Southampton: Charlie Austin thrilled with Mark Hughes’ impact
By Chris Hughes
Ahead of his return to the first team, Charlie Austin has hailed the work of new manager Mark Hughes ahead of the season’s crunch period.
Hughes, 54, was brought in to replace the sacked Mauricio Pellegrino last week, after the former was rid of his duties after winning just one league game since November.
The Welshman won his first game in charge of the Saints this past weekend, guiding Southampton to an FA Cup semi-final and a trip to Wembley in the process.
But Hughes’ biggest challenge is yet to come, with a game against West Ham in just under a fortnight in which the Saints could be able to select Charlie Austin once again. The English forward returned to training in the past week after three months injured and has heaped praise on his new boss:
"“When the gaffer came in he said ‘look, we’re here for eight weeks. There’s no getting away from it, we’ve all got to put all our energies and efforts into these eight weeks to get ourselves into a cup final and stay in the Premier League’.“Everyone knows that is the ultimate goal for us now. There has been a change in everyone around the training ground – a change in attitude. Commitment maybe? I don’t know.”"
Austin was in red-hot form prior to his injury at Christmas, scoring five goals in seven games after eventually being given a shot in the first team by the already under-fire Pellegino. The 28-year-old’s brace in the win against Everton was the only time the Saints have scored four goals in a game this campaign.
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Hughes will almost certainly deploy the Englishman in place of the out-of-form Guido Carrillo if he’s fit in time for the away game against the Hammers. The Argentine is yet to score since his big money move from Monaco and Manolo Gabbiadini seems a more logical option as a second-striker.
"“Sometimes you need that change. What they’ve brought so far has been fantastic, and hopefully that will continue..“It’s not just him. Mark (Bowen) is here and Eddie (Niedzwiecki), which is great, because they’re all having their say and having their input, which is important because you’re not just hearing the same voice. – Austin"
Southampton supporters will hope that Austin’s style of play works well under Hughes, with every last goal precious to the Saints’ potential Premier League survival.
The Saints’s game against West Ham is the fourth in a set of games seen as ‘season-defining’ by the media and fanbase. The game will be even more important with Southampton having picked up just two points from the first three of these matches (Burnley, Stoke, Newcastle).
The game against Swansea is yet to be rescheduled with the Saints still competing in the FA Cup but Hughes and Austin will have their focus firmly on the match in nine days – last time out a penalty from the latter won the game in the dying embers after Pellegrino’s side sacrificed a two-goal lead to a ten-man Hammers side.