Newport post match thread 2- 1

[Phube]

12 hours ago, cropstonfox said:

Stringer just said ..."its a joke- and so is Claude!"

 

Wow... misquoted much! I’ve just listened to the podcast (yes I’m sad) but the quote is:

 

”it’s a joke... and so is Claude. According to Lee” 

 

As he was reading a text out! 

 

Always be be careful what you read online people.

[Crinklyfox]

I don't like to post immediately after a match, the emotions are too raw but here's how I feel now.

 

On the face of it Puel disrespected the opposition, the competition, the supporters and the owners by selecting an under strength team.  Squad rotation is fine provided that the squad is composed of players of Premier League ability but doesn't work when a significant number of the squad are either no longer at that level or never were at that level.  To change half the team to players of that ilk is asking for trouble.  Add to that one or two of the better players having off days and you present a real opportunity to the opposition.

 

I don't know all the issues he faced with team selection but if the team selected was the best he could choose under the circumstances then our future isn't bright.  I don't believe that to be the case so am incredibly frustrated that we've thrown away progress in two cup competitions on the mantra of squad rotation.  What has been done simply isn't good enough and mustn't be repeated in the future.  If we are to progress as a club we need more players than take their place either by right, or by having the potential to achieve the competency required.  And that are prepared to turn up and put a shift in.

[ClaphamFox]

16 minutes ago, Crinklyfox said:

I don't like to post immediately after a match, the emotions are too raw but here's how I feel now.

 

On the face of it Puel disrespected the opposition, the competition, the supporters and the owners by selecting an under strength team.  Squad rotation is fine provided that the squad is composed of players of Premier League ability but doesn't work when a significant number of the squad are either no longer at that level or never were at that level.  To change half the team to players of that ilk is asking for trouble.  Add to that one or two of the better players having off days and you present a real opportunity to the opposition.

 

I don't know all the issues he faced with team selection but if the team selected was the best he could choose under the circumstances then our future isn't bright.  I don't believe that to be the case so am incredibly frustrated that we've thrown away progress in two cup competitions on the mantra of squad rotation.  What has been done simply isn't good enough and mustn't be repeated in the future.  If we are to progress as a club we need more players than take their place either by right, or by having the potential to achieve the competency required.  And that are prepared to turn up and put a shift in.

He started Matty James, who hadn't played in 10 months. Then, when we desperately needed a goal, he replaced James with King, who is so poorly rated by Puel that he doesn't even have a place in the Prem squad. He began with a desperately out-of-form, low-on-confidence striker in Iheanacho and didn't even include Vardy on the bench in case we needed him. He left Ricardo, one of our best current attacking players, on the bench even though we clearly needed him.

 

Puel's hand wasn't forced in these matters; these were conscious choices. Losing that game was a direct consequence of our approach to it. In a season when we are not in danger of relegation and are not going to challenge the top six, we had a great opportunity to have a crack at the FA Cup. Puel chose not to take that opportunity.

 

 

[mozartfox]

I am slowly coming to terms with the ridicule of yesterday.  Just have to get through Ginger Durham’s onslaught later.

 

So let’s take some positives out of yesterday.  All the old guard that played yesterday must be released with the exception of Marc.    No contract extensions on sentimental grounds.    To Puel’s defence, he does not have the luxury of quality back up players.  That was so evident yesterday.  Major squad rebuilding needed which can only be achieved by a monumental clear out in the next two windows.  Why not get the loanees back now to start bedding them in this season? - given the opinion on here from many is the final league position is neither here nor there as long as we are safe.  This is at least one luxury Puel has given us i.e. safety and no cup distractions in January.

[Guest Bob Hazels shorts]

 

Just caught the end of a Newport player interview on Radio X 

Said once they saw our team sheet they knew they had a good chance.

 

How easy must've their managers pre match talk have been.

[Guest Bob Hazels shorts]

7 minutes ago, mozartfox said:

I am slowly coming to terms with the ridicule of yesterday.  Just have to get through Ginger Durham’s onslaught later.

 

So let’s take some positives out of yesterday.  All the old guard that played yesterday must be released with the exception of Marc.    No contract extensions on sentimental grounds.    To Puel’s defence, he does not have the luxury of quality back up players.  That was so evident yesterday.  Major squad rebuilding needed which can only be achieved by a monumental clear out in the next two windows.  Why not get the loanees back now to start bedding them in this season? - given the opinion on here from many is the final league position is neither here nor there as long as we are safe.  This is at least one luxury Puel has given us i.e. safety and no cup distractions in January.

