NEW SAINTS BOSS READY FOR NEIL WARNOCK

New Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is ready for Neil Warnock and Cardiff in his first game in charge
By Peter Carline (Daily Mail)

Ralph Hasenhuttl will take charge of his first Southampton game against Cardiff

He'll be up against Neil Warnock, who has managed 1,500 games in England


Ralph Hasenhuttl may have managed in the Bundesliga and the Champions League, but he is still all-too aware of the challenges presented by Neil Warnock.

The new Southampton boss makes his Premier League bow in Cardiff against Warnock, a man who has overseen more than 1500 games on these shores.

"I know that he has a little bit more experience with games in England than I do," said Hasenhuttl with a wry smile.

"I think he's a special character. What you can see in this team is they have a lot of automisation and play very physically and work hard against the ball, so they're not easy to beat. It's really a tough game for us and for me after a short time of training, so it will be very tough."

The 51-year-old Austrian only took charge of the side on Thursday and he asked Southampton fans to judge his team at the end of the season.

"I can guarantee you that when you see us playing in the summer it will be different than when you see the team now," he said.

"I can't guarantee you how many results we will earn for that. I hope it is enough to stay in this division."


Hasenhuttl, who completed his coaching badges with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, has managed Premier League stars Naby Keita at RB Leipzig and Pascal Gross at Ingolstadt.

He admitted that he used Brighton midfielder Gross as a sounding board, saying: "Pascal told me about the league, the clubs in the bottom of the league and (he said) it would be very interesting if I come here and try to take over a club here and perform with this club."


He has not spoken to Liverpool's Guinean star Keita, saying: "I'm not so good in French and he is not good in German and English!

"I know the league now. I have seen a lot of matches. I have seen a lot of matches from Southampton. I know what it's about — but it's a new experience for me for sure."

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