Ralph Hasenhuttl wants his team to win at St Mary's tonight for the first time this season when they host Leicester City and he knows his side must get down and fight for it.

The Saints manager has been trying to get Saints to play in a certain way, but against Leicester City he wants them to roll up their sleeves and get the win by sheer hard work if nothing else.

“For everybody in the club the home games are very important to come in a positive way and at the moment at home when you see the performance we showed at home and what we get for it it was not enough."

“We played sometimes better than the result was but against Chelsea was the worst game but against Liverpool and Bournemouth second half we invested a lot and didn’t get anything."

“The time has come to get what I call dirty wins and make a goal and defend with everything you have and make it as nasty as possible for the opponent to get something here."

“I think the players know what it’s about and we are going into the game with everything we have.”

Hasenhuttl is aware of the supporters comments on social media and he wants his team to show the fans that they are as committed to the cause as he is.

“They want to see us fighting for every inch and we did against Wolves and in the end we tried to win this game,”

“We know we need wins because every team needs wins and we have a chance at home after a long time where we didn’t win at home and it’s important for us to see what is necessary to take three points at home."

“It will be helpful when we have a good start and score in the first half because we had a lot of chances in the first half and never the ball went in the net so it must be a very concentrated and committed performance.”

“I see the quality they [Leicester] have in the team and that they have fantastic players in the team and it is not a coincidence they are that high in the table.

“I am more concentrated on my team but we know it is a tough opponent.

“After nine rounds on the position it is not a coincidence and you have done a lot of things right and they have.

“For us it’s important to bring a really committed performance otherwise it will be difficult.”

The manager is spot on he needs his players to be committed and he needs the fans to get behind the team from the start and stay behind them whatever the way the game is going, but he also has to pick the right team.

Last season in the main Ralph got it right in his selections and substitutions, but this season he has got it wrong on too many occasions.

The departure of Danny Rohl has got to have something to do with that, the two seemed perfect together and every great manager needs a good assistant and coaching staff whom he can use to bounce ideas off and to help guide him, in Rohl he had that, but I think he is more isolated this season, he hasn't got that trusted aide and his coaching staff are not experienced enough to help him.

So yes we have to win dirty, but we have to have the right players in the right positions out there fighting for the team.

Photo: Action Images

A1079 added 09:33 - Oct 25 The fans have been and still are very much behind the team and the manager, but another performance at home, like that at Chelsea, and I can see that support ebbing away. You can go on about fans getting behind the team and I agree, we could be hell of alot better than we are (in fact our vocal support is quite awful) - against Chelsea, even at the start, there was no atmosphere, no anticipation. Horribly, that was then reflected in the team performance, particularly in the 2nd half. Whilst accepting we were losing, we came out with no fight and no attempt to claw the scoreline back. If the team had shown some fight I am sure the fans would have got behind them. I appreciate that it is a bit of a catch 22 situation and one tends to feed off the other. I think most fans have become nullified by the endless poor home performances and results. I know it was a long time ago, but going to the Dell was a bit of a fortress. Even if our away results were bad and we were struggling, you were pretty much guaranteed a performance and some passion by the team. I have seen very little of that in the last 2-3 seasons at home, save for the odd game in the midst of a relegation battle. Still, RH is right. They need to show fight and determination tonight, even if it is not sexy, and we need a win (desperately).

4

perazi added 09:34 - Oct 25 Have to agree with your comments about the departure of Danny Rohl - it looked a formidable duo...Ralph and Danny, and since D's departure, Ralph has looked isolated and struggling for good feedback and support. Much as people might love Super Kelv; he and Dave Watson are hardly the offsiders a successful Manager needs. Let's hope for a gutsy result tonight for Saints.
1

HythePeer added 10:13 - Oct 25 🤦🏻‍♂️
0

Dobbin60 added 10:17 - Oct 25 Is he for real, ‘the time has come to defend with everything you have’. Horse bolted comes to mind. Where has the commitment been? Should have been there at the start of the season and the start of every game, not in patches of games when we’re already getting stuffed.
5

saintmark1976 added 10:27 - Oct 25 If the manager's comments are accurately stated by Nick then all I can add is "do bears deficate in the woods? and " is the Pope a Catholic? ".
1

mikesaint added 12:55 - Oct 25 He needs to start by putting out his best team and that means no Ward-Prowse in the squad. He also needs to play only 4 in defence and Adams up front along side Ings. Boufal must start.
5

I_would added 13:52 - Oct 25 We'll know tonight if Hassenintheheadlights is looking to get sacked if he plays 5 at the back with Vestergaard and the slowest trio of donkeys in the middle and leaves Boufal on the bench until 90' + 6'.
6

Saintsforeverj added 15:19 - Oct 25 Winning ugly is exactly what we need. Stop the tippy tappy, sideways, backwards rubbish, get a scrappy goal or two and win the game ugly. We need points on the board and not being ugly and nasty has been our problem. We have been too easy to play against. It's about time we show our nasty side instead of beautiful ineffective cr@p. Give us a few hard tackles and some effort, the fans will be behind the team.

1

bigrob68 added 07:06 - Oct 26 Well that worked well.
0

Blogs 31 bloggers

Luton Town Polls