Ralph Hasenhuttl has reflected on his first year with Southampton by admitting that he loves managing in the Premier League.
Speaking to The Southern Daily Echo, the Austrian manager confessed that he enjoys coaching in the English top-flight and that he was surprised how strong the division is and how much teams must fight for every single point on offer.
Hasenhuttl was appointed Saints manager a year ago this week, replacing Mark Hughes on the south coast in a move that was seen as ambitious by Southampton given the former RB Leipzig coach’s previous experience in Germany.
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And the 52-year-old manager is seemingly loving life in England despite results being very mixed during his tenure with Southampton, with the Saints only now just escaping the Premier League relegation zone after 15 games into his first full season with the club.
Hasenhuttl said: “I must say I love this league. I love to work here, and I love this way of playing football in this league. It was surprising me for how strong this league is and how difficult it is to take a win. It’s not a surprise or coincidence that everyone around the world loves the Premier League.
The Southampton boss added with: “The games are intense and the way we see the games here are different. Even the big teams don’t go into games thinking it’s going to be an easy win. You have to fight for every point and for every win which is something very special for this league. That’s the reason why I really enjoy working here.”
After a poor start to this season, Hasenhuttl is beginning to turn things around for the Saints after collecting seven points out of a possible nine from Southampton’s previous three games, and the Austrian’s charisma and progressive style of play will make him a long-time favourite on the south coast.
