Claude Puel struggled in the Premier League with The Saints and The Foxes – but he’s still well respected in Ligue 1.
Former Leicester City and Southampton manager Claude Puel is set for a return to the dugout after agreeing to take over at Ligue 1 strugglers St Etienne, according to Le10 Sport.
The softly-spoken Frenchman is far more popular on the other side of the Channel than he is in England.
Despite guiding Southampton to the EFL Cup final in 2017, not to mention an eighth place finish, he never won over the St Mary’s faithful with his pragmatic tactics far removed from the high-octane style that made The Saints’ genuine neutrals’ favourites during the reigns of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman.
And the less said about Puel’s year-and-a-half at Leicester the better. Let’s just say The Foxes look a team totally transformed under Brendan Rodgers with Jamie Vardy, who clearly wasn’t a fan of the 58-year-old’s less than forward-thinking approach, in the form of his life.
But, over in France, Puel’s reputation is still very much intact.
He famously led Monaco to the Ligue 1 title in 2000, lifted the Intertoto Cup with Lille, took Lyon to the Champions League semi-finals and wowed the nation with a Hatem Ben Arfa-inspired Nice team.
And, according to Le10 Sports, Puel has agreed to take over at St Etienne with Ghislain Printant, who only took over in the summer, ripe for the chop. Les Verts are 19th in the table after qualifying for the Europa League last season and the only way is up, surely.
With 13 goals conceded in eight games, Puel’s ability to organise a defence will be appreciated at St Etienne.
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