Southampton: What Hasenhuttl will have learnt in Saints’ recent upturn

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has overseen a recent upturn in form that lifted his side out of the relegation zone.

The Saints have taken seven points from the last nine on offer with a draw at Arsenal and home wins against Watford and Norwich City.

An ideal opportunity to claim more points comes with matches against Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace before the end of December.

With Ralph Hasenhuttl reaching his 1 year anniversary as boss and saying he is still relishing the challenge, there is perhaps one thing he will have learnt as his side recovers some form.

Looking back to the beginning of the season, he may have learnt that he needed to trust the plans that he put in place back in August.

It was clear throughout pre-season and then the opening games of the domestic campaign that the Austrian wanted to implement his 4-2-2-2 system that had worked so well at RB Leipzig.

Saints started this season playing with a back three but subsequently lost to Burnley and Liverpool.

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Then, a brief switch to the 4-2-2-2 produced a run of three games unbeaten in all competitions – wins against Brighton and Fulham in league and cup respectively and a home draw with Manchester United.

However, the same system was used against Bournemouth and was exposed badly in a 3-1 loss.

As Saints looked to recover, 3-5-2 became the chosen formation but failed to deliver a single win from late September to early December.

Now, we are back to 4-2-2-2 and the team look a lot more accomplished.

The players need to work a lot harder given that intense pressing is the key to its success, but it has proven to be more solid defensively and has allowed attacking players to flourish.

Perhaps Hasenhuttl will feel that he needed to trust the process and allow his players to adjust during the early season.

Yes, it didn’t look to be working at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, but he now seems to have the players tuned in to their roles and the ideal players filling each position.

He will be wanting signings to create an even better side, but we could be starting to see the beginnings of the true Hasenhuttl era at St Mary’s.