Ralph Hasenhuttl insisted it was time for Southampton to finally show their bottle as they fought out a hard-earned point against Wolves at Molineux.
Saints have been on a shocking run of form and needed a positive result in the black country to stop the rot, and that is exactly what they got.
Danny Ings’ struck his fifth goal in four games as the Saints ended their three-match Premier League losing streak with a 1-1 draw against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, and although there is still a lot of work to be done, Hasenhuttl was happy with the fight shown by his players.
They sit 17th, above the bottom three on goal difference, having been thumped 4-1 by Chelsea last time out and the result may have been even better.
Raul Jimenez’s penalty denied them victory but boss Hasenhuttl was pleased with the reaction at Molineux which stopped the rot. “You could feel it in the dressing room. Everyone knew it was time to show up,” he said. “I know it was two difficult games we lost before (Tottenham and Chelsea) but we were very critical with ourselves and that is the right way to make something better. If you are not honest, it is difficult to improve. “It was a step forward. We were more stabilised in this game, better organised with our shape. It absolutely helps morale. After the last three games, the situation is never easy.”
The Saints needed VAR to rule out Jimenez’s first-half strike, with Patrick Cutrone offside, while the former also had an earlier effort chalked off for handball. “The VAR makes the game fairer. That’s the positive thing of it,” added Hasenhuttl.
Seven of Southampton’s eight points have come away from home this term and Ings struck eight minutes into the second half when Conor Coady missed Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s header.
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