RALPH Hasenhuttl was unable to single out his proudest moment as he closes in on completing his first full season in charge of Saints.

The St Mary’s boss admitted there were plenty of “strange moments” but also that they were coupled with “unbelievable turnarounds”.

“I must say that it was a very long season,” reflected Hasenhuttl.

“It was quite an interesting season with some strange moments and unbelievable turnarounds.

“There are a lot of proud moments. We had some really special and good games, whether that was the away win against Chelsea in the winter or the home win against Man City.

“But also, the first half against Liverpool was maybe the best we have played, although we lost the game 4-0.

“There were some really good games and some where we could have done more.

“I don’t really remember a lot of bad games, there were some, but it was much consistent in the second half of the season.

“This must be the key for the future; more consistent, more wins at home and taking points consistently.”

Since November Saints have excelled in the Premier League, especially on the road, but their home form has held them back from finishing inside the top 10.

Despite this, Hasenhuttl believes it’s important to assess their 2019/20 campaign as a whole rather than splitting it into two categories.

“The home record was not the best one, but I don’t want to separate home and away,” he added.

“I see the whole season and the moments where we were competitive and moments where we struggled, especially in September and October when it was a very tough time.

“It was a time where we learnt a lot about us, our commitment and we made the right decisions to turn it around.”

Following their game against Sheffield United on Sunday, Saints’ players will be given some time off before returning for pre-season duty.

The 2020/21 campaign will start on September 12, meaning there are just seven weeks before football gets going again.

Although it’s a short turnaround, Hasenhuttl believes it will benefit his side, adding: “A short break is not so bad for us.

“We will take time off to recover and then the short pre-season is something that should suit us because we are a fit team and we don’t need long to be prepared for the fights.

“We showed after lockdown that we can be very quick on a very high level.

“If we keep this level and build on it then we must have a better start than last season.”