Obviously i would like to see our team playing less cautious and attack alot more, but as you said, losing key players and unrest by one from day one(Fonte) does not help. For the slow defensive football that our fans seems hell bent on getting him sacked for, they are a sure fickle bunch ignoring all he did well. I think playing less football and a full pre season, whilst having all players available will pay huge dividends.
Totally. We juggled all competitions with a weaker squad and saw Wembley in the process. Reality check needed.
I'm just hoping for some stabilty and clarity in the next two weeks. Yoy would think we were Sunderland fgs.
I remember that Liverpool fans were chuffed last season to finish 8th and get two finals. We've achieved the same league placing as they did last season, and achieved one of those finals that they did, and our fans (a great deal of them, it seems) want the manager out. Wonder how it came to this? Sixth was an anomaly really for Saints - remove it from the records, and this would be further progress/consolidation, in probably the hardest set of conditions since Nigel brought us up. Koeman ditched us out of all cups early on to achieve what he did. Saints could have won about five more games (assuming one of those wasn't against Everton) and remained in 8th place this season. Something like 7 more wins and we'd have only moved up one place. That would be a remarkable amount of more wins, and we'd really gain nothing further from it. Would fans still want Puel out? I would not expect him to play the same way next season - he did what he had to under difficult circumstances and a hard start to this campaign.
Saints have made the correct decision on all our last managers - I have seen them correctly not go for the popular or obvious choices (I still shiver when I remember some on here calling for that Mourinho impersonator who read How To Look Like A Successful International Manager for Dummies and wears his expensive clothes a size too small last close season - his name escapes me for now [EDIT: Villas-Boas]; and McClown a few seasons before that!!), so I hope they refrain from moving for Ranieri. A personable fellow for sure, but he would not have achieved what he did without some serious groundwork and momentum and the right players in place from the season before. And for sure lightning does not strike twice! Puel's pedigree is immense. We should be pursuing our strategy of bringing hungry and skilled younger managers into the league imo. Managers with something to prove - and Ranieri definitely does not have anything to prove.
I find it funny so many people are cross that people who have not enjoyed watching the football on offer this season dare to complain! You wouldn't come out of the cinema and start an argument because someone else thought the film was crap. The fact is that those people you guys are moaning about have every right to whinge about the dire football on display. I haven't heard anyone whinge about the position - but some have pointed out the big drop in points. The bottom line is that people pay to watch football as it is entertainment. So many times people have slagged off Pulis or Allardyce for their tedious football, but apparently if we play tedious football it is okay? In three of the last four games, watching streams from different commentary teams, commentators were threatening to fall asleep. I have been on the fence about Puel, and complained vociferously about the board's transfer dealings last summer, but I can't see anything wrong with fans who invest large sums in the club complaining if they don't enjoy the product. Turgid football is still turgid, even if it grinds out the odd result.
Look I would rather he stayed and see what he can do if we can have some sort of decent summer. But I get why some are frustrated they are paying 40 quid or whatever every home game and seeing absolutely no goals whatsoever match after match. Saying we are 8th doesn't begin to tell the story. Getting some players in who can shoot would be a reasonable way forward
As an aside, Silva is seemingly not great at coaching his team's to defend corners. It can't be too hard to sort your team out to stop conceding from corners, but 7.9% of all Hull's corners conceded have resulted in goals. 5.7% is the next worse in the league. West Brom concede from 1.9% of their corners, as an example (West Brom conceded 4 goals from corners; Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Man U. - 2-3 each). Stats from The Guardian football podcast.
That's no excuse for the last 5 home games, and generally dire football throughout the season. We lost 17 points on last season and scored only a few more goals than Sunderland. PL & Europa were poor, yes we finished 8th but we were closer to relegation than Europe in terms of points. I've tried my best to support him & his reaction to Long's winner at Anfield in the EFL Cup warms my heart, but he's not the manager to take us forward.
I agree here really - we create tons of chances most games, and miss sitters regularly. In terms of chances created, we do not fall short. Our defence often concedes the opposition's only shots on target. What Puel is dealing with is players who are not taking their chances, and a massive hole in the centre of his defence. I think he doesn't need to be the fall guy. The Board should thus consider carefully where they lay the blame for this appalling season where there are only seven teams better than us in the entire country, despite the injury problems we had which put our best players out for pretty much 50-75% of the season. And consider who they are getting in to do better with the same set of players. (I believe there are better managers of course - they should just make sure if they are going to replace him that they do so with one of them.)
It's been a difficult first season in English football for Puel for lots of reasons, let's see how Ronald deals with the EL next season. I fully expect to see a different style of play next season if he stays. The rotation and slow, possession football was to guard against burnout and things started to improve playingwise around about February, the last few games were mainly against the top teams and we lost a bit of confidence at the end. Getting VVD and Charlie back will be huge as they were sorely missed and I believe that there are reasons to be optimistic going forward, but I accept that if Puel returns to rotation and the diamond and the goals dry up again then he will have to go.
Koemans usual style in cups is to get knocked out quickly. lets see if he makes it to the group stage this time.
I agree Fran, not knocking the reliable Beefy but if someone said to me VVD was very likely to leave and followed it up with, yeah I'd say he is 2 out of 10 to go, I'd take it with a pinch of salt. It's the sort of rumour I could make up right now.......I've heard from a mate that Freddy Adu is likely to sign for Saints, I'd say about 2 out of 10 chance. Then when this obviously doesn't happen, I can say I only said it was a 2 out of 10 chance. I've got a pack of cadburys creme eggs in my cupboard and I'd say there is a 2 out of 10 chance I will eat one tomorrow, I know this is unlikely and that's why I went so low, whereas there's a solid 1 in 1 chance that I will have a cuppa tomorrow which means it's definitely happening! Seems an easy cop out to me, sorry Beefy.
Not really a easy cop out when I post about Targett/ Bertrand at the same time. The person that told me said Van Dijk is likely to go, but not a definite. I can only post what I have been told. I'm not going to add on **** just to make randoms feel the info is more worthy of agreeing with.
I would sum up this season as an injury ridden, transitional one with a tough fixture schedule and very much a work in progress, certainly not grounds for replacing a manager yet.
In his first season at Nice Puel's side struggled but he built a foundation and look at their finishing position the following seasons!
Oh no, I appreciate your posts and wouldn't expect you to make it up, I totally believe you were told this and I'm being sincere. But my point is don't you think he/she are contradicting themself by saying likely to leave when it's only a 2 out of 10 chance? So basically this guy/girl is saying VVD is 8 out of 10 to stay? I'll buy that for a dollar!!
