Southampton revealed Will Still’s sacking as head coach on Sunday evening, and with the Saints just clear of the Championship relegation zone, they should keep an eye on Carlos Corberan’s situation at Valencia.
The Saints have won just four of their last 51 league games, culminating in a humiliating relegation from the Premier League last season, where they finished just above Derby County’s lowest-ever points record in the top flight with 12 points, and are now just above the relegation zone after 13 games in the second tier.
Following Ivan Juric’s dismissal at the end of last season, Southampton moved fast to hire Still, a former Reims and Lens manager who joined the Saints in May on a three-year contract.
After a turbulent summer transfer window in which nine new players arrived and 19 players left the club either permanently, on loan, or due to retirement, the Belgian manager faced a daunting task in rebuilding the group and restoring coherence.
However, the position proved too much for Still, who was fired on Sunday evening after only two wins in 13 league games, with their 2-0 home loss serving as the final straw.
The Saints are once again seeking for a new manager, with Graeme Bailey stating via X that Frank Lampard, Mark Robins, Lee Carsley, and Gary O’Neil are among the names the club is considering to succeed Still.
With only two games until the international break, it may be prudent to wait and weigh all options ahead of what will be a critical appointment for the Saints as they attempt to save their season.
Southampton must closely monitor Carlos Corberan’s situation at Valencia amid Will Still’s dismissal.
Carlos Corberan, manager of Valencia, is one of the prospects Southampton should keep an eye on.
The Spaniard has previous management experience in England, having worked as a first-team coach at Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa before moving on to manage Huddersfield Town and West Bromwich Albion, which led to his appointment as Valencia manager.
The Spaniard joined Valencia in December 2024, with the team in the relegation zone of La Liga, and he would assist steer them to safety and a comfortable 12th position in the Spanish top division, allaying previous relegation fears.
However, with the summer to rebuild his team in preparation for this season, Corberan has failed to build on his promising start at the club, and Valencia is now in a same situation as when the 42-year-old took over.
With the club now in the relegation zone, Corberan has led Valencia to only two victories, three draws, and six defeats in La Liga this season, including huge losses to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
If Corberan is fired, Southampton should move quickly to sign the Spaniard before anyone else.
Carlos Corberan is highly respected for his work with Huddersfield Town and West Brom.
Corberan accepted the post of head coach of Huddersfield Town in July 2020, and his first season in charge did not go as planned, with the club finishing 20th in the Championship standings.
The following season, however, he drastically transformed the Terriers, leading them to third place despite a paucity of spending and most of the same squad as the previous season, but ultimately losing in the play-off final to Nottingham Forest, prompting the Spaniard’s resignation.
Following a brief spell in Greece with Olympiakos, Corberan joined West Brom in October 2022, with the team second-bottom in the Championship standings after 16 games, and successfully guided them away from relegation, finishing ninth.
The following season, Corberan worked his magic once more, leading the Baggies to fifth place, but they were eliminated in the play-offs, this time in the semi-finals to Southampton, who went on to be promoted in the final against Leeds.
Corberan has only completed three full seasons in the Championship, although he has twice led relegation-threatened sides to the playoffs.
With Southampton in real danger of being relegated by the end of the international break, with games against Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday on the horizon, waiting for a move for Corberan might be a stroke of genius.
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