Puel defends Southampton record, eyes win with Leicester

ByReuters

Updated 13/12/2017 at 11:14 GMT

Leicester City manager Claude Puel believes he does not deserve criticism for his style of play at former club Southampton ahead of his first Premier League visit to St Mary's since being sacked in June.

Claude Puel, Manager of Southampton

Image credit: Getty Images

Puel's lone season at Southampton saw the club finish eighth in the league and reach the League Cup final but the Frenchman came under fire for a defensive approach with the club scoring 41 goals, the lowest among teams in the top half of the table.

The club had one win in their final eight league matches and did not score in their last five home games.

"Other people decided to make comments about our play, about results or other things," Puel said ahead of Wednesday's clash. "It is a mistake because if you saw games at Southampton we played good football and created chances.

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"For me it's always the same, to try and score more goals, to play football, to attack together and to always have good chances to score."

Southampton were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United in their first major cup final in 14 years. "I hope the fans remember our good times, like the journey in the cup and the final. It was great at Wembley, they are good memories," he said.

Leicester are eighth in the table with 23 points after six wins, five draws and five defeats and are looking for their fourth straight victory after beating Newcastle United, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur in their previous games.

The club have improved under Puel, who replaced the sacked Craig Shakespeare with the 2016 English champions third bottom of the table in October.

"It's important to keep the way and just to continue this work – after that, it's for other people to criticise or be positive or negative.

"It's important for me to always give my best for the club and I gave my best for Southampton. But it's in the past now, it's finished."

Southampton are 11th with 18 points and drew 1-1 with Arsenal in their last game.

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