He works with the players daily and both knows their ability and has had plenty of time to sign suitable players.

 

Play your best 11 of you want to win the game, rest them when comfortably leading. Rest and tired were words never used when we won the league

[RonnieTodger]

I met a Newport fan on a night out through a mutual friend. I was moaning because we’d just gotten hammered by Bournemouth, and he said “mate we’ve just lost 6-0 at home to Yeovil”. 

[David Hankey]

Is this a watershed moment for this "playing a weakened team" theory against lower teams. Start with your strongest available, get 3-0 up and then make the changes.

[Domsdad]

Anyone else think that if we had got that penalty we would have missed the f****r

[ClaphamFox]

1 minute ago, David Hankey said:

Is this a watershed moment for this "playing a weakened team" theory against lower teams. Start with your strongest available, get 3-0 up and then make the changes.

It would only be a watershed moment if the owners cared about the FA Cup. I've never seen any evidence that they do. If they prioritised the cup, that would be communicated to our managers and reflected in team selections. Our habit of playing weakened teams must have been either tacitly or explicitly approved by the owners or we wouldn't do it every year.

[mozartfox]

14 minutes ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

He works with the players daily and both knows their ability and has had plenty of time to sign suitable players.

 

Play your best 11 of you want to win the game, rest them when comfortably leading. Rest and tired were words never used when we won the league

You are not wrong.  All I am trying to get across is, we have 7-10 players in our squad thatare no longer EPL standard.  These are legacy contract issues.   If he hands out any contract extensions, then I will reluctantly join the Puel out school.

[suffolk fox]

Never ever in all my years of supporting City would I ever have thought I would see a tub of lard playing for us in midfield but in Matt James yesterday I did.  

[RowlattsFox]

Our first choice midfield isn’t great so our reserves were never going to be any good. 

 

Conceding first was huge, we were in control, creating chances in first 15 minutes and then out of nothing we are behind and gave them a massive lift. We were caught by surprise by the quality of the ball in. 

 

We have 4 really good players, Vardy, Ricardo, Maguire and Chilwell. After that we have players who can be good on their day but not often enough. 

[Stoopid]

The side we put out wasn't great and some players were pretty woeful, but we had more than enough chances to win comfortably. 

And there's no accounting for giving away a brainless penalty...

The reverse analysis that happens after a poor result is always going to crucify the manager.

But leaving our only real goal-threat out of the squad must have given Newport a massive lift.

And when I saw Andy King getting ready to come on ...I started thinking 'well, maybe Puel isn't the bloke for us...'

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

Some posts on here need a bit of perspective.

 

We lost to Newport, yes and with a weakened side. I can remember losing to Harlow. Even the mighty Spurs nearly lost to Newport last year. It's the FA cup. It happens. 

 

We are comfortably a Premier league club in a great position to move forward with a good stadium, a strong fan base and the knowledge and pride we have also been PL champions in the last few years unilke Spurs or Liverpool to mention just two clubs. It's hugely disappointing to have gone out but we have a bright future ahead I suspect. 

 

I was (still am in many ways) a Newport County fan too. I can remember them going bust and out of the league. Cast down into the lower reaches of non-league football, and exiled to play across the border 90 miles away. The fans kept the club going and they fought back and yesterday would have been the pinnacle in many ways of over 30 years struggle. Great for them and naturally I hope they do well going forward in all ways not just the cup. 

 

Now compare that with the position we are in. To see some of the personalised vitriol posted on here against Puel and players is more than embarrassing. I share our disappointment and understand the concerns of some about this transition period. But let's have some perspective. 

 

[mazarron fox]

Well now the dust has settled here’s my thoughts on it. I watched the match in a room full of non Leicester fans and the opinion was an old fashioned enjoyable cup tie. The misses in front of goal and the last ditch defending at times were comical. Most thought Choudhury was great and when a young Spanish lad asked me who the lazy useless Centre forward was I said he’s our 25mil cover for Vardy and hopefully our future, he laughed and said you’ve been mugged.

