Puel slams the fans calling for his head

DEFIANT Claude Puel has come out fighting at Leicester after branding his critics “crazy”.

The Frenchman is bookies’ favourite for the sack in the Premier League after the Foxes’ shock FA Cup exit at League Two Newport.

He can expect flak from unhappy supporters today at home to his old club Southampton after the embarrassing televised loss.

Puel made seven changes for the game, despite getting grief for making the same amount of switches for the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat on penalties at home to Manchester City, who then drew Burton in the semi-final.

It has upset fans who have seen the seventh-placed club’s only hopes of silverware going up in smoke.

But Puel, 57, in charge since October 2017, hit back yesterday, saying: “We need to give time to the truth and not believe that it’s possible for all players to play all the games.

“If the objective in the Premier League is to finish 15th-16th, perhaps another time we can put 11 starting players in the cup.

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“We tried to have objectives in all competitions. For the moment seventh is a very good position.

“People forget a lot of things and our possibilities. We take a lot of encouragement from developing a lot of young players.

“Other teams like West Ham, Wolves and Everton have spent a lot more money than us.

“One time it was exceptional and Leicester win the title. If people think that’s normality in the Premier League, then it’s not the truth.

“There’s a difference for Leicester in the possibilities and what people are expecting. Seventh is not bad and if eighth is that’s crazy.”

Puel says critics must take into account losing star man Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City last summer for £60m, leading to a net spend of just around £25m.

Plus his track record of developing young talent like Ben Chilwell, Hamza Choudhury and James Maddison.

Leicester was also rocked in October by the death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash.

Puel added: “People forgot also what we have had in the first half of the season. “They didn’t know if we could have the solidity and strength to continue.

“Now we have some words about seventh or eighth, it is crazy. People forget quickly.”