No point bollocking Puel, the players aren't good enough

If each and every one of these players were wearing Stoke, West Brom or West Ham shirts and had had precisely the same results in all competitions across this season as we do, none of us would consider them as particularly underachieving.

We're a lower mid-table side with an average keeper, a very good centre-half, a decent left-back, and a bunch of completely average players throughout the rest of the team.

yes they are. we finished 6th last season.

now we will be lucky to finish anywhere near that

yes they are. we finished 6th last season.

And we sold the best players that played a massive part in getting us there, and haven't replaced them.

Redmond is arguably Championship standard, Austin needs to be spoon-fed goals, none of our midfielders can create a chance, beat a man or play a through-ball, our keeper is bang average. The defence is OK but that's not the issue if it takes only one goal to beat you.

As I say.

If all our players were playing for West Ham there's no way you'd be saying "hmm, West Ham are really underachieving this season, that lot should be way up in 6th or so"

defending that

:lol: :lol:

Maybe we are destined to be **** every December regardless of manager, players or tactics.

We have nothing up top. I lie. Austin is good if he has Tadic to provide for him. Outside of that there is nothing. Weak finishing, poor decisions and players like red man who could not score in Bangkok

We are back to being bang average. Deal with it. Puel is making a good fist of it with the players he has.

It's Puels fault we move the ball so slowly. Seriously rubbish football.

The buck stops with Les Reed.

We are back to being bang average. Deal with it. Puel is making a good fist of it with the players he has.

Bsolute toss

20th most expensive squad in Europe

Redmond, Long, Jay Rod. How many non scoring strikers can we afford to have on the books?

If each and every one of these players were wearing Stoke, West Brom or West Ham shirts and had had precisely the same results in all competitions across this season as we do, none of us would consider them as particularly underachieving.

 

We're a lower mid-table side with an average keeper, a very good centre-half, a decent left-back, and a bunch of completely average players throughout the rest of the team.

Complete ******** mate.

Lose Wanyama, replace Mane with Redmond, Austin isn't the player Pelle is, you're going to get poor results. But out overall attitude to Europa over 2 seasons has been an absolute disgrace.

Bsolute toss

 

20th most expensive squad in Europe

So? We've overpaid for some bang average players. The idea that we've discovered some kind of alchemy with our black box and scouting system is b*****ks. We're no better or worse than any other team when it comes to identifying players. We seem to have bought our own hype, thinking that we don't need to buy proven, premier league quality or that we can limit our spending because every replacement is somehow going to be a success.

It's also not an either/or: some responsibility lies with Puel; some lies with the squad. That said the first XI is nowhere near as strong as last or even previous seasons.

Our players just aren't suited to his ****ty no pressing Diamond!

The players are good enough though. They've proved that with some really top drawer football at times this season. It's Puel and his negative tactics. Why does he keep getting us to play so negatively? We were a laughing stock against Liverpool. We usually give them a good game and but for some shocking finishing they'd have steam rolled us and we are supposed to celebrate that point?

Against Palace we were ****, Against Hull we were **** and tonight was also ****.

Plenty of fans of other clubs have also questioned the negativity of our play. It's awful to watch and so far hasn't been anywhere near good enough!!

The players are good enough though. They've proved that with some really top drawer football at times this season. It's Puel and his negative tactics. Why does he keep getting us to play so negatively? We were a laughing stock against Liverpool. We usually give them a good game and but for some shocking finishing they'd have steam rolled us and we are supposed to celebrate that point?

 

Against Palace we were ****, Against Hull we were **** and tonight was also ****.

 

Plenty of fans of other clubs have also questioned the negativity of our play. It's awful to watch and so far hasn't been anywhere near good enough!!

When? How many times?

When? How many times?

Burnley at home is the only good game we've played.

Burnley at home is the only good game we've played.

Inter 2nd half and spells against Arsenal reserves

Burnley at home is the only good game we've played.

Exactly we smashed a side that's widely tipped to go down. I do think we played well at Arsenal in the league; but in general our performances have not raised any trees.

Lose Wanyama, replace Mane with Redmond, Austin isn't the player Pelle is, you're going to get poor results. But out overall attitude to Europa over 2 seasons has been an absolute disgrace.

Austin replacing Pelle has been the only thing that has worked. THe production is the same, and in fact Austin should likely surpass Pelle's goal total. They are the same type of player. Its the rest of the "ins and outs" that haven't worked

Austin replacing Pelle has been the only thing that has worked. THe production is the same, and in fact Austin should likely surpass Pelle's goal total. They are the same type of player. Its the rest of the "ins and outs" that haven't worked

Disagree. They aren't the same type of player.

Austin replacing Pelle has been the only thing that has worked. THe production is the same, and in fact Austin should likely surpass Pelle's goal total. They are the same type of player. Its the rest of the "ins and outs" that haven't worked

Austin is decent, but his overall contribution is less than Pelle's.

Austin replacing Pelle has been the only thing that has worked. THe production is the same, and in fact Austin should likely surpass Pelle's goal total. They are the same type of player. Its the rest of the "ins and outs" that haven't worked

They aren't the same type of player at all and in fact play very differently.

defending that

 

:lol: :lol:

Puel did what you asked. Did a Leicester and made only 3 changes. What happened? I though that was the magical formula for success.

On paper first 11 fine (bar redmond d imo)it's just the way he set them up as been case most of season, such poor game management and obviously very little motivation at half time, It's blindingly obvious we haven't players too play how he wants, a good manager adapts to what he has, something that he doesn't seem to want to or know how to do, I think it's time to think about a replacement before its too late,

Puel did what you asked. Did a Leicester and made only 3 changes. What happened? I though that was the magical formula for success.

