Brown Nose
Well-Known Member
Our title winning season aside, the last time we were as well placed at this stage of a Premier League season was in Taylor's first year with us. Some comparisons between the two seasons are worth highlighting.
We were 6th in the league in 2001 compared to 7th now. We had conceded exactly the same number of goals from the same number of games and scored one fewer.
We were also in a period of change. From one ingrained style of functional football under a greatly loved manager to a new, arguably more pleasing to the eye style, under a manager well respected by the media and impartials. There are similarities here with Puel.
Taylor had also picked up some younger players (largely from his England U21 time) and sidelined some experienced and reliable old heads. Puel has done much the same bringing forward young players at the expense of heroes of the recent past.
There were whispers of discontent off the field under both of them and a sizeable minority that disapproved of the way the new manager was approaching the role. Some of this lingered over the previously successful style and approach and some was about personnel changes. However, nobody could really vocalise this to any extent because the team were delivering results.
We were also adjusting to losing our pivotal player over the previous few seasons. Heskey was integral to us before we sold him onto Liverpool, the whole team revolved around him. Likewise, we're adjusting to being without Mahrez this year in a comparable way.
We were also in our 5th successive top flight season in 2001 and feeling pretty secure and comfortable in our place. Exactly as now. Our collapse the following season was dramatic and the old heads we'd relied upon so much were mostly nowhere to be seen as they'd been discarded prematurely.
We all know how the next few months developed for Taylor. Humiliation in the FA Cup leading to free fall of confidence and league position. Faith was kept in the summer though which was a disaster of a decision in hindsight.
Let's all hope that Puel has a better 2019 than Taylor had a 2001.
We were 6th in the league in 2001 compared to 7th now. We had conceded exactly the same number of goals from the same number of games and scored one fewer.
We were also in a period of change. From one ingrained style of functional football under a greatly loved manager to a new, arguably more pleasing to the eye style, under a manager well respected by the media and impartials. There are similarities here with Puel.
Taylor had also picked up some younger players (largely from his England U21 time) and sidelined some experienced and reliable old heads. Puel has done much the same bringing forward young players at the expense of heroes of the recent past.
There were whispers of discontent off the field under both of them and a sizeable minority that disapproved of the way the new manager was approaching the role. Some of this lingered over the previously successful style and approach and some was about personnel changes. However, nobody could really vocalise this to any extent because the team were delivering results.
We were also adjusting to losing our pivotal player over the previous few seasons. Heskey was integral to us before we sold him onto Liverpool, the whole team revolved around him. Likewise, we're adjusting to being without Mahrez this year in a comparable way.
We were also in our 5th successive top flight season in 2001 and feeling pretty secure and comfortable in our place. Exactly as now. Our collapse the following season was dramatic and the old heads we'd relied upon so much were mostly nowhere to be seen as they'd been discarded prematurely.
We all know how the next few months developed for Taylor. Humiliation in the FA Cup leading to free fall of confidence and league position. Faith was kept in the summer though which was a disaster of a decision in hindsight.
Let's all hope that Puel has a better 2019 than Taylor had a 2001.
