Hughes is always up for a cup
HIGH above the stand opposite the press box, the lights were so blinding they looked as though they were whacked up to full beam.
It meant you had to squint as you scanned the upper tiers.
When you did, however, you could clearly see proof that for many fans the Emirates boycott continues.
They simply do not intend to return to watch Arsenal with Arsene Wenger in charge.
The Gunners may have managed to fill out the bottom tiers to give the illusion that the supporters have blinked first.
The man with the attendance figures came by shortly after half-time to report 58,973 tickets had been sold.
Mind you, that figure did not actually tell us how many fans were in the stadium – it’s the way they do things here.
Arsenal great Martin Keown was having none of it, however. “It’s a concern for Wenger.” he said. “There was a time when you couldn’t afford to miss an Arsenal game because it was great to watch.
“It’s worrying when the fans start to vote with their feet because they are telling you they are not happy with what they are seeing.”
To be fair to Wenger, both he and Aaron Ramsey had acknowledged that there was work to be done to win back the stayaway fans.
A place in the Europa League final will do nicely to that end. The boycott against Manchester City came after Pep Guardiola’s side had embarrassed Arsenal in the League Cup final at Wembley.
The boycott against Watford was fuelled by the Wenger Out brigade.
It will be interesting to see whether the fans pass up a final chance to watch Arsenal play an Atletico Madrid or a Napoli.
That kind of footballing fare would be hard to resist. They could yet blink first. MARK HUGHES says the FA Cup can help keep Southampton in the Premier League.
Hughes, named Mauricio Pellegrino’s successor as Saints boss on Wednesday, knows his top priority is survival but says the longer his new side stay in the Cup, the better their chances of beating the drop. The former Stoke chief, who will begin his reign with Sunday’s quarter-final at League One Wigan, said: “It is not a case of just parking the Cup.
“Cup runs enable you to increase your form in Premier League games so I don’t see it as an irritant that we are in the latter stages of the greatest cup competition in world football. It was good for me in my career as a player and something I have a real feeling for. We want to do well and doing well in the FA cup will help our form in the league.”
Hughes will land a six-figure bonus and new long-term deal, having been appointed only until the end of the season, if he steers struggling Southampton to survival.
He added: “The objective is to make sure we are a Premier League club next year.”