Puel out

Think (hope) we might go for Mauricio Pellegrino of Alaves. Getting interest from English clubs apparently

Not a disaster but not good when you look at the following....

 

Where we'll finish this year compared to last.

11 goal in the last 12 games.

Lowest points tally since our return to the Prem.

 

Never wanted Puel. You only have to listen to his interviews to see that he's one of the most uninspiring managers in the game. Imagine being in a team listening to that every day. I can honestly say I dislike him more than any other manager we've had. And that list includes some pretty awful managers, including the likes of, Redknapp, Branfoot, Wotte, Poortvliet, Gray, Sturrock & Wigley!

Generally agree but we finished the 12/13 season on 41 points so we've at least beaten that (just!). The goals scored at home is nothing sort of embarrassing, 17 goals in 17 home games and 9 of those goals coming in the matches against Burnley, Leicester and Palace.

The ultimate question for Reed et al to ask themselves is: do you see Puel turning around his reign to be considered a successful Saints Manager?

If not, then why prolong the inevitable.

Continue with Puel, sell a few of our best players and have a mediocre transfer window under an owner looking to sell and we could easily be in the mix for relegation next season, we haven't been too far away this time

Any one of a large number of managers could quite easily get this squad to a mid-table finish and a final in the league cup. The problem is that Puel has done it with torpid, negative football that fails to entertain or inspire.

But worse than that, is the fact that our reputation as a pocket Superclub , tucked in behind the big six, feeding a seemingly endless supply of talent into the upper echelons of European football is fast fading. This will make it harder for us to recruit rough diamonds this summer and next.

The other unpredictable variable in all this debate of course is the ownership question. I don't see Puel's fate being sealed until that is also settled One way or another first.

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Put Wanyama, Mane and VVD in the side and you would get better results,period.

Whilst we dilute the quality of the side year on year we will only get worse. The under 23's have shown the way the whole clubs squad quality is reducing

Put Wanyama, Mane and VVD in the side and you would get better results,period.

 

Whilst we dilute the quality of the side year on year we will only get worse. The under 23's have shown the way the whole clubs squad quality is reducing

Put Puel in charge of those players and tell them to defend at all costs and you'd get similar results.

Put Wanyama, Mane and VVD in the side and you would get better results,period.

 

Whilst we dilute the quality of the side year on year we will only get worse. The under 23's have shown the way the whole clubs squad quality is reducing

So a manager is pointless then? Sack Puel and just get a few decent players...... Sorted

When Koeman came in we lost Lallana, Lambert, Lovren, Chambers, Shaw and Boruc. We improved

Feel like we have lost our identity and are trying to playlplay like West Brom but without their defensive competence. It's truly dull to watch and I have the lowest interest in years. Bin off Puel now before it's too late

The annoying thing is the Club have ditched their own marketing ploy of The Southampton Way.

People have recognised that as being a team that plays a high intensity pressing game since our return to the Premier League. That has been dismantled in one season by this manager and now we are playing like, yeah as mentioned, a WBA.

A manager is everything.

So often you see things in every sport where teams become a force behind one great leader.

I have only listened to one Puel interview and that alone was ****ing boring.

The players must be going nuts when they see him every day as he is dull and painful to be around.

What has changed tactically in the last 2 months? Following our run to the cup final, and performances against Sunderland and Watford (ok, not the toughest opposition), it really looked positive to me. We have always shown glimpses of nice football, but the signing of Gabbiadini gave us that much needed edge. At that point I was excited about next season as it all looked to be clicking.

We still play decently from time to time now, yesterday included. But we are not getting runners from midfield, the players act cautiously when they have a chance to put someone in, and then opt for a risky pass when there are better and safer options available, the final ball is dreadful, and Gabbiadini is isolated.

Puel's comments about the game are fair (wouldn't go as far as to say we were fantastic though), but the question is WHY are we so lacking in the final third, and why is it happening consistently? Did the injury to Gabbiadini set us back and now we're struggling to find what we had, is Puel being overcautious with his instructions against the top teams, or is he simply stuck in his ways?

