James

We had the same problems when VVD and Austin were fit as we do now. Yes, we might have picked up a few more points than we currently have if they'd been fit but let's not pretend that people weren't equally frustrated by our style and lack of goals earlier in the season because they were. Our failure to adequately replace either Wanyama or Mane has cost us. IMO we didn't even try to replace Vic as Hojberg isn't the same profile of player. Boufal was arguably a decent replacement for Mane (well as decent as we could have attracted in the summer) but his performances haven't been good enough this season.

The real worry is that the same excuses have been trotted out all season. We aren't improving and, if anything, are getting worse. We need to stop the rot and unfortunately that means a change of manager as soon as we can feasibly replace him.

Is your unwavering support for Claude wavering? Surely not.

We won't get rid of him, I just can't see it.

Not sure where we go from this season. Players will no doubt be sold and we have no momentum, players we need irrespective of the inevitable sales and a manager who cannot get us going.

Three games, no goals. Not good enough. Won't finish top half at this rate.

We won't score so game over unfortunately.

How'd you work that out? We scored twice at Chelsea.

Problem we appear to have is that we have little balance to our play. We are either good at the back and hopeless going forward or it's the other way around. Don't really buy the misfiring strikers point that many have used to justify our goals return. Yes, we've missed some chances but in the games where we have been poor up top it's more due to lack of chances created than strikers missing them. Gabbi was scoring every game during our run where we went a bit gung ho but I can't remember him having a chance of any note since he's come back from injury. For an aspiring PL team to have so few shots on goal in the last two games (especially against a Hull side that are absolute garbage on the road and who even Sunderland put away) is not good enough IMO. Puel has a lot of work to do over the summer to get the team balance set up properly. Hopefully some decent recruitment will help but I suspect a summer of off field change might hamper our transfer business so he may have to work with a team that is even weaker than what we've got at the moment. I'm not sure he's the right man if that turns out to be what happens.

Had a good game and he does look a classy operator on the ball. Good reading of the game too as he makes a lot of decent interceptions and has a quick turn of pace. Needs to bulk up a bit as he isn't that strong in the air or the tackle yet but hopefully it'll come. The penalty was a bit of a rush of blood to the head - no need to be doing stuff like that in the box.

The current season tickets are a damn sight more expensive than they were when we were in the Championship and League One. I would never give mine up but I'm in a position where I can afford to do that so can understand others considering relinquishing their tickets given the cost. It's hard to argue that this season's home performances have been pretty bad. We've not won a Saturday 3pm and have one of the lowest goals scored totals at home. I attend my fair number of away games so have a more objective view of the season but home supporters are understandably frustrated.

Very lucky the ref didn't send him off as I recall. Henry could (and probably should) have made much more of it.

Not really answering SKD's point though are you? He makes a fair comment IMO.

You mean fourteen years? Unless I dreamt the FA Cup final in 2003.

Was about to write something very similar to this. People are also comparing Poch's 8th with our current position. IMO with the fixtures we've got and the form we are in we won't finish in the top half let alone get another 15/16 points. So, in reality, Poch's season will likely be far better than where we finish up this season.

Marco Silva. Thought he sounded a good fit for us when he was linked in the summer and has done a first class job with Hull especially after selling their two best players in January.

Agreed but man management skills are also within Puel's remit. If he can't get the team motivated to play for him then that is a problem he needs to solve.

The problem we have with replacing Puel is that it will undoubtably take our board a month or so to get the right man in which could (as it did last summer IMO) derail our preparations for next season especially given I am anticipating another huge turnover in playing personnel over the summer. If we are to replace him (and for the sake of long term progress I think we should) then I hope we do it soon after the season ends.

Agreed - Puel gets a lot of excuses made for him when we don't play well. It seems to be almost anyone else's fault but his. Thankfully even his staunch supporters have accepted that he f*cked it up tactically against Hull. He's got his tactics right against Liverpool this season and deserves credit for that so let's hope he can repeat the feat on Saturday.

Either Les or Claude Puel's dad.

Do you ever actually go to SMS? No shortage of fans questioning Puel around me and on the walk from the ground today.

If we could change it in the summer and bring in Silva then I would. I don't think we will though.

Personally I can't see us going anywhere under Puel far too many of these turgid, terrible performances. We won't sack him though so we will have to wait and see if he gets it right.

No we won't.

Gabbi off. Ridiculous. We need to f*cking score.