Could Pompey's fierce rivals Southampton be about to sack Ralph Hasenhuttl after Austrian's admission following Newcastle defeat?

Saints are in the Premier League relegation zone after today’s thumping at St Mary’s, reigniting talk that the Austrian is on the brink of facing the sack.

Asked if he’d just overseen his final match as Southampton boss, Hasenhuttl replied: ‘Do you know, I have taken a lot of decisions since I am here. The good thing is this one I don’t have to take.’

The Blues’ fierce rivals next host Sheffield Wednesday in a midweek Carabao Cup clash before travelling to Liverpool for their final league match before the World Cup.

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If the 55-year-old does manage to hold onto his position for those games, he knows he will have to overcome the pessimism increasingly plaguing him as he tries to reverse struggling Saints’ start to the season.

‘No, at the moment,’ Hasenhuttl candidly replied to a reporter’s query about whether or not he could see a way out of the difficulties hampering his team.

‘Because I cannot say that we don’t try a lot to change and to play football.

‘I think we do it well, and we cannot say that the effort was not there. Until the last minute we tried and we were putting a lot of effort on the pitch.

‘Everybody cannot say that the team is not fighting for it. But you know, we are not taking the reward for the effort we are putting on the pitch.’