Ralph Hasenhuttl was delighted to pin down Orio Romeu to a new contract, but he knows he has a couple of others yet to sign new deals and he wants to get the issues sorted as quickly as possible, but he will now hang around too long.

Over the past couple of months Ralph Hasenhuttl has been formulating his squad going forward, he has trimmed it with the departure of several big signings of the past either finally leaving permanently or going out on loan and he has also added to it.

But he is a man who has a plan and as was shown with the departure of Pierre Emile Hojbjerg in the summer and his exclusion from the team after the restart, he wants only those who are committed to his vision and indeed the club.

The message from Ralph has been clear warning those stalling over new deals that "the train is leaving", urging them to hop aboard before it's too late.

Speaking on the Club's official website about Oriol Romeu penning his new contract he had this to say.

"We need players who have this professionalism because he is definitely a role model for working hard for this club and this team

"This is the reason why there is no player more deserving in the country than him and it is the exact reason why we've extended his contract. He was immediately keen to do it also.

"It's a good message for the other lads too, who we want to extend the contracts of," he said.

"I think Oriol feels that there is something growing here at this club and he wants to be a part of that.

"They should show us as quickly as possible that they want to be a part of us because I think the train is leaving now and it's definitely something that we want to know; who wants to follow with us.

The two key players left to sign a new deal are Danny Ings and Ryan Bertrand and their personal situations are both different.

Ryan Bertrand has been a great servant to the club and is now into his 7th season, but having just turned 31, this is a key contract for him, he is effectively having to decide whether to end his career at St Mary's or go for one last big contract next summer when he will become a free agent.

For Saints fans the most worrying is that of Danny Ings, he still has 20 months left on his contract and before his injury was hot property with Spurs reportably wanting to make him Harry Kane's understudy.

His considerations are different to Bertrand's, he will turn 29 next summer and has to consider whether he could have one last shot with a big club, that is understandable, after all he has seen a big chunk of his career wiped out through injury, we all know what a talent he is and he must be thinking "If only"

This will not be a financial decision, he has had two big money moves, it will be a career decision, if he was 25 then perhaps it would be a lot easier, but he knows the clock is ticking and that next summer will probably be the last window that he will attract truly big interest.

His other consideration is just where could he go, Liverpool & Manchester City would probably not need him, likewise Spurs who don't have issues up front, so that leaves just Chelsea, Arsenal & Manchester United, the latter two are probably desperate enough to throw money at a problem even if it will just be for a short term fix.

So Danny Ings has some thinking to do, he can stay here and be King Of The Scummers or perhaps have a shot at winning a cup in the final couple of years when he is still quick enough to be a major force.

This will worry Saints supporters, but one person who is not worried is Ralph Hasenhuttl, he is confident in what he is trying to achieve at St Mary's , he is not afraid of losing players, he knows that everyone is replaceable, if Ings goes it will be a big fee, indeed Ralph is probably already calculating whether selling Ings now would actually be a good thing to do given that we already have Che Adams to replace him and that the fee in the next two windows would be significantly more than what could be got going forward due to the players age.

This might horrify some Saints supporters, perhaps those that were horrified when Rickie Lambert was sold to Liverpool and could only see the past and not the future, there always has to be a balance of what the player is worth now and what he will be worth in the future.

Hasenhuttl would clearly prefer Danny Ings to be on the train now, but he will not delay it leaving the station.

The fact that Hasenhuttl has even mentioned the situation albeit cryptically suggests that not everything is running smoothly in negotiations, both players are probably keen to wait a little both to gauge demand for their services as well as push up the money on offer.

So Ralph's words could hint at something more worrying in the talks, but just as likely just be his way of sending a reminder to his players that money is not everything and those players that chase money with every contract often don't achieve success.

Hopefully there will be a swift conclusion, but if there isn't then I am not worried, for me the key man at Southampton Football Club is not a player, it is Ralph Hasenhuttl himself, he is building a long term structure, one that could serve us for many years, the Austrian knows that age catches up with every player and from that point of view no one will be a first team player for ever, everyone leaves the squad eventually the only question is when !

Photo: Action Images

IanRC added 09:43 - Nov 23 I have to agree, although I would definitely prefer them both to sign quickly.
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froggysaint added 10:38 - Nov 23 Now, with the club flying high, is definitely the time to put the pressure on Ings and Bertrand to commit. I would hope that as both players have already tasted the experience of being on the bench at a "bigger" club, would rather choose to be first choice at St Mary's. Danny Ings has always made plain his love of our club. Stay at Saints and be a South Coast legend !!

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underweststand added 11:20 - Nov 23 OF COURSE Ralph is right. If the two players mentioned, (or anyone else at the club) isn't happy , or wants away then they should put up... or shut up and sign on... Naturally enough all this is handled by agents who want to get the best deal for both the player and themselves (and their own inte% est) but who insist on " playing silly bu**ers" and delay in long negotiations that only go to provoke the club and the fans. It has taken time to assemble the squad that Ralph is working with and IF we need to replace ANYONE then we need to know PDQ before the January window opens. I have no argument with anyone who wants away (ala Hojbjerg) - although there are a few I'd be very sorry to lose - but we are better off without those who aren't satisfied with " the status quo", and if our successful run continues we need to know those who are wanting to stay and be part of it. (Rant over).

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saintmark1976 added 12:27 - Nov 23 There would be no problem whatsoever with players staying or for that fact moving if professional players and their clubs honoured the contracts that they both sign. I can’t think of any other business where you can legitimately say that the contracts are effectively worthless. Until the situation is rectified I’ve no sympathy with players or the clubs that employ them.

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d_ember added 12:59 - Nov 23 It will also govern his potential business dealings in the January window. I see we are being linked with a number of full backs so wonder if the Bertrand talks are at an impasse. Ings is probably not quite so critical - but I am sure that Ralph is planning further ahead than maybe any Saints manager in recent times.
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