Premier League strugglers Southampton have reportedly agreed a three-year deal to hire the former RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Southampton fans will be understandably divided by the imminent appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Rather than plump for an experienced, Premier League firefighter like David Moyes or Sam Allardyce, the Saints appear to have turned to a man who has never managed or played in the Premier League to replace Mark Hughes.
But what does that matter? Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino did not do a bad job at St Mary’s and, while Hasenhuttl is far from a household name in England, he has a massive reputation in Germany.
Not only did the Austrian lead the unfancied Ingolstadt to promotion and establish them in the Bundesliga, he then guided RB Leipzig to second in the table in their first ever top flight campaign.
But who better to explain what Southampton fans have to look forward to than respected German football journalist Raphael Honigstein? Speaking to the Saints FC Podcast, Honigstein has highlighted Hasenhuttl’s potential, while admitting that his reputation has slipped after a difficult second season with Leipzig.
Bayern, Dortmund and Arsenal… to Southampton
“It didn’t go so well last season, Leipzig wanted to play a more expansive style. They were initially willing to support him but then lost patience when results weren’t going their way,” Honigstein said.
“He has not been long since mentioned as a man who might take over at Dortmund, who might take over at Bayern so, from the German point of view, it feels like a bit of a step down.
“But it shows that perhaps his standing has suffered a little bit over the last six months. He was really on a high and linked with the Arsenal job after his fantastic first season at Leipzig when he was seen as one of the new up-and-coming managers.”
However, that does not mean Hasenhuttl is not a fantastic coup for a club with just one win in 14 Premier League games this season.
“But you only have to think about Mauricio Pochettino, the guy who is not the hot stuff right now does not necessarily mean that his work is not very good,” Honigstein added.
“He’s been able to get a lot out of very limited teams so if you’re looking for someone who is going to immediately improve the team, who is going to introduce a very recognisable style, make them very tough to beat, give them cohesion, give them an identity… he ticks the boxes.
“I think he’ll be a brilliant appointment.”
According to the Mail, Hasenhuttl has agreed a three-year deal with Southampton, the South Coast club choosing the 51-year-old after making moves for both Paulo Sousa and the former Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores.
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