Puel In / Out Poll (12/01/19)

[Larry_LCFC]

I counted atleast a dozen times today where we should have played a ball into the box and instead they stopped, turned around and played it back. I can't help but wonder whether Puel's desperation for possession has made our players to scared to try anything incase they lose it. Kills off the attacking momentum and allows the opposition to get everybody behind the ball. So frustrating!

[Royston.]

Ive never warmed to puel but feel we need to persevere with him.

 

Yes there are issues, fans are unhappy but you could probably say that for most teams in the league especially inconsistent mid table teams.

 

It will work itself out one way or another.

 

 

 

[nnfox]

Here is my rational, sensible explanation as to why Puel has to stay:

 

We are Leicester City and I have followed this club through thick and thin for more than 25 years.  Aside from a few wonderful years under MON where we finished 8th once, we have always had ambitions to compete in the premier league.  Most of those seasons have been hard work and during the pre-season build up, most Leicester fans craved a boring season of mid-table stability.

 

The last few seasons have been nothing short of amazing.  The 2015/2016 started in exactly the same way as many other Leicester City Premier League seasons - with hopes of mid-table consolidation and an avoidance of the drama of the final 9 games of the preceding season.  We ended up with winning the title - the greatest sports story in the history of sport.  We were 5,000 - 1 to win the league that season.  To put that into some perspective, Burton Albion are 4,500 - 1 to win the League Cup and to do that, they, of League One, will have to beat Chelsea or Spurs in the final with their squads of international superstars.  And that is if they somehow manage to beat Manchester City 10-0 in the second leg of the semi final first.  The stars alligned for us that season and what a wonderful experience that was.  Something I shall cherish for the rest of my life.

 

But that title win didn't give us a devine right to mix it with the big boys every year and our league form was abysmal by comparison the following season but still two positions and 3 points better than 2015.  In 2018 we improved on the previous season.  Take the title win anomoly out of the equation and we have finished on 41pts, 44pts and 47pts.  After the title win, we spent some big money and gave some of our stars big, some would say over-inflated contracts.  The squad has aged and we are in transition, in need of someone to navigate us through this period.  Enter Claude Puel.

 

Puel came in with a clear brief to transform the squad, utilising as much of the youth as possible.  Why do we need to do that?  Afterall, we are massive.  Recent Champions of England.  Champions League quarter finalists.  We have fabulously wealthy, generous owners.  Let's just buy a whole new squad of players!  Or perhaps when our late, fantastic, genius chairman hired Mr. Puel, he was told to reduce the wage bill, that there wasn't the huge transfer funds previously available.  Maybe to achieve the vision of long term sustainable success in the Premier League, we needed to consolidate a mid table position and build a squad with a solid foundation to keep the club in the Premier League for the next 10 years?  All whilst cutting our cloth accordingly.  Leicester City PLC is a business that needs to balance its books.

 

And so to transition.  From the old guard to the new.  Claude Puel, who has spent a lifetime at the elite level of European football has said that our squad is unbalanced.  This is not rocket science.  Puel also says that there are no plans to bring in a new striker which is odd considering it is plainly obvious to anyone who has a slight interest in football, that we desperately need someone to play the lead striker role, with our current No.9 not showing the world beating form of two or three years ago.  Not a huge surprise for a striker who has turned 32 and has a game based on pace who now plays in a system that no longer suits his preferred style of play.

 

How should we go about re-balancing the squad?  Well, we could try this:  Off load some players in January.  A couple of panic buys from other teams might see us get great value for some of the fringe players.  On the other side of the same coin, let's not be held to ransom and spend more fortunes on overpriced players in January.  Instead, without the threat of relegation, let's see who amongst the youth ranks can fit into the Leicester City of the future.  Yes we might have some bad results, but we have 16, dare I say, competitive friendlies in which to hone this.  Then, after this season, spend some money filling the gaps.

 

Of course, some will say that Puel has had long enough to sort this out and we should be bearing the fruits now.  But I'd argue that there is still a distance to go to get the squad right and in a sense, we are bearing those fruits.  Take a look at our squad and the sheer potential that is in there:  Chilwell, Gray, Maddison, Ndidi, Amartey, Hamza, Barnes, Iheanacho - all still very young.  Add to that Mendy and Maguire who are arguably still to reach their prime and you have the makings of a really good team. In a year or two from now.