You just don't get it do you mate

Enjoy your time off

You just don't get it do you mate

 

Enjoy your time off

I do get it. Years ago I was going through a rough time and was bored and decided to be a troll on a(n) (ice) hockey forum. It was a lot of fun and really easy to do. You could easily keep track of who to wind up and how to wind them up. What wound people up the most and then have several ways of deflecting the abuse by pretending to be upset or persecuted. People would post certain statements. I'd keep a link and then I'd use it against them at a later date. I laughed and laughed about how smart I was. Then it dawned on me how ****ish it is and that I needed to take a long hard look at myself for spoiling good hockey discussion with all my attention seeking. I was going through a hard time in my life so maybe I just craved the attention. I'm over that, I can see how it hurts people and how utterly ****ish and wrong it is. I do get it.

If each and every one of these players were wearing Stoke, West Brom or West Ham shirts and had had precisely the same results in all competitions across this season as we do, none of us would consider them as particularly underachieving.

 

We're a lower mid-table side with an average keeper, a very good centre-half, a decent left-back, and a bunch of completely average players throughout the rest of the team.

So we can't blame Puel for playing Redmond every game or bringing on JWP as a game changer.

We had four years or so under Pochettino and Koeman playing a fast moving high pressing game, it was exiting and good to watch, Puels brand of football is predictable and boring it's okay having 60_70% possession but there is no end product. IMO selling our best players has caught up with us and the claim to fame for Uncle Les is getting Charlton relegated.

Burnley at home is the only good game we've played.

Both games against Arsenal

Man City away

Sparta home

West Ham away

Swansea home

Everton home

Inter... eventually

All decent performances

Both games against Arsenal

Man City away

Sparta home

West Ham away

Swansea home

Everton home

Inter... eventually

 

All decent performances

Not enough really though is it? The list of shyte performances is longer.

The players create a number of chances each game under the Manager's direction, its just that individually, they lack that extra bit of quality at present to continually be able to convert them.

Our first team is perfectly good enough to secure us top ten finish if the manager setup in a 4-2-3-1 which suits the players we have been carefully buying for 4 odd years results would be better we simply don't have the right players for the diamond we only have one striker and no number 10 for starters!

Only we didn't play a 4-2-3-1 under Koeman, we played a 4-3-3 with two defensive midfielders and a CM. There was a bit of rotation among the centre three and the two wide players dropped into the AM position when the fullbacks overlapped. We never played with a central AM, though; the closest thing was Davis as a sort of forward thinking CM. The last time we played a proper 4-2-3-1 was under Poch.

Puel's used it before but seems set on a Mourinho-esque 4-3-3 with a narrow front three and no target man, which I think we need if we're going to achieve much of anything in this system unless we get someone like Aguero or Suarez, which we're really not going to.

Lose Wanyama, replace Mane with Redmond, Austin isn't the player Pelle is, you're going to get poor results. But out overall attitude to Europa over 2 seasons has been an absolute disgrace.

This. This is the first season where we've seen a clear step down in the quality of our recruitment. Puel might not be a worldbeater but I think the 'ceiling' for this squad is a lot lower than a lot of our fans realise.

Our players aren't that good and Pelle, Wanyama and Mane (being cast as fancy-pants foreigners by our mong fanbase that would rather see Shane Long run around like Forrest Gump and failing to score a goal for 18 games on the trot) were actually far more crucial to our success than said mong fans would like to admit. Simple.

The manager is pretty naff and our squad should have had enough to get through this ****ty group but the main thing that concerns me and should concern everyone is the ability of the playing staff. Its **** weak beyond the back four + Romeu

This. This is the first season where we've seen a clear step down in the quality of our recruitment. Puel might not be a worldbeater but I think the 'ceiling' for this squad is a lot lower than a lot of our fans realise.

 

Our players aren't that good and Pelle, Wanyama and Mane (being cast as fancy-pants foreigners by our mong fanbase that would rather see Shane Long run around like Forrest Gump and failing to score a goal for 18 games on the trot) were actually far more crucial to our success than said mong fans would like to admit. Simple.

 

The manager is pretty naff and our squad should have had enough to get through this ****ty group but the main thing that concerns me and should concern everyone is the ability of the playing staff. Its **** weak beyond the back four + Romeu

Fair summary, Stan. The downgrading looks set to continue when Fonte and van Dijk are sold to be replaced by Kevin Wimmer (the defensive equivalent of Nathan Redmond). Factor in the fact that Puel is under orders to play Les's latest signings and players from the Academy as much as possible, then I'm not sure that any manager could do much more than he has. He's on a hiding to nothing.

Fair summary, Stan. The downgrading looks set to continue when Fonte and van Dijk are sold to be replaced by Kevin Wimmer (the defensive equivalent of Nathan Redmond). Factor in the fact that Puel is under orders to play Les's latest signings and players from the Academy as much as possible, then I'm not sure that any manager could do much more than he has. He's on a hiding to nothing.

Fact ? Or mood determined reaction...... Yep the latter

This. This is the first season where we've seen a clear step down in the quality of our recruitment. Puel might not be a worldbeater but I think the 'ceiling' for this squad is a lot lower than a lot of our fans realise.

 

Our players aren't that good and Pelle, Wanyama and Mane (being cast as fancy-pants foreigners by our mong fanbase that would rather see Shane Long run around like Forrest Gump and failing to score a goal for 18 games on the trot) were actually far more crucial to our success than said mong fans would like to admit. Simple.

 

The manager is pretty naff and our squad should have had enough to get through this ****ty group but the main thing that concerns me and should concern everyone is the ability of the playing staff. Its **** weak beyond the back four + Romeu

You might want to be careful with the use of the m-word pal.

[/b]

 

Fact ? Or mood determined reaction...... Yep the latter

Hmmm