Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has reportedly told the club to delay announcing a new contract for striker Shane Long.
According to TalkSport reporter Alex Crook, Hasenhuttl does not want the club to make any official announcements on new contracts until they have hit 36 points in the Premier League.
Twitter: Shane Long will be signing a new contract at #SaintsFC but not expecting any formal announcement until they have re… https://t.co/Ob98Cc13Tk (@alex_crook)
Hasenhuttl will also wait until the club is safe from relegation before discussing his own future at St. Mary’s.
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This could be a smart move by Hasenhuttl with 13 games still left to play in the Premier League. The Saints are currently on 31 points, which means that they only need to pick up five points before reaching the earmarked points total – but getting to that total is a job which still needs to be done.
Holding off on any announcements and planning for the future until they know for sure which division they’ll be playing in is clever because it reduces the chance of players becoming complacent.
If Saints start discussing the future and thinking that it is guaranteed that they will be in the Premier League next season, they could start to slip-up and allow their mentality to waver.
Therefore, Hasenhuttl’s decision could benefit the team as it will allow them to keep fighting and get to 36 points as quickly as possible.
It also helps Hasenhuttl to keep focussed himself, with his contract expiring at the end of next season,
He needs to make sure that he is managing a Premier League side next term, before committing his future to the club.
