Southampton: Premier League 2019-20 revisited – Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to continue remarkable turnaround

After an embarrassing 9-0 defeat by Leicester that left the club in the relegation zone, Hasenhuttl has revived the club’s spirits with an impressive brand of pressing football

During the bitter aftermath of Southampton’s harrowing 9-0 defeat by Leicester at St Mary’s, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s south coast obituary was already being written. His side had stumbled to just eight points from their opening 10 games, and the atmosphere around the club spiralled somewhere between anger and disbelief. By the time losses against Manchester City and Everton had followed, those emotions had resigned themselves into little more than grief.

The club came to a crossroads. In Hasenhuttl, they had acquired one of football’s innovative thinkers, reared by Red Bull pressing system and reliance on youth. But, at Southampton, the culture clash had been grinding. The squad became disillusioned with his authoritarian methods, the players themselves seemingly incapable of living up to the Austrian’s exhaustive ideals.

Rather than jump ship, though, Southampton’s hierarchy saw light in the darkness. Even when quick defeats against Manchester City and Everton followed, their patience just about remained. And, for that, they have richly rewarded. In fact, the turnaround since has been so remarkable that Hasenhuttl was awarded a new four-year contract at the beginning of this month,

Danny Ings, finally free of injury, has blossomed into one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, with 15 goals already this season. There have been victories against Chelsea and Tottenham, and then redemption against Leicester in the reverse fixture, exorcising the demons that had left a stain on the squad.

Southampton

2019-20

League position: 14th

Next three fixtures: Norwich (a), Arsenal (h), Watford (a)

Cups: Knocked out in FA Cup fourth round by Tottenham

Player of the season so far: Danny Ings

That revival has almost certainly secured the club’s safety, with seven points separating them from 18th-placed rivals Bournemouth, and there’s a distinct harmony within the squad, perhaps reflected in their being the first team to agree wage deferrals for the benefit of non-playing staff.

There are still, though, question marks that remain. For one, how the rust accrued over the break will impact the potency of their pressing style. However, the return – and pace – of Nathan Redmond will at least go some way to minimising that loss of sharpness higher-up the pitch.

The greatest dilemma surrounds captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Danish international, who has started 32 out of a possible 35 games in all competitions this season, has just one year remaining on his contract and has been persistently linked with moves away from the club - with Tottenham a possible destination. Recently, Hasenhuttl even went so far as to suggest that he’ll strip the 24-year-old of the armband if he fails to agree a new deal.

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, there’s a further need for clarity. As The Independent reported last November, majority shareholder Gao Jisheng is still seeking out buyers for the club, with the coronavirus pandemic only complicating the possibility of a sale. With that, despite such a stern showing of commitment in Hasenhuttl, the prospect of what lies ahead will always be caveated with a nagging uncertainty.