Southampton appoint Frenchman Claude Puel as manager – Twitter reacts

Add as preferred source on Google

In recent years, Southampton have proven to have the perfect footballing business model. Regular squad rebuilds every summer, excellent signings who are resold for massive fees, and two of the best managers in the business who were unproven when appointed. They’ve now bucked that trend with the appointment of Claude Puel.

Whilst unknown to most English football fans, Puel is well known in France, particularly for his seventeen year spell as a player at Monaco, and then a remarkable managerial career at some of France’s biggest clubs. Upon retirement as a player at Monaco, he became a coach and then reserve team manager, and was appointed first team manager in 1999. Sacked in 2001, Puel won one league title and laid the foundations of the side which would be defeated by Jose Mourinho’s Porto side in the 2004 Champions League final.

A spell at Lille followed, where his side exceded expectations in reaching the Champions League, followed by more Champions League success as he took Lyon to the semi-final stage in 2009/10. Puel became available this summer after leaving Nice, where he took them to fourth place, just missing out on another Champions League spot.

Embed from Getty Images

With the likes of Manuel Pellegrini, Frank de Boer and Unai Emery linked with the job, it seems that European experience was vital in Southampton’s search, and with experience of leading teams above and beyond what is expected of them to the Champions League will fit the bill that Southampton fans want perfectly. Alongside Puel having a good track record, he is known in France as being an attacking coach with a tendency to look towards the youth system at his clubs, again, key criteria for the role of Southampton manager. That said, his critics have claimed that he struggles with managing star players and isn’t afraid to speak his mind, which could cause problems should players want out, as the likes of Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mane et al. have in recent years.

Signing on a three year deal, as Pochettino and Koeman have previously, Saints fans will be hoping that he will stay the duration, after the other two moved on to Tottenham and Everton respectively.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the news:

No-one seemed to know who he was…

But he doesn’t care…

He brings experience…

Some saw him as perfect for the Southampton model…

https://twitter.com/ConnorArmstrong/status/747069578228998144

While other thought the same, but for different reasons…

https://twitter.com/jimbohughes/status/748559317796782080

Some were disappointed after some of the glamorous names linked…

https://twitter.com/slimdazza/status/748566188582649856

And Liverpool’s transfer committee are already monitoring any of his new signings…

https://twitter.com/TheKopMagazine/status/748508145660665856

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Steeve Constanty.