According to reports in the media Ralph Hasenhuttl has agreed a new deal with Saints, which is good news on more than one front.

Various news outlets are reporting that Ralph Hasenhuttl has agreed in principle a new 3 year contract with Saints. quoting the Daily Echo that he is pleased to do so as he felt that the club has showed great loyalty when it stood by him after the defeat to Leicester City.

But it is more than just good news that he is here for another 3 years, the fact that he has done so shows that he is not only committed to the club, but he has faith in the plans in place going forward.

Whilst he will be grateful that Saints stood by him, he will see it as more than that, he will see it as a sign that the club has plans and that they are willing to stick by their guns to achieve those plans even when things are rocky, this in an age when clubs dismiss managers almost on a yearly basis.

So this is the second front where it is good news for Saints fans, Hasenhuttl would not have agreed a new deal if he had not seen evidence that the club is ready and willing to move forward, he will have wanted assurances on this front and he would also have wanted to know that the part that he will play is more than just first team coach.

Indeed he has said on more than one occasion that for him this is more than just a job, but a project.

Perhaps in hindsight in the next year or so Saints fans will see and appreciate the financial shackles that the club has had to work under, the evidence is there and mainly out on loan, no club of our size can absorb the financial cost for the number of players and their wages for those who are not in the first team plans and still continue to spend on replacements.

There are those who would say that Gao should be pumping in millions, but doing that does not solve the problem, it just pushes it under the carpet.

As a club we have tackled it head on and hopefully this summer we will be able to get some of these players off the books and free up money for transfer fees and wages.

The way the club has behaved in the current situation and the praise it has received for not furloughing non playing staff showed that although Gao is not willing to throw good money after bad, he is willing to finance it when the situation merits and this is another good sign.

Some people over the past year have been angry that I have not been seen to attack Gao and the board every time we have had a bad result, whilst I have criticised them I have not resorted to abuse or futile demands that Gao go, something that is not as simple as it used to be 25 years ago.

The reason for that is firstly you have to have something better to replace them, maybe that is not a great reason to back a Chairman/Owner, but it is a logical one, if you change something it has to be for something better certainly not worse.

Secondly I can see that things have changed in and around the club, they are still far from perfect but they have replaced those who grew complacent and have started to recruit people on the playing side of things who know what they are doing.

The recent appointment of Matt Crocker for instance now means that we again have someone with great football knowledge and these are the sort of things that Ralph Hasenhuttl can see and why he is keen to be a part of our future.

The thing we all have to do though is stop looking at the past and letting it weigh us down, whether it was good or bad, the past is now gone all that we have is the future and we have to look to that.

Sometimes there has to be a catalyst to change things and perhaps these awful times will be just that, those that are praising the club will perhaps realise that it is Gao who ultimately sanctions all decisions. he will have had to agree to pay wages, he has shown he is not just here to asset strip, perhaps he could be the man to take us forward.

What this can do is perhaps stand back and take a good look at things, they have changed and we are perhaps not as strong as we were 4 years ago, but we are stronger than 2 years ago, so that is progress.

I feel that there will be some exciting times ahead as although there are no guarantees we do have a plan and we are willing to stick to it.

So good news about Ralph Hasenhuttl and if you read between the lines then you will see that there is a bigger picture.

Photo: Action Images

Wembley76 added 10:53 - Apr 13 Best signing of this window........ even if it s not open yet! Seriously, the news (filtering out) is just what the club needs; some stability! Some commitment, some ability and 'footballing nouse'
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legod7 added 13:16 - Apr 13 “Agrees in principle “ to a new 3 year deal means absolutely nothing. It is only after he actually signs the deal that we would have something to talk about.
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HythePeer added 14:44 - Apr 13 🤦🏻‍♂️
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Shakin_Stevens added 17:54 - Apr 13 Yes let's not dwell on the past while reading your 'on this day' articles. Hard not to! And there's nothing wrong with nostalgia, football is all about memories of those days that stay with you forever. The club isn't in great shape at the moment but it's okay to say that and no point pretending otherwise. If he signs an extension it's good news tho.
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