DEPARTING manager Ruben Selles was pleased that Saints were able to ‘say goodbye in the proper way’ to St Mary’s for the season after their spirited 4-4 draw with Liverpool led to a heavily-attended lap of appreciation following full-time.

Last season when Saints had finished their final home game of the season - also against Liverpool but this time a 2-1 defeat - the lap of appreciation was done in front of a sparse crowd as frustrations from a late-season collapse boiled over.

Now, a year on, there was much more collective applause from the players and fans despite the campaign ending in relegation. Part of that was no doubt due to the potential farewells wished to numerous players including captain James Ward-Prowse.

READ MORE: James Ward-Prowse - 'This is a club that’s meant a lot to me'

But the attacking intent displayed as Saints fought back from two goals down to storm into a 4-2 lead before Jurgen Klopp’s side made it 4-4 certainly helped with the positive atmosphere.

“They have been good for us during the entire season,” Selles said of the Saints fans following his final match in charge. We didn’t give them that much but they have been there supporting us. 

“We knew and we know that we have to get them with us and it was very important to get the point, get a good performance, and get a good feeling so that they could stay at the end of the game and we could at least say goodbye to the season in the proper way.”

Saints supporters saw only two Premier League victories at St Mary’s all season long, the horrific home form playing a major role in the club’s eventual relegation to the Championship. 

They finished the season on 25 points, their lowest-ever Premier League points tally while also closing out the campaign in the midst of a 13-game winless run, their longest since returning to the top flight in 2012.