Claude Puel believes Saints will be stronger next season for the “experience and maturity” his squad have racked up during a turbulent campaign.

The Saints boss claimed his side are the second youngest in the Premier League, and is clearly proud of the way he has tried to develop young players such as Jack Stephens, James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond, as well as giving more chances to the likes of Oriol Romeu and Maya Yoshida.

Puel is coming under a lot of pressure from fans frustrated with the Saints boss’s style of play, but to the man himself it is a work in progress, which will only improve for the experiences of this season.

“Just I want to give positivity for the future for the club, always to try to improve,” insisted Puel.

“With all this games, the European games, the cup games, it is interesting for the end of the season and next season.

“The maturity and experience is fantastic games and we have the second youngest team on the league and it’s important with this good work to see this for the last five games and for the next season.

“I think also we can do a good play, a good football, and when we play in different countries or different teams people say we can play good football with quality and often we lack sometimes consistency and sometimes also the good clinical edge.

“All this we know we have to correct this for the next season because we can do better and we want to keep the good ambition because we are competitors.”

Saints travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool this weekend, recalling memories of their win on Merseyside to reach the EFL Cup final.

After the joy of that moment, it has been a harder few months for Puel, who really needs a rallying final five games to help bolster support for his position.

“It’s important of course to finish with strong games, with good focus and good concentration about the last games,” he reflected.

“We have five games, we have two games postponed and it’s interesting to keep our possibilities to play this game with a good intensity, with quality, and to try of course to finish as high as possible in the league. It is very important for us.

“We know it’s a difficult schedule and we will play against Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal and Middlesbrough, a difficult game away because they want to stay in the league so it’s very important for them.

“It’s important for us this season because we do fantastic games, great games, but sometimes without the good reward and clinical edge and this was a lot of disappointment after many games.

“I think the quality was very interesting, the work was very interesting and it will be important for us to finish with strong games.”