Rusk looking for stronger Southampton future after relegation

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Rusk looking for stronger Southampton future after relegation  18/05/2025  Goodison Park, Liverpool, Uk

Transcript

00:00The 29th of the season and the third semi-game,

00:03how have you set that importance on how it's been in the dressing room?

00:08Yeah, I think everyone knows it's been a really difficult year for the players in the club,

00:15so first half we struggled to get going, we couldn't get out,

00:19we knew it was going to be an intense atmosphere,

00:21and the first goal was probably the worst thing you want,

00:24because a team bottom of the league, after a difficult year,

00:27then you can't open up after it, and the second half was really encouraging,

00:32so I thought the players dug in there in the second half,

00:35and there were some pleasing things about the performance,

00:37and the season has been a tough one, there's no denying that,

00:42but all we can do as we're professionals is keep going,

00:45we wanted to finish the season with dignity, remove the points record,

00:49and we've done that, a tough day to day in the first half,

00:52and a decent second half, so we have to move forward to what it is.

00:56You touched on it there, struggling to get out in the first half,

00:58and the first shot you had, it comes out that you were putting two out,

01:01and that's strong for the pitch and three,

01:03and that's the end of the pitch as well, so it's a great,

01:05or it's not a game that way?

01:06Well, it's easy in hindsight, isn't it?

01:08It's the same team in many respects, apart from two changes,

01:12we're missing more competitors, we're missing Ian Bednar,

01:15after injury now, yesterday, we're a team bottom of the league,

01:18away from home in a tough game, hindsight is very easy in these situations, isn't it?

01:23You know, as I said over and over again, my job is to be diligent, professional,

01:27and set the team up in a responsible way,

01:29and everything is going to have shown sympathy for us, are they?

01:32You know, if we change, we've got to go with all these things right,

01:35and large parts of the five or six games before have been right.

01:39So, yeah, no regrets, and of course you learn, you go,

01:45we've got one more game, and I think some of the guys have come onto the pitch

01:48and gave a really good account of themselves,

01:50really pleasing for the young Jays to come on and be bright again,

01:53another debut for Joachim, for the club.

01:56So, you know, we're bouncing for next year.

01:59You know, I don't think anyone's going to expect much different

02:02with the seven games I've inherited, you know, apart from making sure we set up to be solid,

02:06hard to be, as organised as we can be, and hopefully pick some points up,

02:09and we have picked some points up.

02:11Just a few questions on the intrigue,

02:12firstly, how was Jan when he got to find out he was going to be able to play it?

02:15I mean, in the channel, I don't want to take that out of the table as well.

02:18Yeah, I need to get an update on the last one.

02:24Jan had a knee complaint instead of training,

02:26so it wasn't something we wanted to take a risk on.

02:29Of course, Kyle Walker, as well, we didn't get much into it in terms of the week and the illness,

02:33so he wasn't available for this one either.

02:35So, you know, it's not straightforward, is it?

02:38And, you know, yeah, we weren't at our best in the first 45 minutes, for sure.

02:42We struggled to get out, and the goals caused us a problem.

02:45But, you know, let's also focus on what was good on the day.

02:48You know, there was positives, and we are trying to look forwards now and not backwards.

02:52The club is relegated, and we're getting ready for what's coming next year.

02:57I'm not sure.

02:58Yeah.

02:59Yeah.

03:00Yeah.

03:01Obviously, he's been part of the 21's group, and the opportunity presented itself yesterday.

03:15So, really pleased, and I thought he equipped himself well today, you know,

03:18under pressure in the box against a team with physicality and aggression.

03:21So, you know, hopefully that's a big step forward to him.

03:24He's obviously played a lot of senior footballers all right before in France.

03:27Does that sort of happen when you feel like this, where you may find that day before you

03:30can keep playing with friends, who is not sort of a new experience for a senior football

03:33player?

03:34Yeah, that's right.

03:35I mean, you know, it can go one way or the other, can't it?

03:37You know, when you find outlay doors.

03:38But, I think the important thing for him is that he gains, you know, he's gained some valuable

03:42experience.

03:43The atmosphere was hot at the end.

03:45You know, for Jay and Joachim to be involved in that was good for their development.

03:58Yeah.

03:59Yeah, hopefully.

04:00I thought Jay looked every bit of Premier League player when he came onto the pitch,

04:02and Ross has had a really difficult year, so it was nice for them to finish that way.

04:06You know, in hindsight, it's always easy about who starts where and what, but, you know,

04:10we were happy with large part, and we actually felt we needed to be solid again for the first

04:14half hour of this game.

04:15You know, that was going to be important.

04:17And we wanted to grow into the game and maybe, you know, open up as the game went on.

04:22But, of course, the goals take that away from you and it feels slightly worse than what

04:26it was.

04:27Just with Jay, is he maybe starting to get into your mind on the starting game?

04:30I don't know if they're too early in terms of where it's going to start.

04:33I just sort of understand the performance in this football.

04:36We've only got one left.

04:37So, you know, we haven't got many games, so that would be a winding decision.

04:42But I think what we can say is that his development has been, you know, really encouraging over

04:46the course of the year.

04:47He's a great lad.

04:48He's humble.

04:50He's hardworking.

04:51And I thought today he showed that he could affect the level.

04:54No.

04:55No.

04:56No.

04:57Nothing at all.

04:58And it's not in my thinking.

04:59It's not my concern at the moment.

05:00My concern is to continue to support the players.

05:01You know, that was what I wanted to do with these seven games in extremely tough circumstances,

05:03to be quite honest.

05:04And, you know, overall, with where we've ended with last weekend, the point was important.

05:09We're disappointed with today, of course.

05:10But, you know, we have to look forward to now.

05:12Whatever the decision the club makes, you know, with where they want to take the next stage,

05:13I'm sure when the time's right, they'll let me know what that looks like.

05:17Cheers.

05:44Yeah.

05:45Well, I guess really there's the balance in there of getting the team out, which is right to compete,

05:59but also taking into consideration what's the right thing looking ahead.

06:05And they're not a black and white thing, so obviously we've got the young players pushing on,

06:08we've got the likes of Jay that needs that exposure for the next bit of his development.

06:14So I guess really there's some things to think about, but we need to get a team on the pitch that finishes the season with pride.

06:21That's what we spoke about, about fighting for pride and professionalism.

06:27So there's a duty to others at the football club to make sure we're ticking the right boxes when they're in the team.

06:32But of course there's complexities involved in these decisions when a team's being relegated,

06:37and it's probably all in the mix.

06:40Cheers.

06:42Cheers.

06:43Cheers, guys.

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