Wes Morgan returned against Sheffield United meaning its just Shinji Okazaki missing at the minute. So here is what I would go with Schmeichel Simpson Dragovic Maguire Chilwell Mahrez Ndidi Silva Albrighton Iheanacho Vardy Subs- Hamer, Morgan, Fuchs, Iborra, James, Gray, Diabate
Today's starting XI: Schmeichel, Simpson, Maguire, Morgan (c), Chilwell, Ndidi, James, Mahrez, Albrighton, Gray, Vardy. Subs: Jakupović, Dragović, Fuchs, Iborra, Silva, Diabaté, Iheanacho. #LeiStk https://t.co/69aMYCFM0A
Awful line up, we are asking to be beaten! What did Drago and Amartey do wrong to be replaced by Morgan and Simpson who pass sideways if you’re lucky! And James in front of both Silva and Iborra. Also arguable that Diabate would deserve to be over Gray or Albrighton. 4 positions there where players haven’t been picked on form
Thy deserve it, we’ve been worse than ****e. No effort, no creativity, unforgivable team selection. Can see why Southampton fans were fed up with Puel ball
Stoke were set up to close us down quickly today and defend deep to stop us playing through them or putting Vardy in space behind their back line. We simply didn't have the quality or composure on the pitch to break them down, and we didn't get at them quickly enough to put them on the back foot. We started promisingly but didn't create any chances and then lost all momentum. If we'd got an early goal they would have had to come out more to try and get a point. Instead, they got the first goal and were able to continue playing in the same way. Unfortunately Puel's 'solution' to this type of situation is to put more attacking players on the pitch which he hopes will inevitably lead to us creating more chances and scoring goals. He did the same against Swansea. But it doesn't address the original problem and more often than not screws up any shape the team had. What looked like a promising season a month ago is now drifting steadily downhill, and players that were being raved about - Iborra and Silva - can't even get into the team.
I like James but come on Puel. James add depth not first team quality that Iborra and Silva offer Demarai Gray was absolutley pathetic. Diabate did more in 5 mins purely by making runs into space I thought Marc Albrighton was superb today
In my mind it’s simple: when we play the 4-2-3-1 you have to play N’didi and Iborra. When you do that, you simply win the midfield battle and that gives the platform for the 4 ahead of them to do something
Lost at home to Palace, can only draw with Swansea and Stoke! Puel as to answer a lot of questions. I agree James as got to be behind Silva and Iborra, and should Bournemouth offer £20+mill for Grey i would snap there hands off.
Iborra or Silva but yes agree with the principle. Not sure what James brings, two defensive players when we were crying out for a cutting edge. Poor team selections
The strangest decision for me was to not play Iborra in this on ... you know what you are going to get from Stoke and we needed to win the aerial battles ... and didn't Iborra score one and have another disallowed at their place?
I hope for his sake that Puel is tinkering to work out who hes going to cut in the summer. Silva needs game time if hes going to make the world cup. I would rather have started Iheanacho in behind Vardy, as no-one else fit works in that number 10 role, no good starting 3 wingers.
I think his disallowed goal was Palace at home just before or after Ndidi was sent off and it went to pot. Point stands though like you say that it was a game for Iborra and or Silva to break them down not the players with no technical ability like James, Simpson etc
You've really got it in for Danny Simpson,haven't you, John. I thought he was very solid again, as he has been all season. I don't want technical ability in my right back; I want defensive capability, and he has that, His game under Puel has come on and his distribution is much improved. But we do need more guile in midfield. Iborra might have improved things but he does tend to get caught in possession a lot, and Stoke would have given him no time on the ball at all. I can't make my mind up about Silva. At the moment I would say that there is much room for improvement, but I appreciate that it takes time to adapt to a new style of play and a new team. However, I do think either of them would have offered more of a threat going forward.
I don’t have it in for Simpson, I like him a lot, very good defensively and key to the title season. I just don’t think Amartey or Dragovic did anything wrong to be dropped straight away in favour of Simpson and Morgan. I think either of them would have offered more than Matty James who is again a more defensive solid midfielder which is why him and Ndidi were great away at Chelsea but at home to the likes of Stoke we need more. I like Puel and hope he builds something. My concern is that he wants us to play more football and be more comfortable on the ball but on Saturday he left those players on the bench and played the less technical players
... it's a fair point re Amartey - he was getting better and better ... plus, and similar to Iborra - . Amartey would have been another benefit to us in that regard, given that he is comfortable as a centre back ... Stoke were bullying us a bit aerially
