Hasenhüttl: The moment we were working for

Saints’ 3-3 draw with AFC Bournemouth at St Mary’s was enough to secure safety and in a game that ebbed and flowed from the off.

And Hasenhüttl feels they are deserving of the rest before looking to end the season strong in their final two matches.

“I think not everything that I have told them is for the camera here,” Hasenhüttl joked.

“They will have a few days off. I think they deserve it because they did a lot of the last month, really hard-working.

“Then we have two more games and it’s important we carry on working to take a few points for our supporters.

“For the league, it’s important you stay working and you stay fair. That is what we’ll do.”

The Southampton boss and his players shared a special moment with the supporters after waiting on the pitch for news to filter through from the Fulham game.

He added: “It is a pity that all the supporters didn’t stay in the stadium. I don’t know if they didn’t know if we were not safe and the point could be enough. Finally, it was enough after the wait, I think there was a very long injury in the Fulham game.

“It’s a moment where you are happy and want to celebrate with your fans. That was the moment we were working for and now it’s done it’s fantastic.

“You could feel in the second-half they were pushing us tremendously. At the end maybe a little bit too much! If you have a 3-3 against Bournemouth you want to win and I understand this, but some situations it is better not to take risks. It was good that the team stayed cool in that moment.”