It's very disappointing that our performances a couple of months ago are starting to look like a peak rather than a springboard to better things.

The annoying thing is the Club have ditched their own marketing ploy of The Southampton Way.

People have recognised that as being a team that plays a high intensity pressing game since our return to the Premier League. That has been dismantled in one season by this manager and now we are playing like, yeah as mentioned, a WBA.

This is ********. We frequently did not play a high intensity, pressing game under Koeman.

Feel like we have lost our identity and are trying to playlplay like West Brom but without their defensive competence. It's truly dull to watch and I have the lowest interest in years. Bin off Puel now before it's too late

That is plainly wrong. West Brom play a direct style and their biggest threat is from set pieces. That is not like us at all. We may be equally dull (I would argue not, I know a West Brom ST holder who says he's never been so bored and disillusioned with the football despite their good position. I'd rather be passing-dull than hoofball-dull), but we certainly aren't trying to play like them.

This is ********. We frequently did not play a high intensity, pressing game under Koeman.

Quite. I can see why people aren't happy with Puel, but too many comments are revising history or just making things up (see the West Brom comment above!) to try and make the argument against him more compelling.

Put Puel in charge of those players and tell them to defend at all costs and you'd get similar results.

You're sounding like a stuck record. We simply did not play that way yesterday.

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My general feeling is that I think he deserves to stay another season but if he left I wouldn't be too bothered.

Reasons he deserves to stay:

1. Key players not adequately replaced (Mane, Fonte)

2. Lots of players underperforming for reasons out of his control

3. Individual mistakes that he cannot be accountable for

4. Has not hesitated in giving youth a chance and that is key for our club

Reasons he deserves to go:

1. Lots of players underperforming for reasons in his control

2. Some players do not appear to enjoy playing under him and we all know what that means when push comes to shove

3. Our rotation policy was justified by saying we would be fresher / better in the last part of the season - we've by and large been rubbish

4. As the course of the season has wore on we've not seen much in the way of tactical nous or development and earlier in the season we were told 2 games a week prevented this as it was all about recovery and prepare

As I say, logically he deserves another season but if the club can do better they should. I wouldn't be a fan of sacking him without having someone lined up.

You're sounding like a stuck record. We simply did not play that way yesterday.

 

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We played better than against Hull (it couldn't have been worse) but we never attacked with intensity. It was an away performance. Leave one up front, try to keep it tight at the back and hope to nick a goal.

This was bound to happen eventually. For the past three summers we have had our best players picked off by the big boys (Lambert, Lallana, Mane, Lovren, Alderweireld, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Chambers, Shaw) plus also lost two excellent managers in Pochettino and Koeman. Last summer's replacements just haven't worked out as well. Puel was an uninspiring choice and appears to have lost both the players and supporters. The new players have not been as good as those that left. The football now is just boring. The frustration is that there have been a handful of games, principally the LC semis and final, when we played really well. Just not been very many of them.

For me we need to get Puel out as soon as the final whistle goes on 21 May. Get someone else in who can support the rebuild and hopefully stop some players (Suarez, Bertrand in particular) from leaving. Ranieri is rumoured, although I would prefer Jokanović from Fulham if they don't go up. Fear is that if we keep Puel then the exodus will continue and we will be in a relegation battle next season.

This was bound to happen eventually. For the past three summers we have had our best players picked off by the big boys (Lambert, Lallana, Mane, Lovren, Alderweireld, Wanyama, Schneiderlin, Chambers, Shaw) plus also lost two excellent managers in Pochettino and Koeman. Last summer's replacements just haven't worked out as well. Puel was an uninspiring choice and appears to have lost both the players and supporters. The new players have not been as good as those that left. The football now is just boring. The frustration is that there have been a handful of games, principally the LC semis and final, when we played really well. Just not been very many of them.

