Ralph Hasenhüttl says Southampton must be uncompromising against Manchester City if they are to continue to make it a difficult festive period for the champions.
Pep Guardiola's side have lost to Crystal Palace and Leicester in their last two matches and head to St Mary's on Sunday looking to make sure they don't lose any more ground on Liverpool and Tottenham above them in the table.
Saints themselves suffered defeat in their most recent outing, against West Ham on Thursday night, but will be aiming to make it three wins from four when they host City.
ralph hasenhüttl
rotation can be an option for us, and we could bring in some new young players.
on preparing for man city
"Like a few teams did in the last games, you need good playing against the ball and to be prepared that you will run a lot without the ball," said Hasenhüttl about how to tackle their next opponents.
"Then, when you have the chance, be sharp and be uncompromising and try to score, and then you can hurt them a little bit. It won't be easy, but if you find the right moves in the right moment then it's possible."
With such a short turnaround between games, Hasenhüttl is limited in terms of the amount of on-pitch work he can do with his players for this weekend, explaining preparation will be more about getting his squad ready mentally for the challenge.
"It's about mind work these next two days, not a lot of training on the pitch," said the Saints boss. "The guys have invested a lot, so the main thing would be to find the right shape and the right players for this difficult game.
"Rotation can be an option for us, and we could bring in some new young players maybe. We'll have a look."
Share this: