What’s Hot and What’s Not from Southampton’s season so far

NOT – Europa League campaign

Hopes were high at the start of the season for Southampton’s return to European competition, 12 years after their last campaign.

Nonetheless, despite a stunning victory over Inter Milan at St Mary’s in November, Puel’s men meekly limped out of the Europa League after winning just two of their six games, with their score draw with Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the last match enough to see the Israeli side through based on their superior head-to-head record.

Victories over Sparta Prague, who won the group, and Inter were mixed in with frustrating defeats to both away from home, but it was the two draws with Hapoel that did for the Saints, with many critical of Puel for his negative tactics in trying to play for a goalless draw in the last game, a result which would have sent Southampton through.

Overall, it was a frustrating campaign that promised so much but ultimately failed to deliver.