Southampton wasteful in front of goal against Leicester as draw leaves them in deep trouble

It may have been the warmest day of the year but Mark Hughes can still feel the icy chill of the relegation trapdoor.

Southampton remain in deep trouble despite picking up their first Premier League point under their new manager, with the prospect of dropping into the Championship appearing increasingly possible.

This had all the trademark signs of a struggling team down on their luck as they wasted a number of chances to leave Hughes preparing for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with a far bigger weight on his shoulders.

Southampton are now four points adrift of safety with four games remaining and this will feel like another huge chance missed, against their former manager Claude Puel.

He was dismissed at the end of last season, after guiding Southampton to an eighth-place ­finish and their first major final since 1979 in the League Cup. They must feel like halcyon days now.

Puel is facing a new battle of his own at Leicester, as he bids to convince the owners that he can take the club forward next season, and this stalemate will do little to ease the growing scepticism.

Hughes would still gladly swap places, with his eight-game survival mission under threat of ending in failure.

Sunday’s trip to Wembley must feel like an unwanted distraction for Hughes, who is in danger of suffering the ignominy of seeing both Southampton and former club Stoke relegated in the same season.

The victory at Wigan in the FA Cup must already feel a long time ago, with defeats against West Ham and Chelsea plunging Hughes right into the mire. This had the added spice of a reunion with Claude Puel, sacked by Southampton in June, and facing some problems of his own.

Since Puel’s return to St Mary’s in December, when his new team breezed to a 4-1 victory, Leicester have won only four of their last 16 league matches and there is a sense the Frenchman is under mounting pressure.

His methods, tactics and training regime have irked some players while the slow, possession-based style of football is a world away from the fluid brilliance they displayed at Southampton late last year.

Puel has gone on the front foot since last weekend’s defeat at Burnley all but ended Europa League hopes, insisting he wants to build his squad and pleading for patience.

But he is undoubtedly under scrutiny, with Leicester’s owners unlikely to view their underwhelming second half to the season favourably after spending over £80m in the summer. These final four games appear crucial for Puel.

His team selection suggested he was focusing on the future, dropping captain Wes Morgan and Danny Simpson, while goalkeeper Ben Hamer made his first Premier League start since January 2015 after an injury to Kasper Schmeichel.

Kelechi Iheanacho was also given a rare start and produced the first chance, in the 16th minute, recovering after losing the ball to slide the ball narrowly wide of the bottom corner.

Southampton improved after a slow start and wasted a decent opportunity three minutes later when an unmarked Dusan Tadic sliced wide from 18 yards.

In a flat first half of few highlights, Cedric Soares, the defender, also volleyed wide from Shane Long’s cross six minutes before the break.

Southampton were gaining confidence, as Leicester’s ponderous approach work began to draw audible groans from the home supporters.

Long, playing up front on his own, should have given them the lead 11 minutes into the second half but his shot was saved by Hamer after defensive hesitancy from Harry Maguire.

Hughes angrily wheeled around in the technical area, fearing Southampton’s profligacy would prove costly.

Leicester finally carved out a chance in the 71st minute, with a route one approach that proved more effective than the slow dross which had preceded it.

Marc Albrighton’s long pass down the middle dissected the two Southampton centre-halves to find Jamie Vardy, who took the ball over his shoulder to volley towards goal but his shot was tipped over by Alex McCarthy. It was a rare threatening moment for Vardy, who has 20 goals for Leicester but remains badly isolated under Puel’s set-up.

Hughes introduced Charlie Austin for the final 18 minutes in a bid to find a winner but it was Leicester who finished the game the stronger, though they failed to test McCarthy again. They have not won a league game at home since January 20 and the boos at the final whistle were inevitable.