Ralph Hasenhuttl has set out his strategy for the last six games of the season and that it will be about playing his best team rather than giving squad members a chance as he strives to finish in the top 10 of the Premier League.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has made some strange decisions at times in his team selections, but he has made it quite clear where his priorities lie in the final six games of the season, he intends to play his best team.

He has had this to say:

"I think it's visible that this season we are not speaking about now we are safe. I think this is the first time since I'm here that we are saying okay, now we are safe. And that's it. So this season we tried to focus on higher targets and this is what we said and we are in this middle part of the table, which is very tight.

"We have now the chance in the last six games to climb positions or to lose positions and this is the goal now. There is no time for looking for who can get a chance, I think it should be a very clear message for everybody that the best XI should play and they get the chance to play."

When asked about the difference between this season and last season, when Saints faltered in the second half of the season and ended it with just 7 points from the last six games, he had this to say:

"I don't know if it feels better. I think in total we have lost fewer games than last season, we have drawn more, this is maybe why it may feel like this and in tight games, we have still managed to take a point.

"This is maybe different to last season, we had a lot of wins, but a lot of losses. It shows you are maybe a little bit more serious in the way you want to defend, and this is something we try to hold up.

"I think the goals we have scored maybe leads you to a top ten finish, but the goals conceded are still too high and this is what we have to change still, this is the goal we have to find the balance to take the risk with the ball, without being too open or too vulnerable. It is a balance you have to find. But the consistency of taking points with the draws is maybe the reason why it feels a bit different."

Ralph has had his critics this season, but we are making progress, we go into the last six games two points better off than we were at this point last season when we ended on 43 points in 15th, we now need to finish with a flourish and not just match that total but smash it.

Yes at times he has made strange selections, but sometimes you have to do things differently, but I would still contend that he is the right man for the job, in his three full seasons in charge, he has lead us to three comfortable mid table positions and he has done so under big financial restrictions due to failings before his time in giving players big contracts who did not perform.

So as he attempts to make this season his best yet in terms of League finishing position, we should reflect on this and consider two things, firstly that he has done a good job with the tools he has to hand, yes he could have done some things better, but that could be said about any other manager, and secondly who out there who we could realistically get would be a better fit for this football club ?

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