We held a Leicester City web chat with LeicestershireLive's chief football writer Rob Tanner on Friday, where he anwered all your burnimng questions on the state of Claude Puel's side.
At the top of his agenda was Puel himself . the summer transfer window and the arrival and influence of Youri Tielemans.
To get up to speed with Rob's thoughts on all things City , read on...
Steve : The big question, Rob: Puel In or Puel Out?
RT : Well Steve, I try to remain objective and provide balanced coverage of City for the Mercury readers and Leicestershire Live. I have been accused of both having a vendetta against Puel and being Puel PR, so that probably demonstrates I am managing to stay somewhere in the middle.
However, recently I have started to feel sorry for Claude as he is getting beaten with every stick going. There have been times when I have been baffled by his selections and some of the things he says and does, but at the moment he can do absolutely nothing right with many of the fans I interact with on social media.
I honestly get why some fans are not convinced and want change, but I also believe he is doing a job that is needed to be done.
That title-winning side is coming to the end of its life. That is natural and it is sad to see the end for many of those players, who will always be City legends. But I like the fact that Puel is trying to rebuild the squad with exciting, young players.
Of course you will have times when they will be inconsistent and make mistakes, but if you are going to invest in youth and the academy what is the point if you don’t give them a chance?
We have to keep them in the side and let them make mistakes so they can learn. Ben Chilwell is a classic example of sticking with a young player and seeing how he has developed because he has been a stand out player this season, after a shaky start to last season.
I am pleased that Puel brought in a creative midfielder in the window and I thought he also needed to bring in another striker, but he didn’t.
He has made mistakes, but he is trying to do a difficult job and i think he needs more time.
For more of my thoughts on this, read the article below.
Luke : Has work on the new training ground officially started now? Saw a comment in the Mercury saying so but would have thought the club would put something official on such an exciting project.
RT : I think they really want to get going with the training ground in the Spring and have secured the funding for the project with a couple of loans, so they are ready to go. The artists impressions look amazing and it is said to be the best in Europe when it is done. Exciting stuff and it will help to entice good players to the club.
Sudi : Clude Puel is doing great job for club. Club and supporter must trust him and player ability
RT : There are many who don’t think so Sudi. Your pint pot is half full, but many others look at theirs and it is half empty, and there is nothing wrong with that. He will struggle to win those fans over and that is a problem for him. It has been a difficult season for the club on and off the pitch and there has been a real divide between the fans, which is basically due to the simple fact that when City have been good they have been very good, when they have been bad they have been dreadful.
Srecko Markovic : Rob, I really do think Tielemans needs to play every game until the end of the season because he has that killer through pass and also Maguire -Evans partnership to continue. Do you think Claude will now change the famous Ndidi-Mendy partnership or will he be too stubborn ? Cheers
RT : I agree with Tielemans. I thought he was excellent at Wembley, although his first touch of the ball in the game was dreadful. After that he looked so assured and comfortable. He played a superb through-ball for Barnes and that new midfield with Maddison in a deeper role and Ndidi holding looked more balanced for me. I think Puel is now starting to discover his best line-up, and yes, Vardy must be in it. The two central defenders look like they have developed a partnership now too. The only question for me at the moment is who should play on the right flank, Ghezzal or Gray. I would go with Gray with Ghezzal to come off the bench, and I would stick with Barnes on the left.
Deece : would Claude consider pushing Chilwell forward to the wing and putting in a substantial bid to bring Jeff Schlupp home?
Ben Chilwell has developed his game well this season and is a much more competent defender. He has always been impressive going forward, so I can understand your thinking playing him further forward. One national journalist called him a Rolls Royce after his display at Wembley last week. However, I have been really exciting by his combination with Barnes down the left and think Ben is better arriving on the overlap from deep so would stick with him there.
With regards Jeff, he was a good lad at City and I got on with him. I recently saw him at Crystal Palace and he stopped to say hello, which was nice. I don’t think Claude will be bursting the bank to bring him back and I think the plan is to give Callum Elder some experience so he can offer some back-up, while I wouldn’t be surprised if City brought in a left-back as well. It will be important for City to keep Chilwell.
Stannard : Can you see Claude Puel In hotseat come the first game next season?
RT : A lot depends on how the fans react between now and the end of the season. I don’t think City have an appetite to do anything with the manager’s position during the season because they have so much on their plate since the death of Khun Vichai. They don’t want any more instability.
However, if City go on a really poor run in the remaining games and the discontent on social media start materialises in the stadium then the club may have another look at the situation and take stock in the summer.
I genuinely believe, though, that when they appointed Puel they were looking at a long-term project as he transform the squad and develops a younger side. I think it was this vision he sold to Vichai and the club when he was interviewed for the job.
In short, it all depends on the next few months.
Jorn Olund : Are we looking at building a very young squad because we need to pay back the 450 mil and then won’t have funds in the next 4-5 years to strengthen the team?
RT : I think you are referring to the loans? The first was secured against the Mahrez installments, so Man City will pay them directly to the Australian bank. The second loan is secured against forthcoming television deal money, but it is unclear how big that loan is and it is not revealed by Companies House, but it will be substantial. This is normal practise for a business when it is expanding, and City’s training ground is a big project with estimated costs between £80-£100 million. Then there is the Stadium expansion too.
