Claude Puel Reported To Be In Talks With French Club
A French journalist has reported that Claude Puel has been in France this week speaking to a potential suitor should he leave St Mary's.
L’Equipe journalist Bertrand Latour has claimed that Claude Puel has met with Saint-Etienne’s board, regarding taking over as manager at the French club next season.
Puel's stock may be low with Saints supporters but in France it is still high, not only because of his success there but as what is seen as a good year for Puel at St Mary's in his first season.
Indeed it seems that it is only a large section of the Saints support who dislike Puel and think he has been a disaster at St Mary's, from afar most not connected with the club consider 8th and a cup final as a more than reasonable season given the circumstances, although it has to be said that most of them did not have to watch the performances or the rotation system that some Saints fans thought lost us more than it gained.
Latour suggests that not only Puel but also Claudio Ranieri have been interviewed by Saint-Etienne.
Latour finishes with the claim that the position will be filled by June 5th.
There are rumours doing the rounds for a while that Puel and his family are unhappy living in England and want to return to France and that his departure from St Mary's is on the cards but will be managed in a structured way that will see him return to France to another club and allow him to leave with his reputation intact and of course allow the club to close this chapter of it's history with little fuss.
But whatever the truth, the club need to deal with the situation whichever way it is going swiftly, the longer it goes on the more it will look like it is being handled badly.
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