That's pretty much what it feels like.
Last night's game was a reality check.
We have some great players, and others willing to put their body on the line where quality doesn't come through. Therefore I believe the problem is system and motivation. Our general poor start to games could come down to motivation before games, that's the manager's responsibility.
Yep. No argument here.
Puel out, Howe in at the end of the season please.
Excellent article BS. Articulated exactly what I feel.
I have been more in the Nev camp up to now and I am still willing to give Puel a bit more rope but he is in danger of hanging himself with his curious tactics and bizarre substitutions.
I thought we did ok first half yesterday and contained a good Spurs team well until Son's moment of quality. We started the second half brightly and then came the double substitution. No idea what he was thinking and neither did the team. Then the third change confuses even more.
I'm still just about in the Puel stay camp but I am thinking more and more about how good a team we might be with a different coach and different tactics. We have a good squad and some excellent young players but this season is beginning to feel like an opportunity missed.
I’m even more concerned about the clubs decision making with Vichai sadly gone. Vichai was very ambitious. He wanted to make Leicester into a stable top 6 club (which is very hard to do). It’s encouraging that Top wants to continue that ambition but will he be as ruthless as his father had to be at times?
Puel is in no danger of losing his job right now, but by the time he is in danger I fear the damage will be done and the talent we have will be moving on
I think the new long term contracts protect us to some degree BS. If we get a new manager in I. The summer and sell the draamto the players I think we’ll get one more season out of the likes of Maddison and Maguire to show what we can do.
Hopefully the damage will not have been done by then.
Why wait until the summer, why delay the inevitable, just do it.
You'll smash us on Saturday and all will be fine for a while
comment by TUX (U5315)
posted 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
You'll smash us on Saturday and all will be fine for a while
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s exactly the kind of game where we’ll struggle. I’ll go for a 1-1
It's sad to see the solidarity and unity that was so strongly evident after the tragic circumstances of six weeks ago has now completely disappeared and we're back to slating the team and the manager again.
People need to be really careful what they wish for. Despite the hyperbole of some sections of our increasingly hysterical fanbase, we really are not doing too badly. 9th in the league, quarter finals of the League Cup, coming off the back of a 7 game unbeaten run, young players coming through, a plethora of internationals, including half a dozen or so for the national team. Under any barometer of success, this is an OK season for a club that has spent the majority of it's history between the bottom half of the top flight and the top half of the second. Take into account the huge mental and emotional pressure that the club has been through and it seems like fair enough.
Many of the issues we still face are because of poor recruitment in the two summers after the title win. We wasted so much money on players who have, on the whole, delivered very little bar Maguire and Ndidi.
The football is, at times, slow and boring, and we haven't been able to perform to a consistent standard. We're very stuttery and I understand why that is frustrating. Puel doesn't always help himself and his substitutions can be strange. But isn't inconsistency a standard trait for a club that is likely to finish mid table?
I would like to know what fans actually expect this season. Personally, I think 7th is probably the best we can aim for, and we're currently the grand total of two whole points from that position.
Personally, I think it is probably best for all parties if Puel leaves in the summer. It's clear to me that a sizeable majority of our fanbase will never take to him or his style, and a split fanbase is not something that is healthy for a club. But it's worth reminding that Southampton are now on to their third manager since Puel left and are staring relegation in the face. Who knows, in two years we might yet be thinking that Puel wasn't all that bad.
I would like to know what fans actually expect this season. Personally, I think 7th is probably the best we can aim for, and we're currently the grand total of two whole points from that position
___________
Progress. All I expect is a clear plan, and progress. We’re going backward Foxello. Whilst I agree with much of your post, I just can’t stomach looking at the decline I’m seeing. The league position is masking what we all see.
Difference between us and Southampton is that they sold all their best players. We still have a lot of ours!
I disagree Mersey. We've certainly stalled at times, and the style of play is uncomfortable to watch some of the time, but I don't think we are going backwards at all. Compare this season so far to what we endured in Ranieri's second season and Shakespeare's reign last year. I would like to see us making more progress and solidifying ourselves as best of the rest, but I just don't see how we are going backwards.
If you take out the title season, this has been our best start to a Premier League season since we were promoted.
