Welcome Puel!
Think people are being overly negative about this based on Southampton fans saying the football was boring.
It’s a bit underwhelming maybe, but could be a shrewd appointment.
He’s criticised for playing boring defensive passing football at Southampton, but they lost the likes of Pelle and Mane before he arrived, had injuries to others, so had very little attacking talent in his squad. And they still finished 8th, reached a cup final and were playing in the Europa League.
Our defence is far weaker than our attack. We have a group of talented attacking players - Vardy, Slimani, Mahrez, Shinji, Iheanacho, Albrighton are all good players. Gray and Musa potentially could be.
Maybe Puel adapts to the squad he’s got and realised Southampton would struggle for goals so wanted to make them tighter defensively.
His reputation from France when he joined Southampton was very good, and his teams were known from playing attractive attacking football and a high pressing game.
Or maybe the owners believed that if he can make us more defensively solid again, then the attackers will be good enough to get something.
I’m fairly undecided about this one, but think writing him off on the back of Southampton fans wanting prettier football is pretty crazy. If you look at what else he’s done in his career, then it doesn’t look too bad.
Underwhelming maybe, but not a disaster.
Either way, he’s here now anyway. So back him, back the team, and let’s hope it works out.