 

For me we need to get Puel out as soon as the final whistle goes on 21 May. Get someone else in who can support the rebuild and hopefully stop some players (Suarez, Bertrand in particular) from leaving. Ranieri is rumoured, although I would prefer Jokanović from Fulham if they don't go up. Fear is that if we keep Puel then the exodus will continue and we will be in a relegation battle next season.

Is there any evidence of this on the pitch though? I didn't see it at Anfield or yesterday. The players appear to be trying, and also following instructions. Perhaps they are missing that extra slice of determination which comes with having something to play for, which the manager could also help instill, but it's not because they've stopped caring.

If anything I'd say the signs point towards the players being overly cautious and not wanting to 'break rank' with regard to the tactical instructions. This may be the fault of the manager, but not because he has lost the dressing room.

I think people need to consider that Puel may well not be getting the sort of input from the management structure above him that previous managers got.

If everything is in limbo pending a sale then his job may be harder than it should be.

I think we've got a chance of troubling the top 4 next season - provided we don't sell anyone significant and sign at least one CB. We've been up with the top 6 for three of the past 4 seasons and just didn't have the squad depth OR luck with the fixture scheduling that we need to keep challenging the top sides this year. Fixture pile ups throughout the season have done for us.

Van Dijk, Cedric, Romeu, Gabbiadini, Redmond and Bertrand are the key players we absolutely have to keep. Davis is key too, but he's ageing and we really need to have a replacement lined up. We also can't assume we'll have fit players in those positions all season, but that is a vital part of a club Saints' size maintaining a challenge.

Tbh if you look at the current centre back pairing and the number of times we've played already this season when handicapped by recovery times against our opponents it's no surprise we're midtable. They're both cover players and suitable for a mid-table side but not a top one.

The last 7 games is a perfect example of how we've been screwed with scheduling and how it impacts a side with fatigue - we're playing 4 top 6 sides who we need to be on the top of our game to beat with our best players available and fresh (and they won't be fresh for two of those games), and for the 3 lower table sides they won't have played 3-4 days before and we will have.

We've won all three of a weekend/midweek/weekend or midweek/weekend/midweek set of fixtures THREE times this season - when we beat Sparta, Swansea, Palace and then West Ham in September with significant rotation for the midweek Europa and EFL Cup games, and in January when we beat Norwich, Leicester and Liverpool, again with the opportunity to rest players for the FA Cup game.

That doesn't seem that bad, until you consider that to date we've had TWENTY-SEVEN sets of 3 games in a week fixtures to do that in. It shows the effect of fatigue on a team's performance overall quite nicely. We will not have those problems next season, and instead of being handicapped by post-Europa games we will benefit from them.

We'll still need a massive slice of luck at key moments, but fundamentally this season we've had to play within ourselves so many times because players can't risk going all out, and the knock-on effect of playing lots of games on performance and susceptibility to injury, and that will go away next season.

Puel has shown his aptitude for balancing the squad for a testing run fixtures and only rarely have the team been able to truly express themselves without an impact on other games soon after. When they have had the chance to go for it, they've looked every bit the side of the previous 3 years, and without the extra games next year I think we'll see much more of that. Key factors will be the takeover uncertainty and possible impact on player commitment, whether Xmas schedule ballses us up as it threatens to every year, and the players who are available to the manager in the first place.

In my opinion the form has tailed off because the players know full well that there isn't anything left to play for this season. It shouldn't be like that but the reality is we haven't been near the relegation zone all season and we haven't been anywhere near the top 6 either. You could say the same sort of thing about West Brom and Everton, it's no coincidence that their form has tanked now their seasons are effectively over.

For me I'd like to see Puel stay on, I think he's done enough this season to show that there could be some better days ahead (particularly with the introduction of the younger players). However, lose the last 3 and I don't think he will be back for pre-season.

In my opinion the form has tailed off because the players know full well that there isn't anything left to play for this season. It shouldn't be like that but the reality is we haven't been near the relegation zone all season and we haven't been anywhere near the top 6 either. You could say the same sort of thing about West Brom and Everton, it's no coincidence that their form has tanked now their seasons are effectively over.

