Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand has opened up about life under manager Ralph Hasenhüttl as the impressive South Coast side continue to enjoy a superb start to the new 2020-21 campaign.
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The Southampton side fans see now is one very different to the side who got thumped 9-0 against Leicester City just over a year ago.
That fateful October day in 2019 down on the South Coast saw the Foxes equal the Premier League’s biggest ever win. The fantastic Foxes’ thumping saw attackers Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Pérez both bag hat-tricks as Saints’ defender Bertrand was sent for an early bath after just 12-minutes.
With the game already at 5-0 at half-time, Hasenhüttl surged to the top of the bookmakers’ favourites to be the first manager of the 2019-20 season to get the boot with the Saint’s dugout seemingly the loneliest place on earth.
However, despite huge criticism, the club’s hierarchy opted to stick with Hasenhüttl and offer him the time he needed to turn the side’s on-field fortunes around.
Chairman Gao Jisheng’s decision to stand by his man has more than appeared to pay-off as his South Coast side continue to emerge as a current outsider to break-up the Premier League’s so-called ‘Big Six’.
After narrowly missing out on a top 10 finish last season, Southampton look well on their way to enjoying another fantastic season this term.
Hasenhüttl’s side have started this campaign with a bang and have already won five of their first eight domestic fixtures including a convincing 2-0 win over Carlo Ancelotti’s impressive Everton.
Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside, Southampton full-back Bertrand has heaped the praise the once sack threatened Hasenhüttl, he said: “Football under Ralph [Hasenhüttl] has been great, it’s modern day high intense with quick transitions. It’s perfect for my style of play.”
Going onto outline the Saints’ ambitions for the rest of this season, Bertrand said: “We are taking each game as it comes not getting carried away, our aim will be every year to be better than we was the previous year as a team.”
Thanks Ryan B a true Saint.
Dedication to our great club has been second to none over a number of years.
May you continue to play your part in the wonderful start we have had to this season.
Come on lads let’s go for the top four Europe awaits!