Southampton: Key exit 'would leave huge void' at St Mary's

Southampton would be left with a ‘huge void’ to fill if the St Mary’s hierarchy opt to sack boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Austrian has been in the south coast club’s hot seat since being appointed as Mark Hughes’ successor in December 2018, but his side have endured an underwhelming start to the season.

Southampton went into the international break sitting just three points clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone thanks to only chalking up two wins from their opening seven matches.

Hasenhuttl rued his charges’ lack of attacking intent and creativity as Saints suffered a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa last time out.

The latest setback means Southampton have not registered a victory since sealing a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea last month.

It emerged, via the Daily Mail last month, that Hasenhuttl has lost the trust of several players and there is surprise within the dressing room that he was not sacked over the summer.

The report suggests the 55-year-old, who has previously bossed the likes of RB Leipzig, is becoming increasingly detached from his squad and some players raised concerns over his management when speaking to the club’s hierarchy at the end of last season.

Jones believes Southampton need to be cautious when it comes to mulling over whether Hasenhuttl is the right man for the job.

The journalist feels the current chief’s philosophy has filtered down into the age groups within the club over the course of his reign.

As a result, he has hinted that opting to show Hasenhuttl the door could come back to haunt Saints.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Southampton have to think about this carefully, more so than most other clubs, because Hassenhuttl’s style of football has been so deeply