 

For me I'd like to see Puel stay on, I think he's done enough this season to show that there could be some better days ahead (particularly with the introduction of the younger players). However, lose the last 3 and I don't think he will be back for pre-season.

To be fair, we've not really had any form all season. Just a few good results here and there, but generally very samey.

The only consistent fact from the entire season is that we don't score enough.

I think we've got a chance of troubling the top 4 next season - provided we don't sell anyone significant and sign at least one CB. We've been up with the top 6 for three of the past 4 seasons and just didn't have the squad depth OR luck with the fixture scheduling that we need to keep challenging the top sides this year. Fixture pile ups throughout the season have done for us.

 

Van Dijk, Cedric, Romeu, Gabbiadini, Redmond and Bertrand are the key players we absolutely have to keep. Davis is key too, but he's ageing and we really need to have a replacement lined up. We also can't assume we'll have fit players in those positions all season, but that is a vital part of a club Saints' size maintaining a challenge.

 

Tbh if you look at the current centre back pairing and the number of times we've played already this season when handicapped by recovery times against our opponents it's no surprise we're midtable. They're both cover players and suitable for a mid-table side but not a top one.

 

The last 7 games is a perfect example of how we've been screwed with scheduling and how it impacts a side with fatigue - we're playing 4 top 6 sides who we need to be on the top of our game to beat with our best players available and fresh (and they won't be fresh for two of those games), and for the 3 lower table sides they won't have played 3-4 days before and we will have.

 

We've won all three of a weekend/midweek/weekend or midweek/weekend/midweek set of fixtures THREE times this season - when we beat Sparta, Swansea, Palace and then West Ham in September with significant rotation for the midweek Europa and EFL Cup games, and in January when we beat Norwich, Leicester and Liverpool, again with the opportunity to rest players for the FA Cup game.

 

That doesn't seem that bad, until you consider that to date we've had TWENTY-SEVEN sets of 3 games in a week fixtures to do that in. It shows the effect of fatigue on a team's performance overall quite nicely. We will not have those problems next season, and instead of being handicapped by post-Europa games we will benefit from them.

 

We'll still need a massive slice of luck at key moments, but fundamentally this season we've had to play within ourselves so many times because players can't risk going all out, and the knock-on effect of playing lots of games on performance and susceptibility to injury, and that will go away next season.

 

Puel has shown his aptitude for balancing the squad for a testing run fixtures and only rarely have the team been able to truly express themselves without an impact on other games soon after. When they have had the chance to go for it, they've looked every bit the side of the previous 3 years, and without the extra games next year I think we'll see much more of that. Key factors will be the takeover uncertainty and possible impact on player commitment, whether Xmas schedule ballses us up as it threatens to every year, and the players who are available to the manager in the first place.

hahahahahahaha, I'll have some of whatever you're on mate. Top 4 of the championship the year after next maybe? You've got to beat teams in the top 6 (or bottom 3) if you want to stand a chance of getting in the top 4 buddy. Honestly, if you believe this, you are seriously in denial.

(This could be a sarcastic post, surely it is?!? I didn't bother to read any more after I saw the first sentence.

I wouldn't be a fan of sacking him without having someone lined up.[/QUOTE]

How about we put him on a 2 week sabbatical? I really would like to see what would happen in the final 3 games with another coach. We all suspect Puel is the problem. Can we test it by asking an attacking manager to coach the final games? If we perform well, indicating Puel's coaching is the issue, then Puel has to go. If though it is clear the players are just so low on confidence they don't play to instruction, then Puel isn't the problem. I know this isn't reasonable, sadly. We have to fire him to see if he is the problem ... or stick with him and just hope the players' confidence somehow clicks into gear.

hahahahahahaha, I'll have some of whatever you're on mate. Top 4 of the championship the year after next maybe? You've got to beat teams in the top 6 (or bottom 3) if you want to stand a chance of getting in the top 4 buddy. Honestly, if you believe this, you are seriously in denial.

