BRENTFORD manager Thomas Frank said chants aimed at Ralph Hasenhuttl from his own supporters are “not nice” after the Austrian has done a “top job” at Saints. Asked for the Dane’s reaction to the chanting,
Frank Lampard said: “I didn’t notice but no that is not nice. I think Ralph has done a top job at Southampton. I like how he is very, very clear in the way he plays. He has managed to create a clear identity and I think in the last three/four seasons, he has created some incredible moments for Southampton, with some fantastic results. I think if you are bottom-half club, in that bracket, if you stay in the Premier League that is a top job and then if in one of the years you can do even better or play a specific brand of exciting football then you do a good job.”
Back in January this year, Saints hammered Brentford 4-1 at St Mary’s with new owners Sport Republic in attendance for their first Premier League match. They would go on to reach as high as ninth in the table and were just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur, before this run of one win in 10 has dashed optimism across the club.
Frank Lampard added: “Every game is a different story. We don’t know what will be written in that blank sheet of paper before the game. I think it’s two teams that are doing a top job in many, many ways. I knew that down there (St Mary’s), it was supposed to be an even game. Today was supposed to be another even game. The first game they well deserved a win, this one we well deserved to win. Before the game we were both on 40 points, I think it’s two teams doing a very good job.”
Asked to assess how he masterminded such a swing in results between the two Saints games,
Frank Lampard responded: “I would say that something we were aware of that we didn’t handle that well was letting them produce too many crosses, we knew that we did that well. They are good at set-pieces but we are also strong with set-pieces, and we knew that the transitions were an area because they are quite expansive and we could potentially take advantage there. I think that’s the same with us, we look at their defensive shape and they look at our defensive shape. We try to make a few adjustments to our gameplan on the offensive side of set pieces and I’m very pleased that we were quite successful there. Southampton started better than us in the first 10 minutes but we know that goals change games, and it certainly did that.”