 

Puel has put in a lot of ground work but we are close to being able to really progress.  And what is the target that fans would like to see us achieve?  Another league title?  It isn't going to happen.  Champions League qualification? Top 6?  I don't think the existing top 6 will be dislodged for a few years yet.  Meaning that the best we can hope for is 7th.  We might even get 7th this season, it isn't out of the question. 7th.  Leicester City.  In the Premier League.  MON didn't quite manage that and Pearson (for all the great things he did) got nowhere near.

 

I say we allow Puel to continue with his long term vision of the rebalancing of the squad.  Let him continue to develop the youth players and give him some money in the summer.  I'd then review the situation again in December.

 

The alternatives out there are too frightening to think about - Allardyce, Pardew, Pulis, Hughes, Mourinho and even if we poached Pep from Man City, he wouldn't turn us into a Champions League team for quite some time.

 

Football fans are never truly happy and the emotion of a bad result can quickly empty a glass half empty, but look at the bigger picture.  Please.  I was desperately disappointed with the FA Cup exit last week, but I'll have to forgive Claude for that, there isn't much else I can do.  C'est la vie.

 

This journey is generally up but there have been and will be some downs.  We just have to ride them out.  I'm convinced that the destination will make it all worth while.

[nnfox]

Short version:  The transition is still a work in progress.  We are not going to be relegated. Some of our young players are thriving under Puel. Cut him some slack, it'll be OK in the end.

[bpfox]

i think he needs to GO, because he comes across as if we have a well balance side, if today does not show that we have 3 very defensive midfielders who have no real attacking ability then his eyes must be glued closed. if he was such a great coach he could have found away to integrate either ibborra or siva into the team at least they knew how to go forward.and to be truthful iam sick of all this get the local talent in, gray is pathetic and i really dont see the hype over barnes either. u cant bring heaps of players into a team who are kids u need to bring 1 or 2 at a time but u need good players around them. todays effort against 10 men was very poor, we could have played for 2 days and not scored. we need a creative midfielder who does not panic on the ball and this will help maddison and vardy. BUT PUEL SEEMS TO HAVE HIS MIND SET IN 1 DIRECTION AND WONT CHANGE .

 

 

 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

7 minutes ago, bpfox said:

i think he needs to GO, because he comes across as if we have a well balance side, if today does not show that we have 3 very defensive midfielders who have no real attacking ability then his eyes must be glued closed. if he was such a great coach he could have found away to integrate either ibborra or siva into the team at least they knew how to go forward.and to be truthful iam sick of all this get the local talent in, gray is pathetic and i really dont see the hype over barnes either. u cant bring heaps of players into a team who are kids u need to bring 1 or 2 at a time but u need good players around them. todays effort against 10 men was very poor, we could have played for 2 days and not scored. we need a creative midfielder who does not panic on the ball and this will help maddison and vardy. BUT PUEL SEEMS TO HAVE HIS MIND SET IN 1 DIRECTION AND WONT CHANGE .

 

 

 

What the hell does this mean? He seems to hint that we have an imbalanced side and we need to sell a lot of players before we can really look at buying.

We cant afford/attract players in their prime who are top quality. We need to buy young and develop, thats the direction the club is going in and you will need to get used to it

Edited 13 January 2019 by AlloverthefloorYesNdidi

[City1884]

For those saying we should wait until the summer and then reassess........

 

We do now have young, talented players that other bigger teams would want, Maguire and Chilwell being the most obvious.

If we plod along to the summer, playing turgid football under Puel, 2 things become big possibilities;

 

1. These players could ask to leave with the prospect of another season of turgid football under Puel.

 

2. These players could ask to leave due to not knowing what manager is coming in (while the summer window is open), and thinking “well if i’ve got to prove myself under a new manager, I may aswell do it somewhere bigger?”

 

Get rid of Puel now, get a new permanent manager in before the end of the season, the players can’t think about moving until the summer, and at least then for a couple of months we can let our best players see there is actually a positive outlook for staying with us next season!

