Paul Merson was shocked Leicester City decided to appoint the former Southampton manager.
The Foxes fired Craig Shakespeare last week and took just a few days to choose Puel as his replacement.
Puel managed Southampton last season, where he helped them reach the League Cup final, but their league form was uninspiring by comparison.
Merson says he was shocked by Leicester’s decision.
He said: “I nearly fell over when I found out Claude Puel was appointed at Leicester. Not for me.”
Southampton finished in a very respectable eighth place under Puel, but they ended the season poorly, struggling for goals.
This led to the Saints deciding to move in a different direction.
Leicester’s move to give him the job is a bit of a safe choice, but hasn’t been viewed as an inspiring one.
Nonetheless, Puel is vastly experienced and should easily be able to guide them away from a relegation scrap.
The Foxes are in 14th place but just one point clear of the drop zone. They are three points behind his former club Southampton, who sit in 10th.
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