Premier League: Southampton boss Mark Hughes not fazed by sack ‘noise’

Fulham vs. Southampton

• When: Saturday 24 November
• Where: Craven Cottage, London
• Kick-off: 3pm

Mark Hughes says the speculation regarding his future as Southampton manager is just “noise” and believes it will go away with “a few good results”.

The Saints are currently 17th in the Premier League table after a run of eight games without a victory and on Saturday face bottom club Fulham in a crunch relegation clash at Craven Cottage.

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It was reported this week in The Sun that Southampton would “make a quick decision” over Hughes’s future and could sack him if they lost at Fulham, who will have Claudio Ranieri in charge for the first time.

However, a defiant Hughes told the Daily Echo: “There will always be speculation and I call it noise. Once a manager departs after a lot of noise that noise switches to someone else and all the negative stats come out.

“A little bit of the noise is around me at the moment which is the nature of the role that I have. It will go away with a few good results. It becomes a little bit predictable and you understand how it works.

“After 20 years doing this job, it’s nothing I haven’t seen and dealt with before. It’s part of the job and doesn’t faze me.”

On 14 November Slavisa Jokanovic became the first managerial casualty of the 2018-19 Premier League season when he was fired by Fulham. The west London club named Italian Ranieri as their new boss on the same day.

Premier League fixtures and TV guide

Saturday 24 November (3pm unless stated)

• Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Leicester City
• Everton vs. Cardiff City
• Fulham vs. Southampton
• Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace
• Watford vs. Liverpool
• West Ham United vs. Manchester City
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea (5.30pm, live on BT Sport)

Sunday 25 November

• AFC Bournemouth vs. Arsenal (1.30pm, live on Sky Sports)
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Huddersfield Town (4pm, live on Sky Sports)

Monday 26 November

• Burnley vs. Newcastle United (8pm, live on Sky Sports)