Southampton Chairman Ralph Krueger Believes Manager Pellegrino and Club Can Get Club Back on Track

Southampton chairman Ralph Krueger has backed manager Mauricio Pellegrino and says club can get back to normal after Virgil van Dijk exit.

The Saints are currently 17th in the Premier League table, level on points with Stoke City, who are in the relegation zone. They have failed to win any of their last nine leagues games, with their last victory coming in the 4-1 win over Everton at the end of November.

Also, after constant speculation over the summer and heading into January, Virgil van Dijk has finally left St Mary's Stadium. The defender moved to Premier League side Liverpool in a deal worth around £75m.

PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages

Now that the Dutchman has left, Southampton Chairman Ralph Krueger believes that they can get back to normal after a difficult spell for the club, which may help Pellegrino. 

According to the Daily Echo, he said: "A plan was put in place right after the season to consolidate where we were and the transfer that has just gone through is the end of a very difficult phase for the club. Mauricio was a part of it, and we were all a part of it, including the team and the players.

GLYN KIRK/GettyImages

"I in no way, shape, or form, am angry at any one individual for what has happened here in the last few months, because it was bigger than any individual, in our club or outside of our club. 

"That chapter closes now. The cloud was there, we allowed a certain negativity into our very fragile environment, which is based on positivity, on looking for solutions, on creativity and so on, and I believe we can truly get back to that now."

Southampton's next game will be away to Fulham on Saturday in the FA Cup third round.