Nice one Dunge. Great result today and great performance by the sounds of it. I think Puel said himself today that Cardiff will be the most important game of the festive season, and I get what he means, but I think we can go into that game with real confidence now whereas before we were wondering how we would break them down.
I expect Cardiff will be a more difficult fixture in many ways where the onus is on us to attack but it sounds like Puel has got the balance right in midfield and most importantly the performances out of the players - long may it continue
Black Starr - I think there should be changes for Cardiff. Perhaps harsh given the performances in the last two games but I reckon going into a game like that where we'll be expected to do the running with three defensive midfielders would be a mistake. Plus Albrighton must be shattered, so a start for Gray would probably be sensible as well.
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
The tactical masterclass of playing Maddison in the number 10 role?
Dunge. Admire your work as always. Just watched MOTD where they suggested we went 4-4-1-1 with the Maddison switch which paid off.
I’m not sure I saw it exactly like that on the pitch even though Maddison played more central. What were your thoughts?
If so, do we credit Puel for tactically doing the right thing or remain frustrated he won’t just start with a formation that could see us dominating teams. Even the champions?!!!
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 23 minutes ago
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you can. We won 4 games 1-0 on the bounce doing exactly that at the end of our title winning season. Teams worked it out. Still had no answer.
I have to give Puel credit for the tactical switch today I think it would be pretty churlish to just criticise when he’s bad and not praise him when he’s good. I’ve moaned about him a lot and for good reason, but today he got it right.
Mersey - That was exactly as I saw it. See the bottom paragraphs of my article.
Also, I’d add that I credit the change. Puel didn’t know Man City’s starting lineup, one that didn’t have a defensive midfielder in it. He changed things quite early to put Maddison in that gap, and it caused them problems. Fair play.
Great to feel assured that perhaps Puel isn’t stubborn and is definitely recognising existing qualities and looking to not only utilise them but maybe enhance some of them.
Well done Puel. I still am not convinced with 3 DMs on a regular basis, but he switched it anyway and was proactive rather than reactive - which to be fair, is often the sign of a top manager.
Cardiff will be a big test, but I don’t really see any need to change it around too much. Let’s see what Ndidi/Choudhury/Mendy can do with perhaps a bit more space.
Also, well done to the players! Newspapers bleating on about player unrest - in particular - Vardy and Albrighton: what absolutely brilliant legends you will go down as for our club. Hopefully we can finally put to rest this embarrassing and lazy regurgitation about our players not trying for a manager then suddenly turning it on when he’s gone.
I mentioned the other day that I had a slight glimmer that Puel had seen the light and evolution and that shard of hope is growing bigger. All I care about is success for our club and 2 wins against Chelsea and Man City is certainly a good sign.
Agree with the scores on the whole, although I thought Ricardo was all over the shop defensively first half an hour. But fair play, he improved and Puel did exactly what I thought was the best move when he brought Simpson on.
A good day to be a Leicester fan. I will sleep much more contently than I did a week or so ago.
KTF1 - Couldn’t disagree more with that statement about Ricardo in the first half hour. He was very, very nearly a rare 10 from me.
Really?? I thought he got caught out 3 or 4 times? I have veen suffering from a nasty chest infection so perhaps cataracts has been an undetected symptom
I only saw brief highlights and someone did mention about playing the high line (after adapting to the 4-4-1-1).They could have be punished for that, especially against these opponents.
The next match will be very interesting.
Was it not Ricardo ball watching and losing his man for their goal? And I’m sure on a couple of other occasions?? Again, apologies if I’m wrong I haven’t rewatched on match of the day
‘Also, well done to the players! Newspapers bleating on about player unrest - in particular - Vardy and Albrighton: what absolutely brilliant legends you will go down as for our club. Hopefully we can finally put to rest this embarrassing and lazy regurgitation about our players not trying for a manager then suddenly turning it on when he’s gone.’
All good comments. Puel gets the credit today and I hope we’ve all learned/rembered, possession football doesn’t win you matches, chances and goals do.
More evolution vs Cardiff please 👍
KTF - A part responsibility for the goal conceded is the reason he didn’t get a 10. That and maybe a few more dangerous crosses for a complete full back performance. But he didn’t get caught out repeatedly.
Pereira is class and I’m glad to see him settling in to the league.
Pereira did play well and was just about motm, but both full backs were having a very busy afternoon for the first 20 minutes and the re-jig in formation protected them more and stopped Man City having the freedom of both wide areas of the king power.
sorry to disapoint Puel is as stuborn as Nigel or Claudio as anyone who was there could see we where getting over run.