 

(This could be a sarcastic post, surely it is?!? I didn't bother to read any more after I saw the first sentence.

I thought it a couple of months ago too, though I've lost a bit of faith recently. However, The9 is right about the fixture schedule, we have been massively screwed this year. We had Europa, but obviously that was always going to happen. You can't legislate for the ridiculously unfair Xmas schedule or the bad luck in having to have so many games rescheduled due to the FA Cup though, especially as it has meant playing all the best sides in a clump right at the end.

It is a legitimate argument, but not sure if it's enough to justify our recent lack of cutting edge and incisiveness.

It's looking more like Koeman was right: our ambition has plateaued, with the high water mark probably being the team he inherited (or arguably Pochettino had). Since then it has been a downward slide into boringness. We are at another critical time. Appoint a new good manager and give him funds and we may progress. Continue and next season will be a long battle against the drop

I have noted the following:

Ever since Tadic's strop about being subbed, Tadic has been the main man. Sadly he often goes missing in games and we are regularly playing with 10men. I would rather see Boufal given the freedom to do what he wants than Tadic, as Boufal tries.

Once we go behind, Puel immediately switches to a variant of 4-4-2 by taking JWP off and effectively surrendering the middle of the pitch. The result is Romeu and Davis (who run their socks off all game and are tiring by 70min), are overwhelmed in the middle and we struggle to dictate the game, feed the strikers, and keep the ball. The result is we get tonked worse, and usually don't create much. Puel has done this repeatedly and shows no sign of changing it or learning the lesson. I would rather see us go 3-4-3 in these situations.

We have no alternate way to play, gabbi can not hold the ball up and our only way to play is via individual players creating an opening and driving forward. Other than that it is slow, tedious, and predictable sideways passing.

I would give Puel till Christmas (as a maximum) to fix this. I know he had slow starts at his other clubs and came good. So i will give him that. But currently I am not remotely impressed and would not be too sad to see him go this summer.

I have noted the following:

 

Ever since Tadic's strop about being subbed, Tadic has been the main man. Sadly he often goes missing in games and we are regularly playing with 10men. I would rather see Boufal given the freedom to do what he wants than Tadic, as Boufal tries.

 

Once we go behind, Puel immediately switches to a variant of 4-4-2 by taking JWP off and effectively surrendering the middle of the pitch. The result is Romeu and Davis (who run their socks off all game and are tiring by 70min), are overwhelmed in the middle and we struggle to dictate the game, feed the strikers, and keep the ball. The result is we get tonked worse, and usually don't create much. Puel has done this repeatedly and shows no sign of changing it or learning the lesson. I would rather see us go 3-4-3 in these situations.

 

We have no alternate way to play, gabbi can not hold the ball up and our only way to play is via individual players creating an opening and driving forward. Other than that it is slow, tedious, and predictable sideways passing.

 

I would give Puel till Christmas (as a maximum) to fix this. I know he had slow starts at his other clubs and came good. So i will give him that. But currently I am not remotely impressed and would not be too sad to see him go this summer.

Spot. On

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I don't get the Puel hate.

I can quite understand wanting him out, being frustrated at his tactics etc but some of the comments here and elsewhere seem to go above and beyond normal sporting dissatisfaction. I saw on our Facebook page last night someone saying they hope his car crashes on the way home like the car crash he's turned us into or something like that and I know you'll always get nobs like that but this had a load of likes on it!

I don't remember being this much hate when we had other managers the majority wanted out (Wotte, JP, Burley at the end). What's the man done to have so much raw animalistic hate and childish name calling thrown at him? Surely just doing a below par job at a football club doesn't warrant that sort of treatment?

I don't get the Puel hate.

 

I can quite understand wanting him out, being frustrated at his tactics etc but some of the comments here and elsewhere seem to go above and beyond normal sporting dissatisfaction. I saw on our Facebook page last night someone saying they hope his car crashes on the way home like the car crash he's turned us into or something like that and I know you'll always get nobs like that but this had a load of likes on it!