 

Waiting until the summer window with this uncertainty is not a good way forward, and let’s face it, the uncertainty is not going away now, because Puel is quickly losing the majority of the fans.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

1 minute ago, City1884 said:

For those saying we should wait until the summer and then reassess........

 

We do now have young, talented players that other bigger teams would want, Maguire and Chilwell being the most obvious.

If we plod along to the summer, playing turgid football under Puel, 2 things become big possibilities;

 

1. These players could ask to leave with the prospect of another season of turgid football under Puel.

 

2. These players could ask to leave due to not knowing what manager is coming in (while the summer window is open), and thinking “well if i’ve got to prove myself under a new manager, I may aswell do it somewhere bigger?”

 

Get rid of Puel now, get a new permanent manager in before the end of the season, the players can’t think about moving until the summer, and at least then for a couple of months we can let our best players see there is actually a positive outlook for staying with us next season!

 

Waiting until the summer window with this uncertainty is not a good way forward, and let’s face it, the uncertainty is not going away now, because Puel is quickly losing the majority of the fans.

Some of these young players have got all or most of their premier league minutes under Puel, so they might not feel as you do about him

 

I like your optimism of "get a manager in". You seem completely confident whoever we could get will be great. They might be tripe and usher in defensive frailty again that could see us in trouble. Very possible

[City1884]

12 minutes ago, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

Some of these young players have got all or most of their premier league minutes under Puel, so they might not feel as you do about him

 

I like your optimism of "get a manager in". You seem completely confident whoever we could get will be great. They might be tripe and usher in defensive frailty again that could see us in trouble. Very possible

Whoever we get in shouldn’t be under any pressure though, as everyone has said, season wise, we’ve nothing to lose now.

We aren’t getting relegated, whoever is in charge.

 

Maybe the younger players do love Puel, I doubt it though. Results breed confidence. Our players look nervous now. They seem scared to play their natural game, and confined to Puels “possession” football.

 

You think players like Gray and Chilwell want to be stopping at the edge of the box and passing back to Maguire and Morgan instead of taking people on? You think Maddison doesn’t want players making forward runs past him to play balls on to?

You think Vardy wants to be in his own box defending the front post at corners when he could be the outlet on the halfway line?

 

You’re right, there is no guarantee a new manager will be a success, but they’ll have 2-3 months with the pressure off, as they get their ideas across, and i’m Sure they will still give the young players game time, as we pretty much only have young players in the squad now? What old players can a new manager play? Simpson? Fuchs? Okazaki? Who are all out of contract?........... We only have young players now really.

[TheLittleBigMan]

Can we have a 'most diabolical fans in the country' poll please.

[mozartfox]

7 hours ago, nnfox said:

Here is my rational, sensible explanation as to why Puel has to stay:

 

We are Leicester City and I have followed this club through thick and thin for more than 25 years.  Aside from a few wonderful years under MON where we finished 8th once, we have always had ambitions to compete in the premier league.  Most of those seasons have been hard work and during the pre-season build up, most Leicester fans craved a boring season of mid-table stability.

 

The last few seasons have been nothing short of amazing.  The 2015/2016 started in exactly the same way as many other Leicester City Premier League seasons - with hopes of mid-table consolidation and an avoidance of the drama of the final 9 games of the preceding season.  We ended up with winning the title - the greatest sports story in the history of sport.  We were 5,000 - 1 to win the league that season.  To put that into some perspective, Burton Albion are 4,500 - 1 to win the League Cup and to do that, they, of League One, will have to beat Chelsea or Spurs in the final with their squads of international superstars.  And that is if they somehow manage to beat Manchester City 10-0 in the second leg of the semi final first.  The stars alligned for us that season and what a wonderful experience that was.  Something I shall cherish for the rest of my life.

 

But that title win didn't give us a devine right to mix it with the big boys every year and our league form was abysmal by comparison the following season but still two positions and 3 points better than 2015.  In 2018 we improved on the previous season.  Take the title win anomoly out of the equation and we have finished on 41pts, 44pts and 47pts.  After the title win, we spent some big money and gave some of our stars big, some would say over-inflated contracts.  The squad has aged and we are in transition, in need of someone to navigate us through this period.  Enter Claude Puel.

