Ralph Hasenhuttl proven wrong on 'strange' Newcastle complaint by his own Southampton admission

“Nobody knows it and it makes it difficult to speak about it but it is clear that everybody, not only me, was disappointed that this game didn’t happen.”

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl did not hide his frustration earlier this season when asked about the Premier League's decision to postpone their home clash with Newcastle United. The Magpies were due to travel down to the south coast for their first fixture of 2022 on January 2, but it was called off on New Year's Eve following an application from the visitors.

It was a decision which saw Newcastle subjected to heavy criticism, with many suggesting it was a cynical ploy to allow Eddie Howe to fulfil the fixture with the expected January additions in his side. Hasenhuttl's call for any signings to be banned from the rearranged fixture was branded 'nonsense' by Jamie Carragher, but was backed by fellow Premier League manager David Moyes and pundit Paul Merson.

READ MORE: Ralph Hasenhuttl addresses 'completely different' Newcastle United side after fixture rearrangement

At the time of postponement, January represented the only hope of survival for a Newcastle side stuck in the relegation zone with just a solitary victory to their name. The win over Burnley was followed by a bruising run of away defeats to Leicester City, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Howe's side performed well in 1-1 draw with Manchester United at St James' Park on December 27, but the head coach warned his side were 'dangerously close' to being unable to fulfil their next fixture at Everton. Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson were both forced off against the Red Devils, joining a lengthy list already sidelined through either injury or positive Covid-19 diagnoses.

Newcastle did not identify those