adrian lord Posted 8 July, 2016 Share Posted 8 July, 2016 In France only the top two qualify directly for the CL. Lyon finished 3rd behind Bordeaux and Marseille, and ahead of Toulouse, Lille and PSG, which brought them to the CL play-off round. There they beat Anderlecht with an aggregate score of 8-2 (5-1 and 3-1). In the group phase with Liverpool, Fiorentina and Debrecen they finished 2nd behind Fiorentina. In the round of 16 they beat Real Madrid, and in the quarter finals they beat Bordeaux, before going out against Bayern Munich. So, to answer your question: League 1 is probably not as strong, but on the road to the semi-finals they did beat the Preamier League #2 (1-2 at Anfield), the La Liga #2, and the League 1 champions. I'd be happy with him replicating that here with Saints. #projectpuel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastic Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 (edited) I wonder if there's a cement factory next door to the Lazio stadium? Surprisingly they have carparks and a tram station. Madness. Edited 9 July, 2016 by Plastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangely Brown Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 I wonder if there's a cement factory next door to the Lazio stadium? If so, maybe that's what drove him away. If there was he could be visiting it for all the wrong reasons very soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 So'ton is my city so I love it, the centre and high street are a bit ugly but the Parks lead into the Avenue, the Avenue leads into the Commom and the Common leads up to the finest sports centre I've ever seen so that green space runs for miles. We are dead lucky. What more does anyone want? Me too Dellman, I was born in So'ton and lived half my life there, but of course, there are fans who want a pub on every street corner........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectisSaint Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 Surprisingly they have carparks and a tram station. Madness. Much as expected given it is the Stadio Olympico (Rome), with the Tiber on one side of the Olympic Park, and a Nature Reserve on the other. Not sure even Wet Sham's new stadium would measure up to that (River Lea vs Tiber?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 Much as expected given it is the Stadio Olympico (Rome), with the Tiber on one side of the Olympic Park, and a Nature Reserve on the other. Not sure even Wet Sham's new stadium would measure up to that (River Lea vs Tiber?) Oi! I used to live next to the River Lea. It was all that kept us apart from Essex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 9 July, 2016 Share Posted 9 July, 2016 Q&A with senior writer for L'Equipé. http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/20160706-erik-bielderman-on-claude-puel-appointment-3170097.aspx What does he know? Does he know Puel didn't win the French league at Lyon? We should have listened to Martin Samuel and given it to Micheal O'neil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slugger Posted 22 July, 2016 Share Posted 22 July, 2016 Claude has done very well to avoid having to deal with any non club media so far. Better for him to settle before being fed to the journo mobs but also an indictment of how clubs in England are quite closed shops now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteCampbell Posted 24 July, 2016 Share Posted 24 July, 2016 I wonder if it would be better for him to speak with a translator to start with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 24 July, 2016 Share Posted 24 July, 2016 Oi! I used to live next to the River Lea. It was all that kept us apart from Essex. couldn't you have got Donald Trump to build a wall ?...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 24 July, 2016 Share Posted 24 July, 2016 I wonder if it would be better for him to speak with a translator to start with. He's still some way from being P.C. for the media, but he seems to understand questions and can reply with more fluency than even Poch does today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goneawol Posted 2 August, 2016 Share Posted 2 August, 2016 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/08/02/eden-hazard-alexandre-lacazette-and-thierry-henry-show-claude-pu/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabrice29 Posted 2 August, 2016 Share Posted 2 August, 2016 Interesting he talks of Redmond possibly being used as a striker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whelk Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Listening to his soporific interview - seems to have very little presence and charisma and think press conferences are going to be as dull as the Adkins era. Still if he forges a great team and has players listening I won't care one jot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Bateman Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Listening to his soporific interview - seems to have very little presence and charisma and think press conferences are going to be as dull as the Adkins era. Still if he forges a great team and has players listening I won't care one jot. Shamefully, I will admit I've stopped listening to/watching the conferences of YouTubes clips as I've found them all very dull. They don't seem to have the same spark as before. Maybe once the season kicks in and we're top of the league I will be more interested as it could just be that we had a great season and pre-season whilst always being boring, is just a huge come down. I wonder if Leicester fans are bored of pre-season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_Ash Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Shamefully, I will admit I've stopped listening