Foxes may want Puel gone . . . but be careful what you wish for

AS LEICESTER slumped to defeat by West Ham, the atmosphere at the King Power was the worst it’s been for a long time. I get why the fans are fed up. Leicester have now lost four of their last five. But while the supporters, and it seems the players, have had enough of manager Claude Puel, they should be careful what they wish for. What do the club want? Their magical title was always going to be a one-off but just breaking into the top six is tough. Since Leicester were champions, the Manchester clubs have brought in world-class managers and spent nearly £750m between them. Liverpool have stepped it up a gear, too. Leicester have lost N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater. Even if Riyad Mahrez leaves, they have a decent squad that should be aiming at finishing seventh. Given their poor start, ninth place is no disaster. Puel (pictured) is a hard taskmaster but guided Southampton to eighth last year and the League Cup final. Player power is strong at Leicester. It can be dangerous when owners undermine their manager by sounding out the senior players. Puel may not be everyone’s cup of tea at Leicester but you only need to look at Southampton to see the perils of consistently firing managers. I am a big admirer of the Leicester City story. It would be a disaster should it end next season in relegation.