I’ve moved from the Puel out camp to the Puel in camp - at least for this season. That’s on the caveat that we don’t get drawn into a relegation battle. I do, however, have some frustrations with Puel and feel he sometimes tries to over manage and performances quite often lack some spirit until we’re chasing the game.
In Puel’s defence, however, I only think he can get out of the squad what they’re capable of. Is higher than 9th really realistic? Alongside the top six do we currently have an obviously better squad than Bournemouth or Everton?
The biggest difference between us and Spurs yesterday was that in an average performance from both sides they had far superior quality in the final third. Without Vardy we had:
Ian: who is looking a poor signing
Gray: who, despite his improvement this season, is mediocre and inconsistent
Maddison: great potential, but still a kid
Behind them we had three defensive midfielders.
And I’m not really sure that we’d have looked so much better with players like Okazaki, Ghezzal or Diabate starting - whatever the shape. Maybe it was a strange decision not to start Albrighton as you always know what you’ll get from him.
I’m only putting this out there as a slightly different narrative - because I’m really not sure about Puel - but are we overatting what he can get out of this squad? We’re nowhere near the top six in terms of quality and, when I look at other mid-table sides, I don’t see that we’re so much ahead of them.
‘It's sad to see the solidarity and unity that was so strongly evident after the tragic circumstances of six weeks ago has now completely disappeared and we're back to slating the team and the manager again.’
I think this is a bit unfair. We have all shown huge respect for the recent tragic events at the King Power, do we have to wait for an allotted time to pass before we are allowed to express concerns and frustrations with on the pitch performances?
This is nothing to do with events off the pitch and if I saw a clear decline in performance since that tragic event then i would absolutely agree it’s been a factor. What I’m seeing is what I saw last year and what I saw before the tragic events
That’s not to avoid giving the manager and team huge credit for getting through these difficult times, but please let’s not use that as a way to mask what is a confusing situation right now - on the pitch. I don’t really want to reference the tragedy again in any of my purely football and tactics related posts and if people continue to do it as a way to defend their position, I’ll have to delete comments on my threads- which I don’t want to do. I really hate how this has started to shape the arguments around team performance which has been going on long before that accident.
Where I agree with Foxello is that the club are ultimately responsible for the difficulty Puel faces, which is no different to the challenge Shakespeare faced before him. Poor recruitment - particularly since Walsh moved on, leading to what is now an identity crisis at the club.
I don’t feel we are progressing. I feel as if we are standing still. We should absolutely be capable of challenging for that 7th position - that means winning games against the likes of Fulham.
We have 2 England first starters in the team (how many times have we had that?), a top striker who has just retired from England duty and in Maddison, a future England star. 9th place isn’t the best this team can do
By the way I get we are only 2 points off 7th but let’s be honest - we don’t look like a side that’s going to challenge for Europe. That’s Everton. That was Burnley last year (and we are better than Burnley). No excuse for not doing the same for me with the talent we have
Joby; a very fair and balanced post. I'm more than willing to judge Puel and the end of the season and, as I've said, it might well be best if we part ways if it isn't working out.
Blackstarr; you're right, the events of Vichai's death shouldn't be used as an excuse, but is it not fair to look at it as a possible reason as to why we have looked lethargic in games? Vichai was like a father to some of those players and I don't think it's reasonable to expect that there won't be any after effects of what was a period of mourning. I had hoped, perhaps unrealistically, that we, the fans, may have been a little more understanding of this and not just jump on them when we lose or draw a match.
As for 'challenging for 7th place' - we're currently one point and GD from that position after less than half a season. Is that not challenging? Have Everton not had just as many frustrating days as we have had so far?
comment by Foxello (U6985)
posted 27 minutes ago
Joby; a very fair and balanced post. I'm more than willing to judge Puel and the end of the season and, as I've said, it might well be best if we part ways if it isn't working out.
Blackstarr; you're right, the events of Vichai's death shouldn't be used as an excuse, but is it not fair to look at it as a possible reason as to why we have looked lethargic in games? Vichai was like a father to some of those players and I don't think it's reasonable to expect that there won't be any after effects of what was a period of mourning. I had hoped, perhaps unrealistically, that we, the fans, may have been a little more understanding of this and not just jump on them when we lose or draw a match.
