FORMER Aston Villa caretaker boss Eric Black has joined Saints as Claude Puel’s new assistant manager.

It may seem an interesting move by Saints considering the torrid time he’s just spent at Villa Park, who were relegated in miserable fashion from the Premier League last season, writes Peter Howard.

Scotsman Black was the man who had to try and keep an inept Villa team playing despite their impending relegation.

But Black brings a very key attribute that Saints will definitely need next season.

He has wide experience of football in England and as such will be able to act as a counsel to Puel, who takes his first job in English football at St Mary’s.

Not only that, but having spent five seasons with Metz in France, he is fluent in French and thus the perfect language intermediary for Puel and first team coach Pascal Plancque.

The 52-year-old undertook a similar role with Remi Garde at Villa Park last season and took charge of a sinking ship when Garde was sacked – he then departed the Championship side when Roberto di Matteo was hired as manager recently.

Some may sniff at Black’s appointment after the thankless task he endured at Villa last season, however, he has been hugely popular at other clubs he has been at.

Black managed Coventry City and took charge of 20 games with the Sky Blues in 2004, which saw them win nine and draw two.

He was eventually ousted in favour of Peter Reid, a decision that angered Coventry fans.

Black has also coached at Birmingham City, Sunderland, Blackburn and Wigan Athletic.

“Eric Black has an excellent pedigree as a coach and vast experience domestically and internationally,” Saints’ executive director of football Les Reed explained.

“Pascal Plancque has an excellent record as a technical coach and, like Claude, has been responsible for developing many young French talents into top quality players.”

It is unlikely many, if any, Saints fans would have heard of Pascal Plancque let alone how to pronounce his name.

In the end it comes out sounding something like the word ‘plank’.

Puel’s 52-year-old fellow Frenchman had a playing career of nearly 200 appearances in France and has managed in the French lower leagues with Arin Luzien and Pau.

He was also in charge of Lille B in the last season of Puel’s charge there and was last at Boulonge in the French third tier.