THERE was an unfamiliar noise at St Mary's on Saturday, a sound nearly forgotten at the end of a horrendous slog of a season.

When referee Tim Robinson blew the final whistle, calling an end to Southampton's 0-0 draw with Manchester City, celebrations roared on the south coast.

Belief grew in the stands with every Aaron Ramsdale save, with every block and clearance, with every flurry forward, every precious second wasted.

And when full-time came, Southampton's players let out their own roar of relief, as this draw saved them from becoming the worst team in Premier League history.

A comical chant of "Who are ya, who are ya?" broke out in one section of the stadium, the irony of the celebrations not lost on those supporters.

The fans have been great all season, turning up in their droves to watch a product not worthy of their time and attention, but Saturday was different.

Some have slammed the idea of celebrating, with one pundit labelling Southampton's players "a bunch of losers".

If you look at those post-game scenes from the perspective of players celebrating reaching 12 points, then it is embarrassing, but that is not the full context.

After last weekend's 2-0 defeat at already relegated Leicester, a team who couldn't buy a goal at home, few gave Saints a fighting chance against Man City.

Yet Simon Rusk, having defended the merits of his defensive approach during the buildup, produced a game plan worthy of earning Saints their 12th point this season.

The players, who have openly admitted they are lacking confidence, celebrated holding their own against one of the best teams in the land.

Saints forced City into the wide areas and remained compact in the centre, giving a team worth a billion no room to flex their creativity.

Southampton captain Jack Stephens beats his chest after drawing with Man CitySouthampton captain Jack Stephens beats his chest after drawing with Man City (Image: Southampton FC/Matt Watson) Erling Haaland, on his return from injury, was regularly surrounded by four, five or even six Saints defenders. Why was this approach not taken sooner?

Southampton's gritty performance frustrated Manchester City so much that Ruben Dias ripped into their approach in a post-game interview.

It was a bizarre dig from a player with twice as many Premier League titles as Saints have wins in the division this season.

"They were just wasting time the whole game. I didn't even feel like they wanted to play the game or win the game," he said.

We can all speak before we think when emotions are heightened, but what were you expecting, Ruben?

Reaching 12 points only really saves Saints from national, and potentially, international embarrassment.

"Nobody remembers the second worst team," Kyle Walker-Peters pointed out previously, but the fans won't forget this season.

Fans celebrate following Southampton's impressive draw with Man City.Fans celebrate following Southampton's impressive draw with Man City. (Image: Stuart Martin) This will still be remembered as the worst Premier League squad the club has ever had - a handful will end the season with credit.

The players know that, too. I’m delighted that we’ve crept over the points tally but we are all still devastated that we only have 12 points," Ramsdale admitted.

But this draw, more so than avoiding an unwanted record, can mark the beginning of restoring pride at Staplewood and St Mary's.

With a trip to Everton for the final game at Goodison Park up next, Saints can crash the party and subject the Toffees to a taste of their own disappointment.

"Yeah, (we will take confidence) but it's an away game, on a highly-strung, emotional day for them, I'm sure, so definitely not getting carried away," Rusk concluded.

How much momentum can be built going into the Championship remains to be seen - there may only be a handful of these players at the club next season.

But restoring a positive feeling around the place does so much more than adding points to your tally post relegation.

The next manager, whoever they are, will inherit a difficult job. They will need to pick these players up, but the squad has a chance to do that themselves.

By the time next season rolls around, the unfamiliar roars of Saturday can't feel that way anymore. They have to become a part of the St Mary's soundtrack once again.