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Claude Puel can push Southampton on again, says Matt Le Tissier

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Former Southampton striker Matt Le Tissier has called on fans to support the club's decision to appoint Claude Puel as their new manager

Matt Le Tissier trusts that Claude Puel is the right man for the Southampton job having got their recruitment right in the past.

Frenchman Puel was appointed as Ronald Koeman's successor on Thursday, with Eric Black as his assistant, following a four-year stint at Ligue 1 side Nice.

He led Nice to fourth place in the 2015/16 season, and Sky Sports pundit and Southampton legend Le Tissier has faith in the club's choice after Koeman's departure for Everton.

"He may not be a huge name in world football, but he's a manager who has done very well in France, has taken his team into the Champions League and got into the semi-finals of the Champions League with Lyon.

They've been pretty good with their appointments over the last few years, so I'm happy to trust the club that this is the man to take us forward again.
Matt Le Tissier on Southampton

"He obviously knows what he is doing, and I trust the club. They would have done their homework on all the candidates that were available, and they have made up their mind.

"They've been pretty good with their appointments over the last few years, so I'm happy to trust the club that this is the man to take us forward again.

Ronald Koeman, Everton press conference, Finch Farm
Image: Ronald Koeman left the club for Everton earlier this summer

"People perhaps looked at Mauricio Pochettino, who wasn't a household name in this country when he came, and perhaps thought it was a bit crazy, but that turned out not too bad.

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"Ronald Koeman was also a fantastic success here and hopefully Puel can take us on again."

Southampton's summer has been a roller coaster so far, losing forward Sadio Mane to Liverpool and midfielder Victor Wanyama to Tottenham, for a combined fee of £45m.

Saints' departed XI
Saints' departed XI

Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Victor Wanyama: Southampton's departed XI

Le Tissier says Puel will want to take stock of which areas he needs to strengthen before rushing into the market, and insists the target this coming season will be more European football after a sixth-place finish in 2015/16.

"I guess top of the priorities will be to strengthen the squad for the season coming. We've lost a couple of players in Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama, so I guess he will probably be looking at another holding midfielder.

Sadio Mane signs for Liverpool FC
Image: Sadio Mane signed for Liverpool earlier in the week

"He'll probably want to assess the squad before making any rash judgements. He'll have a chance to decide where he thinks it need strengthening from his point of view.

"For six or seven seasons now, we've improved on our league position. Obviously it's going to be very tough to go and do that again. There's a lot of clubs in that Premier League who feel they have the right to be challenging for Champions League football.

Matthew Le Tissier
Image: Matt Le Tissier believes Puel can take Saints on

"We were just outside those spots last season, and I guess from the club's point of view, regular European football is what they're looking at, and I guess that will be the target again this season."

The sale of Mane and Wanyama continues a familiar trend at St Mary's, the latest in a number of big-money departures over the previous three seasons.

Wanyama will be playing alongside Erik Lamela at Tottenham next season
Image: Victor Wanyama also left St Mary's for Spurs

But Le Tissier does not see this trend as a negative, and believes that while reinvestment can be tough, Southampton have more often than not got it right.

"I'm not even sure that you can stop it that way, because Ronald Koeman had European football for next season but that didn't make him want to stay, and he went to a club that don't have European football, which is an odd decision from a career point of view.

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French journalist Damien Dubras believes Southampton's new manager Claude Puel was the 'last good coach left in France'

"That's the position that we are in as a club, that's the business model that we have got. You just have to rebuild, go again, and keep strengthening. Using the money we receive to go and strengthen the squad.

"The great thing is, most of the money we've got from these transfers over the past few seasons has been reinvested very well into the squad. The club have done fantastic business in the transfer market in terms of the money they've laid out for players, and the return they get on them.

Southampton players celebrate with manager Ronald Koeman
Image: Southampton finished sixth in the Premier League last season

"Some people view that as unambitious, but the reality is 99 per cent of clubs are in essence feeder clubs for the big boys. If your players do well, and say Barcelona or Real Madrid or one of the big clubs in England want to come in and take your players, it's very difficult to keep hold of them.

"I've consoled myself to that fact, I know what it is like in football. I think the way the club have gone about their business is fantastic, and the fact we've done that, and still kept on improving, gives me a huge amount of confidence in the people that are running Southampton Football Club."

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