CLAUDE Puel has admitted that he has lots of “angry” Saints players on his hands – but says that’s only a good thing!

Having had games come thick and fast in the first-half of the season, with Saints playing 38 games – the length of the Premier League campaign – by early February in all competitions, Puel could utilise his full squad, writes Peter Howard.

Such was the level of the Frenchman’s rotation policy that it wasn’t until the EFL Cup final at the end of last month that Puel named an identical side in consecutive games.

But with Puel now finding a settled team in the 4-2-3-1 formation, it has left many Saints stars without a place in the team.

Subsequently, many, like Jay Rodriguez, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Sofiane Boufal and Sam McQueen, have appeared for the club’s under-23s as a way of getting game-time.

And Puel admitted that while it’s impossible to keep all his players happy, with many of them angry at the lack of opportunities, he doesn’t view that as a negative.

“It’s not possible [to keep everyone happy],” he said. “The players that cannot play are angry, but this is normal because all the players want to play.

“It’s normal and I want them to stay angry with this feeling and spirit, but to keep a good attitude on the group.

“It’s important the players can feel this because they’ve got to make progress, to win his place during the training sessions and develop himself.

“The competition for places is important but of course some players are happy because they can play often, but other players are not.

“It’s important for the staff and all the squad to keep a good attitude and keep a good spirit to work in the training session and to try and change the manager’s opinion.

He added: “It’s a positive, but it must be anger with a respect for the team, with the respect for their team-mates and the staff.”

One player who is unlikely to go without playing chances is free-scoring Manolo Gabbiadini, who has netted six goals in his first four Saints appearances since his £14m move from Napoli in January.

Puel hailed the Italian’s contribution since his arrival.

“The profile of Manolo was interesting for us because he’s a clinical player,” he said. “But it’s not just his goals, it’s a good player because it’s easy to play with him, give a good solution, a good run.

“His movement in the box is interesting. He’s always available for his partners with good technical and quality in the control in the pass and to combine with him is good.”

Puel believes that Gabbiadini has given confidence to the entire squad.

“It’s important to make progress, but I don’t know if he can continue to score in every game because it’s difficult,” he said.

“But he can give a confidence for all the players like you saw with Nathan in the last game at Watford and all the players like Dusan and Ward-Prowse.

“And for all the other strikers in the squad to see him and to play with him is interesting and will give confidence to all.”