Losing 1-0 to Cardiff City wasn’t exactly a dream Premier League start for Ralph Hasenhüttl, and if he wasn’t aware of the job he’s taken on then he is now.
He’ll need time to get his ideas through at Southampton, but opponents certainly won’t be patient, trying to get points when it’s felt the Saints are still at a low point.
The manager taking over at the English club has received a lot of coverage in the German media, where they first broke that he’d agreed to take the task on.
Some there think the former RB Leipzig boss is taking a big gamble, with a side in a relegation battle, and others have explained Southampton can be a springboard to the top, just like it was for Mauricio Pochettino.
Bild have been quick to have a chat with Hasenhüttl following his start as manager, and they wanted to know how the appointment came about: “It all began with an extraordinary phone call with Ralph Krueger, followed by other interesting parallels in our philosophy. I understand if some rate my new task at first glance as supposed regression. On closer inspection, however, you quickly recognise the opportunities that are also offered in the relegation battle.”
Like what?
“I think I can do more here right from the start than maybe at a Champions League aspirant. My goal is to develop players – and I have this opportunity at Southampton in a fantastic environment.”
On potential transfers, the manager said: “Our squad is well-staffed for numbers. I have to get an accurate picture of the quality by the end of the year and then we will decide. It cannot be ruled out that in winter one or another newcomer comes to us.”
Bild also put in to the Austrian that in England coaches are required to sing an initiation song. We don’t think that’s strictly true, but the answer was: “If so, then only one song offers itself: Rainhard Fendrich: “I am from Austria”. That’s the secret national anthem of Austria for me.”