Peter had the perfect match did nothing wrong up and down the pitch playing against one of the best players in the country sealed with a mst powerful of strikes.
TB you just a wum. The death eaters in the club doing there thing again its not the players Puel is getting stabbed in the back by the same guys that have not it before and then stand next to him on the touchline and feeding dirty little stories to the press.
Puel has one thing that was obvious the players listen to him they might not know what he is saying though.
Nev calling any other poster a WUM !
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 10 hours, 37 minutes ago
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 23 minutes ago
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you can. We won 4 games 1-0 on the bounce doing exactly that at the end of our title winning season. Teams worked it out. Still had no answer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nev - you seem to think that Claude is some sort of second coming and a tactical genius. Oddly enough the last couple of matches have me leaning more towards Mersey's view.
The Cardiff game is not a free hit, far from it. What I'm going to say isn't going to seem fair given the outstanding performances against Chelsea and Man City, but for me it's thrown into sharp focus the appalling tactics and performances we've had to suffer over the past year with Claude, albeit interspersed with flashes of brilliance. These two matches have reinforced my feeling that we've got better players than our performances show.
As such, the game against Cardiff becomes key for me. If Claude is in defensive mode, with two (or even worse three) DMs (who have good qualities but attack isn't one of them), slow, ponderous passing across the back four and to Kasper, lack of penetration, no support for an isolated front man resulting in one shot on target in the 85th minute, then it's another nail in his coffin.
Claude needs to show more ambition against the not so capable sides for me. I'm hopeful he can change his tactics in these matches, if not then I feel his time at the club is limited, the occasional decent performance isn't going to be enough to save him.
You know it makes sense Nuneaton 😉
In all seriousness, I agree with everything you’ve written. How Puel has had this squad in relegation form I don’t know.
His insistence on forcing them to play in a way they’re not suited to, and doesn’t suit the prem had been highlighted even further by the last two games.
However, if Puel is willing to see the light and change his course, I’m willing to give him time. If not, I want to see him replaced with a progressive manager ASAP.
Cardiff as you say will be key. Continue to do what has worked over the last two games, with night press and a mix of possession and counter attack football and even if we lose I’ll give Puel time.
Return to his failing slow chanceless football and I don’t care if we scrape a one nil win, he hasn’t learned and needs to go.
Dunge - re the scores, I'm not going to suggest any different, but Kasper came close to dropping to 6 with his distribution which was very poor at times yesterday.
Ricardo was outstanding in attack and defence and thoroughly deserved MoM; I hope he has indeed permanently addressed the defensive frailties that were evident earlier in the season.
Chilwell was another who came close to dropping to a 6, he was badly at fault for their goal being 2-3 yards behind the defensive line; he's getting better defensively but still a way to go.
These are only small points in an outstanding performance.
I have reservations about Claude (see my earlier posting) but he was spot on yesterday so full credit to him. I recall it was Maddison who took the piece of paper, I wonder what it said as he looked a bit puzzled as he trotted off with it?
Man City have a fantastic squad of players and have been able to keep pace with Liverpool despite being without their best player for nearly all the season and their most lethal finisher for chunks of it; however one player who clearly does not have an adequate replacement is Fernandinho - if they don't address that they may not be able to retain their title.
Sometimes I think that fans forget that we are playing against another team with 11 players on the pitch. A team that will try to stop us playing and to try and play to their own strengths.
Cardiff will be a completely different game to Chelsea and City. They lined up with a 4-5-1 against Palace with Lee Peltier in midfield (yes, really). They will come here to keep a clean sheet and try to nick one from set pieces. They won't give us space in behind. The one chance we will get to attack them at speed will be from their set pieces when they lose the ball. Other than that, it will be a game where we need to be patient and break them down.
I will happily take a dull, uninspiring 1-0 win. 9 points from 3 over Christmas would be absolutely amazing and would put us in pole position for 7th in the second half of the season.
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posted on 26/12/18
Nice one Dunge. Great result today and great performance by the sounds of it. I think Puel said himself today that Cardiff will be the most important game of the festive season, and I get what he means, but I think we can go into that game with real confidence now whereas before we were wondering how we would break them down.