 

Puel came in with a clear brief to transform the squad, utilising as much of the youth as possible.  Why do we need to do that?  Afterall, we are massive.  Recent Champions of England.  Champions League quarter finalists.  We have fabulously wealthy, generous owners.  Let's just buy a whole new squad of players!  Or perhaps when our late, fantastic, genius chairman hired Mr. Puel, he was told to reduce the wage bill, that there wasn't the huge transfer funds previously available.  Maybe to achieve the vision of long term sustainable success in the Premier League, we needed to consolidate a mid table position and build a squad with a solid foundation to keep the club in the Premier League for the next 10 years?  All whilst cutting our cloth accordingly.  Leicester City PLC is a business that needs to balance its books.

 

And so to transition.  From the old guard to the new.  Claude Puel, who has spent a lifetime at the elite level of European football has said that our squad is unbalanced.  This is not rocket science.  Puel also says that there are no plans to bring in a new striker which is odd considering it is plainly obvious to anyone who has a slight interest in football, that we desperately need someone to play the lead striker role, with our current No.9 not showing the world beating form of two or three years ago.  Not a huge surprise for a striker who has turned 32 and has a game based on pace who now plays in a system that no longer suits his preferred style of play.

 

How should we go about re-balancing the squad?  Well, we could try this:  Off load some players in January.  A couple of panic buys from other teams might see us get great value for some of the fringe players.  On the other side of the same coin, let's not be held to ransom and spend more fortunes on overpriced players in January.  Instead, without the threat of relegation, let's see who amongst the youth ranks can fit into the Leicester City of the future.  Yes we might have some bad results, but we have 16, dare I say, competitive friendlies in which to hone this.  Then, after this season, spend some money filling the gaps.

 

Of course, some will say that Puel has had long enough to sort this out and we should be bearing the fruits now.  But I'd argue that there is still a distance to go to get the squad right and in a sense, we are bearing those fruits.  Take a look at our squad and the sheer potential that is in there:  Chilwell, Gray, Maddison, Ndidi, Amartey, Hamza, Barnes, Iheanacho - all still very young.  Add to that Mendy and Maguire who are arguably still to reach their prime and you have the makings of a really good team. In a year or two from now.

 

Puel has put in a lot of ground work but we are close to being able to really progress.  And what is the target that fans would like to see us achieve?  Another league title?  It isn't going to happen.  Champions League qualification? Top 6?  I don't think the existing top 6 will be dislodged for a few years yet.  Meaning that the best we can hope for is 7th.  We might even get 7th this season, it isn't out of the question. 7th.  Leicester City.  In the Premier League.  MON didn't quite manage that and Pearson (for all the great things he did) got nowhere near.

 

I say we allow Puel to continue with his long term vision of the rebalancing of the squad.  Let him continue to develop the youth players and give him some money in the summer.  I'd then review the situation again in December.

 

The alternatives out there are too frightening to think about - Allardyce, Pardew, Pulis, Hughes, Mourinho and even if we poached Pep from Man City, he wouldn't turn us into a Champions League team for quite some time.

 

Football fans are never truly happy and the emotion of a bad result can quickly empty a glass half empty, but look at the bigger picture.  Please.  I was desperately disappointed with the FA Cup exit last week, but I'll have to forgive Claude for that, there isn't much else I can do.  C'est la vie.

 

This journey is generally up but there have been and will be some downs.  We just have to ride them out.  I'm convinced that the destination will make it all worth while.

People talking sense seems to feel out of place on FT.   Well said.   We are all upset and p*ssed at the moment, but I doubt Puel is enjoying his Sunday either.  The failures of the Recruitment Team since summer 2016 and the fact we an aging contingent that need replacing in the summer, means this is not his chosen squad. He needs time and we need patience.  This is a young Team that can do without booing for starters.

[somebum]

7 hours ago, nnfox said:

Short version:  The transition is still a work in progress.  We are not going to be relegated. Some of our young players are thriving under Puel. Cut him some slack, it'll be OK in the end.

Yawn yawn.. 

