Southampton have sacked first-team manager Nathan Jones after just three months in charge of the Premier League following a 2-1 home defeat to 10-man Wolves that leaves the club bottom of the table.
Jones lost nine of the 14 matches which he oversaw at Southampton and registered just a single win in eight Premier League games. No team has taken fewer points than the Saints since Jones’ appointment in November.
In his three months in charge at St Mary’s, Jones succeeded only in uniting a fanbase against him after regularly blaming his team for poor results and performances, rather than taking accountability himself.
A bizarre outburst in which he lauded himself as one of Europe’s best coaches while at Luton Town and passionately defended his methods and principles which were apparently compromised at Southampton, also did not go down well. A public spat a few weeks ago with non-league Havant & Waterlooville’s manager, Paul Doswell, added to the sour taste that Saints fans had begun to develop for the Welshman.
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Here are five candidates in the frame according to the bookies, including a very familiar face…
Steven Gerrard
Former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is currently the bookies’ favourite to be Southampton’s third head coach of the season. The Liverpool legend has been unemployed since November 2021 when he was sacked by Villa after just 11 months in charge.
Like Jones, however, Gerrard struggled to keep fans on board as his tenure at Villa Park wound down, and with Southampton in urgent need of positive results to stave off relegation, they might be cautious in bringing him in.
Ralph Hasenhuttl
In a move that would perfectly embody the manager merry-go-round that elite football tends to be, bookies believe that former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl could make a sensational return to St Mary’s.
The Austrian was only sacked by the club in November after a four season spell. Many Southampton fans questioned the original decision to replace him with Jones, who had no Premier League experience, and he might be welcomed back with open arms by supporters after Jones’ disastrous 95-day reign.
Southampton may have to move quickly if they want to resign Hasenhuttl though, with him apparently being on Leeds’ shortlist of managers to fill the hole that Jesse Marsch left vacant.
Jesse Marsch
Marsh could be set for a rapid return to English football as he too reportedly features on Southampton’s shortlist.
The American, who gained prominence through the Red Bull coaching pipeline, took over from popular manager Marcelo Biesla at Elland Road and escaped relegation to the Championship on the final day of the 2022-23 season.
It would be an intriguing development should Marsch head to the south coast, with his potential employers facing his previous ones in the league on 25 February.
Next Southampton manager odds
- Steven Gerrard – 3-1
- Jesse Marsch – 11-2
- Ralph Hasenhuttl – 15-2
- Dean Smith – 15-2
- Ruben Selles – 15-2
- Rafa Benitez – 10-1
- