Southampton sacked the now-Leicester City boss for Mauricio Pellegrino and are now struggling under Mark Hughes.
Southampton appear to be getting closer and closer to a second change of manager in 2018 as they continue to struggle under Mark Hughes.
Hughes was appointed in March after Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked with the club under the threat of relegation and while he did avoid a drop down to the Championship, it’s difficult to say that he’s improved them.
His three-year contract in the summer was a real show of faith from the Saints but recent reports suggest they’re already making moves to shake things up, with club legend Kelvin Davies allegedly being given a more involved role, according to TalkSPORT.
Nearly 18 months of struggles at the bottom of the league mean that the real winner out of all of this is clear: Claude Puel.
The Frenchman was let go in the summer of 2017 to make way for Pellegrino, and considering what was achieved in Puel’s sole season at St Mary’s, it’s safe to say that was a poor decision.
Puel led Southampton to an eighth-place finish and a place in the League Cup final – two things that look well beyond the current side – and he prepares to face his old club on Tuesday knowing that a win would be his 20th with Leicester City, the same number he managed with Southampton.
He can achieve that feat in two games less, too, and Puel continues to demonstrate his ability to guarantee a competitive Premier League presence – it’s easy to forget, but Leicester certainly weren’t doing very well a year ago when he was appointed.
It’s a cruel twist that one man who seems perfectly suited to turning Southampton around is the one they got rid of before their downfall.
And nothing really sums up the Saints’ downfall post-Puel quite like their respective records at St Mary’s over his 51 games with the Foxes; Puel has won twice at Southampton as Leicester boss, one more win than the Saints have managed on their own ground in the same period.
When we look back on that decision in June 2017, it’s clear that there was only one winner.
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