Is Ruben Selles the man to save Southampton's season?
Ralph Hasenhuttl, the first of three people alongside Nathan Jones and Selles to take charge of the Saints this season, messaged his former staff member to wish him good luck for his first match as the main man in the dugout.
It was a nice touch that shows just how much people around the club - even those that have been given their marching orders - respect and like the Spaniard for his methods, beliefs, and more importantly, his personality.
He had plenty more fans after the game too. Southampton, who are currently bottom of the Premier League, picked up a hugely valuable three points with a 1-0 victory against Chelsea. The travelling fans were chanting his name and he took the applause, letting out a cry of ‘vamos’ as his name rang around the away end at Stamford Bridge.
That passion for the team - a set of players he has worked with since July 2022 - is clear to see and that impression is felt by supporters too. A lack of this sort of connection was key to the downfall of Jones during his disastrous and, at times, bizarre 94 days in charge.
Getting into spats with fans and pundits does not help you win football games and it only adds to the scepticism around your appointment. If you can win over fans and people around the club, if you can get them to buy into your narrative - you are a part of the way there to succeeding in the role before a ball has been kicked.
He is already winning people’s hearts off the pitch and on it, the story feels similar.
Southampton reverted back to a system last seen under Hassenhutl with a dynamic 4-2-2-2 that would switch to a 4-2-3-1 in defence. It is a strategy that not only paid off against a Chelsea side having a raft of their own problems at the moment, but it is also a system that the players know well, having been coached the system since the Austrian’s arrival back in 2018.
Under Jones, it was a back-three system that changed throughout the game. Players and the manager alike seemed confused about what they were trying to do, but clarity returned on Saturday and the Saints seemed to revel in this structure that brought the best out of their most influential players.
After the game, in the dressing room, Selles spoke to the players. He called their performance “amazing” but also warned them that “it is not enough”. He was right.
This is a side that have struggled to remain consistent and find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League for a reason. But, with those three points, they have given themselves some hope of staving off relegation.
A six-point dogfight against another managerless side, Leeds United, awaits them on Saturday and a win could see them leave the relegation zone. Another win gives Selles all the ammunition he needs to show he is the man for the job.
He is already dressing for the job and he is honest in saying that he feels ready for it. Another three points for Southampton this weekend, and it’s very hard to argue against him.
