Southampton have parted ways with Will Still following a really poor start to the season which has seen Southampton win just two of their 13 matches in the Championship, leaving them 21st in the table.

Southampton had aspirations of finishing in the play-off spots at least, so it was a pretty disappointing spell in charge from Still, who came highly rated from Ligue 1.

Southampton are 10 points off the play-off spots at the moment, so that target is still within reach given how hectic the Championship can be. 

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Who Will be the Next Southampton Manager?

Russell Martin

Russell Martin is the top choice in the betting market to become the next Southampton manager, and his return makes a lot of sense in my opinion.

The current Southampton squad is suited to the style that Martin wants to play. He led the Saints to the Premier League via the play-offs in the 23/24 season, with Southampton finishing 4th that campaign. If we look at the metrics where Southampton are performing well, it’s got Martin’s blueprint all over it:

25/26 Possession: 59.4% (1st) 

23/24 Possession: 66% (1st)

25/26 Accurate Passes: 402 per game (3rd) 

23/24 Accurate Passes: 597.8 per game (1st) 

25/26 Long Balls: 19.5 per game (20th) 

23/24 Long Balls: 21.2 per game (21st) 

These metrics tell us that this squad is almost purpose-built for Martin. In fairness to Will Still, Southampton have been very unlucky in front of goal this season, with their xG of 23.0 2nd to Coventry in the Championship this term, but Southampton have only tucked away 13 of those chances - the starkest xG underperformance in the division.

A new manager may not fix this issue with Southampton, as it’s a result of a lack of action in the transfer window, with the Saints failing to get a reliable number nine, which was seen as a necessity. However, Martin is very knowledgeable about the squad, and I would assume that he’s very eager to prove people wrong about his style of play after an embarrassing stint at Rangers, which looked doomed from the start.

🔮 Ramis' Verdict

Martin may play with a style of football that frustrates the purists, but he has previous success with Southampton, and this is a time when the club need a steady hand to ensure a bad start to the campaign doesn’t spiral. 

Saints fans are unlikely to be happy regardless of who comes through the door at St Mary’s, with most of the angst aimed at those above the manager following years of lax recruitment and allowing talented players to leave. Martin is a polarising figure, but he is the clearest option to take the reins in my view.

Ralph Hasenhuttl

Hasenhuttl has caught my eye as an outsider in the Southampton manager race as a former Saints boss who was very popular when he was in the dugout at St Mary’s.

Hasenhuttl was in charge of Southampton between 2018 and 2022. He oversaw 16th, 11th and two 15th-place finishes in his time at Southampton before he was sacked. The Saints were relegated the season he was dismissed, finishing rock bottom of the Premier League.

Intriguingly, Hasenhuttl was spotted in the crowd for Southampton’s defeat against Bristol City a few weeks ago, fuelling speculation at the time, which has only been turbocharged by the sacking of Will Still. No,w this could have just been a former manager coming to watch his old side, but the timing is interesting and puts Hasenhuttl in the frame to return to the Saints.

🔮 Ramis' Verdict

Hasenhuttl is perhaps the most experienced option of the front-runners to be the Southampton manager. He was most recently at Wolfsburg, leading the side to a mid table finish last season, which wasn’t enough for the Wolfsburg hierarchy as he was relieved from his duties in May. He’s had some time off to reassess his next move, and a return to St Mary’s may appeal to him.

Hasenhuttl boasts an experience which is rare when looking through the other options to be Southampton manager, having been a head coach in the Bundesliga and Premier League. Southampton may decide that experience and familiarity are the most important factors for their appointment, given how far the club are away from the goals they set at the start of the season.

Who is the favourite in the betting to be the next Southampton manager?

Russell Martin is currently the favourite in the market, but he isn’t the clear standalone candidate with the bookmakers having him at 2.50 (6/4) to return to St Mary’s.

There is a gap between Martin and the rest of the candidates in the field, with the next favourite being Michael Carrick at 6.0 (5/1).

Why did Will Still leave Southampton?

