How To Stop The Revolving Door - What Next For Southampton?

Following nan sacking of Will Still aft conscionable 5 months successful charge, Southampton's ownership group Sport Republic request to find a sixth caller leader since taking complete successful January 2022.

Under nan finance group, led by president Dragan Solak, they person been relegated doubly pinch 2 20th-placed finishes successful nan Premier League, and won promotion erstwhile successful nan 2023-24 campaign.

Despite an inconsistent commencement to nan season, location are still 31 Championship games to play and plentifulness of points up for grabs successful a section wherever it is customary to make precocious runs astatine promotion.

But who will beryllium nan caller man successful nan dugout to lead this caller era and what benignant of business are they stepping into astatine St Mary's?

Saints were among nan favourites for promotion earlier nan play started but results person been disconnected nan pace.

Before Still was sacked they had only won doubly and sat conscionable supra nan relegation area earlier interim leader Tonda Eckert produced a hint of positivity pursuing back-to-back wins past week.

His successor will travel Nathan Jones, Ruben Selles, Russell Martin, Ivan Juric and Still arsenic a imperishable Sport Republic assignment successful nan dugout.

Pressure has been increasing connected president Solak and nan Saints board, pinch fans much precocious starting to sound their frustrations.

"I deliberation wherever Sport Republic person gone incorrect is they person hired nan incorrect head for nan type of business nan nine finds itself in," Southampton instrumentality Rob Maddox said.

"The assignment of Nathan Jones successful nan Premier League was wholly incorrect but perchance 1 that could person worked correct now.

"When he came successful we appointed personification pinch nary Premier League acquisition and he didn't person nan skills to get nan squad ticking and support america up.

"Bringing successful Ivan Juric erstwhile we did was besides nan aforesaid point wherever it's personification pinch nary acquisition of that level that yet ended up getting america relegated pinch almost a grounds debased points total.

"I was very affirmative astir america hiring Will Still but he evidently wasn't playing nan correct shot for nan squad to accommodate to, aliases he grounded to accommodate to nan squad.

"We request personification who is going to springiness america that acquisition of English shot and a head that is easy adaptable."

A number of names person been mentioned for nan vacant head position, including erstwhile bosses Martin and Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The latter, who managed Southampton betwixt 2018 and 2022, attended astatine Saints' crippled against Bristol City astatine Ashton Gate past month.

Another sanction is erstwhile Wolves and Bournemouth head Gary O'Neil who has been retired of activity since being sacked by Wolves successful December 2024.

But fans made their feelings known astir this imaginable assignment successful their triumph complete Sheffield Wednesday. O'Neil made 192 appearances for Portsmouth and came done nan academy of Saints' southbound seashore rivals.

"The ensuing days since Still's sacking person been fascinating," BBC Radio Solent sports editor Adam Blackmore said.

"It's almost for illustration nan media person been testing nan h2o pinch Saints fans by seeing what guidance they'll get to names for illustration Russell Martin and Ralph Hasenhuttl and erstwhile Portsmouth subordinate Gary O'Neil.

"Personally I've ruled retired each 3 arsenic imaginable caller Southampton managers, though O'Neil is nan astir feasible option.

"The successful interim spell truthful acold for Eckert has not only allowed nan committee to return their clip successful their appointment, but besides to flip Eckert into nan frame."

Amid nan noise, interim leader Eckert has been softly impressing.

The 32-year-old German - antecedently U21s head - has travel distant from his first 2 convention matches successful complaint pinch six points.

After Still was sacked, Eckert took Saints to QPR where they won 2-1 earlier past weekend's stylish triumph over bottommost broadside Sheffield Wednesday.

Following nan Wednesday game, Eckert was seen sharing an clasp pinch sporting head Johannes Spors, personification he had antecedently crossed paths pinch during his clip astatine Genoa.

Eckert has already held younker squad coaching roles astatine RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich arsenic good arsenic adjunct leader roles astatine Barnsley and Genoa.

"From what I was proceeding past week, appointing different young inexperienced man successful Eckert would beryllium excessively overmuch of a gamble," Blackmore said.

"I would agree, but who knows really overmuch of an effect he has made connected nan committee and nan squad since past by marshalling these 2 wins."

Within Southampton's existent squad 1 point that stands retired is simply a deficiency of firepower.

In caller weeks, guardant Leo Scienza has been 1 of Saints' biggest threats going forward, and wide players Finn Azaz and Tom Fellows mixed good together connected Saturday for Southampton's 2nd goal.

But down nan mediate of that attacking line, location appears a void.

Towards nan extremity of September, Ross Stewart looked group to make that position his ain arsenic he produced a prima capacity astatine Bramall Lane, scoring doubly successful a 2-1 triumph astatine Sheffield United.

But he sustained different wounded and nan 29-year-old - who has been retired since mid October - is not expected to return until 2026.

Adam Armstrong is nan club's starring goalscorer pinch 5 goals successful 17 games but nan driblet disconnected aft that is stark pinch 4 players connected 2 goals and different 4 connected 1 each.

American Damion Downs has looked debased connected assurance and is yet to people since arriving connected a four-year statement successful July from Wolfsburg.

Towards nan extremity of his clip successful charge, Still besides said of a deficiency of accountability wrong nan dressing room and whether definite individuals were adequately questioning themselves complete nan team's mediocre form.

"The players request to put successful nan effort levels required. To sanction 1 - Taylor Harwood-Bellis has had a awesome week and put successful bully performances but why wasn't he playing pinch that overmuch tenacity nether Will Still?" Saints protagonist Maddox added.

"I do deliberation that immoderate of nan players prime and take who they play for a bit, not each of them but immoderate of them are rather blameworthy of that.

"Sport Republic person to find personification pinch nan correct characteristic for this group of players."

Whoever nan adjacent assignment whitethorn be, Saints person already fixed plentifulness of logic for optimism aft nan past week.

They spent important money connected Azaz and Fellows complete nan summertime - 2 players who astatine nan clip were proven astatine Championship level, and person now started to show signs of kicking on.

Midfielder Shea Charles was fantabulous successful nan 2nd tier past play while connected indebtedness astatine Sheffield Wednesday, Scienza has displayed his qualities aft arriving precocious successful nan window, while Harwood-Bellis and Nathan Wood person nan expertise to beryllium among nan Championship's champion centre-backs.

While location is undoubted talent passim nan squad, it will astir apt require nan correct coach to unearth it.

"While each assignment is simply a risk, I would for illustration to spot Saints mitigate immoderate of that consequence by choosing a head who has delivered nan Championship, who has bully knowledge of nan English crippled and market, and arsenic importantly, tin bid a dressing room because of what they've achieved successful nan game," Blackmore said.

"Whether it's Michael Carrick aliases Carlos Corberan aliases anyone other who whitethorn beryllium disposable soon, they will request to get a guarantee that they'll get money for a proven goalscorer successful January to springiness them a changeable astatine recovering nan season.

"Maybe, though, Eckert will get nan job. If so, he amended dream he gets nan backing of nan committee and nan players quickly because taking nan easy inexpensive action seldom useful and Sport Republic are amended disconnected backing him successful nan transportation marketplace to springiness him a chance.

"If they name him and find themselves sacking him a fewer months later, past nan oft-prescribed meaning of insanity will beryllium successful afloat position for each to see."