Claude Puel insists Saints will look at the season as a whole rather than just the final few games as they plan the way ahead.

Puel clearly wants to fight for his job, despite the tide of popular opinion turning against him at St Mary’s.

Five games on the spin without a goal at home has heaped the pressure on him, but Puel is urging the 53 game season to be seen as a whole.

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He said: “When I make a debrief it’s not a debrief about one game but a debrief about the season.

“The good things, the difficult things and all this. It’s a balance all season and to see where we can improve all the times and this is the most important.

“I am proud of my players and squad to keep always a good attitude and spirit always with this competition.

“It was the first time they played every three days, sometimes every two days, and it is difficult to combat this.

“It was the same thing with Manchester United and Jose Mourinho to play Thursday and again on Sunday because two days is not enough recovery.

“It was a good challenge for the team, the squad, my staff also, and now we want to come back to try and to find European games for the season after.”

Also challenging for Puel has been losing his two best players for half the season in the shape of Virgil van Dijk and Charlie Austin, who finished top scorer despite being missing from December.

“It’s a difficult season for the staff but it’s a difficult season for the squad,” he reflected.

“We lost important players for the team like Virgil or our top scorer with Charlie.

“Every time we find a solution and to see Maya Yoshida and Stephens at this level is fantastic. To see Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse as international players is a good thing. Many good things.

“All my players improve at this level this season. This is the most important.

“In the final, I repeat, we finish eighth on the table in a difficult championship with the big teams in the first places and also the EFL Cup final is a positive thing.”

When quizzed about his future, Puel replied: “It’s not a question for me. I make my job and my players give their best every time and I think it was the truth because they were fantastic this season and often without a good reward.

“They deserved in many games a win but without the good reward it’s always difficult to keep to work and this attitude is fantastic and good for the future.

“After the EFL Cup final it was very hard for the squad and for the staff because we deserved it. It was a fantastic journey with fantastic games and clean sheets against all Premier League teams and in the final we deserved other things.

“To come back in the Premier League and finish eighth on the table is a good thing and positive.”