After snatching a late winner against Spurs, Liverpool find themselves back in second place after Manchester City’s win against Cardiff. With City being occupied by the FA Cup this weekend, Liverpool have the chance to go back on top with a win.
They will try to do that by heading to the south coast to take on Southampton. In recent months the Saints have found a new lease on life under Ralph Hasenhuttl and will look to continue their good form when they welcome Liverpool the St. Mary’s.
I spoke to Freddie Hunt from The Ugly Inside fan channel to get his view ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Southampton.
Southampton currently sit 16th place five points above relegation. From the outside looking in it seems like the club has been underperforming in the past two seasons as they were seen as one of the top mid-table teams in previous years. Is that fair to say and if so what has caused this drop?
Statistically speaking under Pochettino, Koeman and Puel we were a top half team and with the formers an attractive side based upon a successful model. Since then we’ve been chronically mismanaged by Pellegrino and Hughes. The last two seasons have been the worst of any recent memories.
Pellegrino was out of his depth and Hughes well, he simply shouldn’t have been given a contract for three years. He should have walked away at the end of the season after giving us the feel-good factor, which that in turn quickly faded. Under Hughes, we had no tactical identity, no ambition and frankly, it seemed he could not motivate the players. We thought we only had one direction if Hughes stayed any longer.
Ralph Hasenhuttl has steered the ship though since the departure of Mark Hughes. What is your opinion on the Austrian and his time at the club so far?
Ralph has revolutionised the club since his arrival and has been a breath of fresh air. After his first match defeat against Cardiff, we knew this would be a long process. It’s simply amazing what a good coach can do to what seemed a deflated group. He’s had the team in double training sessions, working extra hard, individual meetings with players outlining what he expects of them and setting standards – some of which have reacted tremendously (Ward-Prowse and Redmond) and others he’s quickly realised who aren’t willing to buy in to the project and have been shipped out (Hoedt).
We’ve also seen more youngsters given a chance in the first team, something we lost sight of over the last few years and some have now nailed on a first-team place – Yan Valery for example. We’ve found our identity again and backing it up on the pitch with some terrific wins playing expansive, direct, ruthless football.
With just seven games left to play do you fear relegation?
Not at all any more. I know that might come across as a little arrogant but we’ve seen enough football under Hasenhuttl to be convinced we have enough to stay up and probably even comfortably. Since Ralph arrived he’s accumulated 24 points from 16 games on average 1.5 points per game. If you calculate that over a season we would have around 57 points and be comfortably pushing for Europa League in the past few seasons. Of course, it’s not a given we’ll stay up but we’re confident it’s not going to fall apart. All we need to do is our own job, keep picking up points, our run-in is more favourable than our rivals and ultimately we’re building for next season.
With the season all but over, was this what you expected or were you hoping for a lot more at the start?
Of course, it’s disappointing to be near the bottom but those were the expectations at the start of the season. Last season was a reality check and for the early stages of this season and performances set the tone for the campaign. There was little to convince we would pull away under Mark Hughes but we know who we are, we don’t have high expectations, we don’t have a huge budget and many of us would have taken mid-table mediocrity and just be safe from the drop this season.
One thing that is always brought up when Liverpool go head to head with Southampton is the number of players the club have purchased from the south coast in recent years. What are your feelings towards Liverpool’s consistent buying of your players?
Hopefully, we’re over the worst of it. Liverpool have become our favourite pantomime villains, a team fans love to hate because of what’s happened. The Reds have pillaged and plundered our best assets over the years and clearly, the recent transfers have had a detrimental influence on your form and title hopes but sometimes the grass is not greener.
What is the mood amongst the fan base going into this match?
On the back of consecutive wins against Tottenham and Brighton and good performances before that, we have nothing to lose heading into this game. Some would say this is a free hit, we have a cushion above the drop zone and with favourable fixtures to come. Liverpool are the last of top six we have to play before the end of the season. We’re quietly confident, who’s to say we can’t get a result on Friday?
Now heading to the pitch, what is Southampton’s greatest strength and weakness?
