players? Chilwell, credit for Puel giving him the run but was that a natural progression, I'd like to potentially say Choudhury but let's give him a run rather than a couple of games then dropping him, anyone else? Ricardo's improved since signing but he's 25, I think that was more about settling in. The reason he got sacked from Southampton after finishing 8th is for similar reasons to what we are complaining about.

 

Now I can't speak for everybody but I think that is most peoples problems - The performances.

 

 

Edited 30 December 2018 by Matt

[chris_lcfc_85]

I'm a puel in fan but yesterday was looking at the points we've lost this season.....

 

Cardiff at home lost without scoring 

Burnley at home drew without scoring 

West ham at home drew against 10 men

Palace away lost without scoring 

Fulham away drew played awful 

Brighton away drew played awful 

Bournemouth away battered 

 

Not great 

[reynard]

14 minutes ago, Nickfosse said:

Ok then, if a record is a record as you say, we were hovering just above relegation when he took over and he got us a top 10 finish, and we are in the top ten after just over half of this season. Add in he is doing this while developing a young group of players and his 8th place with Southampton and I’d say his record is perfectly acceptable for a club of our stature wouldnt you?

Of course your argument based soley on league position is irrefutable. However, within statistics lie nuances and contradictions that mean that things are not so straigtforward. This all really boils down to what, if there are indeed any, are the long or even mid-term ambtions of the club?  I believe that statistics show that victories over the so-called big six by the rest of the league are in fact becoming less common as the gap between these clubs and the rest grows. If you compare these to a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat then we will need to either pull more rabbits out of the hat each season or significantly improve our record against the sides below and and around us in the league if we are to significantly improve as a side.

Whilst fans will always be divided about any manager what we all really want is to win. It would be a significant bonus to be entertained at the same time.

 

I can see that we are in transition but I'm not convinced there has been any improvement at all when we play sides outside the top 6. If anything our perfomances have gone backwards since that early, in Puel's time, 4-1 win away at Southampton. Our results at home are pretty disappointing really.

 

Whilst taken in isolation the title win of 2016 could be seen as distorting the fan's expectations for the club, that, combined with a very significant investment both on and off the pitch, raise legitimate questions among the fan base as to whether  appropriate improvements are being witnessed commensurate with that level of investment.

The question of whether the owners and the board also think so is one I would love to know the answer to.

 

[jonny_wright]

Need to rename Puel “the Teflon don” everytime he is close to the sack he pulls a big result out against a top 6 side and that saves him! He’s bought himself another 10 games now and no doubt we will be dreadful then when he’s on the brink we will beat another top 6 side 

Edited 30 December 2018 by jonny_wright

[st albans fox]

5 minutes ago, jonny_wright said:

Need to rename Puel “the Teflon don” everytime he is close to the sack he pulls a big result out against a top 6 side and that saves him! He’s bought himself another 10 games now and no doubt we will be dreadful then when he’s on the brink we will beat another top 6 side 

Well we play them in clumps of three early feb and last three games of the season .....