SAINTS IN BID TO BE KINGS OF THE COAST

RALPH HASENHUTTL has urged his Southampton players to show they are the South Coast’s top dogs by sealing survival against Bournemouth today.

A win would make Saints safe from relegation and lift them to within a point of the Cherries.

“We’re very motivated to take the final step in front of our own fans in what will be a special game,” said the St Mary’s boss. “I can’t imagine something more beautiful and that’s what we’re looking forward to.

“I know the history of this derby isn’t huge because we’ve not been in the same league for that long.

“The history is building up. Southampton is the more traditional club and is longer in the Premier League but the distance is not that far, so this makes it interesting for the supporters.

“I don’t care who is on the other side. I’ll celebrate in the same style.”

Saints were 18th and trailing today’s visitors by 11 points when the Austrian (above) replaced the sacked Mark Hughes in December.

Hasenhuttl said: “It will be fantastic if we’re safe two games from the end.

“When I came in, if you had told me we had the chance to make it clear against Bournemouth I’d have taken it for sure. We invested a lot, my staff and the team in this club, to leave this negative track we were in and I think we have now the feeling we are in a period where something is growing here.

“That’s most important thing for everybody working in this club; that we see we started to go on a journey that’s going in the right direction.”

Hasenhuttl has warned his men they cannot afford another slow start next term after a second relegation scrap in a row.

The former RB Leipzig boss said: “First we have to be safe, and then we can think about the future.

“One thing is clear, if we are safe, we have to start in a different way next year, as it’s not always possible to come from behind and then take in the second half all the points you need.

“That’s a game that doesn’t work every time.”