 

I don't remember being this much hate when we had other managers the majority wanted out (Wotte, JP, Burley at the end). What's the man done to have so much raw animalistic hate and childish name calling thrown at him? Surely just doing a below par job at a football club doesn't warrant that sort of treatment?

No, it doesn't. But his name does sound like poo.

(joke)

I don't get the Puel hate.

 

I can quite understand wanting him out, being frustrated at his tactics etc but some of the comments here and elsewhere seem to go above and beyond normal sporting dissatisfaction. I saw on our Facebook page last night someone saying they hope his car crashes on the way home like the car crash he's turned us into or something like that and I know you'll always get nobs like that but this had a load of likes on it!

 

I don't remember being this much hate when we had other managers the majority wanted out (Wotte, JP, Burley at the end). What's the man done to have so much raw animalistic hate and childish name calling thrown at him? Surely just doing a below par job at a football club doesn't warrant that sort of treatment?

I certainly don't hate him but I hate his style of football.

Pretty much every comment on the Facebook live stream is PUEL OUT !

I think we've got a chance of troubling the top 4 next season - provided we don't sell anyone significant and sign at least one CB. We've been up with the top 6 for three of the past 4 seasons and just didn't have the squad depth OR luck with the fixture scheduling that we need to keep challenging the top sides this year. Fixture pile ups throughout the season have done for us.

 

Van Dijk, Cedric, Romeu, Gabbiadini, Redmond and Bertrand are the key players we absolutely have to keep. Davis is key too, but he's ageing and we really need to have a replacement lined up. We also can't assume we'll have fit players in those positions all season, but that is a vital part of a club Saints' size maintaining a challenge.

 

Tbh if you look at the current centre back pairing and the number of times we've played already this season when handicapped by recovery times against our opponents it's no surprise we're midtable. They're both cover players and suitable for a mid-table side but not a top one.

 

The last 7 games is a perfect example of how we've been screwed with scheduling and how it impacts a side with fatigue - we're playing 4 top 6 sides who we need to be on the top of our game to beat with our best players available and fresh (and they won't be fresh for two of those games), and for the 3 lower table sides they won't have played 3-4 days before and we will have.

 

We've won all three of a weekend/midweek/weekend or midweek/weekend/midweek set of fixtures THREE times this season - when we beat Sparta, Swansea, Palace and then West Ham in September with significant rotation for the midweek Europa and EFL Cup games, and in January when we beat Norwich, Leicester and Liverpool, again with the opportunity to rest players for the FA Cup game.

 

That doesn't seem that bad, until you consider that to date we've had TWENTY-SEVEN sets of 3 games in a week fixtures to do that in. It shows the effect of fatigue on a team's performance overall quite nicely. We will not have those problems next season, and instead of being handicapped by post-Europa games we will benefit from them.

 

We'll still need a massive slice of luck at key moments, but fundamentally this season we've had to play within ourselves so many times because players can't risk going all out, and the knock-on effect of playing lots of games on performance and susceptibility to injury, and that will go away next season.

 

Puel has shown his aptitude for balancing the squad for a testing run fixtures and only rarely have the team been able to truly express themselves without an impact on other games soon after. When they have had the chance to go for it, they've looked every bit the side of the previous 3 years, and without the extra games next year I think we'll see much more of that. Key factors will be the takeover uncertainty and possible impact on player commitment, whether Xmas schedule ballses us up as it threatens to every year, and the players who are available to the manager in the first place.

A very intelligent and balanced post.

I think we have missed VvD big time. Neither Yoshida or Stephens makes the attacking runs like he does nor are they the threat at set pieces.

The team were fantastic in the Cup Final

BUT the last 3 games have been very disappointing.

I think Puel should be given until xmas, but if we do our usual summer sell off I would be worried about next season

It's looking more like Koeman was right: our ambition has plateaued, with the high water mark probably being the team he inherited (or arguably Pochettino had). Since then it has been a downward slide into boringness. We are at another critical time. Appoint a new good manager and give him funds and we may progress. Continue and next season will be a long battle against the drop

The high water mark was when we finished 8th (spent a lot of time in 9th) not when we finished 7th and then 6th? Last season was a slide into boringness? Really?

The utter desperation of some people to engineer a false narrative continues to astound me.

Our ambition hasn't actually changed - it was the same under Poch as Koeman as now. It hasn't changed and it won't change (pending new owner, still I would be doubtful).

The idea that under Poch we had a one way ticket to guaranteed progress forever was, and is, total garbage. A club our size is going to finish 9th or 10th or 14th from time to time. We don't want to, but we will. Leicester finished fourteenth two seasons ago.

Puel may have turned out to be a dud appointment but guess what, a club our size might make a dud appointment now and then too.

The ambition remains - be the best of the rest and try and capitalise when the top 6 have a bad time. Try and qualify for Europe. This is not a guarantee we will achieve this, without fail forever. We won't.

Get over it.

Pretty much every comment on the Facebook live stream is PUEL OUT !

Just loads of idiots jumping on the bandwagon. Have you read some of the attempts at comments?

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Did he not finish 17th with Nice in one season before finishing 4th the year after or something? Or was it 17th then 10th then 4th? And now look at Nice who seem to be doing far better as he has moved on.

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt but can't bring myself to do so.

Best for all parties should he leave.

The high water mark was when we finished 8th (spent a lot of time in 9th) not when we finished 7th and then 6th? Last season was a slide into boringness? Really?

 

The utter desperation of some people to engineer a false narrative continues to astound me.

 

Our ambition hasn't actually changed - it was the same under Poch as Koeman as now. It hasn't changed and it won't change (pending new owner, still I would be doubtful).

 

The idea that under Poch we had a one way ticket to guaranteed progress forever was, and is, total garbage. A club our size is going to finish 9th or 10th or 14th from time to time. We don't want to, but we will. Leicester finished fourteenth two seasons ago.

 

Puel may have turned out to be a dud appointment but guess what, a club our size might make a dud appointment now and then too.

 

The ambition remains - be the best of the rest and try and capitalise when the top 6 have a bad time. Try and qualify for Europe. This is not a guarantee we will achieve this, without fail forever. We won't.

 

Get over it.

no, this season has been a slide into boringness. never said that about Poch (pretty impressive, tbh, on the false narrative front). I don't see the ambition in appointing Puel. Hope the new lot can inject a bit of passion via a new manager

I'm slightly unnerved by his track record, as opposed to our (currently perfectly acceptable) mid table league position.

Monaco: won the title in his first year (but to put in context, they'd finished in the top 3 9 of prev 12 seasons, winning title twice), before then finishing 11th and 15th. Sacked Puel, then finished 2nd and 3rd.

Lille: took team who had finished top 5 in prev two seasons to 14th and 10th, then up to 2nd and 3rd, then back down to 10th and 7th.

Lyon: had won the title 7 years in a row, finished top 3 but no title in his three years.

Nice: took mid table team to 4th / 17th / 11th / 4th. They have finished third this season after his departure.

It feels like 5 good managerial seasons out of 16, and strangely familiar ring to this observation on his time at Lyon (who admittedly have a deluded sense of entitlement that they should have continued winning la ligue indefinitely): "Puel was handicapped by his poor communication skills and his apparent lack of enthusiasm during media events. His tactics were perceived as negative and for the first time in decades, Lyon were being associated with boring football. His relationship with players was equally poor, to the point that during the 2010–11 season, no one would speak out in defence of him when he was criticised by fans or the media. Several players, including Yoann Gourcuff,[18] hinted that their poor form could partly be explained by disagreements with the coach's tactics".

Overall, difficult to see he has done sufficiently badly to warrant the sack this season, but definite alarm bells ringing that over his proven ability to take the club forward based on his track record.

