Paul Merson has hit out at Southampton for hiring a manager without any Premier League experience.
The Saints appointed ex-RB Leipzig boss Ralph Hasenhuttl as Mark Hughes’ successor on Wednesday, a move that has attracted a lot of praise thanks to the Austrian’s exciting style of football and proven success in Germany.
However that is not enough for Merson, who has predicted Cardiff to beat Southampton 2-0 in South Wales on Saturday, based solely off the fact that Hasenhuttl has never managed in England’s top-flight before.
“There’s a new man at the helm at Southampton in Ralph Hasenhuttl but I must side with Cardiff to win this game. Saints are bringing in a manager who has never experienced the Premier League and I think there’s a rude awakening coming on Saturday,” said Merson on the Sky Sports website.
“Southampton may have let slip a two-goal lead against Manchester United last weekend, but they did play well, don’t get me wrong. However, with the new manager coming in this weekend I think it’s going to be a difficult afternoon for them. I’m backing Cardiff for a win that will put Southampton in big trouble.”
OPINION
It is not the first time that Merson has hit out at Southampton this week as in his Sky Sports prediction for the Tottenham game he blasted the club for getting rid of Mark Hughes and leaving themselves managerless for the trip to Wembley – like it would have mattered. Merson needs to wake up and realise that you don’t have to be a proven Premier League manager to have success in England. Did Pep Guardiola before he joined Manchester City? No. Antonio Conte before Chelsea? No. Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Manuel Pellegrini, the list goes on. You’re an idiot if you think that you have to have managed in the Premier League to have success in the Premier League. Merson has something against foreign managers, but sorry, if there are no good English managers around then go for it. It doesn’t matter if they’re from Spain, Germany, Australia or Mars. If they are good enough, hire them. Remember Merson’s comments about Marco Silva when Hull hired him? He is setting himself up to look like a complete moron yet again.