In the 66th minute of Saint-Etienne's last league match, away to Nantes, left-back Yvann Maçon cut inside onto his right foot and, as nobody was closing him down, decided to curl a beautiful shot into the top right-hand corner to put his side two goals up. The young defender looked so relaxed when he hit the ball, he might have been playing with his pals in the local park. Two years ago, that's pretty much what he was doing as he turned out for the Dunkerque reserves in the fifth tier in front of two men and a dog.

Maçon's rapid rise is a fantastic story on its own, but the 21-year-old's emergence also stands out as a symbol of Saint-Etienne's recent transformation. There is a freshness about the ten-time champions these days, a new look to the team, and a growing feeling among supporters that this mix of organisation, hard work and youthful exuberance could take Les Verts a very long way. The way in which they have surged to the top of the table with a new-look and incredibly young team has been surprising, but those who have watched their four matches know this has been anything but a fluke.

Machinations

The turnaround hasn't happened overnight. Since Claude Puel took charge a year ago, he has been leading a quiet revolution behind the scenes. The experienced trainer, who celebrated his 600th Ligue 1 Uber Eats game in the dugout against Marseille this month, took charge of Saint-Etienne on the premise he would have an all-encompassing role with regards the club's sporting strategy. His days as a mere first-team coach - the position he held during spells at Lyon, Southampton and Leicester City - are behind him. Puel is now back doing what he loves most: overseeing an entire project from A to Z.

The former Monaco midfielder has brought in some long-time friends and colleagues to support him in this mission - and not just in his backroom staff. Deal-maker and finance guru Xavier Thuilot, who worked with Puel during his successful stint at Lille in the 2000s, has been appointed general manager, and the highly respected Jean-Luc Buisine (another Lille acquaintance) is now head of recruitment. Last season, progress on the pitch was slow: Saint-Etienne finished the campaign a lowly 16th. But the pandemic gave Puel more time to re-mould the team in his image, as well as instilling a new, demanding work ethic on the training ground.

Changing of the guard

Puel has never been afraid to challenge high-profile players if he feels they are not adhering 100 per cent to his instructions. But if he was never likely to have much joy in a power struggle with Leicester's Jamie Vardy, things are different at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard because the manager has the power. Goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier is arguably an even bigger club talisman than Vardy, yet Puel was not afraid of sidelining the hugely popular custodian when his performances dipped last season. The club have backed the manager all the way. Likewise, internationals such as Yann M'Vila (now at Olympiacos), Wahbi Khazri, Ryad Boudebouz and Yohann Cabaye - all of whom thought they had comfortable first-team places - have lost out to younger, hungrier players.

This week, Saint-Etienne turned down reported bids of €32m from Leicester City and €35m from West Ham United for 19-year-old centre-back Wesley Fofana. The idea that the club could resist such lucrative offers would have been unthinkable a year ago. But Puel, who, significantly, is part of the club's executive committee, has told his bosses in no uncertain terms that he is counting on Fofana this season and remains convinced the teenager's value will only rise in the next year. We will have to see how the saga unfolds in the coming days, but there is every chance Puel will get his way again. If not, the club will now be able to sell for a record fee and have major funds to reinvest.

Young guns

The impressive performances and results are only strengthening Puel's hand further. The way in which Saint-Etienne took the game to Marseille in the first half at the Orange Vélodrome a week ago must have felt like a throwback to the 1970s for the club's oldest and most loyal fans. The starting XI had an average age of 23, although that figure dropped significantly when veteran defender Mathieu Debuchy got injured early on and was replaced by the 19-year-old Aimen Moueffek at right-back.

Moueffek and Maçon were brilliant in the full-back positions, stifling the threat of Dimitri Payet and Florian Thauvin on the flanks and marauding forward at will. Maçon's cross set up Romain Hamouma's opener before Denis Bouanga's stunning goal sealed a richly deserved 2-0 win.

Plenty of promise

In midfield, three more unheralded youngsters - Mahdi Camara, Zaydou Youssouf and Yvan Neyou - are seizing their opportunities. Spurred on by Puel, who barks orders at them relentlessly from the touchline, these kids run and run all game long, throw themselves into tackles and are unafraid pass through the lines. Former PSG prodigy Adil Aouchiche is also thriving. The wonderfully technical 18-year-old may prove the best piece of business Saint-Etienne have pulled off in years.

These are exciting times, but let's not get carried away here. Saint-Etienne do not possess a 20-goal-a-season striker, and they are unlikely to be top of the league for long. But they will provide another undefeated club, Rennes, with a serious test on Saturday. Most importantly, there is a coherent plan in place and this famous old club can begin to harbour lofty ambition once more. During spells at Monaco, Lille and Nice, Puel showed that when he throws himself into a project, when he has the wide-ranging responsibilities that he craves, he is one of the best managers around. Saint-Etienne have realised this - and their future suddenly looks very promising as a result.