Southampton players sing Ralph Hasenhuttl’s praises after revealing the secrets behind his turnaround

Hasenhuttl, appointed on 5 December, has transformed a side who had won just one of their opening 16 Premier League matches, tweaking their formation and putting a stronger emphasis on speed in their game

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton players are already enjoying the benefit of his intense methods, even if it means having to put their days off on hold.

Hasenhuttl, appointed on 5 December, has transformed a side who had won just one of their opening 16 Premier League matches, tweaking their formation and putting a stronger emphasis on speed in their game.

The rewards have materialised quickly, with victory at relegation rivals Huddersfield coming six days after Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run was ended at St Mary’s Stadium, and giving Southampton back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since April 2017.

Hasenhuttl’s players have spoken of just how demanding their new manager is, with a scheduled rest day cancelled a fortnight ago so that they could do extra physical and tactical work before the Arsenal game, and no guarantee that they will have Christmas Day off, even though they do not play again until 27 December, when they host West Ham.

Sprint-heavy training sessions have left players with sore muscles afterwards, but the results suggest that the Austrian has got the players to buy into his methods, with Southampton moving three points clear of the relegation zone.

“I think the manager’s brought a bit of structure to the team, and how we set up in an attacking and defensive way,” midfielder Stuart Armstrong said. “There’s high energy and a lot of running, and we’re getting our rewards.

“The past few months have not been easy for us. There’s been a lot of disappointment. So I feel that we’re not only getting points, but we’re getting the performances as well.”

Danny Ings is firing under Ralph Hasenhuttl (Reuters)

Tactically, Hasenhuttl has moved away from the flat back four used by his predecessor Mark Hughes in favour of a more flexible 3-4-2-1 formation, and has recalled players with a strong work ethic who had been out of favour before his arrival, notably defender Jan Bendarek and midfielder Oriol Romeu.

Yet it was Nathan Redmond, an ever-present in the league this season, who was the central figure as Southampton secured a victory that condemned Huddersfield to a fifth successive defeat. The forward, without a goal since May, sprinted on to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s through pass to lift in a 15th-minute opening goal, and later claimed an assist, chasing down home captain Christopher Schindler and rolling across for substitute Michael Obafemi to steer in and become Southampton’s youngest-ever Premier League scorer, aged 18 years and 169 days.

“We just feel more organised,” Armstrong said. “We feel more together as a team. We’re all working in the same direction. We all know what each other’s doing, and where we’re running and why we’re running. It’s certainly working.”

Huddersfield, who survived against the odds last season, appear increasingly unlikely to repeat that feat. Trailing 2-0 at half-time after Danny Ings had added a penalty to Redmond’s goal, the home side did threaten a revival when Philip Billing swerved a shot past unsighted goalkeeper Alex McCarthy from 20 yards, but Obafemi then shut the door in their faces.

“It’s definitely the worst point we’ve had in the 18 months that I’ve been here,” goalkeeper Jonas Lossl said. “But I think we have to show what character we’re made of.”