RALPH Hasenhuttl will use Saints’ 9-0 defeat against Leicester as motivation for his players as they prepare for the return match against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Far from erasing that humiliating night from his players’ minds, Hasenhuttl intends to use it to ‘energise’ his squad ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium.

He said: “We will speak about it definitely as a topic in our preparing for the game. In what way I’m not so sure at the moment.

“But we cannot make it unhappen, this result happened and as I said we can take energy out of this result.”

He also cautioned against his players trying too hard to avenge what happened on October 25.

“It’s good to have a right level of aggression in you,” he continued.

“The stress level must be in the right mood. Not too much, not too little. And then you have a chance of a really good performance.”

In many ways, Hasenhuttl simply wants his players to show more of the character they have displayed in the last two months.

“What the team showed after this result, where we knew it was an absolute disaster for us, was absolutely outrageous; the mentality and character to fight back to a successful way. We didn’t have easy games but we did it really well.

“When you look now at how the team is playing it looks completely different.

“I cannot praise them enough for the reaction they’ve showed and maybe a thankyou for that evening.

“It was a very difficult period, a very difficult time, also for me. I’ve never had such a long time without being successful, but I think it was a very, very important one for me and the players.

“We are now in a different mode and I think we are not looking to the end of the season, we are looking forward to every game.

“We feel we are more competitive and we want to show that we can compete with this team.”

Saints at least have happy memories of their last trip to the King Power exactly a year ago, when they won 2-1 despite Yan Valery’s sending off for a second booking shortly after Shane Long put them 2-0 up.

“Playing the last two games against them with one man down is enough I think!” smiled Hasenhuttl, recalling Ryan Bertrand’s sending off after 12 minutes of the infamous last meeting with Leicester.

“The way we play now is a different one not just because of the shape but because of the behaviour. We are back to our basics, our automatism, and this is the only way to be successful again. Let’s have a look at how good we are.”

Hasenhuttl agrees that the game will be a good marker of his far his side has come in the last two months.

“Yes, absolutely, we don’t forget this game,” he said.

“To do it better is not so difficult but to do it better means for me to show we are competitive and I think we can be.”

Saints’ turnaround has been remarkable and Hasenhuttl is determined for it to continue.

“Two months ago I was looking for three clubs that are worse than we are and it was difficult to find,” he continued.

“At the moment there are not a lot of teams that are doing better than we do at the moment and this is what I want to see more.

“But this is only momentum and we have to work for it. If we do it we have the chance to take something against Leicester. But if not, then not.”

It will not be easy against a Leicester side that is second in the Premier League under Rodgers.

“I think they are a very strong side and he does a fantastic job with this team,” added Hasenhuttl.

“They have a very clear philosophy and are very flexible in their shape.

“They are tactical and well organised. It’s not a coincidence that they are so high in the table.

“To take something against them is not easy but we want to show we can do it better than we did in the first game.”

“At first, I think we had a moment we will never forget. That’s for sure.

“What I said after this game, and now two months later, I must say that what I said about it being an important result for us, especially with the right reaction, it’s exactly that that’s happened.