I expect Cardiff will be a more difficult fixture in many ways where the onus is on us to attack but it sounds like Puel has got the balance right in midfield and most importantly the performances out of the players - long may it continue
posted on 26/12/18
Black Starr - I think there should be changes for Cardiff. Perhaps harsh given the performances in the last two games but I reckon going into a game like that where we'll be expected to do the running with three defensive midfielders would be a mistake. Plus Albrighton must be shattered, so a start for Gray would probably be sensible as well.
posted on 26/12/18
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
posted on 26/12/18
The tactical masterclass of playing Maddison in the number 10 role?
posted on 26/12/18
Dunge. Admire your work as always. Just watched MOTD where they suggested we went 4-4-1-1 with the Maddison switch which paid off.
I’m not sure I saw it exactly like that on the pitch even though Maddison played more central. What were your thoughts?
If so, do we credit Puel for tactically doing the right thing or remain frustrated he won’t just start with a formation that could see us dominating teams. Even the champions?!!!
posted on 26/12/18
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 23 minutes ago
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you can. We won 4 games 1-0 on the bounce doing exactly that at the end of our title winning season. Teams worked it out. Still had no answer.
posted on 26/12/18
I have to give Puel credit for the tactical switch today I think it would be pretty churlish to just criticise when he’s bad and not praise him when he’s good. I’ve moaned about him a lot and for good reason, but today he got it right.
posted on 26/12/18
Mersey - That was exactly as I saw it. See the bottom paragraphs of my article.
posted on 26/12/18
Also, I’d add that I credit the change. Puel didn’t know Man City’s starting lineup, one that didn’t have a defensive midfielder in it. He changed things quite early to put Maddison in that gap, and it caused them problems. Fair play.
posted on 27/12/18
Great to feel assured that perhaps Puel isn’t stubborn and is definitely recognising existing qualities and looking to not only utilise them but maybe enhance some of them.
Well done Puel. I still am not convinced with 3 DMs on a regular basis, but he switched it anyway and was proactive rather than reactive - which to be fair, is often the sign of a top manager.
Cardiff will be a big test, but I don’t really see any need to change it around too much. Let’s see what Ndidi/Choudhury/Mendy can do with perhaps a bit more space.
Also, well done to the players! Newspapers bleating on about player unrest - in particular - Vardy and Albrighton: what absolutely brilliant legends you will go down as for our club. Hopefully we can finally put to rest this embarrassing and lazy regurgitation about our players not trying for a manager then suddenly turning it on when he’s gone.
I mentioned the other day that I had a slight glimmer that Puel had seen the light and evolution and that shard of hope is growing bigger. All I care about is success for our club and 2 wins against Chelsea and Man City is certainly a good sign.
Agree with the scores on the whole, although I thought Ricardo was all over the shop defensively first half an hour. But fair play, he improved and Puel did exactly what I thought was the best move when he brought Simpson on.
A good day to be a Leicester fan. I will sleep much more contently than I did a week or so ago.
posted on 27/12/18
KTF1 - Couldn’t disagree more with that statement about Ricardo in the first half hour. He was very, very nearly a rare 10 from me.
posted on 27/12/18
Really?? I thought he got caught out 3 or 4 times? I have veen suffering from a nasty chest infection so perhaps cataracts has been an undetected symptom
posted on 27/12/18
I only saw brief highlights and someone did mention about playing the high line (after adapting to the 4-4-1-1).They could have be punished for that, especially against these opponents.
The next match will be very interesting.
posted on 27/12/18
Was it not Ricardo ball watching and losing his man for their goal? And I’m sure on a couple of other occasions?? Again, apologies if I’m wrong I haven’t rewatched on match of the day
posted on 27/12/18
‘Also, well done to the players! Newspapers bleating on about player unrest - in particular - Vardy and Albrighton: what absolutely brilliant legends you will go down as for our club. Hopefully we can finally put to rest this embarrassing and lazy regurgitation about our players not trying for a manager then suddenly turning it on when he’s gone.’
posted on 27/12/18
All good comments. Puel gets the credit today and I hope we’ve all learned/rembered, possession football doesn’t win you matches, chances and goals do.
More evolution vs Cardiff please 👍
posted on 27/12/18
KTF - A part responsibility for the goal conceded is the reason he didn’t get a 10. That and maybe a few more dangerous crosses for a complete full back performance. But he didn’t get caught out repeatedly.
posted on 27/12/18
Pereira is class and I’m glad to see him settling in to the league.
posted on 27/12/18
Pereira did play well and was just about motm, but both full backs were having a very busy afternoon for the first 20 minutes and the re-jig in formation protected them more and stopped Man City having the freedom of both wide areas of the king power.
posted on 27/12/18
sorry to disapoint Puel is as stuborn as Nigel or Claudio as anyone who was there could see we where getting over run.
