February 26, 2017, might just be Claude Puel’s Southampton redemption day.

The Saints boss may well reflect that he has already delivered so much of what many fans said they wanted before the season started – a return to Wembley in a major final.

But even that has not been enough to shield himself from criticism.

It really would round off a remarkable first nine months in charge perfectly for Puel if he could win the League Cup.

The course of this season has always felt like something unexpected would happen.

Remove the EFL Cup final from the equation and Puel would probably be clinging onto his job by his fingernails in the face of some quite vocal opposition.

Frustrating However, as frustrating as things have got at times, he has found an uncanny knack of just getting a result when things start to teeter.

It has often been likened to Saints walking to the edge of the cliff, staring over the edge, and then taking a step or two back, before repeating the process again.

To achieve some form of success, when that habit has felt as if it has become so ingrained, has an air of inevitability about it given the way this campaign has gone.

Before the start of this campaign, like before the start of many seasons, there was been a clamour from supporters for a good cup run.

Most said they would happily accept an average league season in return for a trip to Wembley and the chance to see their beloved club finally follow up that sole big victory in 1976.

Great times There have been some great times, players and managers in the intervening years, and yet there has been no more big silverware to show for it.

How odd, then, that it is Puel, one of the most fan base splitting managers for many years, who stands on the verge of this long-awaited success.

The man whose head so many have called for. The man whose team have been hammered for a lack of consistency, entertainment, for crashing out of a winnable European group.

This cup run has really protected Puel’s position. Should he go one further and actually win the thing he goes into the history books, and will be assured his position – excepting disasters – for a long time to come.

What a strange old time in charge it has been for Puel.

Part of this has, of course, come through the sheer number of games.

While leaving analysis of his tactics and selection for elsewhere in this supplement previewing the Wembley final, the weight of fixtures has contributed heavily to this weird feeling of ups and downs racking up at a shocking rate.

The League Cup showpiece will be the club’s 40th first team game of the season – and it’s still only February.

There have been top flight seasons where Saints have only played 40 games in total, including cups, and yet they still have a third of the league to play when this match is over.

With games pretty much every weekend and midweek, aside from international breaks, there has been a feeling of things rolling along as if the brake cables have been cut.

Due to the inconsistency of results, there have been vast ups and downs, highs and lows, which would normally take place over a couple of months crammed into just a couple of weeks.

It has been hard to have time to reflect, to compute what has been going on, to really take stock and assess.

You have felt yourself hurtling from one game to the next, and then onto the next, and then going again.

It has all added to the sense that the season has felt out of control, without the clear markers in momentum we normally associate with a campaign.

The widespread view of supporters that Puel has shown an inability to really explain himself clearly via the media has also factored into the equation.

Ultimately, people judge on results first. After that, they look at performances. After that, it is an explanation from the manager.

While wins trump everything else, a good performance can buy extra sympathy.

But on occasions when you are getting neither, the manager has to try and defend himself, to explain what they are trying to do.

That is particularly true when you have changed a winning system and style upon your arrival.

Puel has attempted to offer explanation, but fans have been turned off by his delivery style, whether due to a language barrier or just content.

As such, he has only had what people have watched in the 90 minutes on the field to fall back on.

When that hasn’t been good, there has been no back-up for him. At least, he has provided no back-up for himself.

But for all that, for all the griping and introspection around the club – which also includes the recruitment policy, the ownership and other things which, in fairness, Puel does not have control over – they stand on the verge of something very special.

Maybe it’s not quite got the magic of 1976 or 2003, but this is still a milestone thanks to its rarity.

Make no mistake, for a club the size and stature of Southampton to go so long between major honours is an underachievement of considerable proportions.

How incredible, then, that it is one of the most criticised managers for many years who might just do it.