MX23RW : Wednesday, December 18 13:44:16| >> :120:6970:6970:

Ralph Hasenhuttl: 'Mourinho sacking makes Spurs game more difficult'

Ralph Hasenhuttl: 'Mourinho sacking makes Spurs game more difficult'
© Reuters
Saints travel to Spurs on Wednesday night.

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl believes Jose Mourinho's shock sacking as Tottenham manager has made preparing for Wednesday's game even harder.

Saints will be the first team to face post-Mourinho Spurs when they travel to north London.

The match comes hot on the heels of Southampton's defeat by Leicester in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final, and four days before Tottenham face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

Hasenhuttl said: "We don't have a long time to prepare for the game, and it makes it even more difficult now.

"It's even more difficult because at the weekend they have a big final, but we have to handle it and concentrate on us.

"It changes everything. Because everything you normally tell your players, what they have to expect, from one day to the next, is not there any more.

"We have a few hours to concentrate for this and we will try to find a team which is fit enough to compete against them."

Mourinho's Spurs thumped Southampton 5-2 in the second Premier League match of the season.

Hasenhuttl added: "The challenge we have is to go to Tottenham and be a team that is able to take something there.

"It's not easy, we have lost against them very high in the first game. We want to show that we are now better."

Hasenhuttl admitted Tottenham have under-achieved this season under the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager.

"He is maybe the most successful manager in the moment, winning the most titles so far," he said.

"What can you say? He has had such a big impact on English football so far. He hadn't had a very good year with Tottenham, to be honest, they are below what they try to achieve.

"They had a good start to the season and then for some reasons, injuries, a little bit similar to us, he dropped back and then, yeah, these are the normal rules in football.

"When you're not successful you're under pressure as a manager and there's the moment when the club decides to sack you."

ID:443838: cacheID:443838:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3352:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers pictured on March 3, 2021
Read Next:
Rodgers delighted to lead Leicester into FA Cup final
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea16104237191834
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City168352823527
6Bournemouth167452421325
7Aston Villa167452425-125
8Fulham166642422224
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1672736191723
11Brentford167273230223
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd166462119222
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham165472129-819
15Crystal Palace163761721-416
16Everton153661421-715
17Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1612131136-255


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!