Ralph Hasenhuttl has turned down Hoffenheim amid reports linking the former Southampton manager with a return to the Premier League at Leeds United, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.
They say absence makes the heart grow stronger.
And, such has been Southampton’s struggles under Nathan Jones, Hasenhuttl’s reputation on the banks of the Solent has only grown in the three months since his November sacking.
Southampton were 18th and averaging 0.8 points per game when the Austrian bid farewell.
Flash forward to mid-February, and the Saints are rock bottom these days. Their average, meanwhile, has plummeted to 0.4 points per game under Jones.
Could Ralph Hasenhuttl replace Jesse Marsch at Leeds United?
While Hasenhuttl’s sacking certainly felt justified – only two clubs in the England’s top five leagues picked up fewer points throughout 2022 – it’s tempting to wonder now if the former RB Leipzig boss was operating with one hand tied firmly behind his back. This is, after all, a Southampton squad lacking quality and experience in a number of key areas. Y
ou would hardly ask a Michelin star chef to cook up a five-star meal with ingredients bought from Farm Foods, after all.
Hasenhuttl, lest us forget, led Southampton to 11th place back in 2019/20. Before the Saints sold – and failed to replace – many of his key performers; Danny Ings, Jannik Vestergaard, Ryan Bertrand, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, for instance.
His preference for a high-pressing, aggressive style of football, meanwhile, is likely to appeal to the Leeds bosses taking leaf out of the Red Bull playbook. Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson, Willy Gnonto and co all look like players particularly well-suited to ‘Ralph-ball’.
“An exceptional manager,” Man City’s former Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola once said of Hasenhuttl. “I know him a little bit from my time in Germany. He was at many clubs. Leipzig played in a specific style.
According to Sky Germany, Hasenhuttl – who once guided RB Leipzig to second place in the Bundesliga – remains on the market after rebuffing Hoffenheim’s advances.
“Talks took place but he said no to Hoffenheim,” Plettenberg writes. “New top candidate now; (former Stuttgart coach) Pellegrino Matarazzo. Final talks today.”
Hasenhuttl, like many of the other names reportedly on Leeds’ wishlist, is available right here, right now. Therefore, appointing the 55-year-old would not require protracted negotiations or a sizeable compensation fee.
Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola and Raul Gonzalez are all currently contracted to other clubs.
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