:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59675043/956168334.jpg.0.jpg)
Southampton manager believes the “dark arts” which disrupted his side’s preparations for Tuesday night’s crunch clash against Swansea City motivated his team to a 1-0 away win.
That Saints victory was a monumental step for the club’s chances of surviving its relegation dogfight from the Premier League.
The Marriott Hotel in Swansea - the city’s only designated hotel for visiting Premier League teams - canceled Southampton’s room bookings, saying there had been a “virus” outbreak inside the hotel.
However, journalists called the hotel after to make a booking and their custom was happily accepted.
Then there was the below:
On the back of the #SaintsFC hotel cancellation saga hearing that the police escort they were expecting to get from their new overnight digs in Cardiff through the rush hour traffic has also been cancelled
— Adam Leitch (@adamleitchsport) May 8, 2018
Though there was still a remarkable scene as #SaintsFC told they would have to wait on the bus for circa 25 mins as the Swansea bus unloaded. Mark Hughes just told driver to stop and led the players up to the ground on foot
— Adam Leitch (@adamleitchsport) May 8, 2018
”It helped our focus,” Hughes told the BBC.
”We suspected that maybe some of the dark arts were at work but we didn’t let us affect us, in fact we used it as a motivating factor.”
”I’m not for one minute suggesting Swansea had anything to do with that. Maybe it was over zealous Swansea fans in positions to affect our hotel booking maybe.
”But no, those things you can use to your own benefit and use as a motivating factor.”