Not impossible that the club are releasing the possibility of dismissing him to weaken his leverage over transfer budget for the summer too. He's bound to be either a) acquiescent to small budget if he fears the sack or b) belligerent to point of resigning and saving the club money.

Just loads of idiots jumping on the bandwagon. Have you read some of the attempts at comments?

 

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Let me guess you voted to remain and will vote Labour in the general election?

Let me guess you voted to remain and will vote Labour in the general election?

Right and wrong. What's that got to do with it anyway?

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The high water mark was when we finished 8th (spent a lot of time in 9th) not when we finished 7th and then 6th? Last season was a slide into boringness? Really?

 

The utter desperation of some people to engineer a false narrative continues to astound me.

 

Our ambition hasn't actually changed - it was the same under Poch as Koeman as now. It hasn't changed and it won't change (pending new owner, still I would be doubtful).

 

The idea that under Poch we had a one way ticket to guaranteed progress forever was, and is, total garbage. A club our size is going to finish 9th or 10th or 14th from time to time. We don't want to, but we will. Leicester finished fourteenth two seasons ago.

 

Puel may have turned out to be a dud appointment but guess what, a club our size might make a dud appointment now and then too.

 

The ambition remains - be the best of the rest and try and capitalise when the top 6 have a bad time. Try and qualify for Europe. This is not a guarantee we will achieve this, without fail forever. We won't.

 

Get over it.

Spot on

Put Puel in charge of those players and tell them to defend at all costs and you'd get similar results.

If you believe that those players would not make us more effective im surprised

So a manager is pointless then? Sack Puel and just get a few decent players...... Sorted

 

When Koeman came in we lost Lallana, Lambert, Lovren, Chambers, Shaw and Boruc. We improved

Puel has been shortchanged by lack of investment, add to that the loss of a couple of important players.

Here's a left-fielder for you to tear apart, Nigel Adkins was in town again last night and beaming huge smile to all and sundry from the management box. Replacing Hunter as boss of the junior sides or just an honoured guest? Surely the prodigal son is not about to make a return, older and wiser?

I would rather the 3 i mentioned than the 6 you did and add Pelle to my list. I and others mentioned in the summer that losing the major part of our goals that Pelle and Mane gave us needed to be covered.Sadly the club hid behind the signing of Austin rather than hm beng further strengthening to the forward line, that many would have perceived at the time as being the case.

Puel has been shortchanged by lack of investment, add to that the loss of a couple of important players.

I agree we (Reed) did F-up this summer and Reed is accountable for that.

But we still have a decent squad and enough talent for Puel to be coaching and demanding better football.

There are zero excuses for a large (large) number of horrendous performances this season

A number of players are under performing with Puel. He simply isn't getting the best from his squad and chucking in 2 or 3 more top players is very unlikely to change that.

The one thing the squad isn't is too small. We need to get rid of 9 or 10 this summer and bring 4 or 5 in

I meant too many small players. Since we lost VVD and Fonte (adding to the loss of Pelle) we have looked susceptible at set pieces. Without Morgan and Wanyama we hardly ever win a header in midfield. It's not just headers, it's covering the ground. I the first half f games we get away with it as everyone is fresh, but once players start to get tired the gaps open and then our failure to replace the two midfielders with guys that are quick, strong ad pacey really shows up.

Sorry, his moves away from the discussion about Puel, but it goes in hand in hand. If he doesn't bring in the right players (I assume he has final say) then no matter what his tactics are or aren't we will have problems next season. The same applies to his successor, should there be one before or during the next season. Managers can only do so much, but equally if they are his players that he wanted then he must take the blame if we are not performing.

Did anyone notice the club's facebook feed during his Boro presser? The constant stream of abuse and our out comments must have been noted by the club surely.

No it doesn't. We played good football, lots of attacking intent.

 

The final pass and finishing let us down, but overall, I would not criticise Puel or the team for that.

 

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After a full season of coaching you don't hold the manager responsible for the fact our players have gotten worse to the point they can't pass to each other ?

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