AS Saint-Etienne : That’s my opinion – Saint-Étienne: Good luck Puel! | ASSE News

Puel

That’s my opinion

It is clear, and it is a surprise: Saint-Etienne is a candidate for maintenance to avoid what would be a real disaster in Forez. With Claude Puel at the foot of the mountain.

The first period was a shipwreck as rarely seen. Aged Greens, outraged, with less than 22% possession. For how many years had ASSE not damaged its image of a historic club to this point? Sure, OL would come out triumphant. And then, Claude Puel knew how to find the words of survival at half-time, especially he operated a tactical change which densified the Stéphane midfielder, limiting the influence of Bruno Guimaraes who hit three times less balls after the break.

He quickly understood that the future of the team could not rest on Ruffier, Perrin, Debuchy, Cabaye, M’vila, all valiant, all worn out or almost. Claude Puel knew he should change everything.

The visitors, of course, did not turn the tide, but they stopped suffering. This defeat (0-2) sends a strong message: the Saint-Etienne coach is there to fight like a starving man, which will not surprise anyone. In October, he joined a field of ruins which he probably did not measure the degree of disintegration. He quickly understood that the future of the team could not rest on Ruffier, Perrin, Debuchy, Cabaye, M’vila, all valiant, all worn out or almost. Claude Puel knew he should change everything, he’s been doing it for five months, too bad if his method lacks a bit of roundness and causes Stéphane Ruffier to unpin. He’s right, there are a lot of things that need to be changed in this bad team, which needs a goalkeeper who can play on the foot, semi-defensive players who run and attacking ball handlers … He is at the foot of the mountain.

An opinion to find in the new issue of France Football available now on newsstands or in digital edition by clicking here.

Read also