Last year Saints powered over the line into sixth place with a late run of wins, can they repeat something similar this season to secure another top 8 spot.

The irony of this season's issues is that in terms of points total we are only 4 points shy of the number we had at the 30 game mark last term, back then we had our best finish in years to take 19 points from the last 8 fixtures to end up on 63 points.

But this has not always been the case and the in fact Ronald Koeman's first season was the mirror opposite ending of his last, two years ago after 30 games we sat on 53 points and in sixth place and within striking distance of a Champions League spot, however in the final 8 games we amassed only 7 points to end in 7th.

Both of these seasons had their high points and their lows, but for some reason they are remembered a lot more fondly than it looks like this one will be, despite a number of great European nights and of course a Wembley final appearance.

Sadly though barnstorming finishes haven't usually been our forte, but can this one go some way of repeating that of a year ago.

Everton's win yesterday against Leicester perhaps put paid to any lingering hopes that we might have had about overhauling them in the final run in, they are now 14 points clear of us and in reality that is too much, even if we were to win all of our last 8 games 64 points is the most we can get, the Toffee's should get somewhere near that total even with a poor finish to their season.

But beating West Brom on Saturday has enabled us to set our sights on 8th, it is still a tough ask, but it does give us something to focus on to ensure that we don't peter out in the last ten games and get overhauled ourselves.

The target has to be 8th spot and that will be a great achievement, it will be the first time we have ever finished in the top ten for four consecutive seasons in our history and those whinging about this being a poor season should acknowledge that and realise that you sometimes have to look at consolidation and that will certainly be that.

If we achieve that then I would contend that outside of the big six clubs and perhaps Newcastle and Blackburn from the 1990's then few other clubs have actually achieved since the Premier League started in 1992.

Looking at this morning's table I would say that 4 wins would guarantee us 10th spot and that should be our first target, in deed it could be as low as 3 wins given that most of the clubs below us only have 6 games left, Burnley in 12th are 4 points behind with only 6 to play.

Our current spot of 9th should be well within our capabilities, but we want more than that and West Brom are now only 4 points ahead and we have two games in hand.

A look at our fixtures shows we have 3 very winnable games in Hull and Stoke at home and a trip to Middlesbrough on the penultimate weekend which by the look of it will have seen Boro already put down and with nothing to play for.

Then it is not quite so easy, we have to play 5 of the top six teams, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal at home and then Chelsea and Liverpool away.

On paper this looks tough, certainly a lot tougher than most of our rivals have to play, however although our record against the top six has been poor so far this season, Spurs at home aside when they scored two late goals against our ten men to make it look a lot easier than it was, we have competed against all of the top six.

We should not be afraid of taking them on and we have the advantage of players returning from injury to boost the squad.

We have taken 7 points from the last 9 without Manolo Gabbiadini and he is likely to return against City, add to that Charlie Austin approaching fitness and the squad will be boosted further, not to mention if Virgil Van Dijk could make a return at the end, although that looks unlikely.

So this season has the potential to end with a feeling of success and satisfaction, there will be no European qualification, but there will hopefully be the awareness that we have consolidated the last three years and can keep moving forward with the aim of cementing our place as one of the biggest clubs outside of that big six.

But it does need all the fans to realise what we have achieved over the last few years and to stay behind the club and what it is trying to achieve, supporters should realise that reality is that we cannot compete on the same terms as the big six, but what we can do is compete on our own terms.

Those ho say we can't keep selling players every year, should realise that we can as it is the way we have achieved success, we don't stand still, yes it would be nice to keep a squad together and then invest another £80 -100 million in it every summer as the big six do, but we cannot do that, so we have to do it our way.

Funnily enough all the other clubs are now trying to copy us, I wonder why !

So we have the opportunity to have a great ending to the season, lets get behind the team help them to a top ten finish and then look forward to what we can do next term, a season that hopefully will not have the injury issues, the distractions and indeed it certainly won't have the sheer number of games, that being the case we can have a real shot at another trophy and hopefully a fifth consecutive top ten finish that will see us acknowledged as one of the top clubs in England.

Photo: Action Images

ChannonFodder added 12:09 - Apr 10 City and Arsenal have blown hot and cold all season, and as the EFL Cup final showed we can go toe-to-toe with United too. I think we're more than capable of winning at least one of those games. Liverpool aren't invulnerable either, we've already beaten them at Anfield this year. Don't expect anything from the Chelsea game, though. Saints being Saints, we'll probably screw up against the likes of Hull, Boro and Stoke. But yes, a record-setting top eight finish is well within our grasp and, along with the Cup final appearance, is evidence that we're definitely doing something right. I'd really really like to hold on to all the players we want to hold on to this summer, though, as well as the style that has been more evident in the latter half of the season. If that happens, we could have something special on our hands next season.

