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Claude Puel Emerges As The Saints Preferred Choice

The Telegraph has declared that Claude Puel is the man for Southampton Football Club and their man writing the article is better connected to the club than most in the national media.

The Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson used to work for the Daily Echo and has written a book about Saints, so when he says something about Saints you can bet it is well informed and well researched.

So when he says that Claude Puel is leading the pack to take over at St Mary's you sit up and listen.

He concurs with his ex colleagues at the Daily Echo that Saints are not just jumping in for a big name, but are scrutinising each and every candidate as to their suitability, not just as per their CV, but as to being suitable for the Southampton Way.

He says that many have been considered including many of the names touted in the press, but that the club believe that Puel is the man best suited to what they want.

Although the deal is not done, Puel heads a now small shortlist and they believe that he ticks the boxes not only with his track record of a willingness to promote young players, working on a limited financial budget, pressing attacking football and experience of European football, but also with the ideas he has conveyed to the club in the interviews.

All in all Puel has worked in the environs that Saints are now in, ie at clubs that are not the biggest in France, but have built themselves up and competed in Ligue 1 with high finishes and European qualification.

This is where the club sees itself challenging and they want a man who has that experience on his CV

Manuel Pellegrini was seriously considered, but the club really wanted a manager with a bigger presence on the training pitch itself.

Saints fans are now waking up to the fact that the club has a strategy that is different from many clubs, although those same clubs are starting to realise that it works and are looking to emulate it.

That is why the transfer of Nathan Redmond from Norwich is proceeding onwards despite no manager being in place, the strategy is such that although of course the manager is the tip of the iceberg and crucial in the strategy, he is not the one part of it that holds it together, we are at the point now where we can drop managers in and out yet the aims and strategies continue unabated.

Of course getting the right manager in is crucial to how well the strategy works and that means it is key we get the right man, but no one can deny that Saints have not been putting in the due dilligence here, success for any manager is not guaranteed, but no one will be able to say Saints have not done their homework.

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