RALPH Hasenhuttl insists the pressure will be on him and his players, whether or not they beat Bournemouth in the FA Cup tomorrow. Saints have been on a wretched run in the Premier League, picking up just four points from a possible 36 available since early January.
Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “The pressure is always on. You never play a competitive game here without pressure. This is always normal. We don’t see the pressure, we see the chance to be honest. We see the chance to achieve something big. If you know how professional players are thinking, then you know that they are looking for the chance and they need the chance to motivate, they need the chance to do something great and then they can perform like they have to. Hopefully we can show our best face and then I know that we have a chance to win there. Every win is important. I spoke about the importance of this game.No question it is a big opportunity for us to come to Wembley for the semi-finals. I think this is a fantastic target for everybody.”
Saints have won the FA Cup just once in their history – under Lawrie McMenemy in 1976. They have reached the finals of three major cup competitions since, losing the 1979 and 2017 League Cup finals to Nottingham Forest and Manchester United respectively, as well as being edged out 1-0 by Arsenal in the showpiece event in the 2003 FA Cup. And Hasenhuttl knows just how big tomorrow’s game at Vitality Stadium is to Saints.
Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “I think for us it’s a good opportunity to become very famous in this club. I think for everybody. When you can go through this round then you have four teams left. I don’t have to tell you that in one game, anything is possible. Also maybe then more popular or more famous teams are waiting for you. But first is this step and this step is as important or more important maybe than the last games we have played in the league, because for us it is a big chance to win something. He who wants to be famous in this club knows what he has to do.”
