I too like the early signs of a football spring under Monsieur Puel guidance. But his interviews are shocking embarrassing.

I think we’ve had enough games now that we can make a judgement in terms of patterns/results as a collective.

We are beating or drawing against the teams around us and of the games we’ve lost (I think it’s 5 encounters against the big teams), we can count ourselves as unlucky in 3 to not get a draw or even win. Couple of results where we could have turned draws into wins against much more ‘beatable’ opposition but we are talking about the difference here between mid table and pushing for Europa - and this is the balance switch I expected from us this season - flitting between looking like a mid table premier league club and one which could push for a Europa spot.

People harp on about money spent...every club is spending it.

Ultimately, we are two draws which could have been wins (4points) off what I’d class as a really good autumn. Not too bad at all for me

I personally feel we are at a pivotal crossroads right now. We either continue buying players that fit the same fast counter attacking mode of play and keep majoring in that or we start to change our play to keep the ball more but also retain some of those attacking qualities. The Iborra transfer was part of that decision making

We basically need to think long term and that what the owners appear to be doing at last with Puels appointment. Since the title win and losing kante we just haven't been anywhere near effective in a flat 4-4-2 and launching balls to Mahrez and Vardy. It's easy to defend against and we were struggling under shakey to beat a terrible West Brom, Bournemouth and Huddersfield because there was no plan b

We have to evolve and it's going to take time

Good points BS i think the manager is putting a side together to put Silva into the Albrighton position.
I don't think it was a peno old fashioned shoulder to shoulder,would we of felt the same at our end?

Kasper oh Kasper 4 yards from the goal and you should of come and cleared out everyone. but instead confuses everyone.

It wasn’t shoulder to shoulder. That’s simply a fact, watch it again.

But yes, I would have probably moaned if it had gone against us.

In terms of a flat 442 not working, correct me if I’m wrong, aren’t we already moving away from this with recent formations!? Having said that, I’d bring Okazaki back in for Spurs

A lot of sense written here. I think we have to evolve and that style should be more possession based. The reasons being that the players who made the old systems work won't be around for ever and some have gone already - Mahrez will go and Vardy will eventually start to lose his pace.

The team have been tied into a boom or bust style for a while now. I wouldn't change that as the boom of 15/16 was the greatest moment ever. The time has come, however, to try and turn us into a club that (2015/16 apart) isn't always flirting with relegation. We need to build a style that suits a squad of players, rather than a team. One that players can come in and out of and know their role. That should be based on a more possession based style so that we are more in control of our own destiny but, of course, still try and make best use of our brightest assets and their individual qualities.

It's a difficult balance to reach and Ranieri and Shakespeare have both been sacked - one for trying too hard and the other for not trying hard enough. Can Puel achieve what they couldn't? If I'm honest I really don't know yet, but it will take time, patience and new players.

We were at a pivotal crossroads after winning the league. We took a couple of wrong turns but now we are heading back to the high road. There might be some off-reading to do along the way though so hold tight.

Good post BS

Yeah plenty of optimism.Not least , nobody mentions it but we havent LOST away from nome since August and the two away defeats are against teams with 100% records at home, even if 4 of the 5 games in that away run were draws against yeams everybody thinks we should be beating.

and yes the January window is looming and could be interesting. Big problem there, he may have squirmed off the radar but unfortunately our transfer guru (JR) is still here. Perhaps CP should identify who he wants now togive JR time to sort the transfers out before 11pm on 31st January. At least we sjould have Silva signed in time.

Onwards and upwards with CP

UTF

Oops typo alert

should say ' draws against TEAMS everybody thinks we should be beating

UTf

Legless
At least we should have Silva signed in time

Dont push it !

I’m not that optimistic at the minute. Maybe I’m just being negative though.

Puel has Vardy, Mahrez and Gray along with Albrighton playing as a front 4 yet we don’t seem to be offering any threat going forward. We look laboured and lazy in the final 3rd, and we look like we’re over thinking everything. Vardy also looks incredibly isolated.

Now I’m hoping it just needs time, but it does worry me that with that amount of attacking talent we look a bit blunt up top.

Hopefully it’s just time and the players will adjust, but I do think that the next two transfer windows become crucial to Puel.

It’s clear that he wants full backs that can get further up the pitch. Simpson was clearly 5 yards behind where the team wanted him for most of that West Ham game, yet he was our best defender dealing with their crosses. Fuchs also looks a yard or two short now in this formation.

So, I’m strugglong to be optimistic at the minute because I’ve not particularly been impressed by what I’ve seen, but I’m obviously going to give Puel time to work with the players and get them going. I think we can’t really judge him until midway through next season.

The positive is that we’re not losing and if we can continue to pick up points he’ll get the time to shape the team as he wants it.

One real plus - Iborra looks ready made for this new formation. We’re really seeing him thrive now.

I was at West Ham on Friday and the mood amongst the city fans was pretty positive. I thought we were very good first half and if Mahrez had done better with his decision making we could have been out of sight.

Second half we seemed to lose our way and frankly we were poor, but I am quietly pleased with our progress under Puel and can see this working.

Poor decision making by the whole front line but particularity Mahrez cost us the game on Friday.
You know football is a very simple game, so play the simple balls quicker. Its only when players like Mahrez who for all his great play there are 10 bad decisions start to complicate it all starts to go wrong.

My one gripe is in relation to Okazaki.

I appreciate that it initially looked like he wanted to use him to help towards the end of games rather than run him into the ground up until 60+ minutes, but not using him at all I think is a little concerning when he has been one of our best players this season and has been scoring goals.

I think despite Mersey's concern i think this guy has a plan something that has been missing.
He is not afraid of upsetting players so he did not look at Marhez rather then pretend he had a good.
Vardy said the manager has given them new formations to learn.

as for Ozi why do we have to rely on that hes gives a lot but stifles options

as for Ozi why do we have to rely on that hes gives a lot but stifles options

and falls over a lot...

How would bringing Okazaki on as a sub equate to reliance?

It is more about utilisation of somebody who has been scoring and contributing and inclusion statistically increases our win ratio. I am all for moving forward, but let’s at least utilise what was our plan A as a plan B option ...furthermore, at the end of the day, he has simply been one of our best players this season so far and I don’t really see why bringing him on to change things down behind Vardy to win the ball higher up and contribute to goal chances when we are looking impotent in the second half of games is stifling anything

Not convinced yet,team selection puzzling, use of subs more so.
Going nowhere at an hour then change,two wingers yet no one to cross to.No use of Okazaki at all.
Another two points lost.Still bad at set piece defending.
Time will tell.