da casino： Southampton are progressing in the right direction under Ralph Hasenhuttl, but the Austrian boss hasn’t had everything go his way this season.
da leao： One of his most worrying issues is the fact that it is coming from his captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, whose future at St Mary’s is now under doubt following developments over the past few weeks.
It is possible that he was first unsettled by the interest in him from elsewhere in the Premier League, as Tottenham were reported to be paying attention to the Denmark international in January.
According to Football Insider Spurs will continue to pursue the midfielder in the summer, too, which could make it difficult for the Saints to hang onto him.
That’s partly because he will only have a year remaining on his contract by that point, having knocked back an offer from the club to extend his current deal on the south coast.
With the prospect of Hojbjerg leaving a very realistic one we asked our writers what they thought of the situation, and whether Southampton should now begin preparing for life without him.
James Beavis
“Southampton absolutely need to start planning for life after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
“The fact that he has recently appointed super-agent Pini Zahavi as his new representative either hints that he is looking for an improved deal from the club, or a big move away.
“The latter probably seems more likely for the Saints skipper in my opinion, given he has just over a year remaining on his contract.
“What needs to be remembered in all of this is that while it will be difficult to find a midfielder who has the work rate and the passion that he does, Ralph Hasenhuttl would probably prefer someone a bit better on the ball in the middle of the park – the Denmark international has a passing accuracy of just 77.2% in the Premier League this term according to WhoScored.
“Losing Hojbjerg would be bittersweet for Hasenhuttl given he made him captain on his arrival in December 2018, but could lead to a new signing or could allow Will Smallbone to flourish.”
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Lewis Blain
“Southampton, and most importantly decision-makers like Matt Crocker, must banish talk of Hojbjerg departing St Mary’s anytime soon by handing him fresh and lucrative terms – he is their skipper and key midfielder after all.
“You’ll struggle to find a more industrious player than him in Hasenhuttl’s squad as he averages 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.5 shots per game in the Premier League this campaign, via WhoScored.
“Crocker would be playing with fire if he were to let the lynchpin of the Saints’ engine room leave just as they are starting to rise up the division. His involvement next season will be a key part of whether or not Hasenhuttl can lay the foundations for success. They can’t afford this to be another Victor Wanyama situation either.”
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Danny Lewis
“Presuming Premier League action restarts before the transfer window comes about, Hasenhuttl should give Smallbone the chance to show he deserves a place in the team.
“Southampton’s production line of players going from the academy to the first-team seems to have slowed down a bit, and this, alongside the emergence of Michael Obafemi, could see a resurrection of sorts. Smallbone was lauded by fans on his debut, which was then followed by the youngster being picked above Oriol Romeu to play against Chelsea.
“With the last of those points considered, it is clear there is some form of trust from the manager. Therefore, the 20-year-old deserves the chance to show that he can be a regular in the side. If he fails to force the manager’s hand, then Southampton could still pursue someone else in the summer should Hojbjerg leave.”
Kealan Hughes
“Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is an influential player for Southampton but he is certainly not irreplaceable, and it can be argued that Ralph Hasenhuttl could even cope with his absence using the current players at his disposal.
“His faith in Will Smallbone and James Ward-Prowse is evident, with the former breaking through recently, while Hojbjerg’s sale could allow him to bring in his own midfielder.
“He has so far been unable to do strengthen his squad in that department and that means summer could prove pivotal for the Saints, and perhaps even presents Hasenhuttl with an opportunity to take the team in a new direction in terms of playing style.
“As such, he should embrace the departure should it occur, and use the funds sensibly on a player who he can nurture into one of his most important players.”
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