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Saints are aiming to break their St Mary’s goal drought and finish the season on a high.
It has been more than six hours of football since Saints last netted in front of their own fans, with only bottom of the table Sunderland having scored fewer than the 17 Claude Puel’s team have managed at home this season.
Frustration has gripped St Mary’s and possibly filtered through to the players, but ahead of the final game of the campaign against Stoke tomorrow Puel is upbeat the goals will come.
“Perhaps sometimes it is important with the good support of our fans also because we try a lot,” said Puel.
“We saw this another time against Manchester United. We have more opportunities, more shots, more shots on target, a lot of situations, and it’s important of course to score.
“The possibility sometimes without the good confidence but the qualities, it is important to keep going about this. It is the last game and I hope we find the solution for this game.
“The most important is to keep playing good football and have opportunities and good situations.
“Of course after now it is important to finish, and this is not just the strikers or offensive players because we can score with other players. Midfielders can shoot from far, they can have good opportunities also.
“It is a lot of more conviction, but the confidence is important and I say perhaps we score the penalty and after the possibility for one or two goals. After all this gives a good feeling for the players, for the squad.”
He added: “I think just a little more confidence is just something.
“Perhaps if we scored the penalty at the beginning of the game all this changes the game with more confidence and to put into attack and to score a goal.
“The first goal often is important in a game and we saw this when we played against Watford away and Sunderland.
“It was interesting because we know when we score the team has confidence and all the players can score.
“It’s important to continue this work and the confidence comes with the good work on the training sessions.”
Puel has also been the target of frustrations at St Mary’s, with his second half substitution against Manchester United, introducing Sofiane Boufal, being booed by the home fans.
It was the second successive game the Saints boss received the ire of his club’s own supporters, but he insisted he is unfazed.
“No attention about this,” he replied. “Sometimes it is a question but it is normal.
“For me it was normal to try to put another offensive player to try and win this game. A draw is one point but I wanted three points and I try something. This is my job.”
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