New Southampton manager Ivan Juric says his side are capable of “something exceptional” as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season.
Juric, a former Roma, Genoa and Torino player, has also compared his style of football to death metal music as he looks to turn around the fortunes at St Mary’s this term.
The Croatian will take charge of his first match on Boxing Day, when Southampton host West Ham. The Saints are currently bottom of the table with six points, eight points from safety.
Meeting with the media 📸 pic.twitter.com/Q65aECoVJZ
– Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 23, 2024
Following the sacking of Russell Martin, Juric signed an 18-month contract at Southampton. However, his task, at least on paper, seems rather daunting.
In the history of the Premier League, only four teams have survived the same position on December 25: West Brom in 2004-05, Sunderland in 2013-14, Leicester in 2014-15 and Wolves in 2022-23.
“It will be very difficult work,” Juric said.
“I know in history no one has stayed in the Premiership with this situation, but I think there are a lot of good players, and we have [to be] much better at certain points in the game.
“I am optimistic. I’m really optimistic. Even the other day I saw their mentality and this is the first step to do better. I think we can do something exceptional. The guys have to be very motivated to do something that no one has ever done.
🆕 Your #SaintsFC team news for Ivan Jurić’s first match in charge:
– Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 23, 2024
Juric added that the job at Southampton, difficult as it was, was an appealing prospect and explained how a very specific genre of music helps inform his tactical approach.
He said: “It was a bit of a dream, the Southampton opportunity.
“I thought life is short, I want to try new things and I want to travel to a different way of working, put myself in a difficult situation, and that’s it.
“They [the players] I don’t know myself but I know them. I said that I believe in them, that they have quality, that they can do it. Be positive, work hard and anything is possible.
“When I was young, I really liked death metal music, and I think that’s what my style of football is like.
“Work hard, press hard, play well, be intense, all that. I think (the players) can do it.
“They are young, they are positive, they want to work hard. It’s not easy to change your style immediately, but we have to be smart.
