Ralph Hasenhüttl sets hare running on Southampton’s escape bid
Ralph Hasenhüttl wanted to break it down for the benefit of his new English audience and, also, for his old friend Jürgen Klopp. When the news had hit earlier in the week about the Austrian’s imminent appointment as the Southampton manager, Klopp offered a few pronunciation pointers. “Hasen is the rabbit,” the Liverpool manager said. “Hüttl means nothing.”
This was an open goal for Hasenhüttl and he banged it in with relish. “Jürgen’s German is not very good now – maybe his English is better,” he said. “I was laughing about his explaining of my name. He knows what Hasen means but Hüttl means a small hut. So it’s a small hut for the rabbits.”
Ralph Rabbithutch has a certain ring to it and so does the nickname that clung to the 51-year-old as he made his way up the German leagues, from Unterhaching and Aalen to Ingolstadt and RB Leipzig – Alpen Kloppen; Klopp from the Alps.
Hasenhüttl was born two months after Klopp in 1967 and the pair undertook their Uefa pro licence together in Cologne. Like Klopp Hasenhüttl has built his coaching style on pressing, pace, hard running and what he calls automatism – in other words, drilling good decision-making into his players.
“Jurgen has a very proactive way to play, he set marks in Germany with his kind of football and that really influenced my style,” Hasenhüttl said. “I have heard about my nickname but I don’t like it so much. I want to be my own character.”
Hasenhüttl spoke in perfect English at his Southampton unveiling on Thursday, showing quotable turns of phrase and easy, engaging humour – not only when he was ribbing Klopp. “My goal is to get my name known in the Premier League,” he said. “I want to put my footsteps in the snow.” He made the point that there were no guarantees in football. “If you want a guarantee, buy a washing machine,” he added.
What shone through was Hasenhüttl’s conviction, which he said had been hardened by his previous job – the two seasons at RB Leipzig when he finished second and sixth in the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig are the team that many German fans love to hate, because of how Red Bull have thrown money at them to take them from nowhere to the top level.
“The first season [in 2016-17] was extreme,” Hasenhüttl said. “And the away games were really interesting. I think everyone knows that in Leverkusen they threw paint at our team bus and when we moved our windscreen wipers we couldn’t see anything. But it didn’t stop us from winning the game. It helped us to get a good core and we got a big strength from it. The second season was easier.”
For Hasenhüttl the opportunity at Southampton represents, in his own words, a return to his roots. He was never a top player although, as an old-school centre-forward, he scored goals, particularly for Austria Vienna. He would win eight caps for Austria. He told the story of how he wanted to play in the Premier League but he was not good enough, as he discovered during unsuccessful trials at Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers.
“I trained with Chelsea for two weeks under Glenn Hoddle when they were in the relegation zone – it was a long time ago,” Hasenhüttl said. “And I also trained for Bolton when I was a young player. I was very clear, very soon, that I was missing a lot for that level. I had not so much talent and, for that talent, I didn’t do so bad. I could score but running was not my main goal. Maybe that’s why, as a coach, I force my players to run a lot.”
Hasenhüttl’s managerial story before RB Leipzig was at lower-end clubs that tended to scrap for survival. Aalen and Ingolstadt were in the relegation places when he took over and Southampton fans will note that he not only led them to survival but also got them both promoted the following season.
“This experience helps me a lot, even if it’s a little far away now,” Hasenhüttl said. “Taking the Southampton job is not the easiest step but I never want easy in my life. I am always challenging myself. I am not afraid of anything.”
Hasenhüttl will push his new players remorselessly in training. There will also be an emphasis on video sessions which, he said, would “get mind-blowing for the guys”. Tactically he wants to find the perfect formation but to be flexible, too. “My preferred system is 4-2-2-2 but also 4-3-3 and 3-4-3,” he said. “The main goals are to be very proactive and to press very early. If someone says it is too much running or work, they will fall very quickly behind us.”
Most immediately, before Saturday’s visit to Cardiff, Hasenhüttl needs to stabilise defensively and lift the collective confidence. Manmanagement and player development, however, are his greatest strengths. There are no guarantees in footballbut Hasenhüttl intends to give himself and Southampton the best possible chance through hard work, attention to detail and tried and trusted strategies.
Hasenhüttl raised a laugh when asked to reveal his first thought on being offered the job. “It was about how the Titanic left from Southampton,” he replied. “I hope I don’t hit the first iceberg waiting for me.”
The reality is that he feels he has found his ideal port.