Saints seeking ‘vision’

S O U T H A M P TO N are looking for a manager with a shared “long-term vision” after sacking Claude Puel.

Frenchman Puel, 55, took over at St Mary’s last summer and guided Saints to t he EFL Cup Final, where they lost to Manchester United, and an eighth-placed finish in last season’s Premier League.

But the board has opted to make a change, dismissing t he f ormer Lyon and Nice boss.

A statement from Southampton said t he club had “terminated the contract of Claude Puel with immediate effect”.

It continued: “Everyone at Southampton would like to express our thanks to Claude for his hard work and commitment this year.

“The highlight of the season was a memorable day at Wembley in the EFL Cup Final, a day our fans will always treasure. We wish Claude well for the future.

“The search for a new management team is under way.

“We are confident we will find the right fit in line with the long-term vision of the club.”

Despite the positivity around Southampton’s Wembley appearance in February, they l ost 16 league games to slip to eighth after Ronald Koeman had delivered sixth place before moving to Everton.

The south-coast side also suffered early exits from both the FA Cup and the Europa League.

Come the final game of the season, a 1-0 home defeat to Stoke, Saints fans appeared to have turned against Puel, chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing” and booing the Castres-born tactician.

Claude Puel