Southampton fans surprisingly divided over Ralph Hasenhuttl return claim | OneFootball

Southampton has looked increasingly worse ever since Ralph Hasenhuttl left the club in 2022. While it was the right time for him to leave, it seems like the Saints have been mourning his loss and never turned their attention towards replacing him long-term.

Okay, maybe that was a little bit harsh. Southampton had the vision to replace Hasenhuttl long-term when they appointed Russell Martin, but they didn't have the execution. Martin was brilliant in the Championship, but never cut it in the Premier League. Neither did Ivan Juric, but the less said about his short stint, the better.

So, with three different people on the touchline for Southampton this season, it's been a sorry tale of the times since Hasenhuttl left. In fact, it begs the question about what price the Saints would pay to welcome him back.

Ralph Hasenhuttl return claim surprisingly divides Southampton fans

Well, this question was yet again raised last week, when it was revealed Ralph Hasenhuttl would likely leave Wolfsburg come the end of this season. The Southampton Reddit page was divided in their reaction.

For the most part, Southampton fans in the comments took the "of course we'd take him back, but he won't come back" approach while others would prefer to move on and look to the future.

One Redditor said, "People need to let him go it's getting ridiculous now," while another said "Love him, but no. Although a championship Ralph would be awesome."

So, there is only one overaching response to whether Ralph Hasenhuttl would be welcomed back at Southampton; confusion. While the fanbase would take anything they can get over what they've seen this season, not everyone is entirely sold on taking a few steps backwards.

This is surprising, honestly. While the ideal situation wouldn't involve resorting to former managers, this situation is far less than ideal, so the club would need to deal with the cards in front of them.

All this to say, Ralph Hasenhuttl probably won't come back to Southampton. In fact, he's likely not even in the frame to replace Ivan Juric long-term, especially in the Championship. Still, the fanbase being divided over the hypothetical was shocking to read.