SAINTS PULL PLUG ON PUEL

CLAUDE PUEL was last night sacked by Southampton after just one season in charge.

Saints chiefs pulled the trigger – after agreeing a pay-off with Puel following an end-of-season review – despite the Frenchman leading them to the EFL Cup final and an eighth-placed finish.

Puel hoped that, along with the work he did developing some of the club’s youngsters, would be enough to keep him in a job. But he paid the price for losing the fans – who booed him after the final game of the season – and many of his players.