Steady Saints should seal a top-half finish

It's not unusual for Southampton to start a new season under a different manager and the task now falls to Mauricio Pellegrino to keep the Saints a top-half Premier League club.

Ian Branfoot (1991-93) was the last Southampton boss to start three consecutive seasons and in the last ten years only Alan Pardew and Ronald Koeman have lasted more than one, so it was no shock to see Claude Puel depart.

Saints, despite the disruption, have finished eighth, seventh, sixth and eighth in the last four Premier League terms. They have qualified for Europe twice as well as reaching a League Cup final and the selection of Pellegrino looks another stable appointment.

In some respects the sacked Puel can count himself unfortunate after a solid season, particularly as they harshly lost their Wembley final to Manchester United 3-2 despite a dominant display.

However, rumours of dressing-room discontent made Puel a dead man walking, while it was perhaps indicative of their style of play that midfield anchor Oriol Romeu became hugely influential.

The Saints faithful were unhappy with the apparently dull football which produced a paltry 41 goals and just 17 of those came at St Mary's which was the same home figure as Middlesbrough and one more than Sunderland.

Critics claim Puel's approach was too timid, although Southampton managed 550 shots - 48 more than Koeman's Everton and only 16 fewer than Arsenal. Everton scored 21 more goals than Southampton and Arsenal 36 more.

Of course Saints, who failed to score in six of their last eight matches, don't possess the same firepower as Arsenal, but it could also be argued they were not as dull as the perception.

Southampton arguably lacked luck which could fall Pellegrino's way and the Argentinian will benefit from a fit Charlie Austin as well as a full pre-season for January arrival Manolo Gabbiadini.

However, pragmatist Pellegrino, a former assistant to Rafael Benitez, hardly preached attacking football with Alaves last season. Like Puel, he was a beaten cup finalist and Pellegrino's men also scored 41 La Liga goals.

Sorting the future of on-strike Virgil van Dijk is of the utmost importance but Saints have previously lost star players and remained competitive and it should be more of the same.

Key stat
There were 38 goals scored in Southampton's home league matches last season - the joint-fewest along with Manchester United.