According to reports in The Telegraph, Southampton manager Claude Puel’s future at the club is uncertain with his fate set to be decided at the end of the season.

Despite signing a three-year contract last summer and the fact that his team are currently sitting in ninth position in the Premier League, a number of disappointing performances and results – as well as a lack of goals and entertainment – has frustrated the fans and some are calling for change this summer.

The board has taken notice of this and if the Frenchman fails to make a strong finish to the campaign – the south coast outfit have five top flight fixtures remaining, including games against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United – then he could be sacked.

While some of the above points are certainly correct, it hasn’t all been negative and the manager hasn’t always been dealt with the luckiest hand.

Here are three reasons Puel deserves more time at Southampton…

He got them to a cup final

While results and performances have perhaps been below-par in the Premier League and Europa League during the campaign, one of Puel’s targets when he joined the club would have been to help them win a trophy and he came so close to doing that in February.

Despite an unfortunate 3-2 defeat in the EFL Cup final against Manchester United – things may have been different in Manolo Gabbiadini’s early goal hadn’t have been wrongly ruled out for offside – the Frenchman showed what he is capable of.

It was no mean feat after seeing off four Premier League sides – Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Liverpool – on the way there either, and he certainly deserves another crack at trying to win their first major cup since 1976 next season.

He’s been missing key players

Every manager struggles without his best players and that has been the case for Puel throughout the campaign because of injuries.

First choice full-backs Cedric Soares and Ryan Bertrand have both spent spells on the sidelines, summer signing Jeremy Pied has missed almost the entire campaign while two key men from the first half of the season – Charlie Austin and captain Virgil van Dijk – have been absent since December and January with shoulder and ankle injuries respectively.

Replacing the latter two has proved to be particularly difficult and there is no doubt that things would have improved with them in the side – Puel deserves another chance with a fully fit squad.

Saints could yet finish eighth

Southampton look for improvement every season and would have looked to have done so again this term, but many would argue that is currently difficult for them to better the sixth-place finish they achieved under Ronald Koeman last year.

With the Europa League group stages added in and the loss of key men such as Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane last summer, the fact that Saints still have a realistic chance of securing an eighth-place finish means that Puel must have done something right.

If they do end the campaign there following the increased number of games and the loss of key players, then it would have to be considered a huge success.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.