The Long wait worth it, Ralph
SHANE LONG was thinking of changing his name to How Long before Ralph Hasenhuttl breezed into town.
The striker went into this one looking for his first goal of the season having not scored since April last year.
Long has featured in six of the seven games under Hasenhuttl – and that loyalty has been rewarded. Long scored the second – just after the Saints had been reduced to 10 men.
His last four goals for the club have, in fact, come under four different managers: Claude Puel, Mauricio Pellegrini,
Mark Hughes and Hasenhuttl. It was Long who was fouled for the penalty that James Ward-Prowse converted early on.
Long then struck the killer blow.
Leicester got one back through Wilfred Ndidi but that is 10 points from seven for the new manager and Long said: “There was a lot of pressure on me
LEICESTER SOUTHAMPTON
going into the game but the gaffer has shown me confidence.
“It’s hard work, especially when you go down to 10 men, but everybody has got on board with what the manager wants and it’s working. We can start looking up. It’s not going to be easy but we’re confident.”
Leicester’s defeat sparked verbal abuse of Puel and Harry Maguire said: “The frustration comes from our home form.”
Schmeichel 6; Pereira 6, Morgan 6, Maguire 6, Chilwell 6; Ndidi 6, Mendy 4 (Barnes 46, 6), Choudhury 6 (Ghezzal 76, 5), Albrighton 5 (Gray 46, 6), Maddison 7; Vardy 6. Chilwell. Ndidi 58. Wolves (a), Sat PL.
McCarthy 7; Bednarek 8, Stephens 7, Vestergaard 7; Valery 3, Ward-Prowse 7, Romeu 6, Armstrong 6 (Soares 57, 6), Targett 6; Redmond 7 (Gallagher 90), Long 7 (Slattery 76, 5). Stephens, Valery. Valery 45. Ward-Prowse 11 pen, Long 45.
Derby (h), Wed FAC.
Booked: NEXT UP: SOTON (3-5-2): Booked: Sent off:
NEXT UP: LEICESTER(4-5-1): Goal: Goals: