Southampton’s Ivan Juric says Saints capable of ‘something exceptional’
Southampton’s new manager Ivan Juric says his side are capable of “extraordinary things” as they battle relegation from the Premier League.
Saints are six points bottom of the table before Christmas, six points behind 19th-placed Ipswich Town and eight points from safety.
In 32 seasons in the Premier League, only four teams have retained the same position on December 25 – although West Brom (2004-05), Sunderland (2013-14), Leicester City (2014-15) ) and Wolves (2022-2022) 23) both scored 10 points in the same period.
“It’s going to be a very hard job and I know no one in history has stayed in the Premier League in this situation, but I think there are a lot of good players and we have to do better in certain moments of the game,” You said Rich said.
“I’m optimistic. I really am. Even in the first few days, I saw their mentality and it’s the first step to doing better. I think we can do some extraordinary things. These guys have to be very To be motivated to do something that would never be done, no one does.”
The Croatian signed an 18-month contract at St Mary’s Stadium and was in the stands awaiting his work clearance during Sunday’s game against Fulham.
However, the 49-year-old, who has previously coached Genoa, Verona and Roma, will make his first managerial debut when Southampton host West Ham United on Boxing Day.
“It’s a bit like a dream, the opportunity at Southampton,” he added. “I was like, life is short, I want to try new things, I want to work in a different way, throw myself into trouble, and that’s it.
“They (the players) don’t know me, but I know them. I said I believe in them, they have the ability, they can do it. Be positive, work hard, and anything is possible.”
When asked about his rumored preference for heavy metal music and whether it reflected his tactical approach as a coach, Juric added: “When I was younger I was very into death metal music and I think my That’s the way football is played.
“Work hard, press hard, play well, stay tight, all that stuff. I think (the players) can do it.
“They are young, they are positive and they want to work hard. It is not easy to change the style immediately but we have to be smart.