to/watching the conferences of YouTubes clips as I've found them all very dull. They don't seem to have the same spark as before. Maybe once the season kicks in and we're top of the league I will be more interested as it could just be that we had a great season and pre-season whilst always being boring, is just a huge come down. I wonder if Leicester fans are bored of pre-season? Puel is probably bored of preseason to be fair, he's probably itching to get started in the league. Hopefully his pre-match pressers will be more entertaining but no one's apart from Strachan's were any good anyway. He's said he's animated on the side line so that should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verbal Kint Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 I think Puel is committed to the formation he's played in pre-season, with Austin, Long, Jay and Redmond competing for the 2 striker positions and Tadic +1 other to come in for the role behind them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpweySaint Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Listening to his soporific interview - seems to have very little presence and charisma and think press conferences are going to be as dull as the Adkins era. Still if he forges a great team and has players listening I won't care one jot. He was no rent-a-quote but Adkins came across with a great deal of class IMHO. Him reciting the man in the glass was rather special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Shamefully, I will admit I've stopped listening to/watching the conferences of YouTubes clips as I've found them all very dull. They don't seem to have the same spark as before. Its not just the language barrier - he rarely smiles or seems animated and engaged. Even in the JWP / Austin interview you could see him just hanging around in the background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Redmond as a striker?? Really? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Saint Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Listening to his soporific interview - seems to have very little presence and charisma and think press conferences are going to be as dull as the Adkins era. Still if he forges a great team and has players listening I won't care one jot. Who could forget Nigel's classic..... "If I wasn't here talking to you, I'd be at home making love to my wife...." Sheer brilliance..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Useful Idiot Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Redmond as a striker?? Really? Well, it's where he's played him in every game so far in preseason. Puel's strikers are expected to spend a lot of time in the inside forward channel and covering their fullbacks so he's probably a better option in that system than Austin. If Jay can get fit the style should suit him & Long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niceandfriendly Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Wish Puel would use a translator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_Ash Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Redmond as a striker?? Really? Is it that hard to fathom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nta786 Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Redmond as a striker?? Really? I do the same thing on FIFA, put the fast players up top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Is it that hard to fathom? Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Man Do Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions Or like that Alan Shearer fella playing in goal or that Kevin Phillips playing at right back even that Thiery Henry chap moving from his favoured position on the wing to up front? Wonder how they worked out when they moved positions? ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_Ash Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions Maybe playing up front will be natural to him. If he can score a goal get him in front of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonist Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Or like that Alan Shearer fella playing in goal or that Kevin Phillips playing at right back even that Thiery Henry chap moving from his favoured position on the wing to up front? Wonder how they worked out when they moved positions? ;-) someone should tell real madrid to stop playing bale up front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicBoom Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 I was thinking the same about Puel. Obviously results are the most important thing so we'll wait and see, but I hope he is more inspiring in the dressing room than he is in interviews. When he talks about the games he drones on in his monotone for several minutes and I have to admit I've drifted off by the time he's finished. I know he is speaking a second language but your character can still come across. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions From what I can tell, Redmond will be given a free-ish role in and around a set striker (such as Austin/Long). I don't see him being used as a striker by the book, but it seems that Puel see's something in him which makes him more than just a tricky wide player. I'm inclined to totally trust his opinion given his history with the likes of Henry, Hazard, Ben Arfa etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALWAYS_SFC Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions Well ! If it doesnt work out everytime you can make up some crap about his efforts as you no longer have Pelle to bull on and on about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piran Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 I too find his You Tube efforts boring and hard to comprehend. However, I couldn't give a damn as long as the team do the business under him. In my opinion there is far too much weight given to what people say, rather than what they do, though I guess a footie forum is not the best place to say so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
