We have no fears for future, insists Davis

Another summer of upheaval awaits Southampton in the form of several key departures and uncertainty over the future of manager Claude Puel, but midfielder Steven Davis is confident the Saints can deal with the latest mixture of evolution and revolution.

Puel declined to confirm whether he will be in charge next season, even if Saints are headed for a tophalf finish in the wake of an appear- ance in the League Cup final. A campaign most of their rivals would welcome has failed to dampen talk of dressing-room unrest amid a stifling brand of football, coupled with suggestions of an approach for Marco Silva, the Hull manager who was under consideration last summer. “Ever since I came here we’ve had speculation about the manager and players,” Davis said.

Coveted defensive trio Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Bertrand and Jack Stephens seem likely to join the lengthy list of players sold by a club whose academy system produces a seemingly never-ending supply of talent. “It’s testament to the structure of the club and what they have in place that we deal with whatever happens,” Davis added. “The foundations here are excellent.”

Puel is Davis’s fourth manager in five seasons and the Northern Ireland international added: “With the changes over the last few years it’s been unbelievable that we’ve managed to keep on an upward curve.”

Relegated Middlesbrough are also set for a summer of change. Their latest defeat came thanks to goals from Jay Rodriguez and Nathan Redmond. Shane Long missed a penalty before Patrick Bamford’s late header ate into the deficit.

Caretaker manager Steve Agnew has shown he is not up to the task full-time after a single victory in 10 games and although Steve Gibson suggested that the search for a permanent successor to Aitor Karanka is well advanced, the chairman gave few clues as to the identity of who will succeed the Spaniard.