Southampton announced on Friday that they had appointed former Alaves boss Mauricio Pellegrino as their new manager on a three-year deal.

The Argentine replaces Claude Puel after the Frenchman was sacked earlier this month despite securing an eighth-place finish in the Premier League and reaching the final of the League Cup in his first season in English football.

Pellegrino – who appeared for Liverpool during his playing career and was also employed as assistant manager during Rafa Benitez’s reign at Anfield – led Alaves to a ninth-place finish in La Liga and the final of the Copa del Rey in their first campaign back in the Spanish top flight following promotion.

Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on the appointment via social media, and while many were delighted with the arrival of the 45-year-old, others had mixed feelings and are unsure whether he is an upgrade on Puel.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…