Ralph Hasenhuttl highlighted West Ham’s use of long balls as a key reason behind Southampton’s defeat to the East London outfit on Saturday night.
Saints were beaten 1-0 by Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who came away from St Mary’s with all three points following a smart finish from Sebastien Haller in the first half.
Hasenhuttl was left frustrated by his team’s failure to turn the game around despite a somewhat improved second-half showing, and discussed just why West Ham were able to clinch an important win.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Austrian spoke about how the Hammers’ long balls proved to be problematic for Saints’ defenders.
He said:
Tough result, because I think in the second half we played much better. It was very difficult in the first half.
All the long balls against a physical and strong opponent, it was difficult to defend. We had a few very good chances in the second half.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Hasenhuttl was quick to bemoan Newcastle’s long balls to Andy Carroll following Southampton’s 2-1 defeat up north just a week ago.
Perhaps instead of looking at how other teams have played against Saints, it’s time for some self-reflection. It was another dismal performance against a team close in the table, and it simply isn’t acceptable.
Southampton play their fair share of long balls themselves, and they haven’t been particularly effective over the course of the season so far.
It’s time for Saints to play with more bravery and purpose, rather than focusing on how the opposition are approaching the game.
