After the outbursts at Bournemouth on Wednesday night, it was clear the Saints fanbase is split on the subject of Ralph Hasenhuttl, but there is no need for it to become toxic and sadly that is fast becoming the case and there is no need for it.
I have no problems with Southampton supporters having the opinion that it is time for Ralph Hasenhuttl to go, that is their right, what I am concerned about however is the level of vitriolic abuse that is being thrown at him.
Although the majority of supporters seem to still be behind the manager, there is a growing number who are not just against him, but they seem almost to want to see us lose games as they think that it will hasten his departure.
On Wednesday at Bournemouth there was a cry of "You don't know what you are doing" halfway through the second half, now I could understand that if we were 3-0 down or similar, but the fact was we were 1-0 up, the substitution was reasonable in bringing on a defensive player for an attacking one and we were hardly hanging on for dear life.
A small minority took up the chant, but it quickly died out and the Saints supporters present got on with the job in hand, backing the team to a vital win that took us up to 14th place and within 3 points of 9th place after the game.
Some would say that shows that we are heading in the right direction, but others would not and still would want Ralph to go, I spoke to someone after who said they were sorry we won the game as it meant that Hasenhuttl would still be in charge for the next game.
This is symptomatic of the attitude of some and the abuse that the manager is getting is getting beyond a joke, as I said I have no issues with someone wanting him to go, but its the vitriol aimed at him and a desire to see him go that sees some making ludicrous claims such as "worst manager" we have ever had, which on the face of it just isn't true.
In the main the same people who are making these claims and worse on social media have spent the best part of the last 3 years slagging of former owner Gao Jisheng for not putting any money into the club, they blamed all our failures on a lack of investment from the China man on all our woes, which of course were merely being a mid table club.
With Gao gone the focus is turned on Ralph by those people and what has he done wrong ? failed to take us forward despite no investment, is the simple fact of the matter.
Now there has been money put in they expect instant change & success, the change has come, new coaching staff and 10 new signings in the transfer window, that in itself has created problems in bedding in players into the squad, but overall after the win at Bournemouth the season is again a solid if unspectacular start.
But the vitriolic abuse still continues, as I say i have no problem with opinions all I have the problem with is the abusiveness of them.
So what has Ralph done wrong that makes some froth at the mouth so much ?
In simple terms the worst thing he has done is take us to 4 mid table positions without getting involved in a relegation battle, taken us to an FA Cup semi final and even topping the League for the first time since 1988, all with little investment to buy players.
Now that is something we should be applauding him for, we could easily have now been sat in the Championship given the fact that a year ago Gao and the club were being slagged off for spening far less in the transfer window than they took in.
The claim was, there was not only no investment from Gao, but there was no full reinvestment of transfer monies received, a difficult situation, but in that period Ralph took us to 11th place and two 15th.
Now in the current Premier league our place in the pecking order in terms of resources is somewhere between 12th & 16th, I agree Ralph hasn't overperformed, but he hasn't underperformed either he has taken us to exactly where we should be.
Perhaps it is time for change, but I do think it is a good sign that Sport Republic seem to have acknowledged the job he has done in difficult circumstances and now given him the chance to show now the purse strings are loosened that he is given time to show he is the man take us forward.
They showed him the respect he deserved for his last 4 years, sadly some cannot find it in themselves to do even that and this is the crux of the matter, whatever your thoughts on the man, he has held the line in difficult circumstances, we could easily have been relegated in the past three years given our financial circumstances, but we weren't and even if he did leave today, the club is in a far better position than it was when he took over in December 2018.
So by all means want Ralph Hasenhuttl sacked, that is your right to have that opinion, but at least express those opinions based on fact & not fiction, if you want people to respect your own opinions then you have to show respect.
We do not want this situation becoming toxic, do we want a club that can hold it's own in the Premier League ? I would say we all want that, but there is little margin for error, those three points gained at Bournemouth could be vital come the final table, we got them and we move forward, we have enough challenges as a football club, as do over half of the Premier league, we don't need to create more ourselves.