As for 'challenging for 7th place' - we're currently one point and GD from that position after less than half a season. Is that not challenging? Have Everton not had just as many frustrating days as we have had so far?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s all in the performances for me. The league table can’t be looked at until the end of the season - put in the right performances (which Everton are doing more than us right now) and the table will take care of itself.
If we were playing really well and were unlucky then I would share your optimism. The fact is we just don’t look like troubling many sides and given the quality we have - that’s just not acceptable in my view. I can’t see us finishing higher than where we currently are but I accept of course I could be wrong. I hope I am. I would be over the moon if I’m wrong!
Frustrating days will happen - that’s why we aren’t in the mix for top 4! But every week feels like Groundhog Day at the minute
With your Vichai point - yes it must have affected the players but I’ll come back to my original point on this which I don’t think anyone can really challenge - We we’re playing as frustratingly as we are right now, before the accident
In fact on the day of that tragedy we turned in the worst first half performance I’ve seen since Ranieri was here, against West Ham. It took a red card and a deflection to bail us out of that game. Nothing really has changed either side of that - I don’t count the Burnley and Cardiff games which were understandably charged with emotion
I trust the players to be able to put any and all off field events behind them when they cross that white line - aside from those two matches for obvious reasons. Again if I saw a decline post tragedy, I could agree with you - but all I’m seeing is more of the same
Comment deleted by Article Creator
We had a great win and a better performance with a maddison wonder goal was that moving backwards?
Sorry Nev. I won’t have the tragedy used to back up peoples positions on Puel and for points scoring on football forums. I don’t want it to be part of a tactical discussion
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 17 minutes ago
We had a great win and a better performance with a maddison wonder goal was that moving backwards?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You have to look at an extended period of time (as foxello is attempting to do) to answer the question of moving forwards or backwards.
Remember - I said this long before Puel was appointed. I’ve been the only one saying it
By the way if you want to create your own thread to discuss the tragedy and how it relates to our current performances then feel free to do so, I just don’t want to address this on this particular thread. It’s too emotive for me if I’m honest and I’m not interested in trading insults and sarcasm over it.
I don't but if you are not prepared to except that will effect the team including there confidence motivation concentration. The manager has had to manage the players through this period so any progress this season will be slower unfortunately but we will win a FA or League cup.
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 11 seconds ago
I don't but if you are not prepared to except that will effect the team including there confidence motivation concentration. The manager has had to manage the players through this period so any progress this season will be slower unfortunately but we will win a FA or League cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me put it this way - and I’ve said this before - I see no difference in the style of play, build up, tactics, any of the frustrating things we have been talking about for 8 months - since the tragedy happened.
I’m sure it’s affected the players personally, but that West Ham first half, before the accident, was the worst I have seen for a long time. All of the things spoken about in this thread have been going on way before the accident happened and that’s why I will not entertain that as a valid reason for the tactical frustrations I have. I don’t want to keep repeating myself on this and don’t want to talk about this again if that’s ok. Like I said, create your own thread if you want to delve into that subject
I don't think it's necessarily a case of safety first, I just think it's an outdated style of football, Puel's trying to encourage the style of play that Arsenal had success with 15 years ago. The problem is that we don't have the technical players to make it work - and also that teams know much better how to counter that now anyway.
The big tactical point for me under Puel is that we don't press as a side. Opposition players will find, when the come to the King Power, that they will have a lot of time on the ball, to look up, to pick out passes and the like. It's probably the same on the training ground, where our attack likely looks excellent in attack vs defence drills because they aren't pressed and have time to pick people out. What is more, I see no sign that Puel wants to incorporate pressing as part of a greater plan. Hanging back most of the match seems to be the plan. When we started pressing yesterday (around 75 minutes when both Albrighton and Okazaki were on), we actually started asking questions. But until then we played it more like a chess match, at the speed of a chess match.
Regardless on anything else, this is Puel's primary failing for me: No pressing, no intensity. It's all just patience, intending to dominate through possession but ending up getting dominated though not matching the opposition for effort.
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Treading Water: Leicesters Identity Crisis
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posted on 9/12/18
That's pretty much what it feels like.
Last night's game was a reality check.
We have some great players, and others willing to put their body on the line where quality doesn't come through. Therefore I believe the problem is system and motivation. Our general poor start to games could come down to motivation before games, that's the manager's responsibility.
posted on 9/12/18
Yep. No argument here.
