MIRACLE-WORKER RALPH WRECKS ALBION’S DAY

WHEN Ralph Hasenhuttl arrived at St Mary’s Stadium in December, Southampton were in bits. With the club in the relegation zone, Hasenhuttl had his work cut out to save them from relegation. Hasenhuttl’s eccentricity was evident from day one. He spoke about assurances over their fight for survival (‘If you want guarantees, buy a washing machine’). But it is easy to see why Southampton’s players enjoy working for Hasenhuttl, with his contagiously cool charisma. He is a man motivator, often organising one-on-ones to get to know players, and has promised a ‘big party’ if they survive. They put in a shift for him on Saturday. At full-time, before referee Michael Oliver had even blown the whistle, Hasenhuttl was jumping up and down, punching the air and shouting ‘Yes!’ Deep into four minutes of stoppage time, goalkeeper Angus Gunn had just collected a cross, and Hasenhuttl figured that was that. He was right. Southampton’s win eased them up to 16th, while dragging Brighton back into the relegation battle. ‘It was definitely a six-pointer,’ said Gunn. Southampton have a history of showing faith in kids. Hasenhuttl has continued that since his arrival by handing 5,386 minutes to Under 23 players — a figure only bettered in the Premier League by Leicester. The winner was scored in the 53rd minute by 23-year-old captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, following clever work by the revitalised Nathan Redmond. For Brighton, this was a kick up the backside. ‘It’s a massive win for them,’ said Chris Hughton, the Brighton boss. ‘And psychologically, it’s a blow for us. Ourselves, Burnley, Cardiff, Fulham, everybody is fighting. ‘We play Bournemouth here, Cardiff here, and I don’t expect any of those games to be any easier. What I expect is our game to be better than it was today.’