At the end of the game Ralph Hasenhuttl sunk to his knees overcome with emotion, a little under two hours earlier there was barely a Saints supporter predicting a victory after they saw the line up of Southampton boys against the Liverpool men, but a victory it was.

When the team line up was announced an hour before the game, Saints related social media lit up with fans claiming that with so many players out there would only be one result, even when Danny Ings finished off another James Ward Prowse freekick set piece with a deft nonchalant chip of the keeper, there were few who believed that we could hold out another 88 minutes, Ralph Hasenhuttl himself admitted that he didn't believe we could win until the 92nd minute, but win we did.

It was always going to be hard, we were missing 5 players who might well have started the game and that is a big total for a squad of our size, we just about managed to put out an experienced side, but on the bench Shane Long found himself sat alongside players almost young enough to be his children.

But everyone on the pitch played their part, from Fraser Forster in goal who although protected well by his defence, did what he had to do when he had to do it.

In front of him he had a back four who battled well, at times they were stretched but they never gave up and if they made an error they chased back and made sure that we didn't pay the price for it.

In the midfield James Ward Prowse led by example and alongside him Ibrahima Diallo was a pocket dynamo, fitting in with the passing style well and winning the ball and moving it on, Ralph has a real dilemma as he now has three class central midfielders.

Moussa Djenepo was a threat out wide and when he pulled what looked like his hamstring he left the field in tears, such was his frustration in having to go off when he was playing so well.

But the change didn't affect the side, on came Nathan Tella who was pushed up front and almost scored himself, he never stopped running.

In the second half it was one way traffic for a while and the worry was that we might run out of steam and not have enough class on the bench to replace those who needed a rest.

But Dan N'Lundulu came on in the 77th minute for Danny Ings and then Yann Valery to replace Walcott and they put in a shift, indeed Valery almost put the game to bed after beating the onrushing Alisson, but his shot lacked pace and was cleared before it reached the line.

The end was nervy, Liverpool threw everything at us, but we held firm, truth was that for all their possession, the visitors couldn't muster a decent effort on target and that was due to solid defending.

At the end of the game Ralph Hasenhuttl fell to his knees in tears, overcome by the emotion and it was a sight that Saints fans warmed to, here is a man who has bought into the club with his heart and soul, this is more than a game for him and we are more than a club.

Next to him was the man that he is often compared to, in Germany they called him Klopp Of The Alps, but in tonight he was the master tactician not Jurgen Klopp, with a injury ravaged team to work with it was his team that battled for every ball and his team whose one moment of genius won the match, on this night Klopp has to take second stage and can now be referred to as the Hassenhuttl of Bootle in Liverpool.

When we started 2020, we were still unsure whether the season would be a good one or would see us relegated, a year later and we are only 4 points off the top spot, Ralph said this was a night he started to believe and for many Saints fans it is the same, there is still some work to do, but we are getting stronger and better.

In many ways this resembled a performance back in the summer against Manchester City, we were not given much of a hope in that one but we battled through and won, we should not get carried away just yet, but this is a team that can compete.

The pride is now back in Southampton Football club, it is time to stop whinging that the club has no ambition and wants to sell players, it has a plan, it has a strategy and Ralph Hasenhuttl has given us not only hope but pride.

Let's look to the future now and not drag up the past !

We are 6th in the League we are 4 points off the top, this is a team that can make us proud !

Photo: Action Images

Whatsforpud added 16:52 - Jan 5 Saintmark1976 makes a good point. Since the defeat to Man U, we have conceded just three goals in seven games, including an enforced centre back change. We seem to have a defence for most that is thrown at us now, although admittedly our attacking prowess has suffered. Forster was well protected, but was less convincing under pressure. He was somewhat lucky to have been awarded a foul when he dropped the ball having collided with a defender. Also he punched/flapped at a couple of crosses which he might well have caught.

4

NewburySaint added 21:38 - Jan 5 Diallo MOM for me-he always seemed to have time and was unhurried in his play (& was the same as the Fulham game went on which he grew in to) which is normally the sign of a class player. It was also pleasing to see Djenepo rip Alexander what’s his name a new 1....
2

KriSaint added 12:42 - Jan 6 What a season we are having! Beating Liverpool with - besides Shane Long - only homegrown players with an average age of 21 years on the bench, is, for me, one of the proudest moments in my 40+ years as a Saints fan. Seeing Ralph, at the end of the game, go down on his knees with tears of joy, gave me goosebumps. Ibrahima Diallo, already SO tactically well educated and safe in his receiving and delevering the ball, was superb - as was every Saints player. It was Diallos smart heading the ball above Thiago into the path of Armstrong - in the first third of Liverpools half - which resulted in the free kick, which JWP, superbly, smartly, chipped - with a hell of a lot of rotation in it, rotating away from Ings' marker, Arnold, - above the Liverpool backline, towards the NEAR post, into the path of Ings - WHILE PROTENDING to make a cross towards the FAR post towards Bednarek/Stephens. BRILLIANT. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU. <3 KriSaint (Kristian), Copenhagen, Denmark.

2

Farlow added 16:40 - Jan 6 I Dont know how Thiago stayed on the pitch he made 5 fouls in the first 25 minutes i know what the outcome would have been had it been Romeu.I felt sorry for Djneppo as he was having his best all round game so far.Great to see Ralph bring on the Kids. The kids are alright.
2

Blogs 31 bloggers

Exeter City Polls