Puel out, Howe in at the end of the season please.
posted on 9/12/18
Excellent article BS. Articulated exactly what I feel.
I have been more in the Nev camp up to now and I am still willing to give Puel a bit more rope but he is in danger of hanging himself with his curious tactics and bizarre substitutions.
I thought we did ok first half yesterday and contained a good Spurs team well until Son's moment of quality. We started the second half brightly and then came the double substitution. No idea what he was thinking and neither did the team. Then the third change confuses even more.
I'm still just about in the Puel stay camp but I am thinking more and more about how good a team we might be with a different coach and different tactics. We have a good squad and some excellent young players but this season is beginning to feel like an opportunity missed.
posted on 9/12/18
I’m even more concerned about the clubs decision making with Vichai sadly gone. Vichai was very ambitious. He wanted to make Leicester into a stable top 6 club (which is very hard to do). It’s encouraging that Top wants to continue that ambition but will he be as ruthless as his father had to be at times?
Puel is in no danger of losing his job right now, but by the time he is in danger I fear the damage will be done and the talent we have will be moving on
posted on 9/12/18
I think the new long term contracts protect us to some degree BS. If we get a new manager in I. The summer and sell the draamto the players I think we’ll get one more season out of the likes of Maddison and Maguire to show what we can do.
Hopefully the damage will not have been done by then.
posted on 9/12/18
Why wait until the summer, why delay the inevitable, just do it.
posted on 9/12/18
You'll smash us on Saturday and all will be fine for a while
posted on 9/12/18
comment by TUX (U5315)
posted 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
You'll smash us on Saturday and all will be fine for a while
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That’s exactly the kind of game where we’ll struggle. I’ll go for a 1-1
posted on 9/12/18
It's sad to see the solidarity and unity that was so strongly evident after the tragic circumstances of six weeks ago has now completely disappeared and we're back to slating the team and the manager again.
People need to be really careful what they wish for. Despite the hyperbole of some sections of our increasingly hysterical fanbase, we really are not doing too badly. 9th in the league, quarter finals of the League Cup, coming off the back of a 7 game unbeaten run, young players coming through, a plethora of internationals, including half a dozen or so for the national team. Under any barometer of success, this is an OK season for a club that has spent the majority of it's history between the bottom half of the top flight and the top half of the second. Take into account the huge mental and emotional pressure that the club has been through and it seems like fair enough.
Many of the issues we still face are because of poor recruitment in the two summers after the title win. We wasted so much money on players who have, on the whole, delivered very little bar Maguire and Ndidi.
The football is, at times, slow and boring, and we haven't been able to perform to a consistent standard. We're very stuttery and I understand why that is frustrating. Puel doesn't always help himself and his substitutions can be strange. But isn't inconsistency a standard trait for a club that is likely to finish mid table?
I would like to know what fans actually expect this season. Personally, I think 7th is probably the best we can aim for, and we're currently the grand total of two whole points from that position.
Personally, I think it is probably best for all parties if Puel leaves in the summer. It's clear to me that a sizeable majority of our fanbase will never take to him or his style, and a split fanbase is not something that is healthy for a club. But it's worth reminding that Southampton are now on to their third manager since Puel left and are staring relegation in the face. Who knows, in two years we might yet be thinking that Puel wasn't all that bad.
posted on 9/12/18
I would like to know what fans actually expect this season. Personally, I think 7th is probably the best we can aim for, and we're currently the grand total of two whole points from that position
___________
Progress. All I expect is a clear plan, and progress. We’re going backward Foxello. Whilst I agree with much of your post, I just can’t stomach looking at the decline I’m seeing. The league position is masking what we all see.
Difference between us and Southampton is that they sold all their best players. We still have a lot of ours!
posted on 9/12/18
I disagree Mersey. We've certainly stalled at times, and the style of play is uncomfortable to watch some of the time, but I don't think we are going backwards at all. Compare this season so far to what we endured in Ranieri's second season and Shakespeare's reign last year. I would like to see us making more progress and solidifying ourselves as best of the rest, but I just don't see how we are going backwards.
