AS Saint-Etienne is reborn from its ashes, thank you for it. After a last suffocating exercise (17th in Ligue 1), the Saint-Etienne club sees the light. Leader of the championship after four days, the Greens have already paid the scalp of a big fish, the Olympique de Marseille at the Orange Vélodrome (2-0) before the reception of the Stade Rennais on Saturday (to follow live commented on our website). A renaissance operated by the Stéphanois general manager Claude Puel.
And yet, the main protagonist has left many observers wary of his explosive choices. Between the putting in the closet of Stéphane Ruffier very appreciated by the people of Saint-Etienne, the desire to separate from several influential executives of the locker room (Khazri, M’Vila, Boudebouz), and especially not to prolong the emblematic captain Loïc Perrin, Puel would have could have gone astray by making such radical decisions. A true builder, the former Leicester manager stands out for his convictions in the daily running of a club.
Claude Puel still plays the youth card
The ultimate proof to back up these remarks: the empowerment of young people that began several weeks ago. When Mathieu Debuchy is injured, it is the young Aïmen Moueffek who discovers the hexagonal jousting at the Orange Vélodrome. The young right-back from Saint-Etienne has thus joined Fofana, Camara, Nordin or even Abi nuggets stamped ASSE. In addition to the last mentioned, we could also add Maçon, Zaydou Youssouf or Yvan Neyou and Adil Aouchiche summer recruits from Saint-Etienne. After four days, the former Foxes coach used 23 players. Nine are trained at the club, six had not played a minute in Ligue 1, and twelve of them are under 23 …
Experienced profiles supervise this promising youth like Debuchy, Moulin, Bouanga and Kolodziejczak. A winning cocktail at the start of the season. On the pitch, the Greens perfectly embody the values advocated by their coach: tactical discipline, rigor, sacrifice, solidarity, spontaneity, with a zest of nerve and a good dose of talent. A strong collective identity defended body and soul by Claude Puel, anxious to preserve the balance of his group. No more oversized egos, in Saint-Etienne collective interest prevails. Another aspect that has challenged observers since the return from Ligue 1: this ability to respond to the physical challenge imposed by adversity.
Wesley Fofana, a capital battle for Claude Puel’s project
Because ASSE may shine thanks to its young people, they have a large volume of play. This is also the Puel method, relying on a tedious physical preparation which should allow players to go the distance this season. Trainer, builder, Claude Puel also knows how to transform himself into the guardian of the temple. For several days, Leicester has been courting Wesley Fofana. The young central defender has proclaimed his desire to rally the Foxes before the transfer window closes. More solicited than ever on the subject, the former coach of OGC Nice bends but does not break.
Figurehead of the Saint-Etienne training, Fofana represents the future of the club and a departure would sound like a final snub. Aware of the stakes, the French technician cultivates a certain appetite to set up as the ultimate bulwark of a club. Can his perseverance allow him to keep Wesley Fofana this season? The young defender is courted by West Ham and especially Leicester, who did not surrender on the subject, but the English leaders did not hide that tenacity remained a quality specific to their former coach … , the Puel method highlights a real desire to shape a club in its image. And in Saint-Etienne, we rub our hands …