Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is already pointed out by Talk Sport pundit Alan Brazil as the man to replace Puel, but Tcf feel that it’s too early for a dismissal at this point.
The situation at Leicester City is difficult. A lot of questions are unsolved, and the squad balance is a bit out of control. To play old players in development games are not ideal and it shows that the logistics are far from ideal.
Puel needs a new win at home against Huddersfield Town to get on track, any other result will put him under great pressure. So far 6 points are picked up, 9 would have been a maximum. A draw against Man Utd away, a draw at home to Liverpool and at least got away with a point down at the south coast against Bournemouth, would have been a good catch.
The plan of Puel is the problem, it is not really working well. Simpson, Fuchs and Albrighton are all players that should have been part of the plan, too make to many changes to fast and playing players who are not good enough here and now is not what you should do in Premier League. The PL is not a play ground for the future, it’s a place to compete in, here and now. Puel is not hitting bulls eye with his movements, that is the problem, he is doing too many errors in his team selection and juggles players that never should have been juggled.
You need to be certain in your decision making, or you will be questioned and doubted as Puel has been over the last six months or so. He is struggling to find the correct balance between defense and attack and to really be able to steady the ship, and it’s been a number of worries in key positions.
The right back position is one that Puel has made a bit uncertain by playing both Amartey and Pereira without really finding the ideal solution. Simpson is the best defensive alternative but offensively Pereira is a better player. Puel played Simpson last season, now he is not really in his plans, why, who knows.
The problem for Puel is to understand how he should use Chilwell and Pereira as full backs, as the two are very offensive and if opposition counterattacks or win a tackle in the midfield area, Leicester will be in trouble, with both not really focusing enough on the defensive part of the job. With Fuchs and Simpson you will never be that exposed, both more defensive orientated, but a difficult decision.
Simpson or Pereira, depends on oppposition. To the left would go for Chilwell, but Fuchs is a fantastic player and surely very difficult to leave him out since he is probably better in everything on the field than Chilwell, but pacy Ben will get the job for know. Fantastic luxury to have Fuchs on the bench.
The central defense is also in doubt. Maguire is a certainty, Morgan is still the preferred alternative alongside him, but not the best situation to have an aging captain not really playing as a captain should. Evans or Soyuncu is the alternative, but to play a defense together in the start of a Premier League season is not ideal. Morgan and Maguire is still the players for Tcf. Would like to see Evans playing against Huddersfield, not gamble with a new partnership again, when you are in need of three points.
Ndidi and Maddison are both certainties, Mendy has shown enough to be the partner for Ndidi in the middle. Albrighton should be certain in every game, so why Puel is juggling with him is strange, very strange.
Gray must step up, but would be in the starting line-up in a flank position. Ghezzal is a good alternative and one challenging Gray, but not Albrighton. To play with two players like Gray and Ghezzal at the same time si a gamble, since both are young and a bit difficult to predict how they will manage from game to game.
Okazaki is the one to challenge Maddison and to use if Maddison needs a rest. Vardy is a definitive starter with Kelechi Iheanacho an alternative both if you want to go with a more offensive duo or as a cover for Vardy.
Iborra and Silva are both players who could do a job, but Puel must make his choices and play a team together with a few contenders from the bench, not a full barn of people getting a game now and then, that will only make the team weaker.
With three poinst against Huddersfield Town, Puel is still the man and to see yet another management change would not be ideal, would not like that, but it could be that Alan Brazil will get his prediction correctly, and Brendan Rodgers is no bad alternative.
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