If you take out the title season, this has been our best start to a Premier League season since we were promoted.
posted on 9/12/18
I’ve moved from the Puel out camp to the Puel in camp - at least for this season. That’s on the caveat that we don’t get drawn into a relegation battle. I do, however, have some frustrations with Puel and feel he sometimes tries to over manage and performances quite often lack some spirit until we’re chasing the game.
In Puel’s defence, however, I only think he can get out of the squad what they’re capable of. Is higher than 9th really realistic? Alongside the top six do we currently have an obviously better squad than Bournemouth or Everton?
The biggest difference between us and Spurs yesterday was that in an average performance from both sides they had far superior quality in the final third. Without Vardy we had:
Ian: who is looking a poor signing
Gray: who, despite his improvement this season, is mediocre and inconsistent
Maddison: great potential, but still a kid
Behind them we had three defensive midfielders.
And I’m not really sure that we’d have looked so much better with players like Okazaki, Ghezzal or Diabate starting - whatever the shape. Maybe it was a strange decision not to start Albrighton as you always know what you’ll get from him.
I’m only putting this out there as a slightly different narrative - because I’m really not sure about Puel - but are we overatting what he can get out of this squad? We’re nowhere near the top six in terms of quality and, when I look at other mid-table sides, I don’t see that we’re so much ahead of them.
posted on 9/12/18
‘It's sad to see the solidarity and unity that was so strongly evident after the tragic circumstances of six weeks ago has now completely disappeared and we're back to slating the team and the manager again.’
I think this is a bit unfair. We have all shown huge respect for the recent tragic events at the King Power, do we have to wait for an allotted time to pass before we are allowed to express concerns and frustrations with on the pitch performances?
This is nothing to do with events off the pitch and if I saw a clear decline in performance since that tragic event then i would absolutely agree it’s been a factor. What I’m seeing is what I saw last year and what I saw before the tragic events
That’s not to avoid giving the manager and team huge credit for getting through these difficult times, but please let’s not use that as a way to mask what is a confusing situation right now - on the pitch. I don’t really want to reference the tragedy again in any of my purely football and tactics related posts and if people continue to do it as a way to defend their position, I’ll have to delete comments on my threads- which I don’t want to do. I really hate how this has started to shape the arguments around team performance which has been going on long before that accident.
Where I agree with Foxello is that the club are ultimately responsible for the difficulty Puel faces, which is no different to the challenge Shakespeare faced before him. Poor recruitment - particularly since Walsh moved on, leading to what is now an identity crisis at the club.
I don’t feel we are progressing. I feel as if we are standing still. We should absolutely be capable of challenging for that 7th position - that means winning games against the likes of Fulham.
We have 2 England first starters in the team (how many times have we had that?), a top striker who has just retired from England duty and in Maddison, a future England star. 9th place isn’t the best this team can do
posted on 9/12/18
By the way I get we are only 2 points off 7th but let’s be honest - we don’t look like a side that’s going to challenge for Europe. That’s Everton. That was Burnley last year (and we are better than Burnley). No excuse for not doing the same for me with the talent we have
posted on 9/12/18
Joby; a very fair and balanced post. I'm more than willing to judge Puel and the end of the season and, as I've said, it might well be best if we part ways if it isn't working out.
Blackstarr; you're right, the events of Vichai's death shouldn't be used as an excuse, but is it not fair to look at it as a possible reason as to why we have looked lethargic in games? Vichai was like a father to some of those players and I don't think it's reasonable to expect that there won't be any after effects of what was a period of mourning. I had hoped, perhaps unrealistically, that we, the fans, may have been a little more understanding of this and not just jump on them when we lose or draw a match.
As for 'challenging for 7th place' - we're currently one point and GD from that position after less than half a season. Is that not challenging? Have Everton not had just as many frustrating days as we have had so far?
posted on 9/12/18
comment by Foxello (U6985)
posted 27 minutes ago
Joby; a very fair and balanced post. I'm more than willing to judge Puel and the end of the season and, as I've said, it might well be best if we part ways if it isn't working out.
Blackstarr; you're right, the events of Vichai's death shouldn't be used as an excuse, but is it not fair to look at it as a possible reason as to why we have looked lethargic in games? Vichai was like a father to some of those players and I don't think it's reasonable to expect that there won't be any after effects of what was a period of mourning. I had hoped, perhaps unrealistically, that we, the fans, may have been a little more understanding of this and not just jump on them when we lose or draw a match.
