David Peach: Ralph Hasenhuttl can be a Saints great

Peach, who put Saints 1-0 up at Wembley in the League Cup final on this weekend 40 years ago, believes Hasenhuttl is the man to bring the good times back to St Mary’s.

He said: “The manager’s come in at a difficult time but he’s done well. I think he can keep us up and do well next season.

“He’s got a bit of pedigree, he’s enthusiastic and is jumping about like Klopp and Guardiola.

“That’s got the lads enthusiastic again whereas before you didn’t think they were up for it. I think he’s a born winner and I think he’ll keep us up.

“He’s also a good decision-maker and when he makes changes they’re not like-for-like - he’ll change the way the team plays.

“He brought on young [Josh] Sims last weekend and he changed the game, whereas before we’d see centre-halves replacing centre- halves, when it needed something different.”

Peach was at St Mary’s for the 2-0 win against Fulham ten days ago and expects Saints to be safe when he returns for the final match of the season against Huddersfield on May 12.

“The Fulham game wasn’t a six-pointer, it was a 36-pointer!” he said. “We were ready for Man United and Spurs after beating them and now we look ready for anybody.

“We could have been dead and buried by half-time against Spurs, but you’ve always got a chance when you’re only one down.

“They stuck at it and got the reward in the end.

“A couple of wins makes all the difference, although it’s a good job we did win with Cardiff, Newcastle and Brighton all getting three points.

“We’ve got to keep winning but if we can stay up I think we’ll do ok next season.

“We’ve got to go into the market to strengthen the squad but I’m sure the manager knows that.”

Peach, who became the Football League’s highest-scoring full-back after Lawrie McMenemy made him his first signing, 48 hours after replacing Ted Bates in 1973, still works as a part-time site manager in Milford-on-Sea.

The 68-year-old, along with Holmes one of only two Saints to play in two Wembley cup finals for the club, is often reminded of the day he scored the opening goal in 1979.

“It was nice to go back after winning the FA Cup in 1976,” he recalls. “Forest were flying at the time but we played well in the first half and got in front.”

Peach, who was Saints’ penalty taker at the time, became the Football League’s highest scoring full-back later in 1979 and finished his career with 44 goals from his 278 appearances.

“It was nice to score with my right foot and in open play,” he laughs. “I can remember it well. I started the move in our half, we progressed up the park and I think I played it into [Alan] Ball, kept running and he dinked it over the top. I was going to shoot but then [Peter] Shilton dived so I took it round him and slotted it in.

“I’ve scored better goals, there were a few thunderbolts but it was a great feeling to score on that sort of occasion in front of 100,000 people, although the feeling after the game wasn’t so great.

“We didn’t play so well in the second half. Garry Birtles and Tony Woodcock were youngsters in their side at the time and they gave us a runabout. We lost our way a bit and got done 3-2. Nick [Holmes] scored a late goal but they were a better side than us.”

Saints' 1979 League Cup final goalscorers David Peach (third from left) and Nick Holmes (second from left), the only two to play in two Wembley finals for Saints, with the rest of the 1976 squad at the 40th anniversary dinner celebrating the club's FA Cup success