We are simply not as a squad the billy big spuds we think we are and the top 6 squads are far superior to ours and can get away with these tricky cup games. With a weakened team who were off the pace against a team playing as if their lives depended on it and riding their luck it really wasn’t hard to see why that result was always on the cards.

[JR99]

14 hours ago, Terry_Cochrane said:

And who is responsible for preparing the players to ensure they do have the right attitude on the pitch? 

In which case, you could spin everything ever to be Puels fault which is clearly what half of foxestalk want to do... he spent have the game bellowing and looking as angry as the fans on the touchline, they made the chances but didn't take it. I'm sure if he could've been up front tucking them away himself he would 

[siraaj_lcfc]

Credit to Newport against a strong Leicester Side. Defensively resolute and stubborn. Franks or whatever his name is deserved MOTM. Brilliant Team Performance. No easy feat. My Family in Newport are doing my nut in but I couldn't give two fvcks. Hopefully City can bounce back and thump Southampton. Up The Foxes. Allez Les Blues.

[Nalis]

To be fair to Puel, that team should have been enough to beat Newport. 

 

But well done Newport, they were excellent and good luck to them for the rest of the season.

[Haywood_6]

How many times did we hit a long ball/cross it into the box? It's pointless if you haven't got a target man. I don't think Iheanacho or Okazaki won a single header.

 

We should of kept at least Slimani or Ulloa for another season. How many of our losses have come from teams defending deep with numbers?

 

We need someone tall we could play direct long passes too, who plays physically, then we might not be so ineffective against those tactics.

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

 

Just caught the end of a Newport player interview on Radio X 

Said once they saw our team sheet they knew they had a good chance.

 

How easy must've their managers pre match talk have been.

... conversely, once our players saw our team sheet, they new we weren't really interested! 

 

[Stoopid]

To be fair to Shinji, I think he misses Japan.

He ought to, he misses everything else!

[MC Prussian]

1 hour ago, RowlattsFox said:

Our first choice midfield isn’t great so our reserves were never going to be any good. 

 

Conceding first was huge, we were in control, creating chances in first 15 minutes and then out of nothing we are behind and gave them a massive lift. We were caught by surprise by the quality of the ball in. 

 

We have 4 really good players, Vardy, Ricardo, Maguire and Chilwell. After that we have players who can be good on their day but not often enough. 

Five. You forgot Schmeichel.

 

But I agree with the general notion. That list shows where our problem lies: No punch, no outstanding players in midfield:

 

Gray - greedy

Albrighton - steady, but not overly creative

Maddison - creative, but still coming to terms with the demands of the Premier League and sometimes a bit greedy, too

Ndidi - erratic, has taken a bit of a nosedive recently

Mendy - good, but not that physical in defensive midfield (no Kanté, sadly)

Ghezzal - a ghost, clumsy, one-footed, comes across as rather fragile

Diabaté - disappeared off the face of the earth

 

All in all, these players are all somewhat lightweight.

 

Then we have Iborra and Silva who both have been frozen out of the first team for quite a while now. Which is baffling.

 

Isn't it great?

This unfortunate situation in return, is reflected directly in the lack of distinct scoring opportunities and the lack of service for our strikers (mainly Vardy and Iheanacho).

What we need is somebody to complement Maddison in the middle and/or better outside midfielders.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again - we finally have to approach the transfer market, be it now or this summer - with more nouse and an eye for quality.

 

 

[RowlattsFox]

13 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

Five. You forgot Schmeichel.

 

 

Yeah fair enough, 5 with Schmeichel.

 

We have the likes of Ndidi and Maddison who could grow into very good players but they are not there yet. I'm happy to be patient with this squad as I think its a working progress and I'm still in the 'give Puel more time to sort it' camp.

 

Puel took a gamble, a gamble 90% of managers (if not more, even those in the championship) take and it has backfired. We've done well in the cups under Puel, with the exception of Fleetwood away, but there is always a danger it could happen. Everything fell in place for a shock, lots of missed chances from us, heroic blocks and inspired defending/keeping on top of unforgivable penalty being conceded. It happens.

 

 

 

 

[Grebfromgrebland]

I can't believe how albrighton isn't getting more stick for his bizarre hand ball. 

 

Look, we were unlucky not to score more goals but at 1 all we gifted them a needless penalty.

 

As much as I love the guy Albrighton is the reason we lost that match.