William Saliba's Saint-Etienne team-mate Yann M'Vila has laid blame at manager Claude Puel for the side's poor Ligue 1 performance this season.
Saliba has shone in spite of this but Les Verts find themselves 17th in the league after finishing fourth last season to secure Europa League football for the 2019/20 campaign.
Puel arrived at the club in October after a run of two wins, three draws and five losses saw his predecessor Ghislain Printant sacked.
"He is a good coach, maybe without good manners," M'Vila said talking on Instagram Live to Toronto FC full-back Chris Mavinga.
"He wants everyone to do it his way. He is not close to the players like we have previously experienced. And that is what we like. You can walk alongside him without him talking to you saying nothing.
"What I regret in the league is that we have a f***ing good group, but there is something that isn’t working. Last year, the group was gelling well and we made it into the Europa League. How do I explain it? These are the coach’s decisions."
Struggling for form in the winter, Puel decided to revert to a back three/five which didn't have the desired effect. Saint-Etienne were unable to string two successive wins together until late January.
Injured during this period, Saliba wasn't at the centre of the chaos but returned with the back three/five still in use.
Having been used in a back four at the start of the season - in which he lost none of the nine games he played before his November injury - this was new to the youngster. Upon his return, he was played as the left-sided centre-back in the back three which left him exposed.
The side continued to struggle as a result and Puel eventually switched back to a back four. In doing so, Saint-Etienne's form hasn't improved much but Saliba's individual performances have become more steady.
Before the break, he was instrumental in helping them reach their first cup final in 38 years, playing a role in both goals in a 2-1 win over Rennes. His defensive contributions also remain strong despite him having moments where his inexperience shows.
Overall, the troubles Saint-Etienne have had over the course of the 2019/20 season shouldn't worry Arsenal fans ahead of Saliba's arrival. Instead, it sheds light to what he has had to cope with before making the move across the Channel.
