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Ralph Hasenhuttl not prepared to start parking the bus

Ralph Hasenhuttl not prepared to start parking the bus
© Reuters
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was impressed by Southampton's positive approach in their midweek match.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is not about to start parking the bus as he looks to secure Premier League football once again.

The Saints could take a big step towards safety when they host relegation battlers Brighton on Sunday.

Hasenhuttl's side were beaten 5-2 at Manchester City on Wednesday night but dominated the opening 25 minutes against the league leaders before falling behind.

City boss Pep Guardiola was impressed by Southampton's positive approach, even if it ultimately saw them leave empty handed.

Southampton briefly topped the Premier League during early November, but a wretched run of nine defeats out of the past 11 league games has seen them drop down the table.

Hasenhuttl, though, has no intention of ditching the style which won so many admirers earlier in the campaign just to grind out a few much-needed results.

"I have known Pep since my time in Germany and, when he wins, he is always very praising of the opponent," the Saints boss said.

"But I can also see that during the game he was really astonished about how we played there and how brave we have been there with our side.

"This is what he likes to be honest. He doesn't like to play against teams who park the bus in front of the goal.

"We changed the way to play against them a little bit.

"In the last three games I must say we had nearly 50 per cent possession against them in every game and there are not a lot of teams out there doing it like this.

"We had won one game (in July), one we lost with one goal and this time we conceded a few goals more, but I see the way we do it is more enjoyable for me and also for the players."

Hasenhuttl added: "We are still not winning against them, okay, but we can take it better in this way than being passive, defending around the box for 90 minutes and then going home with a defeat. Then you sit on the bus and think, 'This was a wasted evening'."

Despite Southampton's poor recent form, Hasenhuttl continues to have plenty of support in the boardroom and among the fans.

The former RB Leipzig boss feels a special relationship has been forged following his arrival in early December 2018.

"I know about the toughness of this job here, I know about the problems we have had sometimes," the Austrian said. "But I also know that if we over-perform we can also have some good wins.

"Sometimes it is more fun to be the pirate than to join the navy and this is why I like to be here."

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Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl pictured on March 1, 2021
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City30225364214371
2Manchester UnitedMan Utd29169456322457
3Leicester CityLeicester29175753322156
4Chelsea29149644251951
5West Ham UnitedWest Ham29147845351049
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs29146949301948
7Liverpool29137948361246
8Everton28144104037346
9Arsenal29126114032842
10Aston Villa28125113930941
11Leeds UnitedLeeds29123144547-239
12Crystal Palace29107123147-1637
13Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2998122838-1035
14Southampton2996143651-1533
15Burnley2989122237-1533
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton29711113236-432
17Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2977152848-2028
18Fulham30511142338-1526
19West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2939172057-3718
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2942231650-3414

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