- The Telegraph
Southampton's decline explained: Tired legs, less pressing and goalkeeping problems
Tottenham Hotspur's search for a new manager has seen them linked with more than 20 names, but one coach who has slipped off the radar is Southampton's Ralph Hasenhuttl. How short memories are in football. Had Spurs been recruiting before Christmas, the Austrian will surely have been a serious candidate with Southampton punching above their weight on the strength of his high-octane, pressing style with its characteristically narrow midfield. Hasenhuttl is still that same coach and an impressive figure but Southampton have been in an alarming trough since then. No team has won fewer Premier League points since the turn of the year with Southampton losing 13 of their last 18 and conceding a league-high 40 goals in 2021. How to explain their regression? The obvious place to start, especially in this condensed and draining season, is whether the physical demands of Hasenhuttl's football have caught up with a small squad. They have certainly had a rough time with injuries, and the stats also show the intensity without the ball has declined. There is a chicken and egg element to this; are tired legs the cause or have Southampton dialled down their pressing to preserve those tired legs? Passes per defensive action is a good indicator of the ferocity of a team's pressing. The fewer passes they allow before making a tackle, interception, foul or winning a duel, the more intense the pressing. So the lower the number, the better.
- The Independent
Leeds vs Tottenham confirmed line-ups ahead of Premier League fixture today
Everything you need to know ahead of this afternoon’s match
- The Independent
Is Leeds vs Tottenham on TV today? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Premier League fixture
Everything you need to know ahead of this afternoon’s match