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bstokesaint added 12:28 - Apr 10 I know I’ve been a bit critical of some of your posts recently Nick, but I think you’ve got this one spot on. We should not be ashamed of an eight place finish (if we can get it) in what has been a much more competitive season than last. I clearly remember at the start of this season that the majority of our fans were saying they’d be more than happy with a top 10 finish, plus a good chance of winning something in a cup/Europe, and that’s what looks like we’ll get. Arguably anyone expecting much more could be considered a bit delusional, although when you factor in the injury crisis we’ve had to our best players, then maybe competing with Everton for that final Europa spot might have been a reality. It’ll be interesting to see how we’ll do next season without a European campaign and everything else remaining equal, with the exception of bolstering a couple of positions. I appreciate that in seasons gone by that is a big ask, but I think Puel knows a bit more about his team and expectations now and should have a good idea on how to go to the next level.

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SanMarco added 12:30 - Apr 10 "Those who say we can't keep selling players every year, should realise that we can as it is the way we have achieved success". Now there's a point for discussion - do you know something we don't Nick? The summer sales do not help with fan morale and mean that if we do have a barnstorming finish like last year it will not continue on into the new season. If you look at Everton this season - no Europe, out of both cups straightaway (probably only played 3 extra matches all season) then you see a way that we could do very well next season. That is unlikely to happen if we are 'rebuilding' again after selling our best players in the summer. "Those whinging about this being a poor season" are of course wrong if you compare this to most seasons since 2004 but coming 8th, 7th, 6th sets high standards. It is counter-intuitive to say that 9th this season would mark progress on 6th last season. Everyone looks at the past with rose-tinted glasses, of course we were rubbish at times under Koeman and if we decline in the next couple of seasons we will look back to the Puel era with accusative fondness. That's the way it goes!

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highfield49 added 12:42 - Apr 10 Whilst I agree that the season hasn't been the disaster some supporters predicted it looks like the top clubs are almost playing in another league. Very basic comparison I know but when you consider that ten points less would leave us just above the bottom three and ten points more would still leave us short of catching Everton that shows the mountain we have to climb again next year. Consistency is the key to achievement and that's what we've failed to do each of the last few seasons. Clusters of wins and draws followed by a slump has been the pattern and in particular the abject form between November and January. Injuries and suspensions impact on most teams over a season and whilst we've got a squad capable of covering those absences short term, as proved again at West Brom, it's probably not adequate to cover the prolonged absence of the top players. Some of the squad need to be upgraded if possible, because in all honesty they aren't going to move us to the next level, and it's equally important to retain most of the key players. Some tough decisions to be make over the summer for Reed and co but without new blood it could be that we don't find that vital consistency next season.

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helpineedsomebody added 13:27 - Apr 10 The realty of this club is Do want your assets on the field Or do they want the assets in her bank account
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helpineedsomebody added 13:28 - Apr 10 Do you Sorry
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SaintNick added 14:55 - Apr 10 helpneedsomebody the reality of this club is that without the help of her father we would not have a club to support, over the past few years she has made it self sustaining and put in place a system of corporate governance just as he father always intended to do. If you want a club that can spend multi millions every summer without having to sell players then you have to ponder the fact that you need to be supporting City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs as we just do not have the resources they do. Given the finances show that we have reinvested transfer income and the high price it costs to run the club their is no evidence that any is going in "her" pocket So what club are you going to support now

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Whiteknight added 15:14 - Apr 10 This season was always going to be a transition season and one of the low points for me has been the continual whining from some so called supporters. If we can achieve top half this season, following all the injuries plus the extra games then, coupled with the EFL Cup, that is an achievement. Last season 8th were Liverpool, 10th were Chelsea and 11th were Everton. All teams have relatively disappointing seasons. If we can keep stability over the summer and relatively injury free next year then we should improve further. If we don't then that is the time to judge Puel harshly.

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Whiteknight added 15:14 - Apr 10 This season was always going to be a transition season and one of the low points for me has been the continual whining from some so called supporters. If we can achieve top half this season, following all the injuries plus the extra games then, coupled with the EFL Cup, that is an achievement. Last season 8th were Liverpool, 10th were Chelsea and 11th were Everton. All teams have relatively disappointing seasons. If we can keep stability over the summer and relatively injury free next year then we should improve further. If we don't then that is the time to judge Puel harshly.

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helpineedsomebody added 15:52 - Apr 10 1st point I want to see class players playing for saints not Mr dofs boast of promising I can get six players per season if you build a multimillion pound training centre. As Mr koeman said they are not good enough . I would not pay £50 a game to see jack Stephens perform you would not go to drury Lane in London to see actors from the local ymca perform would you . 2 In the last 4 seasons the club has sold 200million pounds worth of players class footballers What has happened to the 300million pounds over the 4 seasons that the club has recieved by being in the EPL Please tell me Nicolas where has it gone in taxes vat it's a complete smoke screen Being the uneducated person that you are please tell me I'm all ears. 3 As soon as the liebherrs gain control of this club it was reported that they were billionaires you would think being good custodians of the club they would not need to go to banks andget loans

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arthurfane added 16:59 - Apr 10 Given the way you've written that post, I think it's a touch ironic that you're calling Nick 'uneducated'
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bstokesaint added 18:51 - Apr 10 I'm pretty sure Kat Liebherr didn't grow up wishing one day she'd own a football club. I'm also pretty convinced that after her dad passed away she didn't dream on cashing in on his dreams. Like Nick says she's actually turned out to be one of the best owners this club has had, if not the best. We are an attractive club to come to and an established top 10 PL side. That's all thanks to her and her dad. Just a few months ago we questioned the lack of spending and voila we got Gabbiadini. I don't think it's unfair to suggest we made a hash if things in the summer, probably for the first time, but aside from that our club is in good hands. I still fear for the future of this club when Kat sells. I can't see things getting better unless we find one of the few multi billionaires who don't give a crp about throwing money down the pan on an egotistical whim.

