Pascal

You can sympathize with the fact that nowadays in many clubs managers have little say in transfer policy, but it has since emerged that Poyet was kept fully informed of what the club was doing, despite his assurances that he was not. The guy strikes me as a complete drama queen, and possibly knew full well what was coming at him in the wake of his completely unhinged press conference.

That's one of the reasons why their football club just cannot get huge crowds. There are roughly 30,000 people officially living in Monaco, and only 5,000 of these holding Monégasque citizenship. Not many millionaires are interested in watching live football. Sure, there are some fans scattered in the surrounding cities in France, but there's competition for support from Nice which is merely 15 miles away. That explains why the stadium is rarely ever full, even though at 18,500 seats it is one of the smallest in Ligue 1. On the other hand, thanks to the attractive level of play, there are many Monaco supporters in other parts of France. So ironically Monaco is one of the clubs which attracts the biggest crowds of its supporters for away games. This is not enough though to convince some players to stay there when they get the opportunity to show their talent in front of much larger audiences in more prestigious leagues. Just like it was the case for Mahrez at Leicester, once a player decides that he's grown too big for the club he plays for, there's not much point fighting it. It's a pity that many foreign football fans don't go past the glitzy image of the Principality, because there's quality football to watch there. As we say in the local idiom: "Daghe Munegu!"

In the 2002/2003 season, it looked like Claude Puel might be fired by Lille, before the end of his first year at the helm. The team had suffered 7 losses in a row, and discontent among the supporters was getting more and more vocal. The club's President however decided to keep confidence in his coach, and it ended up paying off. Despite that difficult first season, Puel always managed to keep Lille in Ligue 1's top ten, and qualified twice for the Champions League during his 6 seasons at the club. In fact, as early as the following year, the club finished second, behind Lyon which was at the beginning of its period of crushing dominance over French football. They were just as unplayable as PSG is these days. To give you an idea, when Lille managed to beat Olympique Lyonnais on their turf in December of 2005, Lyon had not lost a single match since April. Puel's team therefore ended, by winning by 3 goals over 1, a series of 26 matches unbeaten in Ligue 1 for the sitting Champion. I believe Claude Puel can do with Leicester what he did with Lille. Will he win the Premier League? The odds are against him. But I'm convinced he can build a team able to challenge for the European spots. To me, if he's given the time to work, he'll make Leicester City a genuine contender for the Top 6 places. Puel in. He's still missed in Lille.

Monaco's finances are pretty healthy these days, after years of difficulties in the mid-2000s. Last year, their transfer balance showed a positive of €85 million, and this year with the transfer of Mbappé becoming final, they certainly were not struggling. The sales were planned, because the club doesn't believe in locking in players whose mind is already elsewhere. They may do that at times (Fabinho wanted to leave last year already), but that's certainly not part of their usual MO. So his departure, as well as those of Lemar and Moutinho, came as no surprise to people who follow the club. On the other hand, they bought quite a few promising young players who may or may not turn into recognized talents. In essence, their way of working is pretty similar to the one perfected by top Portuguese clubs: catch talents early, and cheap, and sell them when they've established themselves as top players. For some it doesn't work, but it's to Monaco's credit that they usually manage to unearth a few gems in each one of their transfer Windows. Ghezzal was, in a way, a similar gamble for Monaco. Get someone who showed some real promise in Lyon and then flamed out, and resurrect him into the player some thought he would become. While it didn't really happen with Ghezzal, I don't think his talent is the issue. He never got much playing time, and when he was on the pitch he looked like his confidence was still somewhat crippled. The fact that it didn't gel doesn't mean that it would be similar in a different environment. The parallels with Hatem Ben Arfa when he arrived in Nice are in that respect quite obvious, without the attitude problem though. And yet Claude Puel was able to get Ben Arfa to play again at his best level, something few pundits in France considered possible. So I really hope he achieves the same result with Ghezzal.

Easy. They play an amazing football in which scoring goals, lots of them, is the main objective. They also give their chance to young talents, while keeping a few stars around to help them blossom into world class players. From Thierry Henry, George Weah or David Trezeguet to Anthony Martial and Killian Mbappé, the list of talents who emerged on the scene thanks to Monaco is a long one. Sure, the team is not rich enough to keep all these talents when EPL or La Liga clubs come knocking at their door, but they always manage to rebound, sometimes reaching amazing heights. In 2004, they reached the Champions League final and lost to Mourinho's Porto side. But in getting there, they eliminated the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid. In other words, Monaco tries to build success, and not simply buy it like Paris Saint-Germain has been attempting for the last few years. The latter might statistically have better chance to win a European Trophy when they have the means to afford to two largest transfers in the history of football, but where's the fun in that? At least Monaco's business model is sustainable and doesn't require a Qatari sugar daddy to run. Since childhood, Monaco has been my club. As a kid, I've watched matches under pouring rain in the old Louis II stadium, the one that preceded the current one. I saw players who went on to gain international fame, and I never got bored one minute in the process. I've watched Claude Puel as a player, then as a fitness coach, and finally rise as the head coach. This club made him the Manager he is today, and that's why I believe he might be a good fit for Leicester, because he knows how to build a team and nurture its young talents. He did that as well in Lille, and that's why Eden Hazard acknowledges him as the coach who's had the biggest impact on his career. Sure, he might not be the most exciting person to listen to in interviews (he's the same way in French), but don't be fooled by his dull delivery. Inside he is still the fierce competitor he was as a player. And if there's someone who can resurrect Ghezzal's motivation and confidence to allow him to regain his best level, I believe Claude Puel to be that man.

