It's been an extremely topsy-turvy summer for Southampton, and we're barely a month into proceedings.

They've lost their manager to Everton, sold one of their most prized assets in Sadio Mane and have seen two of their biggest stars watch on as England were humbled by minnows Iceland out at the EUROs. Oh, and Claude Puel is their new manager, too

But not even the jokes circulating on social media about the amount of money Liverpool have wired the Saints in transfer fees can distract from the fact that the Hampshire-based club are in limbo at one of the most important times in their history.

The need for security at a time like this is serious for the Saints - they're soon to begin their first serious European adventure and with the Premier League TV money at an all time high, it's a real chance for some of the quote and quote 'minnows' to break into the top four, just as Leicester City did last season.

Even sides like West Ham were flirting with the opportunity to play Champions League football last season and it just shows that the gap at the summit is closing, so teams like Southampton have the opportunity to close down the 'big boys'.

But with a manager with no Premier League experience and top players leaving, things need to change for the Saints. This merry-go-round they can't seem to get off of is potentially their biggest problem going forward.

Nine managers in eight years doesn't make for the easiest reading, and they've managed to climb through the leagues despite the non-stop change that would perhaps stunt the progress of other teams around them. It's intriguing to imagine how far they could have gone if they had in fact have had a stalwart at the helm.

But then, you could argue that the Saints have had their best stints in the past three years under now Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, who is now at Everton. But had they managed to keep hold of either of these managers, would their fortunes be different?

It's difficult to imagine how different things must be each time a new manager, who has new ideas, comes into the club. Each must have a long-term plan for the first-team, the academy and the coaches - the Saints just never seem to have time to settle. And that could be conceived as a weakness going forward for Southampton, who are approaching one of the most exciting times in their history.

But going forward, Southampton have Puel at the reigns at St Mary's. The ex-Nice manager is highly regarded in his native France, having managed Monaco, Lille and Lyon - all of whom are considered 'big' sides across the Channel.

He's got the best out of Hatem Ben Arfa after many great managers couldn't and led his Nice side to a midtable Ligue 1 finish last season. Perhaps there is reason for some optimism at St Mary's, but this appointment is huge for the Saints.

The chairman and the board need to have got this one right - if they have, Southampton could exceed all expectations going forward.

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