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the_saint added 19:11 - Apr 10 Well said bstokesaint
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Consigliere added 19:32 - Apr 10 Helpinneedsomebody, if you want to know how the club's finances operate then you only need to go to the website and download the accounts, which are set out like any other conventional PLC. There really aren't any dark secrets and your conspiracy theories are entirely misplaced. As others have said on this thread, the remarkable thing about the club at the moment is that it isn't owned by a bunch of shysters and hucksters as so many others are, nor is it a money laundry for foreign ill-gotten gains. The Liebherr family made their money from honest metal-bashing and Southampton Football Club isn't just a vanity project for them, its a business. So, don't be surprised if they don't try to buy their way to a title and enjoy watching honest endeavour.

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BoondockSaint added 20:57 - Apr 10 Whiteknight let's stop with the "so called supporters" stuff as we all love the club whether we've been following them for decades, or just a year, or go to every game or can't do that due to economics or distance. We may be Saints , but not "holier than thou." Yes, the club is run like a business, but as Leicester showed last year, you can do great things on a small (by comparison) budget. Where would they have got if they had the attitude "Oh, we're just a small club let's just try to not get relegated..the rich teams are better than us, hope they don't beat us too easily!" ? However, if the club is run like a business, why are we not more aggressive in expanding our fan base? In the summer everyone knew we had to replace 23 goals., however we didn't buy Gabbiadini until January! With him we would be finishing higher and getting more money from the league and TV. How is that good business?

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landerwal added 22:39 - Apr 10 £200 million worth of "class" players sold???? I think not. Apart from Llana and Mane none of them have set the Premiership alight. Man U have poured £100's millions down the transfer hole and are still only 4 places ahead of us.
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zonehead added 22:49 - Apr 10 Too right Nick
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SaintPaulVW added 08:44 - Apr 11 I'm sure a few players will leave in the summer, a striker, a midfielder, possibly VVD if a £60+ million offer comes in, however hopefully we won't have that lull at the start of the season that seems to come as new players are bedded in. This season has brought on a few youngsters - Stephens has really come from nowhere and 23 is young for a centre back, Redmond etc etc Puel has a year of EPL experience. A full year of Gabbiadini and a settled midfield is just mouth watering. Next year is looking like a year to kick on. 8th is well within our sights even with the weird top or bottom of the table clashes facing us in the next few weeks. If finishing top half, playing in Europe and a Wembley final is a year of consolidation so be it. COYR.

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Whiteknight added 10:41 - Apr 11 Bstokesaint - I wasn't getting at the people who mix critical comment with positive comments but there are posters on here (and other boards) who ONLY ever make negative comments. I don't believe that they really support Saints because, whilst things are not perfect, there is much to applaud about the club. I think that in general it is a very well run club and I that the Liebherr's have done a great job balancing the growth of the club with the business needs of managing the finances so that we have a sustainable future.

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worksopsaint added 12:07 - Apr 11 This season I well remember the pride and exhilaration I felt at the San Siro after the game with 7,500 other fans singing their heads off; at Longs winner at Anfield and again the travelling Saints family celebrating for the next 20 mins before they let us out, and; our performance at Wembley. Those three events mean I've had a great season irrespective if what happens in the remainder of it.

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bstokesaint added 12:24 - Apr 11 @Whiteknight, I think you've got me confused with someone else!
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SonicBoom added 12:31 - Apr 11 Next year looks good. Gabbiadini should still be here and Redmond is starting to show why we had so much faith in him for so long. I think there is a chance that VvD could stay but if not we should have a big fee so able to find decent CB's. I've always believed Austin would score goals and indeed he was doing so. And of course Boufal. Arrived injured, never really been fully fit for a decent period, but more skill than any Saints player i've seen since Le Tiss. IF, he can stay fit and can adapt more to the PL, he could be incredible next year.

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Whiteknight added 18:51 - Apr 11 Sorry - I was replying 2 Boondocksaint. I am about as literate as a skate.
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BoondockSaint added 01:37 - Apr 12 Hi Whiteknight I figured it was me! Understand your point of view. All the best,
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Whiteknight added 09:34 - Apr 12 BoondockSaint. Thanks. It's never perfect being a but it's never all bad either - that's part of being a Saints supporter. I just don't get people who only post negative stuff.
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