[Jam orton]

What about the following 

There’s a mandate set out by the board to do the following;

A) reduce the wage bill.
b) change the squad from the premier winning squad the a new squad
C) focus on youth with a 5 year plan
D) be geared for a European challenge in 2/3 seasons

For me, there has to be a mandate from the board which is being adhered to as I can’t see an ambitious board like ours allowing this to happen other wise. It’s all a bit queer guv

[lcfcbobby]

I'm only a puel in person because we got no one else to come in and will take time to assess the squad  fiddle with everything and get his own transfers sorted! I think we should stick with him and then sack him the day after the season finished! I just don't see any better options out there at the minute! 

[sylofox]

With four of the biggest sides in the world up next he's looking pretty fvcked. I don't see Xmas cheer helping this time. 

[Ricey]

5 minutes ago, lcfcbobby said:

I'm only a puel in person because we got no one else to come in and will take time to assess the squad  fiddle with everything and get his own transfers sorted! I think we should stick with him and then sack him the day after the season finished! I just don't see any better options out there at the minute! 

I get this, but it’s got to stage for me where I wouldn’t mind a caretaker until the end of the season.

 

I don’t think we’ll finish 7th under Puel. I don’t think the players believe in him enough. A caretaker might ‘do a Shakespeare’ and give us a better shot of 7th.

 

We can then hire someone in the summer when more managers are available.

[Fox92]

Just now, sylofox said:

With four of the biggest sides in the world up next he's looking pretty fvcked. I don't see Xmas cheer helping this time. 

That's what everyone said after the Palace game  . Every time he seems to be really under pressure he pulls the result out.

[foxinsocks]

Does anyone have a link to puels post match interview?

[FrankieADZ]

honestly i dont care either way atm, just getting sick of the idiot picking players who are woefully out of form, cant wait for Mendy to start next weekend after his shocker yesterday and roles in both goals

[Matt]

6 minutes ago, foxinsocks said:

Does anyone have a link to puels post match interview?

 

12 hours ago, Matt said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46853110

 

"Not my concern".

 

[lcfcbobby]

3 minutes ago, Ricey said:

I get this, but it’s got to stage for me where I wouldn’t mind a caretaker until the end of the season.

 

I don’t think we’ll finish 7th under Puel. I don’t think the players believe in him enough. A caretaker might ‘do a Shakespeare’ and give us a better shot of 7th.

 

We can then hire someone in the summer when more managers are available.

I get that but there is no one out there that's an improvement yes I am miffed that we missed out on 2 cup chances playing weekend sides and resting players and Saturday wasn't his fault mendy cost us both goals and there sending off just put them in defence mode for second half! Our problem is we have no other goal threat other them vardy and puel has addressed this by bringing Barnes back because he don't want to get ripped off again for another shit striker! Don't get me wrong I'm not always happy with the job he is doing and some of the decisions he is making but I just think the Leicester job is now soo tough as our fans have tasted glory and will now compare everything to that magnificent season and it's not going to always go our way! 

[Steve Earle]

It's deadlock on here. There's no clear way forward. We need a #PeoplesVote.

[adam1]

I cannot see how this team can beat Man City and Chelsea, yet lose to Cardiff, Newport and Southampton (with 10 men).

 

Out.

[Ricey]

14 minutes ago, lcfcbobby said:

I get that but there is no one out there that's an improvement yes I am miffed that we missed out on 2 cup chances playing weekend sides and resting players and Saturday wasn't his fault mendy cost us both goals and there sending off just put them in defence mode for second half! Our problem is we have no other goal threat other them vardy and puel has addressed this by bringing Barnes back because he don't want to get ripped off again for another shit striker! Don't get me wrong I'm not always happy with the job he is doing and some of the decisions he is making but I just think the Leicester job is now soo tough as our fans have tasted glory and will now compare everything to that magnificent season and it's not going to always go our way! 

I hate this logic of “you can’t blame Puel for x player doing this or that”. How far does that logic stretch? You can’t blame Puel for any of our losses as it’s not him on the pitch?

 

He is the manager and the buck stops with him.

 

Yesterday we we’re awful. It wasn’t just Mendy’s mistakes that were the problem.

[SheppyFox]

I don’t want him gone but something has changed, he seems different now, somethings happened behind the scenes or somewhere.