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Was Claude Puel right to ditch the diamond formation?

By Conor Dunford

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Claude Puel manager of Southampton looks on during the EFL Cup Final match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Claude Puel manager of Southampton looks on during the EFL Cup Final match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) /
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Southampton are within sight of finishing in 8th place in the Premier League. Couple this with an appearance at Wembley in the EFL Cup final, you’d assume all was rosy down at St Marys.

However this does not seem to be the case. Claude Puel and the team have come under much criticism from fans over the course of the season.

The formation Claude Puel decided to deploy when he joined the club in the summer was a hugely contentious decision. After years of playing the familiar 4-2-3-1 under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, Puel decided to revert to a 4-1-2-1-2 ‘diamond’ formation.

Results under this new system were mixed, insisting Nathan Redmond was the man to partner Charlie Austin upfront. This resulted in 1-1 draws with both Watford and Sunderland at home, either side of a spirited 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. Under this new found system, Southampton created a multitude of opportunities. Having an average of 15 attempts in the each of the first six Premier League games.

Puel was consistent in this approach for the first few months of the season. The football was entertaining, the frustrations came when the players were not finishing the chances they had created.

Despite the huge number of attempts at goal, Southampton struggled to hit the back of the net. Be it the pressure this put Puel under, or a sudden change of heart, the system was reverted back to the familiar 4-2-3-1.

Despite moving Redmond back into his natural position on the wing, and being able to utilise Dusan Tadic in his preferred role behind the striker, results did not improve. A 2-1 loss to Hull was not long followed by a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Then came the infamous 1-1 draw with Hapoel Be’er Sheeva. A defeat that saw Southampton fail to make it through a winnable Europa League Group.

This poor run of results around the Christmas period put the team on the backfoot in almost every game. Desperate for a result, desperate for a performance. Perhaps Puel’s change of system came too soon. The diamond was starting to give promise and if a clinical striker was brought in then results would drastically improve.