Is Puel a perfect fit?

Claude Puel might not have been an appointment to set pulses racing on the south coast but there’s reason to think he is the ideal man for Southampton, writes Adam Bate.

Thierry Henry remembers Claude Puel well. He was the senior man at Monaco when the forward was breaking through, and while the Southampton manager is new to the Premier League, he has already played a small part in some of its greatest goals.

“I played with him and had him as a fitness coach as well,” Henry told Sky Sports. “He helped me work on bending the ball and stayed with me after training to develop my finishing. If you want to work and you’re willing to listen, you’re going to improve with Claude Puel.”

The list of people that Puel can convince to listen to him is perhaps the really impressive part of his CV. Football had almost given up on Hatem Ben Arfa. Puel built a team around him at Nice, resulting in a France recall and a place on the Ligue 1 player of the year shortlist.

“Everyone wanted to watch Nice last year,” said Henry. “He managed to get the best out of Ben Arfa and I’m not surprised. He’d go through walls as a player and he’ll demand that of his players. He’ll want a team that plays with discipline and organisation but also freedom.”

It’s a picture of a pragmatist with a twist. Another former Monaco team-mate, Glenn Hoddle, rates Puel as one of the hardest workers he’s known. L’Equipe’s chief football writer Erik Bielderman likens him to Roy Keane. …

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