striker Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Considering he has not been playing as a striker for his career. Yes It is like the idea of fonte being a defensive midfielder or Fraser Richardson being a front sweeper Rather players played in their natural positions I really hope this isn't a new coach trying to make a mark by creating something that isn't there. It seems like he just isn't a fan of the "traditional Type guys" like Austin, Pelle, Carrol, etc. However I worry because we have 2 strikers on this team who have proven they can score PL goals. Austin two years ago (last year he was dinged up) and Long. To put one on the bench due to an experiment seems like a big risk. If he is talking about 3 upfront, or about bringing in Redmond as a change of pace, that may be ok. However I fear that the first 2 months will be this experiment where we end up dribbling around a lot but not scoring. Say what you want about the PL, but the defenses are very stout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Tel49 Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 To be fair, I think most posters on here would sound pretty boring if they were interviewed in French. Actually I think that the last six words of that sentence were superfluous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish fingers Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Or like that Alan Shearer fella playing in goal or that Kevin Phillips playing at right back even that Thiery Henry chap moving from his favoured position on the wing to up front? Wonder how they worked out when they moved positions? ;-) Nigel Adkins from physio to manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint_Ash Posted 3 August, 2016 Share Posted 3 August, 2016 Nigel Adkins from physio to manager. Wasn't Mourinho Bobby Robson's translator many years ago, he hasn't done bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint-Fred Posted 4 August, 2016 Share Posted 4 August, 2016 http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwos-50-best-football-managers-world-2016-35-31 Couldn't see this posted.Number 32 in four four twos ranking but some positive rhetoric relating to him and his teams! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 4 August, 2016 Share Posted 4 August, 2016 http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/fourfourtwos-50-best-football-managers-world-2016-35-31 Couldn't see this posted.Number 32 in four four twos ranking but some positive rhetoric relating to him and his teams! We replaced number 9 with number 32! Obviously those tables are very subjective - but thewre are some highly ranked managers in there that realistically Saints could have signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted 4 August, 2016 Share Posted 4 August, 2016 We replaced number 9 with number 32! Obviously those tables are very subjective - but thewre are some highly ranked managers in there that realistically Saints could have signed. It's not about some fourfourtwo ranking. Puel is already singing in tune with Saints board/club ethos by his focus on giving young players opportunities, playing attacking football and being shrewd with transfers. Koeman was an excellent manager, but he certainly can't be said to have been that keen on youth, remember he publicly denounced the academy as not producing 1st team talent. And, like it or not, I found it a stretch to describe our play as offensive football last year. The bottom line is that Koeman preferred defensive solidity above risk taking up front - a respectable strategy that worked - but for all his post-match interviews that claimed otherwise, in general it was only against weaker teams that we really dominated the games, were able to play "good football" and got on the ball more times than not. I have memories of last years Europa League misery where I can only assume Caulker and Fonte were actually instructed to hoof the ball up front from the back, playing in a back 5 so they had the space and time on the ball to look up and make the pass. 5-3-2 made quite an appearance, and it certainly couldn't be described as an offensive formation. We saw "the kind of football Southampton like to play", but most of the time RK played a combination of counter-attacking (w/ Long and Mane as the pace) and balls in the box (w/ Cedric, Bertrand, Davis, JWP delivering and Long/Pelle getting on the end of it). Not saying these viable Southampton tactics, and Koeman's versatility in changing systems was his strength, but I wouldn't say it was always good, creative, along the ground football, other than overlapping runs from full-backs. In that sense I'm really up for seeing what Puel can do and giving him a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint-Fred Posted 4 August, 2016 Share Posted 4 August, 2016 MannIt's not about some fourfourtwo ranking. Puel is already singing in tune with Saints board/club ethos by his focus on giving young players opportunities, playing attacking football and being shrewd with transfers. Koeman was an excellent manager, but he certainly can't be said to have been that keen on youth, remember he publicly denounced the academy as not producing 1st team talent. And, like it or not, I found it a stretch to describe our play as offensive football last year. The bottom line is that Koeman preferred defensive solidity above risk taking up front - a respectable strategy that worked - but for all his post-match interviews that claimed otherwise, in