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Every word Ruben Selles said on Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, key Southampton decision and the future
Southampton manager Ruben Selles has called on his players to try and finish the season on a positive note as they face Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday.
Saints welcome Jurgen Klopp’s men to the south coast for the final game of the Premier League campaign, with Southampton already knowing that they will play Championship football next term following relegation.
The club’s fate was sealed in Southampton’s last home game as they lost out 2-0 against Fulham, with Saints already confirmed as finishing bottom of the table ahead of the final fixture of the season.
READ MORE: Tino Livramento update given ahead of Liverpool as fresh Southampton injury doubt emerges
But Selles, who knows that he will not be staying at Southampton beyond the final game of the season against Liverpool, is hoping to end what has been a disappointing campaign on a better note.
Here’s every word he said on his future, the club’s decision not to renew his contract, Liverpool and more.
Ruben, it was announced this week that your contract would not be extended, so how did those talks play out?
“It was very simple, after the Brighton game, they [Southampton’s owners] communicated there was a meeting on Monday morning.
“It was a meeting for an hour and a half and they communicated to me that they will not continue the relationship when the contract expires – as simple as that.
Was the decision already made before you had those talks, or did you have a chance to pitch for the job?
“Two months ago I had a chat with them when I explained what I will do in case I stay, they already knew my thoughts, and the process was for them and the decision was for them so it was that two months ago, and meanwhile there’s been nothing more, they have their own process that I don’t know about it and then they communicate to me on Monday.
How do you feel after those discussions?
“Listen I did as much as I can, I showed every weekend, I made the team competitive but we didn’t get the result that we expected to have. You saw an identity, a team that wanted to play together, but we didn’t make it. We had this mentality every time.
“In that part, I did my best, and that’s the reality, I can’t change the decision from the owners – I still think I’m ready but it’s not my call and my feeling right now is just to finish in the best way possible, to prepare the Liverpool game, and then on Monday we will think about something different.”
We spoke to James Ward-Prowse and Kyle Walker-Peters this week, who have clearly enjoyed working with you. Do you feel that you perhaps just didn’t have enough time to mould the team as you would have hoped?
“Jurgen [Klopp] always says he never lost a match, he just ran out of time – so we can apply the same. Of course with more time and probably with a transfer window, I think it would be a different end, we’re not here to make excuses, we had all the tools when we took the team and we failed on that.
“We didn’t fail because we keep and show some identity, we put some processes right again, and showed some of the things we want, but we didn’t make it. We ran out of time but we should have been able to do it in the time that we had.”
Do you have anything lined up and would you like to stay in England?
“I would like to stay here (England) and the top level we can stay, if it’s not the Premier League it’s very close to that. My target has always been to compete against the best and with the best, that’s what I’ve done the last three months and I want to be back and I want to fight to be back as quick as possible.”
We understand Russell Martin will come in, although it is not confirmed yet. What do you make of the squad he will inherit and have you had any discussions with any of the senior players about what they might do?
“No, I just made my opinion on all of the individual players. I don’t know who is the next coach, you probably know better than me, it’s not for me.
“I just told the club what I think, I said before what we need to do to rebuild the squad for the Championship or for the Premier League. They know my opinion but they can do with that what they want.”
What does this mean for you now for Sunday, with the club already relegated and you now knowing your future?
“Any game against Liverpool we will try to be competitive and show we are Premier League level. For me it’s exactly they same, I prepare the same way as we did with some of the details being a bit different – but we will go there and compete as good as we did against Brighton for example.
“We were prepared, we were competitive and we had the chance to equalise in that game. That’s what we’re going to do.
“It’s the last game of the season in the Premier League for Southampton, hopefully the club will be back in the Premier League quick and in around one year they will have Premier League matches again, and hopefully I will too.”
What is the biggest thing the club needs in your opinion to bounce straight back to the Premier League?
“Well, that is difficult to say, because right now that is not part of my confidence, as you can understand. I think they need to analyse in house and make decisions on players and staff to keep the people they want to help put this team back in the Premier League.”
How impressed have you been with Liverpool over the last ten games?
“Well, I think I have been impressed with Liverpool over the last seven years under Jurgen Klopp. From the Gegenpress when he came, to the team fighting for titles, winning the Premier League for the first time, winning the Champions League.
“This season didn’t start in the best way for them, but he changed some things in the way he approached the game, with the mobility of Trent Alexander-Arnold into the middle and they look a very solid Liverpool team again. So it is not a surprise they are in Europe again and they are a reference for coaches across Europe.”
How will you approach it against Liverpool?
“We have an idea on how to try to beat them. We know it is a team that is very dynamic with all the tactical movements they are doing now, it is dangerous if you concede big spaces to them.
“They also have the counter pressure, both frontal and lateral, and we have looked at how we can be solid and how we can hurt them in the counter attacks.”
How do you hope you will be remembered by the fans here?
“I didn’t think about this. But probably I hope they will see someone who tried his best for Southampton Football Club. Someone who was always honest and faced every single problem, who never hid and tried to give them the very best. What they will think about that it is for them.”
It would be nice though if everyone could go away in a positive mood on Sunday?
“Yes, of course. I think you need to choose which mode you are in every day and the fans need to do the same. I know and understand the disappointment of the season, but the sun can be shining, it is a big opponent, the last game at St Mary’s for another year, and it is an opportunity to try and play a good match and create some good vibes, and hopefully we will be there for the fans, who have been supportive throughout one of the hardest seasons the club has had in 12 years. Hopefully we can have a good environment on Sunday.”
Does it help that Liverpool can’t make the Champions League now and is there a hope that you get them ten per cent lower?
“Well, it is always a tricky question. I know you can say that there may be changes to the lineup and there may be less pressure than if they were playing for the Champions League. But sometimes less pressure means more freedom and more freedom sometimes means more goals in the game. It can go in both directions.”
There are a couple of senior players who are out of contract this summer in Theo Walcott and Mohamed Elyounoussi, who has split opinion from supporters. What would you say if this is their last games for the club?
“I think Moi [Elyounoussi] and Theo [Walcott] are professionals with big letters, with capital letters. They are honest players who gave everything for Southampton and will do so until the very end.
“Football-wise, we can talk about ability, qualities, and ways to play, but definitely they are players every team should consider to have in their dressing room because they just make the team better, they make the place a better place to be and they will always compete with their heart for everybody and for the club. I think they should look at it in that way.”
When we look back at the whole season, I think maybe the balance has been too much towards looking at what Southampton do without the ball, rather than with the ball. Perhaps because of the amount of goals the team has conceded in recent years. What do you think about that over the whole season?
“I don’t want to go too much into the others [other managers]. I can tell you for myself, we have a plan and we talk about against the ball, precisely to try not to concede. But we work on all aspects of the game, when we are in possession, when we are out of possession and sometimes it has been better executed than at other times.
“But I don’t think it has been a big part. If you remember some of the games we have had, against Manchester United, against Tottenham, against Chelsea, we have been solid in possession, even against West Ham, but we didn’t find the action in the final third.
“I don’t think in that way, I think more about the importance of the moment of the game and how we can make different solutions for the problems, and for me it was more about that.”
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