Peter had the perfect match did nothing wrong up and down the pitch playing against one of the best players in the country sealed with a mst powerful of strikes.
TB you just a wum. The death eaters in the club doing there thing again its not the players Puel is getting stabbed in the back by the same guys that have not it before and then stand next to him on the touchline and feeding dirty little stories to the press.
Puel has one thing that was obvious the players listen to him they might not know what he is saying though.
posted on 27/12/18
Nev calling any other poster a WUM !
posted on 27/12/18
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 10 hours, 37 minutes ago
comment by Nevsaysagoal2city (U5194)
posted 23 minutes ago
Dung i think now Cardiff is a free pass given the last two results.
i cant see playing three defensive midfielders but you cant counter against a team that will come for a draw.
We are reaping the rewards for yet another tactical masterclass from Puel even if he did have to send a note out to explain. top bloke
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes you can. We won 4 games 1-0 on the bounce doing exactly that at the end of our title winning season. Teams worked it out. Still had no answer.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nev - you seem to think that Claude is some sort of second coming and a tactical genius. Oddly enough the last couple of matches have me leaning more towards Mersey's view.
The Cardiff game is not a free hit, far from it. What I'm going to say isn't going to seem fair given the outstanding performances against Chelsea and Man City, but for me it's thrown into sharp focus the appalling tactics and performances we've had to suffer over the past year with Claude, albeit interspersed with flashes of brilliance. These two matches have reinforced my feeling that we've got better players than our performances show.
As such, the game against Cardiff becomes key for me. If Claude is in defensive mode, with two (or even worse three) DMs (who have good qualities but attack isn't one of them), slow, ponderous passing across the back four and to Kasper, lack of penetration, no support for an isolated front man resulting in one shot on target in the 85th minute, then it's another nail in his coffin.
Claude needs to show more ambition against the not so capable sides for me. I'm hopeful he can change his tactics in these matches, if not then I feel his time at the club is limited, the occasional decent performance isn't going to be enough to save him.
posted on 27/12/18
You know it makes sense Nuneaton 😉
In all seriousness, I agree with everything you’ve written. How Puel has had this squad in relegation form I don’t know.
His insistence on forcing them to play in a way they’re not suited to, and doesn’t suit the prem had been highlighted even further by the last two games.
However, if Puel is willing to see the light and change his course, I’m willing to give him time. If not, I want to see him replaced with a progressive manager ASAP.
Cardiff as you say will be key. Continue to do what has worked over the last two games, with night press and a mix of possession and counter attack football and even if we lose I’ll give Puel time.
Return to his failing slow chanceless football and I don’t care if we scrape a one nil win, he hasn’t learned and needs to go.
posted on 27/12/18
Dunge - re the scores, I'm not going to suggest any different, but Kasper came close to dropping to 6 with his distribution which was very poor at times yesterday.
Ricardo was outstanding in attack and defence and thoroughly deserved MoM; I hope he has indeed permanently addressed the defensive frailties that were evident earlier in the season.
Chilwell was another who came close to dropping to a 6, he was badly at fault for their goal being 2-3 yards behind the defensive line; he's getting better defensively but still a way to go.
These are only small points in an outstanding performance.
I have reservations about Claude (see my earlier posting) but he was spot on yesterday so full credit to him. I recall it was Maddison who took the piece of paper, I wonder what it said as he looked a bit puzzled as he trotted off with it?
Man City have a fantastic squad of players and have been able to keep pace with Liverpool despite being without their best player for nearly all the season and their most lethal finisher for chunks of it; however one player who clearly does not have an adequate replacement is Fernandinho - if they don't address that they may not be able to retain their title.
posted on 27/12/18
Sometimes I think that fans forget that we are playing against another team with 11 players on the pitch. A team that will try to stop us playing and to try and play to their own strengths.
Cardiff will be a completely different game to Chelsea and City. They lined up with a 4-5-1 against Palace with Lee Peltier in midfield (yes, really). They will come here to keep a clean sheet and try to nick one from set pieces. They won't give us space in behind. The one chance we will get to attack them at speed will be from their set pieces when they lose the ball. Other than that, it will be a game where we need to be patient and break them down.
I will happily take a dull, uninspiring 1-0 win. 9 points from 3 over Christmas would be absolutely amazing and would put us in pole position for 7th in the second half of the season.
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