Ralph sacked as Saints manager

I mean everything is subjective of course, there’s no quantitative way to measure his performance other than our points total.

But I personally think he definitely has improved a lot of our players. It’s his tactics that let him down much more than his coaching

 

And herein lies the primary issue. For all his enthusiasm (although that largely appeared to have evaporated in the last 10 or so games), for me, that is simply not enough. I would contest he has made improvements to some of the players you have quoted, but let's stay on topic to the paragraph above: match day is about setting the strategy of play before the game, instructions given and making small and sometimes large adjustments during the match. Again, for me, that requires a manager who gives direction and leadership - your can have tactical advisers, but the manager has to own and deliver instructions. Ralph is not a bad manager, he is a competent manager but l believe the EPL is just beyond his capabilities to grow this club to better secure us a more solid competitive league position (no, not Champions League). That's my view, l appreciate others have different views - these are mine.

 

Thanks for the message. So no Ralph it’s better than those two, and your other posts align to that, but for me that doesnt mean we should keep him - there are huge ?marks over our bad runs, which outweigh the good.

That said, the Board are backing him and so do I, and just hope it pays off, but wouldn’t be surprised if it went wrong for us next season after being backed. I will also sat im really looking forward to player trading this summer, in and out, and haven’t looked forward to transfer windows for years.

 

Probably been said already but only just realised, the only teams to have won less games than us will all be playing Championship football next season.

 

Athletic article on the decision to stick with Ralph and sack 3 coaches:

When Southampton decided to sack Craig Fleming, Dave Watson and Kelvin Davis — three members of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s coaching staff — last month, it was not done on a whim.

In what they hope will prove to be a fruitful summer, where multiple changes get made on and off the pitch, creating another problem for them to solve displayed how serious Southampton are about fixing the myriad issues.

The club’s hierarchy were not impressed with how last season fizzled out — winning only one of their final 12 games — when it had promised so much.

Watson, Fleming and Davis all being axed in one fell swoop was not a knee-jerk reaction to that dismal end to 2021-22.

It formed part of a wider review and was just one of the many considerations given to how the club move forward under a new ownership group, and about creating the best possible environment to bring success.

Once it was decided to dismiss the trio, the focus switched to ensuring their plan is one that brings about the positive change they so desire.

Discussions around who should come in to fill the seats in Hasenhuttl’s dugout are ongoing but there is an expectation that he will have his new coaching team in place before the players report to begin pre-season training later this month.

Not since Danny Rohl left three years ago has Hasenhuttl had a legitimate assistant, with Richard Kitzbichler, Rohl’s de facto replacement, acting as more of an analyst.

Rohl, pictured talking to Hasenhuttl, left Southampton in the summer of 2019 (Photo: Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images)
As part of The Athletic’s five-point plan to fix Southampton, we noted that honest conversations need to be held with the manager.

Hasenhuttl needs someone with a fresh set of eyes, a different voice and a strong personality, someone who will not be afraid to disagree with him over tactics, team selection and everything else in between.

The final decision on such issues must continue to rest with the 54-year-old Austrian, as it will still be his name above the proverbial door, but one way the club could look to move forward is by hiring a series of specialists.

Liverpool were once laughed at for hiring a throw-ins coach, for example, but their success as a team in recent seasons has proved their methods work. You would hope Southampton are at least considering the merits of hiring a series of coaches with clear tasks, be it set pieces, defensive work or attacking play.

If the club do opt to go down such a route, Hasenhuttl will more than likely have to be told that he needs to be more receptive and open to their ideas.

Hiring specialists, however, does not mitigate the need for a strong assistant manager.

Hasenhuttl often cuts an isolated figure during matches, be it by design or coincidence, and is seemingly unwilling to give others a voice. At his best, he does appear receptive to different suggestions, flexible tactics and in-game tweaks. At his worst, you get the impression it is his way or no way.

Hiring a series of specialists would reduce Hasenhuttl’s workload and ease the self-imposed pressure to be on top of everything, no matter how trivial it may seem.