We’ve have a real cohesion within the team now, everyone playing for one another. Despite lack of goals from strikers recently we’ve managed to chip in with a lot from midfield. Redmond, Ward-Prowse and Hojbjerg all finding the back of the net. We’re now a tough team to beat and therein lies our strength. We’ve seen a grit and determination from the squad and the aforementioned make up a strong core to the team. The greatest asset we have right now is the high press and intensity Hasenhuttl demands. We are pressing higher up the pitch, forcing teams into mistakes and leading to goals or key chances.
Who has been the side’s best player this season and who has been the worst or most disappointing?
We have four real contenders for player of the season; Nathan Redmond has stepped up to another level under Ralph Hasenhuttl and has been involved in goals more than ever. We saw the premise of it earlier this season but didn’t quite click. Equally, James Ward-Prowse has been the most improved under Ralph. He was tasked to add a ruthless edge to his game, get stuck into more tackles and duels and has chipped in with some special goals. Pierre Emile Hojbjerg and Jan Bednarek also have a mention under Ralph. Hojbjerg inherited the captaincy whilst Bertrand was injured and has kept it ever since, wears his heart on his sleeve, really conducts and motivates his team and also finding the back of the net, he is a key figure for the team. Bednarek was not favoured by Hughes and rarely played but has not been displaced under Hasenhuttl. At £5 million last summer he’s adding more value to that figure game by game with composed and consistent performances.
What do Southampton have to do to get a result on Friday?
Tying your front three and Van Dijk’s shoelaces together would help. Saints can go out there on Friday and play without fear. We tend to do well when teams come at us and express themselves, we then can exploit the space in behind. I imagine we will sit deep and play on the counter-attack and utilise pace on the wings with Redmond (should he play there – he may start centrally in place of Ings) or Bertrand and Valery at wing back.
What are your biggest worries about the game?
Of course, your front three come with great pedigree and goals in abundance. Keep those three quiet we will stand a chance. I’m sure Hasenhuttl has done his homework and will know how to neutralise them. Mane has been in a purple patch recently and looks your biggest threat on paper. We’d also like van Dijk to miss this game through injury, but I hear he will be fit so expect the pantomime boos from the home support.
How do you rate this Liverpool side?
Say it quietly, this could be your year. Since your additions of Allison and van Dijk, you’ve now added balance to your side and it’s obvious to see how much you’ve improved defensively. A front three that can be formidable at times but you were weak defensively until this season. You’ve been nearly men, or nowhere near close in years gone by now, you are serious contenders for the title. Having said that, you are not perfect, you still have erratic errors by individuals that can be calamitous.
Which Liverpool player has impressed you the most this season?
Sadio Mane has stepped out of Mo Salah’s shadow this season. A player we know all about and was explosive at times. He looks a player now consistently fulfilling his potential.
How do you see Hasenhüttl lining up his side?
Ralph may revert back to a 3-4-2-1 and add an extra defender to the mix like how lined up against Spurs. We’ll be without Danny Ings this Friday (ineligible). He made his return to the first team last week at Brighton after missing five games. We could see Charlie Austin return to the fold as the central striker but we did see for the first time last week Ralph’s favoured formation 4-2-2-2 which saw great success with RB Leipzig. The team practised long and hard on the shape during the three-week break on the 4-2-2-2 and it’s great to have it in the locker. But if we’re to exploit wings on the counter the 3-4-2-1 would be favourable.
At a guess; Gunn; Yoshida, Vestergaard, Bednarek; Valery, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Bertrand; Ward-Prowse, Redmond; Austin.
How do you see this match playing out?
As mentioned previously, we can play without pressure. All the pressure will be on the visitors expecting the result. If we can get in the game early, be compact and press high we have every chance of stealing a sweet victory. I expect a high-intensity game from both sides. Getting a point is not beyond the realms and could well put a severe dent to your title attempt, it would be something the “Alpen Klopp” and Saints fans can savour.
Thanks to Freddie from The Ugly Inside for taking the time to answer our questions.
