Southampton manager Claude Puel ready for Premier League debut against Watford

Puel was a one-club man as a player, spending an entire career with Monaco, which included winning nine major honours.

He played under Arsene Wenger for seven years and notched up almost 500 appearances as a dogged defensive midfielder.

It was only natural, then, that Monaco would be his first step into the world of coaching.

“At the beginning when I stopped my career at Monaco I was an assistant manager of Jean Tigana,” recalled Puel.

“I work as his assistant with Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, Gilles Grimandi.”

His chance at the big job didn’t take long to come.

“When I was manager of the first team, we have finished in first with the younger team. All players very interesting, they make after a great career,” he surmised.

Puel might have been forgiven for thinking management was easy.

Appointed to the big job at Monaco in January 1999, less than 18 months later he had won the Frenchtitle. Aside from Trophee des champions which followed as a result – the equivalent of the Community Shield – it was the last major silverware he won as a manager.

Spells at Lille, Lyon and Nice have all generally been considered a success, but in a different way.

Now he finds himself at Saints, and in a similar situation.

A good season does not mean he has to lift the Premier League trophy, but the fans have got used to seeing good football, and winning football.

Married to that is the desire of the club to develop their own young talent, something for which Puel is renowned, and no doubt a major part of the reason he was appointed.

“In every club for me it was important to improve to work with the players,” said the man credited with turning Henry into the goalscoring machine we saw grace the Premier League stage for so many years.

“In Lyon it was with Lacazette, Jeremy Pied. At Lille Hazard, Debuchy, Cabaye. Young players of the academy, I take them and work with them to improve.”

That development of youth is something that has been somewhat left behind at Saints in the last couple of years. However, under Ronald Koeman success followed.

So for Puel the challenge will be marrying the two together, along with balancing out the duel demands of the Premier League and European football, and the draining Thursday-Sunday fixture headaches.

And, though Saints fans want a winning team, they also want to see some good football as well.

Though surely every job feels daunting at the start, you could forgive for Puel for wondering where to start with it all at St Mary’s, and just how he is going to gel it together.

“I like that my team and players can practice good football with possession but also make a good attack, good counter attack,” he explained of his philosophy.

“I hope my team can keep energy every three days to give pleasure to our fans and keep good results. The other teams, great teams, have many many great players.

“(At) Southampton we have good players and a very good team.”

At 54, and with a lifetime spent in French football, the timing was right for Puel to venture to foreign shores.

While his appointment surprised many when it became fairly well known that Manuel Pellegrini wanted the Saints job, he is clearly a fit the club’s management were happy with.

Though he is a quiet and unassuming character, the attributes he brings do fit into the club’s vision.

However, for all the talk of developing young players, of his diamond midfield formation and style of play, football is all about winning, and that is what he will be judged on.

“We will see at the position at the final of the championship,” reflected Puel. “It’s more important at the moment to improve our collective, to have a good understanding between the players.

“It’s fantastic for Southampton to finish eight, seven and also six. I don’t know our position in the final (this season). I think there are also great teams – Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, can also make a good season.

“But with the collective you can make a good result and give a good position for the fans.”

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