Puel ready to back gift of the Gabb
CLAUDE PUEL insists there will be no room for sentiment when it comes to team selection today.
Which means new recruit Manolo Gabbiadini is set to get the nod ahead of the Southampton stars who fired the side to Wembley before he turned up at St Mary’s.
Puel reckons his clinical streak – Gabbiadini has scored three goals in two Premier League games since arriving in a £14.6million move from Napoli – has rubbed off on his team-mates.
And the Saints boss has challenged his men to fire themselves back into the Europa League by lifting the EFL Cup at Manchester United’s expense.
Puel said: “It is important to put out the best team to try to win this game. If Manolo has to play because he is confident and is sc scoring goals, then he will start.
Youngsters
“When a player like Gabbiadini scores,sc it gives confidence to the team,te it gives confidence to the otherot strikers. We saw that last gamega (a 4-0 win at Sunderland) withw Shane Long, for example.”
Despite the fact January recruit GabbiadiniGa is set to play in the showpiecesh final, Puel stressed the partpa the whole squad has played in reaching Wembley after he gavega his youngsters a chance.
He said: “We started this co competition with young players a and we have finished with e experienced players and this s shows the good philosophy of th the club. And it’s a good ac achievement for the squad.
“Southampton’s future is im important, because we do not ha have the same financial power as bi big clubs like Manchester United.
“But we are also ambitious and want to play in more cup finals.
“This cup gives the opportunity not just to win a trophy, which would be my first in England.
“It also gives us the possibility to go back into playing European games next season, which is good for the development of the squad.
“For the players, playing every three days is very, very important.
“To learn, to reach maturity, it is fantastic to play in European competitions.”