Memo to all of those ‘concentrate-on-the-league’ managers: this is what can happen when a club commits to the FA Cup rather than treating it as an inconvenience.
Ralph Hasenhuttl said Southampton ‘took the risk of concentrating’ on the Cup and they were right to do so. The competition resembles an SOS — a Save Our Season — and it just might as they look forward to the semi-finals.
Sheffield United and their severely-limited squad aside, Southampton have averaged the joint-lowest changes for FA Cup ties among the Premier League clubs.