Ghezzal is less talented than Ben Arfa is (or was). On the other hand, he's less of a pain in the backside to deal with, so on balance he's probably a safer gamble.

Yeah, an academy that whooped PSG's ass a season ago while going further in the Champions League. Try again, pal. And contrary to your stated belief, Monegasques do support their club. But given that there are less than 5000 of them in Monaco, you will never get a packed stadium. Do your homework before you utter such stupidities, even if you don't have the balls to do so in English! I'm finding you extremely harsh on this player. Yes, he did not perform at his best in Monaco, but he didn't get to play much either. I remember him as a more convincing player in Lyon, where he had a decent 2015/2016 season. And while he never played in the first team during Puel's tenure as manager, the latter probably got to see him as a reserve player, so he surely has an idea of his potential. So while it might be a bit of a gamble, I still rate this signing as potentially positive. I wish him success in any case, and I hope he find in Leicester a better environment where I might fully blossom.

Puel is definitely an asset the club can rely on for this vast project. Domaine de Luchin, Lille's training centre, is 100% Claude Puel's brainchild and is widely acknowledged as one of the most modern training grounds in Europe.

Actually, and I apologize for appearing pedant here, but both "Limonade" and "Citronnade" coexist in France. While both drinks are based on the same ingredients (lemon, sugar and water), the former uses fizzy water while the latter is made with still water.

My God, you are starting to sound like an Arsenal supporter!

I'm a little surprised to see how quickly some people are ready to write Puel off. He's a coach, not a magician. For all the admiration I have for the guy and his past achievements, I can still safely make the prediction that he will make mistakes. He will put faith in some players who may ultimately not fully deserve it, and he will reach some decisions that may look puzzling to most of us. He is human, and unless he has a crystal ball some of his choices will fail to pay off. But that's part of his job description: he has to make these choices, and that way put his ass on the line. From the comfort of our sofa, we can fantasize all we want about how things might have been different with such and such player on the pitch, or with 5 defenders instead of 4, but these are conjectures. Puel has to deal with reality, and that includes a set of variables we have no real knowledge about. Among these variables is the Mahrez fracas. Given that part of the team's resurgence under Puel hinged on Mahrez finding renewed commitment to the play, the transfer window circus has undoubtedly created shockwaves whose effects may take a while to be controlled. For the sake of the team, I hope Mahrez can once again focus and be his brilliant self before he finds a new club during the Summer transfer period, but the Manager can only do so much. Right now, Puel is attempting to come up with contingency plans. And while I have confidence that he'll navigate the team out of these treacherous waters, it may take a few more match days. Frankly, I'm happy not to be in Claude's shoes right now!

Wherever the new training ground ends up being, you can expect Claude Puel to have strong input in its set-up. He faced a similar situation as Lille's coach, as when he took over that team their new training facility was merely a project. Not only did their state-of-the-art "Domaine de Luchin" was finished before he left, but he had a lot of say in training facilities for the first team. He brought in some methods that were pretty unique at the time, like for example a 3,000 metre "Finnish track", a wood chip covered trail for jogging whose surface has the benefit of being easier on the joints. It was the first installation of this kind in France, and even today few clubs have one of them at their disposal. Before becoming a manager, Claude Puel was Monaco's fitness coach, and he is still very insistent on the physical state of this players. Therefore I wouldn't be surprised to see Leicester become a reference in that field just like Lille did in France during his tenure there. I'm quite curious to see what Puel will pop out of his sleeve this time...

Calling someone who brought the team a title a failure is inappropriate. Even successful people can reach the end of their cycle. It came pretty quickly with Ranieri, but that doesn't diminish in any way his achievements at his peak. Even people who divorce usually don't pretend that there was never any love between them...

Yep, I'm indeed French. The point you made about charisma is valid, though it can vary according to a club's identity and the nature of its fanbase. As a Monaco fan, I was not thrilled when Ranieri's contract was not renewed and instead we saw an unknown and largely unrproven Portuguese coach take his place. It turns out that, even though he has about as much charisma as a wet sock, Leonardo Jardim turned out to be an excellent coach, well suited to the politics of the club with a clear ability to make young talents blossom. And even now, in a post-title season when Monaco is sometimes seen struggling, very few fans are calling for Jardim's head. Claude Puel enjoyed the same type of support in Lille, and even when the team went through a rough patch most fans knew they could rely on the coach to make things right in the end. That's why I am hopeful that Leicester will give him the same environment to push his project forward in the long run. As for the fear that a larger team such as Arsenal might try to poach him, I'm cautiously optimistic that his experience in Lyon will serve as a cautionary tale of sorts. In my opinion, Leicester is a much better fit for the type of project Puel seems to be relishing. That's why I will definitely follow this season, and hopefully many more, with great interest.