To the outside world there may seem nothing of consequence for Southampton to worry about in the final few to weeks of the season. Those closer to the club know very differently.

Takeover aside for one moment, we are edging towards the stage where Claude Puel is going to need some results, and performances, to steady his position going into the summer.

The EFL Cup final is a major achievement in a first season, but it might not hold that much weight if a backsliding Premier League campaign on top of European failure is thrown into the mix.

Saints fans are, on the whole, a pretty patient bunch.

There may be online moaners, but you get that everywhere. When it comes to the majority, the average supporter who goes to the games to cheer on their side, it takes quite a lot to move them.

But when they turn, it can be very hard to get them back onside.

Therefore the red warning lights should be flashing for Puel, who was booed when he substituted Manolo Gabbiadini, and who got particular attention as he went down the tunnel after the game in amongst the general jeers towards the team.

The goalless draw against Hull was a real low point of a season which has had a few significant setbacks.

It was a dire game, against a side who have admittedly got a lot better in recent months, but in reality have been woeful away from home and will only just avoid relegation.

That Saints were so flat, again, in front of their home fans, taking until the 81st minute to register a shot on target, was frustrating.

The tactics were once more seemingly unmoveable, and what really hurt was a perceived lack of passion on the field.

You couldn’t say it was a disaster as Saints didn’t lose, and rarely looked like they would, but it was just below par in every way.

Puel has had his doubters for a long while.

The rotation annoyed people, his refusal to change systems for so long, his tactics too.

And, on top of all that, there is a frustration that fans feel he hasn’t always explained himself properly.

The whole place feels flat at the moment.

It’s not all Puel’s fault. In the bigger picture losing Virgil van Dijk and Charlie Austin for prolonged periods has been hugely unfortunate and very damaging.

Away from the pitch the takeover talk has been a distraction and has added to the sense of drift that has engulfed Saints.

Fans can get behind something, even something not entirely successful, if they just know and understand what direction it is heading in. There can be unity in a vision.

Where is that vision at the moment?

On the field it is hard to look at a game like the one against Hull and work out what Saints are trying to achieve playing the way they are.

Off the field what is going on? The national newspaper headlines last week may have been overblown, but it is fair for fans to want a few answers. One statement issued in January is not enough. That is for Katharine Liebherr to sort out.

Saints could have beaten Hull with a last gasp penalty. Dusan Tadic struck it well, but it wasn’t placed with precision and Eldin Jakupovic dived to his left to prevent what would have been an unjust three points.

Hull didn’t really deserve more than the point they played for, thus Cedric Soares’ injury time clearance off the line, and the placement of the post to prevent an early from free kick from Kamil Grosicki, was justice done.

Puel may be experimenting a little at the moment. His decision to start with Redmond, Tadic and Boufal as the attacking three behind the struggling Gabbiadini was an attempt to try something different. It was all his flair thrown onto the pitch from the start.

It didn’t work. Saints were too ponderous throughout.

What was more worrying than that was the lack of a proper change from Puel.

He shuffled personnel, but not tactics in any meaningful way. The plan b was again missing. It was the same stuff but just with different people after the substitutions.

Of course, part of his problem is that if you are to have issues, you want them away from home, but Saints have had them at St Mary’s, in front of thousands of their own fans. Just 17 goals in 16 games is a paltry return.

Saints’ ability to sit deep and soak up pressure and try and counter attack is admirable at times – but only against the bigger teams or away from home when your opponents come onto you.

At home to Hull it is just not going to cut the mustard too often.

Puel has a lot to do to win some people over.

As of right now you still think his job is safe, but if the last few weeks of the season become a procession of defeats and performances like this then that could change rapidly. The crowd are starting to go, and that is troubling.

He needs to address the issues in hand, and the players have to show they are playing for him too.

Puel could be forgiven for just wanting the end of the season to come, but it’s not there yet, and there is still a lot of water to be passed under the bridge.

Saints may only move a handful of positions in the table over the next few weeks, but behind the scenes the coming days will prove far more important than just that.