Ralph Hasenhuttl praised his experienced team after Southampton’s 2-0 victory over Fulham in a crucial game at the bottom of the Premier League table.
The Saints earned their win in the first half, with goals from Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse sealing the deal before the interval.
The importance of the game
The Austrian praised the atmosphere inside St Mary’s on Wednesday evening who led the team to the ‘clinical’ win.
“I think everyone knew speaking before the game how important this game was for the whole club. We felt a special atmosphere in the stadium, they knew when to push the guys. It was a big step for us and we won and I think the team played in a way that was very clinical and professional, in the right moment they sped up and slowed down with balanced defending.”
Experience proving vital for Saints
Charlie Austin, Maya Yoshida and Ryan Bertrand all started for Saints, players that Hasenhuttl identified as giving experience to the young side.
“We had some more experience on the pitch with Yoshida and Bertrand, it’s important to find the right balance, Bertrand worked hard, made a few good options in the first half with good runs.
We have the lowest average of age in the Premier League, so it’s not easy to find experience but I think in this moment it's important for us to have players on the pitch that know what to do. I said in the meeting that I was clear and demanding of the players today, I can trust my players.”
Saints need to stay focused
Speaking on the shock defeat to Cardiff City a few weeks ago, Hasenhuttl was positive on how his team responded.
“It’s not a shame to fail, it’s all about failing in football, it’s about how you stand up again.
It’s interesting if you’re under the line then you’re gone, there’s a battle between five or six clubs, at the moment we’re over the line, our mentality is important with our next two games, knowing it’s not easy to take points.”