Former player Benali
After a disastrous opening-day loss, Francis Benali, a former Saints favorite, thinks Southampton supporters shouldn’t be disheartened about their chances for the season but should instead brace themselves for a fight against relegation that might last a long time.
Last Saturday against Tottenham Hotspur, Ralph Hasenhuettl’s team seized the lead but was swiftly pushed back and conceded four times to lose 4-1. This was the club’s fifth consecutive loss, taking results from the end of last season into account.
Southampton is rated as the fourth favorite by many bookies to be relegated, which would bring an end to a decade in the top division. However, Benali, a former hard-hitting full-back, claimed reasonable thought was required before Saturday’s home game against Leeds United.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, the 53-year-old said: “There’s a lot of excitement around this time of the season, but that can rapidly flip into a negative response when you’re on the back of a massive defeat like we were on Saturday against Tottenham.
“I acknowledge that a couple of things ought to be changed. The defend was poor, and a couple of the targets we gave up were a result of people who weren’t palatable.
“As a player, I acknowledge, in light of everything, I’ve just reliably had the demeanor that it would be a broad fight and that, as we’ve found already, the consequence of these games might a significant part of the time at any point be chosen the last day of the time since I’ve eventually been there.
Along these lines, while needing something great, one must in like manner be ready for the more awful.
Bengali, who played more than numerous times for Southampton some place in the scope of 1988 and 2004, faced different task battles anyway never truly lost his circumstance in the primary division.”I acknowledge that a couple of things ought to be changed. The insurance was poor, and a couple of the goals we gave up were a direct result of people who weren’t palatable.
His determination undoubtedly enabled him to finish a couple of significant distance races and Ironman races for a respectable objective after his playing days.
SQUAD UNREST
According to a Daily Mail article on Thursday, Hasenhuettl, who is into his fourth year at St. Mary’s, was getting on the team’s nerves because of Southampton’s average age of 25, which is 25.
When Saints concluded the season having lost 10 of their final 13 games across all competitions, it was reported that some players were shocked the Austrian coach was not fired in the off-season.
Instead, the club reorganized Hasenhuettl’s coaching staff. Benali acknowledged that it was a significant season for the manager but did not feel that the match against Leeds, who remained in the Premier League on the final day of the previous year, was a “must-win.”
“I wouldn’t use the phrase “must win” because, as we all know, the season is lengthy and you won’t be demoted after the first few games. Thus, nothing is established at this time “Former player Benali.
“However, you must consider this type of game and strive for victories, particularly at home. You must be gaining points in games (like these versus comparable teams).”
Benali believes that because of the mid-season break and the fact that this year’s World Cup in Qatar will be contested in November and December, a number of performances might defy expectations.
“When you see it, you presumably ask yourself, “Okay, who is going to gain from that?” And to whom will it present a slight disadvantage? “Added him.
“It may be one of those times of year when everything is just upside down. The game’s appeal lies in that.”
