talkSPORT’s football correspondent Alex Crook has hinted that Southampton could look to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl during the World Cup break.
The Saints slipped to 17th in the Premier League table following their seventh defeat of the season away at Crystal Palace last weekend.
It comes amid recent reports from The Telegraph that claimed Hasenhuttl’s position was coming under increasing scrutiny with the club considering his future.
The side face two difficult fixtures prior to the mid-season hiatus with the first coming at home to Newcastle United this Sunday.
Hasenhuttl’s charges then face a trip to Anfield and could very well find themselves in the bottom three come Christmas.
Speaking on the talkSPORT GameDay podcast Crook has now said:
(52:25) “It seems to me like a manager who’s probably been there for too long.
Four years is a long time to spend at any one club in the Premier League, particularly one of the lesser sides.
“I think he’s done wonders to keep them in the division at a time when the former owners weren’t really willing to invest.
“But I think probably a change during the World Cup period is best for all concerned.”
TIF Thoughts on Crook’s comments…
Will Ralph Hasenhuttl last until Christmas as Southampton boss?
Yes
No
The Austrian manager has averaged 1.27 points per game since arriving at St. Mary’s in December 2018.
He steered the club to a 16th-place finish but after coming 11th in his first full-season, the south-coast club seem to have plateaued under the 55-year-old.
The Saints have finished 15th in each of the past two campaigns and perhaps it is time for them to move on like Crook has suggested.
A pre-season essentially in the middle of the year provides the board with an opportunity unlike any other to make their move but it remains to be seen whether they decide to stick or twist.