According to the Independent, Saints are already sounding out possible replacements should they choose to sack Claude Puel after only one season.

Saints are about to sack Claude Puel according to the Independent newspapers on line portal and they have already sounded out two candidates according to their story.

The two are Portugese managers Marco Silva currently at Hull City and Carlos Carvalhal of Sheffield Wednesday although understandably both are concentrating on their current club's endeavors to be in the Premier League next season.

Silva has an 18 month deal at Hull, but their is a break clause if they are relegated and he appears to be favourite for the job even if Hull stay up given the Humberside club's ownership issues.

Carvalhal would almost certainly stay at Hillsborough if the Owl's are promoted.

Puel's position will be formally reviewed at the end of the season according to the report, but the board will surely not be unaware of issues in the dressing room, poor performances on the pitch and lastly the apathy of the Saints supporters of late, season ticket sales seem to be slow judging by those on social media who claim not to be renewing if Puel is in charge and the club will not be insensitive to this.

Saints problem is that none of their candidates is willing to talk formally or commit until the season is over and they can start to sort the situation out.

They would feel that they have given Puel every chance to turn things around of late but with every game the levels of performance seems to get worse and it is heading in one direction now unless Saints win their remaining three matches and Puel shows both the supporter base and club that he is the man for the job, but that is perhaps a task that is beyond redemption now.

Saints do want to avoid a lengthy period without a manager thus leaving them open to accusations that they are not in control of the situation, therefore they would prefer to have their replacement lined up before dismissing Puel, however the clamor in the supporter base is for action and their is no patience.

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Jesus_02 added 17:49 - May 12 I think its admirable that Puel got a full season. His performance can be duly assessed. If our previous statements are true we will already have a good idea of who we will approach should the club decide that he is not up to scratch. When Puel was appointed it wasn't met with great expectation, but neither was it met with great consternation. We have a pointed well in the past and TBH it hasn't been a great disaster. We have given an emerging manager an opportunity, so in my view no harm done. I don't think that it will enhance our reputation to repeat that trick. What we need now, more than anything is an inspirational appointment. We need a manager with player pulling power. Is that Silva... im not so sure

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bstokesaint added 18:36 - May 12 Saintmark, regardless of what has actually happened I don't believe it's the club's policy to actively try and sell our players. That's the point I'm making. Standing in the way of a disgruntled player is futile. It's in everyone's interest when it's clear a player wants out to get the biggest return. Other clubs don't find themselves in our position because they don't have players in our calibre, except those in the top 6 who can offer mega bucks and instant chance of success. I'd love to see any fan who thinks they could do better have a go and convincing players to stay. Somehow I don't think "I love this club, so so will you and also I'll treble your wages" is a savvy business plan. Players look out for themselves. You just have to work around that fact.

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bstokesaint added 18:42 - May 12 On that basis I don't think there is a comparable club in the league. The only way to keep players is to win stuff, which is hard when you lose your best players. I think we are currently in a Catch 22 position. The only way to change all that could be to find a manager who can get the best out of our current team, which it doesn't appear Puel can is doing right now.

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GeordieSaint added 20:38 - May 12 If the club was seriously tapping up either of these managers at this stage of the season it would be an absolute disgrace. Imagine how saints fans would react if that happened to us on the verge of relegation or promotion? Similarly for anyone thinking someone who would speak to another club before the end of a crucial season could be the right man for the club shows how delusional some supporters can be. If a manager would do that to hull or sheff wed then he would do the same thing next year if saints had a good season. Saints are realistically not a bigger team than Sheffield and not much bigger than hull. Behave like mercenary scum and that is the only way you can expect people to behave to you.

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SaintBrock added 14:28 - May 13 Many people are clutching at straws. There are far more fundamental issues at play in our club that need to be fully addressed before any manger has change of getting us moving in the right direction again? There can be no quick fix and sadly things might get worse before ethyl get better. Until Leibherr gets herself sorted out on future ownership of the club we will remain in this unfocused limbo that we find ourselves in and the malaise will spread throughout the organisation. We have an owner who doesn't bother to show up to matches or important club events, a chairman who can't be bothered to communicate any more and a CEO who has jumped ship no doubt because of what he knows is going on behind the scenes. Drumbeat, rallying calls ( together as one, we march on) have become rhetorical relics. What is any manager or player supposed to make of that. How can they not be affected by the obvious lack of interest from above. Of course it unsettles everyone and the amazing thing is that players like Cedric, Romeu & Bertrand can get themselves up for it game after game,which can only be because they actually care about the club that they are playing for and its fans. The chances are this mess is not going to sort itself out very quickly and Puel may well decide he is not going to hang around just to be the butt of everyone's frustration. I'd even cut Les Reed some slack on this (although very, very reluctantly) he can only act within the mandate and budget that he is given.

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