Rock&ral HASENHUTTL PRESSURE EASES
By Alex Smith
IF Southampton’s players have lost faith in Ralph Hasenhuttl their 20-minute comeback belied their true feelings.
The manager has been under swelling pressure after a horror end to last season, a 4-1 opening day defeat to Tottenham and reports he had lost the dressing room.
After Rodrigo had stabbed in a double, and he had received the “sacked in the morning” treatment, Hasenhuttl may well have been mentally planning moving out of his Hampshire property.
But Joe Aribo’s first goal for Saints since arriving from Rangers and Kyle Walker-peters’ cool finish eased the pressure, for now.
Hasenhuttl said: “We showed a sensational reaction in the secondhalf. It was not perfect for us at the break but the reaction to the team was amazing. It’s important we have our first point of the season.”
It took Rodrigo just 37 seconds after moving to a central position at the start of the second half, after Patrick Bamford’s early withdrawal, to divert in Jack Harrison’s devious cross.
Spaniard Rodrigo made Bamford’s absence less noticeable when he tracked unnoticed to the back post from a corner to nod in Pascal Struijk’s front post flick in the 60th minute.
Aribo was brought on in response and, after controlling fellow sub Adam Armstrong’s low cross, he rounded the keeper and thumped in.
With nine minutes to go Walkerpeters latched on to Sekou Mara’s through pass to slot home. Aribo almost grabbed a winner but was batted away by Illan Meslier.
Leeds boss Jesse Marsch said: “The feeling I have is major disappointment to concede two points. But there was clarity in the way we played, which is a positive.”
Rodrigo added: “The game should have finished differently.”
SOUTHAMPTON: Bazunu 6; Walker-peters 8, Bella Kotchap 5, Bednarek 5 (Mara (70) 7), Salisu 6, Djenepo 6 (Stephens (90) 6); Lavia 5, Ward-prowse 5; Elyounoussi 5 (Aribo (62) 8) S Armstrong 6 (A Armstrong (62) 6); Adams 6
LEEDS: Meslier 6; Kristensen 5, Llorente 6, Koch 6, Struijk 7; Roca 6 (Forshaw (88) 6), Adams 6, Aaronson 6, Rodrigo 8, Harrison 8 (Klich (85) 6); Bamford 5 (James (29) 5, Sinisterra (85) 6)
STAR MAN: Rodrigo. The Spaniard’s double appeared to have put the final nails into Hasenhuttl’s coffin.
REF: Tony Harrington 6