adrian lord

I agree, but it is all part of the due diligence when weighing up a signing - character and application and conscientiousness play a part as well as footballing talent. We are usually quite good at it, the odd slip aside (Osvaldo!). But we may need to make allowances and take risks on this guy that we wouldn't ordinarily do, given the hole we are in at the back. Indeed, he has all the hallmarks of a typical January panic signing!

All 3 were rightly censured on here. I repeat, it's hardly a glowing reference, a drink-driving conviction after crashing into a bus stop, is it? People, families and children congregate and wait around at bus stops.

No way. There's no point, as the so-called rotation policy means that the lineup in the final is pretty much a lottery.

Unlikely. And on the other hand, collecting two drink driving convictions is virtually pathognomonic of alcoholism. So is he a teetotaller who got unlucky or a hopeless old soak? Probably neither, but it is hardly a glowing reference.

The medical is obviously crucial. He's had exactly one year to recover from the Achilles' tendon. Has it been a success? Are there other problems? How aerobically fit is he? Mobility, weight, flexibility and acceleration? How long will it take to get match fit? We need help urgently.

Indeed, a few lone voices have swelled to a deafening clamour.

thank you for the belly laugh. Post of the week !

Giggs has about the same level of charisma as Puel. None. FFS they even look the same-eyes too close together, swarthy complexions...

Boufal, Tadic, Gabba, Redmond...an abundance of pace and skill. We should be tearing opposition teams apart.

And look at Huth lumbering around like a prop forward at Twickenham....

££££ makers: VVD Bertrand Romeu Forster And dispose of 2-3 others from: Rodrigues Long Martina Austin Davis

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/11469196/Premier-League-relegation-battle-how-many-points-do-you-need-to-stay-up.html Summary: 43 guaranteed safety 37 better than 50:50 chance of survival 33 guaranteed relegation

Can't disagree. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think the thing that will save us by the skin of our teeth is that the safety line may be well below 40 points this season. 37/38.

Davis: great servant, reliable, high-end journeyman. Forster: more tricky to analyse. When he was laid off with injury we leaked goals and points. We clamoured for his return and when he did we had one of the top 4 defences in Europe. We then cleverly sold first the defensive midfield screen and more recently the defence itself. Fraser is now woefully unprotected and is unhappy. Result - form and record in tatters.

Good points. Puel was a tick-box appointment. I've interviewed and appointed loads of people over the years, and once in a blue moon you offer the job to someone who's got a good CV and meets the person-spec, yet the split second afteryou offer and they accept , you get hit by that dreadful nagging doubt and what-have I-done feeling in the pit of your stomach. I'm sure if he's honest Les Reed had the same thing with Puel. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you.

Yes. Ron saw through Reed's Champions' League guff and all the cringey Mission Statement stuff.

Tend to agree. On a sentimental note, it would be nice to close the circle with him. I think most fans thought his sacking very harsh at the time. Granted, Poch is destined for great things, but the timing of Nigel's sacking was cruel.

Interested to know what the nature of his 'knock' is supposed to be...a case of the Diane Abbott Syndrome?

Can't agree with that. I know nothing about sculpting, and never done sculpting, but took one look at Ted Bates v1 and knew it was a ludicrous effort and laughed out loud for about a week. Seems we should have kept quiet and said it was great, like they do in North Korea?

That is the thing. It is infuriating. Good post.

He was a superb player, just looked ungainly. Underrated.

The evidence in the case against Puel is accumulating and becoming incontrovertible: 1. Craven capitulation in the Europa League 2. Shocking and inexorably deteriorating league form 3. impotent attacking threat 4. turgid, negative football 5. gratuitous rotations and puzzling selections, guaranteed to alienate and demotivate players 6. almost every player's game, intensity and overall form has worsened under his tenure 7. threw the FA Cup 8. players strongly rumoured to want to leave and some already have Mitigation: 1) League Cup Final. Beat a series of distracted reserve sides. It is a cinderella cup, the truth be told. 2) Reed screwed up the summer and Jan. But Puel could suck the life out of Ronaldo, Bale, Neymar and Messi. Verdict: Failure Sentence: Sack

excellent summary