Still never really found his feet with the Saints. He won just two of his 13 games in charge of the club in the Championship, which simply isn’t good enough for the level that Southampton want to be at. The new boss will still be expected to fight for a play-off spot with 10 points between the Saints and the top six.

There is more to the story than Southampton just not being at the level under Will Still. They’ve underperformed their xG by 10 goals this season, which is the most in the Championship. Only Coventry can boast a higher xG than Southampton this season, so it is a bit puzzling that they find themselves towards the bottom of the table.

Still’s position truly became untenable in the last few weeks as Southampton failed to win any of their last five matches and they were booed off the park against Preston last time out.

What was Southampton's Club Statement?

Will Still is yet to make a public comment about his sacking, but Southampton put out quite a sanitised statement which also confirmed the departure of Still’s backroom staff:

"Southampton Football Club can confirm that we have this evening parted ways with Men’s First Team Manager Will Still. 

Rubén Martinez, Clément Lemaitre and Carl Martin have also left their positions at the club. 

Men’s Under-21s Head Coach Tonda Eckert will take charge of the team on an interim basis."

Group Technical Director Johannes Spors said: “Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results. 

“Ultimately that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making a change now we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table. 

I would like to thank Will, Rubén, Clément and Carl for their efforts and wish them well for the future."

What do Southampton fans think of Will Still leaving?

Southampton fans made their feelings clear following the Saints’ 2-0 defeat against Preston at St Mary’s last time out with the side booed off the pitch. 

Many Saints fans were beginning to become frustrated with Still’s repetitive approach, which didn’t allow Southampton to penetrate sides and left them with a lot of the ball in nothing areas.

There also seems to be fan anger towards the board, with many feeling as though the appointment of Will Still was wrong to begin with. There are also frustrations with player recruitment.

All of these factors point to a wider issue at Southampton, which may not be fixed by bringing in a new manager.

Next Southampton Manager Rumours

Russell Martin leads the betting market at the moment but another former Southampton boss in Ralph Hasenhuttl has been spotted attending recent matches, adding to speculation that he may be in line for a return.

Southampton may turn to a Championship specialist with the situation they find themselves in, Michael Carrick is a name to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, following his tenure at Middlesbrough.

Brendan Rodgers has also been linked with a move, but I find it hard to imagine he’d drop to the Championship.

Who do Southampton fans want to be the New Manager?

There seems to be more of a push from Southampton fans for a change of ownership rather than a particular push for one coach. There is real anger at the players that Southampton have let go over the summer, without bringing in adequate replacements.

Will Still was sacrificed as the pressure from the fans was growing really intense, but when you’ve had seven managers in four seasons - there are real problems at boardroom level.

As a result, I can’t see Southampton fans being thrilled with any appointment.

How have Southampton been doing this season?

Southampton have performed well below their expectations this season, having won just two of their 13 matches in the Championship. The squad is bloated and inexperienced at the Championship level, which is why the appointment of Still was a real risk, as he also had no experience of the league.

Southampton look like a really disorganised side and lost key players during the summer - Tyler Dibling and Mateus Fernandes both left the club for big fees but were never replaced, leading to frustration from Southampton fans who felt as though the squad was left to decline under the stewardship of a young coach.

Southampton’s issues in front of goal have been their biggest problem this season. They’ve underachieved their xG by 10 goals, which has resulted in the Saints lacking confidence and being unable to get a foothold in matches.

Are Southampton bottom of the league?

No, Southampton are 21st in the Championship - 17 points clear of Sheffield Wednesday, who sit bottom.

What are Southampton's next fixtures?

Southampton play QPR in a midweek fixture before a must-win clash against Sheffield Wednesday at home.

It’s not the easiest start for the caretaker manager, with three of Southampton's next five matches being away from home.

Are Southampton going to win the league?

It would be a remarkable turnaround for Southampton to win the league from this position with 16 points between them and league leaders Coventry, though, we have seen surges up the table in the Championship before.

Southampton should also have enough to survive in the Championship for another season. Their xG numbers in particular are much stronger than the sides around them, which should be enough to keep them up.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *

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