Southampton are making good progress in their search for a new manager after sacking Will Still last week.
After an unimpressive start to the season, the Saints are currently 19th in the Championship, six points above the relegation zone, having won only three of their 14 league games.
Southampton’s rocky season took another unexpected turn when Still left the club after only five months in command. The 33-year-old’s brief spell at St Mary’s ended abruptly with a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End, the club’s third consecutive loss and fifth straight game without a win at the time.
Despite recording a terrible average of 0.92 points per game in the Championship, Southampton’s management had no choice but to pull the plug.
Will Still’s stay at Southampton
Competition
Matches
Wins
Draws
Losses
Points
Points per match.
Championship
13
2
6
5
12
0.92
The EFL Cup
3
2
0
1
6
2.00
Total
16
4
6
6
18
1.13
via Transfermarkt.
It represented another chapter in Sport Republic’s turbulent ownership, with Still joining a lengthy list of coaches fired throughout their tenure.
Still entered with a developing pedigree following a few successful years in France, and was briefly linked with a move to the Premier League, but struggled to translate his success to English football.
The Belgian native was tasked with guaranteeing an immediate return to the Premier League following last season’s relegation, but instead put Southampton on the verge of a second successive drop, which would be an inconceivable calamity.
The process of hiring his successor has begun, and the media has mentioned a few notable contenders.
Tonda Eckert, the Under-21s manager, was appointed temporary manager and promptly led the club to a 2-1 victory over QPR, momentarily stemming the rot. However, Southampton’s management is aggressively looking for a permanent successor.
According to reports, high-flying Coventry City manager Frank Lampard is an ambitious option for Southampton, while the Saints are also considering a reunion with Russell Martin.
A number of other contenders are being considered, including Stoke City manager Mark Robins (talkSPORT), England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley, and Gary O’Neill.
In terms of the latter, Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath reported earlier this week that O’Neil is a strong candidate for the Southampton position, and there has since been another update on the Englishman’s probable appointment.
Southampton are ‘trying to finalise’ Gary O’Neil contract after making approach.
According to TEAMtalk, O’Neil is emerging as the clear candidate to take command.
The south coast club has now approached O’Neil about their open post, with talks anticipated to heat up in the coming days as both parties “look to finalise an agreement”.
O’Neil is thought to be in pole position to become Southampton’s new manager, with the club having admirers for his previous Premier League work.
Southampton appears to have limited its search to three primary possibilities. Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick, who was most recently manager of Middlesbrough, is still in the running due to his excellent reputation, while Martin is also a candidate and would be open to negotiations about returning to St Mary’s after being fired by Rangers.
O’Neil is claimed to be “highly respected” in Premier League circles after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves (Miguel Delaney), even if both tenures ended in a sour note, and he was recently considered for the West Ham post.
The 42-year-old led a dismal Bournemouth side out of relegation in his first season with scant resources, then took over Wolves in very tough circumstances following Julen Lopetegui’s abrupt departure, briefly steadying the ship at Molineux.
His track record shows that O’Neil might be an astute addition to Sport Republic’s roster, and because he is a free agent, Southampton will not have to pay any compensation.
O’Neil has also been described as a “underrated” tactician.
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