This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which offers personal thoughts from our FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more. Southampton is one of only a few Championship clubs still looking for a permanent replacement for Will Still, who left the club in early November. The Saints had endured a dismal run of just two wins in 13 second-tier games under the 32-year-old’s management, despite the fact that his initial appointment at St Mary’s was heavily backed by supporters, who continued to blame Sport Republic, the club’s ownership group, rather than the 32-year-old. Tonda Eckert, the German interim manager and former Under-21s manager, has since led the South Coast side to back-to-back victories for the first time since April 2024, defeating Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on November 4th before rising to 17th in the table following a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at home the previous time out. Unsurprisingly, a slew of names have been linked with the position, and such speculation has elicited intriguingly disparate reactions, with rumours of an appointment for ex-Portsmouth midfielder Gary O’Neil, unsurprisingly, causing a strong reaction from supporters in last weekend’s clash with the Owls. While his name has not been mentioned as a top candidate to take over Saints or one of Swansea City, Norwich City, or Middlesbrough, all of which are conducting their own managerial searches, a new revelation from former Manchester United manager and striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be catching attention. After hearing the Norwegian’s statements on Sky Sports’ ‘The Overlap’ podcast, Football League World’s Southampton fan commentator, Martin Sanders, would advise the Saints’ owners to take the 52-year-old into account. Southampton FC backed to consider Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in managerial hunt after EFL bombshell
Solskjaer has a recent significant managing resume of varying success levels, having won two Eliteserien titles in his first spell as Molde FK manager before transferring to the English game with Cardiff City in 2014, which proved to be a disastrous move for the Bluebirds. His nearly three-year tenure at Old Trafford was well-documented as turbulent, before he was fired as Besiktas manager in August after only seven months in charge, as the Black Eagles were eliminated from the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round by Lausanne-Sport, despite having a 52 percent win ratio. As a result, when asked about his future managing aspirations, Solksjaer replied: “It’s not like I’m yearning to be back in [management], but I can be. “I adore living in England as well. “You know when my kids ask me [where], I’m [telling them], mid-Championship and up,” according to him. Despite claims that the Saints are poised to offer Eckert the full-time position, Sanders would not be disappointed if Solksjaer took it instead. “Funnily enough, I was just watching the Overlap and what he was saying,” according to FLW. “He was connected with the Southampton post a few years ago. I believe they (the owners) would consider him. “He understands the game and has solid contacts. He would undoubtedly get some respect from the players, which is exactly what you need. He’s been around the game. “Would he secure Saints’ promotion back to the Premier League? “Probably not, but I believe any manager is a gamble,” Sanders explained. “I don’t mind Solskjaer to be honest, but I think lots of Saints fans would turn their noses up at it.” Southampton FC would take a gamble with any managerial selection. St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton
As Sanders mentioned, no managerial hire can guarantee success, even if the candidate has vast experience managing in the Championship. However, with the Saints’ players having recently regained some confidence, fans would understandably expect that such fortunes will continue under a new manager, whether external or internal. With 31 games remaining in the season, they are only seven points below the top six, and with the January transfer window approaching, there is still plenty of time to build a promotion bid. Solskjaer will also believe he is a lot better head coach than some outsiders believe, and he may be able to prove himself again in the Championship, as Frank Lampard is doing with Coventry City.
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