Claude Puel eager for Saints to secure first Premier League win of season
Manager Claude Puel is confident his Southampton players will finally get the rewards their performances deserve with a first Premier League victory of the season when Swansea visit St Mary's on Sunday.
The Saints kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 3-0 home win against Sparta Prague on Thursday after Puel made seven changes to his starting XI.
While Puel, appointed following the summer departure of Ronald Koeman, feels the squad have produced some solid displays in each Premier League game, turning those into all three points has so far proved illusive.
Nevertheless Puel has seen enough to remain confident that first Premier League triumph is close.
"It was a good result for us in Europe, now it is important to carry on the same work in the Premier League," said the French coach.
"It will be important for us and our fans also, because it is important to keep a good efficient team, to score and be rewarded for all of the many good things we can make in our game.
"We have the possibilities to play against the football of every opponent."
Swansea have secured just one Premier League win so far, but head into Sunday's match on the back of a 2-2 home draw against Chelsea, where it took a late goal from Diego Costa to earn Antonio Conte's men a point.
Puel said: "Swansea are a good team with good possibilities, good individuality. All the time in the Premier League, it is a difficult game because there are many possibilities, many good players who can make the difference.
"They did not play this week, so Swansea can keep good energy to play against us, but it is important for us to stay with good concentration for our game and to just think about what we have to do on the pitch."
Despite the inconsistent start to the season, Puel is relishing life in the English top flight.
"It is a good and exciting challenge," he said. "I am concentrating on my team, and for my players it is the same, this is a very exciting season, we have to play many games in many competitions and it is important to learn together to play every three days."
Swansea head to Southampton with former Spain Under-19 striker Borja, the B#15.5million arrival from Atletico Madrid, possibly set to be involved for the first time.
Swans manager Francesco Guidolin is hoping to name the 24-year-old on the bench, but the wait for Borja's debut may yet extend to Wednesday's EFL Cup tie against Manchester City.
"I want to see him train free with intensity and confidence," said Guidolin. "I hope to see him in this condition as soon as possible because we need him.
"He is a good player, but it is important in this period we don't rush.
"Yes it's a long time without him, but he is almost ready."
Guidolin came in for some criticism after changing to a three-man central defence for last weekend's home game with Chelsea. But the new system failed to make it to half-time as Guidolin abandoned the experiment after 42 minutes and Swansea, 1-0 down at the time, fought back to draw 2-2.
The veteran Italian coach, however, insists that it is a formation he could turn to sometime in the future.
"Why not?" Guidolin said. "In the last part of last season I trained my team to play with five defenders, and sometimes you have a good opportunity to do this.
"I have a lot of games behind me because my career is very long. I begin with a 4-4-2 because I was younger when Arrigo Sacchi played very good football with it at Milan.
"I then begin to play 4-2-3-1 because I understood that maybe my team needs to play with a number nine and a number 10 behind.
"This was my history 20 years ago, but when I managed Udinese they were in the Champions League with 3-4-3 and I couldn't change this shape.
"I train to play in different ways and, for me, it is not a problem.
"We can play with this shape because, in my opinion, we have the right characteristics to play in this way."
Source: PAR
