Disaster. There is no other word that seems even remotely appropriate to describe Saints’ elimination from the group stages of the Europa League.

To fail to get through a weak group, where the only other team of note didn’t even bother to name £100m worth of their best players in the squad, is almost beyond poor.

If there have been mumblings of discontent over Claude Puel’s selections for this competition then they turned into roars of frustration at St Mary’s last night.

There felt almost a strange inevitability about the result, and the fact Saints would crash out, drawing with a side who were limited to the point they would likely finish bottom of the Premier League.

Puel did almost pick the strongest team at his disposal for the first time in the competition, but even that wasn’t enough. You could argue it might not have come to this had he done so in previous games.

But the context of the importance of getting through Group K in terms of the history of the club seemed to pass him by at times. Fair enough in some ways, he has to manage a lot of games, and you can measure his tenure thus far in days. He cannot be expected to do everything, to understand all that has gone before.

How it wasn’t pointed out to him, and if it was why he didn’t listen, is more of a mystery.

It also has to be said the Jose Fonte situation has been poorly handled, and it was allowed to overshadow the game. No matter what anyone says, that sort of thing involving such an influential person does have an effect.

That Fonte was the only front line player left out yesterday said a lot.

And from Fonte’s point of view it probably sent a loud message too.

His dream was to play in the Europa League for Saints. After six Group K games he saw that shattered. Not a single minute played and the team eliminated, and who knows when this will come around again.

Saints played a fairly safe game for the decider, such is their want these days, and it eventually backfired. It was perhaps the saddest way to go out.

The first half was a fairly uninspiring non-event.

After a brief period of activity as the midfields were almost bypassed, it settled into a very slow and methodical rhythm.

In truth it felt both sides were happy with it that way.

As long as the game was goalless Saints knew they were doing enough, while Hapoel Be’er Sheva seemed content enough to just stay in the game ready for a late rally.

It didn’t exactly make for a stunning spectacle.

Charlie Austin put an early header at the keeper while Nathan Redmond measured a nice right footed shot that David Goresh dived to his left to save.

Redmond also got a free kick up and over the wall but it was a straightforward take for Goresh.

At the other end Be’er Sheva didn’t look overly threatening.

Fraser Forster pushed away Mihaly Korhut’s left wing cross while Maor Buzaglo slashed an effort over the bar when given a rare sight of goal.

Sadly, the most notable moment of the first half was Austin going off injured. He looked in utter agony after hurting the same right shoulder he has suffered so many problems with in the past.

His withdrawal really did sap the atmosphere inside the ground, as the man who has been the goalscoring focal point of a team that has struggled for goals disappeared down the tunnel and out of sight for who knows how long.

Despite that Saints did show a little more purpose at the start of the second period. It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was something, even if there wasn’t much end product.

But they were restricting Be’er Sheva to virtually nothing at the other end.

Dusan Tadic’s introduction, complete with his new mask to protect his broken nose, did add a bit of thrust.

His left footed shot on 62 minutes looked to have Goresh beaten but Ben Bitton was on hand to head off the line.

Virgil van Dijk had a chance six minutes later as he was picked out by Ryan Bertrand’s inswinging corner. However, from about six yards out his flicked header went wide.

If Hapoel’s plan had along been to try and keep it tight and get a late goal, and Saints were suckered into it, then it worked a treat.

After the game started to get heated following an altercation between Be’er Sheva manager Barak Bakhar and Nathan Redmond, with Claude Puel having his say, came the moment of disaster for Saints.

Oriol Romeu’s weak pass was intercepted by Yuval Shabtai, who squared to Buzaglo just outside the area.

He hit a superb first time shot right footed that curled away from Forster and into the opposite far corner.

It left Saints, a team who struggle to score, with ten minutes to get two goals.

A Maya Yoshida header straight down into the turf and into the arms of the keeper suggested a rally.

That grew in strength as van Dijk’s deflected shot in injury time pulled Saints level on the night.

They needed one more to get through though, but had just two minutes to pull it off.

They had the chance as well as James Ward-Prowse picked out the head of Yoshida at the far post seven yards out, but he headed off target and the game was up.

The drawn out Be’er Sheva celebrations at the end should have been Saints’, especially when you consider they started this campaign with a 3-0 win against the side who won Group K with a game to spare, and managed only five more points from then on.

That it wasn’t means the inquest is only just about to begin.