As for 'challenging for 7th place' - we're currently one point and GD from that position after less than half a season. Is that not challenging? Have Everton not had just as many frustrating days as we have had so far?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s all in the performances for me. The league table can’t be looked at until the end of the season - put in the right performances (which Everton are doing more than us right now) and the table will take care of itself.
If we were playing really well and were unlucky then I would share your optimism. The fact is we just don’t look like troubling many sides and given the quality we have - that’s just not acceptable in my view. I can’t see us finishing higher than where we currently are but I accept of course I could be wrong. I hope I am. I would be over the moon if I’m wrong!
Frustrating days will happen - that’s why we aren’t in the mix for top 4! But every week feels like Groundhog Day at the minute
With your Vichai point - yes it must have affected the players but I’ll come back to my original point on this which I don’t think anyone can really challenge - We we’re playing as frustratingly as we are right now, before the accident
In fact on the day of that tragedy we turned in the worst first half performance I’ve seen since Ranieri was here, against West Ham. It took a red card and a deflection to bail us out of that game. Nothing really has changed either side of that - I don’t count the Burnley and Cardiff games which were understandably charged with emotion
I trust the players to be able to put any and all off field events behind them when they cross that white line - aside from those two matches for obvious reasons. Again if I saw a decline post tragedy, I could agree with you - but all I’m seeing is more of the same
posted on 9/12/18
Comment deleted by Article Creator
posted on 9/12/18
We had a great win and a better performance with a maddison wonder goal was that moving backwards?
posted on 9/12/18
Sorry Nev. I won’t have the tragedy used to back up peoples positions on Puel and for points scoring on football forums. I don’t want it to be part of a tactical discussion
posted on 9/12/18
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 17 minutes ago
We had a great win and a better performance with a maddison wonder goal was that moving backwards?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You have to look at an extended period of time (as foxello is attempting to do) to answer the question of moving forwards or backwards.
Remember - I said this long before Puel was appointed. I’ve been the only one saying it
posted on 9/12/18
By the way if you want to create your own thread to discuss the tragedy and how it relates to our current performances then feel free to do so, I just don’t want to address this on this particular thread. It’s too emotive for me if I’m honest and I’m not interested in trading insults and sarcasm over it.
posted on 9/12/18
I don't but if you are not prepared to except that will effect the team including there confidence motivation concentration. The manager has had to manage the players through this period so any progress this season will be slower unfortunately but we will win a FA or League cup.
posted on 9/12/18
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 11 seconds ago
I don't but if you are not prepared to except that will effect the team including there confidence motivation concentration. The manager has had to manage the players through this period so any progress this season will be slower unfortunately but we will win a FA or League cup.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Let me put it this way - and I’ve said this before - I see no difference in the style of play, build up, tactics, any of the frustrating things we have been talking about for 8 months - since the tragedy happened.
I’m sure it’s affected the players personally, but that West Ham first half, before the accident, was the worst I have seen for a long time. All of the things spoken about in this thread have been going on way before the accident happened and that’s why I will not entertain that as a valid reason for the tactical frustrations I have. I don’t want to keep repeating myself on this and don’t want to talk about this again if that’s ok. Like I said, create your own thread if you want to delve into that subject
posted on 9/12/18
I don't think it's necessarily a case of safety first, I just think it's an outdated style of football, Puel's trying to encourage the style of play that Arsenal had success with 15 years ago. The problem is that we don't have the technical players to make it work - and also that teams know much better how to counter that now anyway.
The big tactical point for me under Puel is that we don't press as a side. Opposition players will find, when the come to the King Power, that they will have a lot of time on the ball, to look up, to pick out passes and the like. It's probably the same on the training ground, where our attack likely looks excellent in attack vs defence drills because they aren't pressed and have time to pick people out. What is more, I see no sign that Puel wants to incorporate pressing as part of a greater plan. Hanging back most of the match seems to be the plan. When we started pressing yesterday (around 75 minutes when both Albrighton and Okazaki were on), we actually started asking questions. But until then we played it more like a chess match, at the speed of a chess match.
Regardless on anything else, this is Puel's primary failing for me: No pressing, no intensity. It's all just patience, intending to dominate through possession but ending up getting dominated though not matching the opposition for effort.
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