However, I don’t think City are risking their financial health here. If they couldn’t afford to do it they wouldn’t have embarked on such an ambitious project.
I think the young squad Puel is developing is due to the fact that established players are much more expensive to buy and if you can develop players yourself it is better not only because their own values will increase if they do move on, but the fact so many are of a similar age gives the squad scope to grow together.
There will be clubs sniffing around Chilwell, Maguire and Maddison etc. There is no doubt about that, but City will only sell if the player insists they want to go and if the deal is right for them. I don’t think this is a farming process, though.
Vimal : Do you think that Albrighton, when back fit, if a better centre midfield option with his industry and creative passing ability? This would break up the Ndidi and Mendy duo that Puel favours, but also adds that premiership and senior experience.
RT : I am a big fan of Albrighton and not just because he is from my hometown. I think he is vastly underestimated. He has continually had to prove himself to a succession of City bosses. This may be because he isn’t a glamour player, but he is no less effective. He brings great industry and honesty to the side, and he has quality in his crossing. I think the reason Puel tried him briefly in midfield at Liverpool was because he was concerned at the lack of forward passing from midfield with Ndidi and Mendy, but he looked more at home and effective on the flank.
When he is back, and we wish him a speedy recovery after his surgery, I think he will slot back in on the flank, but as he gets older he can develop his game and play in different positions, like James Milner has.
Ollie : What do you think the chances of us signing Tieleman’s are in the summer?
RT: There is no option to buy Tielemans in the loan deal, but I know City would love to have him permanently. Monaco spent 25 million euro on him and while Leonardo Jardim has told him he is not in his plans for their relegation battle right now, I think the club know they have a bankable asset and if he does well over the next few months then his value will rise. There are other Premier League clubs interested in him and this is kind of a shop window for him. City will be in the hunt and they will hope that he enjoys himself so much at City that he will want to stay, but Monaco know their best chance of getting big money for him will come from the Premier League.
Kuljit Badwal : Establishing youth in the first team is a great thing. There is experience in the side too. Is it a risk to not play to the strengths of the experienced players like vardy and albrighton when presenting them as role models for younger players who look up to them?
RT : That is an interesting point. I suppose how they handle the request to change roles is probably more of an example to the younger players. You have to be versatile in the modern game, but I get your point. City have not played to Vardy’s strengths this season because the balls forward from midfield that he thrives on have not been coming. With Tielemans and Maddison in the side that may change and we may see the old Vardy again. Having said that, no other striker at the club would have scored the goal at Tottenham Vardy did because they don’t make those runs inside the penalty box and Vardy still has a big role to play for City. he has a natural sriker’s instinct to get in front of defenders and sniff out chances. He is without doubt the best striker at the club. I am more confident now he will get more chances than two weeks ago.
David and Jill Pridmore : Having watched most of the under 23’s matches it is a surprise that there is a lack of potential strikers coming through as opposed to other positions. It seems that the club really needs a specialist strikers coach.
RT : I think it often works that when you have a crop come through you get a cluster of players from certain positions who develop better. City have Josh Knight, Darnell Johnson and Sam Hughes, who are all excellent defenders, but they may find opportunities limited now as City have spent over £30 million on Caglar Soyuncu and Filip Benkovic. It would be great if a striker was pushing for the first team and I know there are some good players there. I don’t think it is down to the coaching as City have excellent staff, but when they had Kevin Phillips at the club he was perfect for helping the young strikers.
Shaun : With Puel opting for a youthful side, do you think it was a mistake by targeting “7th/Europe” this season. It’s raised expectation among fans leading to disappointment. I remember Ranieri insisting on 40 pts always. It helped to keep us grounded/focused. Fans need to remember it’s our first season trying to adapt without Mahrez.
RT : I think the expectation stems from the title win and the Champions League experience. Obviously, fans want more of that and the owners have made no secret of being ambitious either, so European football could be seen as a realistic target. However, when you do set targets like that and you don’t reach them it changes the perspective of the season. It can be seen as failure. This was obviously going to be a season of transition, so I would have played that down, but there is nothing wrong with being ambitious.
When Ranieri used to say “40 pts” every week City had just pulled off the greatest of great escapes so that was a realistic target for that season. What followed was just incredible. It is a different scenario at the club now.
Clare : I think the squad that Puel is building could be exceptional in a season or two. My concern is that those players - Chilwell, Maguire, Maddison, Pereira etc - could get blinded by the bright lights of the big clubs. As you say, if they want to go then the club may have to let them. What then? Will we back to square one again?
RT : Absolutely Clare, and that is why I think the club will try to keep them. What would be the point of spending all that time rebuilding the side with young players if you then sell off the best ones. I don’t think that is City’s plan at all, regardless of paying off loans. I think they want to build a young side that will grow together and improve so they can challenge for European football consistently. The conundrum is the emerging talents want to play on the biggest stages so City have to get there, but they can only do so with their best players. If you don’t get there then they may want to leave and then it is even harder to qualify.
