Puel: Stoke result won’t effect board meeting

Southampton manager Claude Puel was once again the focal point of anger from the stands at St. Mary’s as his side slumped to a 1-0 loss against Stoke City to round out the season.

The Saints, who have not scored a goal at home since a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace in early April, we’re arguably the dominant side however Puel was let down by poor finishing and was unlucky to come up against England international Jack Butland in such good form.

The former Nice manager, who will sit down with board members to discuss his first season in charge in the coming weeks, has lead the club to an 8th place finish and the EFL Cup final while having to deal with the rigours of a European group stage and injuries to key players.

A home win in the final game of a 53 game campaign would have seen the Frenchman carry some momentum into his sit-down with the powers that be on the south coast, however, he made it clear that the loss to Mark Hughes’ side will have little bearing on the talks.

Speaking after the game he said;

“When I make a debrief, it’s not a debrief about one game, it’s a debrief about the season. The good things, the difficult things. It’s a balance of the season to see what we can improve. This is important.

“I’m proud of my players and my squad, to always keep a good attitude and spirit with all this competition. It was the first time they played every three days,sometimes every two days,  for example on Boxing Day.

“It’s difficult to learn this. If you asked the same thing of Manchester United and Jose Mourinho, to play on Thursday European games and play your game on Sunday, it’s very difficult. Is two days enough for recovery.

“It was a good challenge, for all the team, all the squad, all my staff. Now we want to come back to try to find European games for the season after.”

Puel, who was booed and jeered by home support on the final day, was also keen to emphasise the struggles he has faced in his first season as a manager in English football, as well as the positives he has brought about, adding;

“It’s a difficult season for the staff but it’s a difficult season for the squad.

Puel is the first Southampton manager to lead a team out in a major final since Gordon Strachan in 2003.

“We lost important players for the team, like Virgil [van Dijk], or a striker with Charlie [Austin].

“Every time we find a solution. To see Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens at this level it’s fantastic. To see Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse as international players, is a good thing also. Many good things.”