This is not the only option open to the club, though.

It has been suggested to The Athletic that Southampton will not make appointments for the sake of it.

In other words, just because three coaches have departed does not necessarily mean three new ones will be hired.

It could be that only one or two come through the door.

Fleming, centre, has departed St Mary’s along with Davis and Watson (Photo: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images)
There is a desire for quality — not quantity — to ensure the environment created allows the players, Hasenhuttl and his coaching staff to thrive.

Sources within the football industry have privately praised Southampton for opting to take the more difficult route of making wholesale changes to the dugout as opposed to ditching Hasenhuttl. They say it would have been much easier, if not more costly, to part company with their manager of three and a half years and start again.

Discussions around Hasenhuttl’s future did take place, though. It was not as simple as: Ralph is staying and everyone else pays the price for what went wrong.

And even though no public statements have been made, the fact he remains in post and others have departed is the clearest indication of the board’s thinking.

Other sources, however, are not so generous and question how many clubs would stick with a manager who has overseen such a torrid run of results and, for the second season in a row, been at the helm during a collapse in form.

You sense that if next season continues the way the last one ended, those questioning why Southampton stuck with Hasenhuttl will be further emboldened.

The clear hope within the club is that the changes they are making, behind the scenes and first-team related, will take them forward.

Despite activity that appears to be chaotic from the outside, sources insist everything is on track and part of a long-term review and a well-thought-out plan.

Time will be the judge of that.

 

Nice statement but RH has to be open & fully on board with a true #2. Personally I’m not sure that’s how he works & might be a failing. Anyway, fingers crossed. Owners have nailed to the mast so let’s see.

 

Maybe he comes across as stubborn in games as he doesn't have anyone he trusts in game to help him. So he just goes with his gut.

I say he should get his phone out and pop over to this forum as it is so sensible and helpful during the game on the match day threads.

 

I may be wrong but until the new owners arrived there doesn't seem to have been a football person overseeing how Ralph operates and who is and who isn't performing on the coaching staff. Now we have Arneksen to make changes based on his football knowledge and as long as Ralph is co-operative, it can only be a good thing in the long term. The fact that important football changes have already been made suggests close involvement from above, and maybe the things that people have been calling for are going to happen with Ralph still in place.
The other thing from the article that interested me was the use of a throw-in coach by Liverpool. It's long been a source of annoyance for me that Saints seem to lose possession from throw-ins quite often. Usually because they take an age to take it resulting in a hopeful throw down the line because everyone is marked close by. Even when there's an opportunity for a quick throw it's not taken, perhaps to allow the team to reset to their positions but jeez they are frustrating. Maybe they need a throw ins coach to tell them to get a bloody move on.

 

Saw, in an article this morning, that Ralph was 6/1 favourite to be the first EPL manager sacked this season.
Didn’t name the bookie and not being a gambler I don’t know if this is a random list or in keeping with all others.

 

It’s either him or Frank on most lists. Likely due to our finish to last season and opening run of fixtures

 

That horrendous run of results at the end means that it's fair enough that he is the bookies favourite in the sack race. It was relegation form to be sure and this is why we need to get off to a decent start or the pressure on Ralph will increase with every loss.

 

Paris Saint-Germain confirm that Mauricio Pochettino has ended his role at the club. As Ralph was 6/1 favourite to be the first to go would you have him back also with new owners keep a eye also

 

If Ralph were to struggle, I would 100% have Poch back. Anyone saying different would be mad.

 

Why would he come back though?

 

Well, yeah, I mean that’s the point. Hugely unlikely.

 

I wouldn't mind that Klopp bloke either.

 

No thanks

 

Whilst we're at it, if MoPo1 doesn't work out nor that Klopp bloke, maybe we should give Pep a chance?

 

Either that or we could get that other Argentine with initials of MP?

Can't see how that could go wrong.

 

Anyone else thinking Sarina Wiegman should be considered for Ralph's replacement should he retire at the end of his contract?