general it was only against weaker teams that we really dominated the games, were able to play "good football" and got on the ball more times than not. I have memories of last years Europa League misery where I can only assume Caulker and Fonte were actually instructed to hoof the ball up front from the back, playing in a back 5 so they had the space and time on the ball to look up and make the pass. 5-3-2 made quite an appearance, and it certainly couldn't be described as an offensive formation. We saw "the kind of football Southampton like to play", but most of the time RK played a combination of counter-attacking (w/ Long and Mane as the pace) and balls in the box (w/ Cedric, Bertrand, Davis, JWP delivering and Long/Pelle getting on the end of it). Not saying these viable Southampton tactics, and Koeman's versatility in changing systems was his strength, but I wouldn't say it was always good, creative, along the ground football, other than overlapping runs from full-backs. In that sense I'm really up for seeing what Puel can do and giving him a chance. The biggest thing I noticed with RK in charge was the drop in % possession we had from previous seasons. Now obviously possession doesn't win you games (look at Leicester who almost actively gave possession away!), Poch was well into the possession game so it was high and despite the drop in possession we finished higher than previously. The number is this list is irrelevant (opinion only and I bet two years ago RK wouldn't have been ninth!) but comments about the way Puels teams play and that the club improved in his time theire are very positive for us! With a good set up and a few quid to spend perhaps he can achieve something good with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.JonB Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 The good thing about this site is the positive posters. Please can someone please sell Puel to me as I'm not seeing anything to fill me with confidence. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Durman Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 The good thing about this site is the positive posters. Please can someone please sell Puel to me as I'm not seeing anything to fill me with confidence. Thank you. You will never be the best if you follow the rest. Saints try new things. We could see next season a lot of teams playing 4-diamond-2. Change can also be the future. Have faith, don't stand still. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelman Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 The good thing about this site is the positive posters. Please can someone please sell Puel to me as I'm not seeing anything to fill me with confidence. Thank you. What do you want from a manager - someone who manages the team, or is good in front of a camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrfahaji Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 Has it been mentioned (sorry not trawling through pages and pages!) how eerily similar Southampton & Nice league records were last season? Saints P38 W18 D9 L11 F59 A41 P63 Nice P38 W18 D9 L11 F58 A41 P63 !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectisSaint Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 What do you want from a manager - someone who manages the team, or is good in front of a camera? Quite honestly he is no better or worse than Koeman was when he first arrived, and is infinitely better than Poch. These press conferences are a complete and utter waste of time and have been for a while now, never give anything away, always answer in the most abstract way possible, no sense of humour. Not helped by the complete lack of intelligent questions from the press, "how pleased were you...?", "how happy are you...?", these types of questions are the sorts of things a 5 year old would ask (and as Benji says elsewhere) our own in-house interviewer is probably the biggest culprit (made worse by his horrible drawly voice, trying to sound American). Boring questions and interviewers = boring answers and interviewees. Bring back WGS. The more interesting stuff comes in the embargoed part of the presser anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbendy Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 Has it been mentioned (sorry not trawling through pages and pages!) how eerily similar Southampton & Nice league records were last season? Saints P38 W18 D9 L11 F59 A41 P63 Nice P38 W18 D9 L11 F58 A41 P63 !! Wow! Good stat!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 We replaced number 9 with number 32! Obviously those tables are very subjective - but thewre are some highly ranked managers in there that realistically Saints could have signed. No freaking way is Koeman 9th best manager in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Convict Colony Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 I've got to say after careful study since he has been appointed Claude is probably up there with Conte as the most stylish manager in the premier league. He does reservoir dogs look, jumper over the shoulder look, the Simone all black look. Koeman looks like a sack of sh*t most of the time with his potato filled gut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wade Garrett Posted 11 August, 2016 Share Posted 11 August, 2016 I've got to say after careful study since he has been appointed Claude is probably up there with Conte as the most stylish manager in the premier league. He does reservoir dogs look, jumper over the shoulder look, the Simone all black look. Koeman looks like a sack of sh*t most of the time with his potato filled gut Brian Clough looked like a tramp, genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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