Southampton FC manager Ralph Hasenhuttl linked with Manchester United job

By Stephen Emerson

7 March 2022

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Manchester United's Old Trafford ground

Southampton FC manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has been shortlisted for the Manchester United job, according to reports.

The Austrian has impressed during his spell at St Mary's and is now being touted amongst the frontrunners for the role which will become available this summer reports the Daily Mirror.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick is set to move to a consultant role with the Old Trafford club when this season ends and previously worked alongside Hasenhuttl at RB Leipzig.

Former Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik ten Hag are also in the frame for the Manchester United job.

Southampton currently sit 9th in the Premiership and drew with Manchester United when the two sides met last month with The Saints also drawing against Manchester City in January.

Hasenhuttl was also linked with a move to Old Trafford last month following comments from St Mary's defender Jan Bednarek.

The Polish defender said in an interview that he could see his boss one day become manager of a "bigger team".

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl dismissed the speculation at the time.

He said: “This is not in my mind and also not the things that are interesting me.

“I don’t want to speak about my future every week."

Southampton suffered their first defeat in six matches with a 4 - 0 loss to Aston Villa.

Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl said Steven Gerrard's side displayed more hunger and that had team had lacked intensity.

He said: “It was absolutely not enough what we showed today,” he said. “It was from the first moment not our best game. I think we had problems in the duel and in the last line we had some issues with their three offensive players.

“We tried to stay with the shape until the end of the first half but I think maybe I should’ve changed it earlier, but we had also some good moments in the first half so I thought ‘maybe we can handle it now’, but it wasn’t the case.

“Then in the end, after the second goal before half-time you need a good start to the second half, we changed the shape but conceded the next two goals and from this moment on the game was gone.

“You could feel they wanted it more, they have been very sharp and we had a lack of intensity in our game today and we are not this team that can only play football, we have to first fight to come into the game.”

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By Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset.

Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users.

He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.