RALPH Hasenhuttl took his Saints side out on the water in hope of them sinking Sheffield United this afternoon.

The Austrian wanted to boost the team's spirit which saw them head out sailing for an afternoon during the international break.

Hasenhuttl was quick to point out that the management team pipped the players to first place during the race.

Saints’ boss said: “We went sailing. We had a few sailing boats and it was a good race between the staff and players.

“We [the management] ended up as champions, so it was good. When you see that I am smiling, you know I don’t have to answer this question.

“My coaches were fantastic. I think it was because we were the heaviest ones which was good for putting the boat in the right shape.

“Everybody was busy. It wasn’t calm which meant the weather was perfect because it was very windy.

“The skippers did a good job and we helped them to be quick. It was funny.

“Afterwards, we had a BBQ. We wanted to do this three weeks before, but the weather was not perfect.”

Saints broke up for the international break on the back of two good results against Brighton and Manchester United.

These performances came on the back of a woeful start to the campaign in Burnley and then a narrow defeat to Champions League winners Liverpool.

Because his players managed to bounce back with a win and a draw, Hasenhuttl wanted to reward them with something a little bit different.

He added: “Sometimes it’s necessary to show the whole group that we belong together.

“We try to mix together which is good. I like these things and the players enjoyed it I think.

“It was wonderful weather and an experience we will never forget.

“I think it was a very, very interesting afternoon. We trained in the morning and then had a good experience together.

“It was not boring. There was a lot of action and we had to do a lot. The races were very tight, but we won.

“It was a first time a lot of the guys were on a sailing boat.”

However, when asked whether if any of his players stood out during the team event, Hasenhuttl burst into laughter and said: “They were so far behind that I wasn’t able to see.

“I can’t tell you whether they were working well.”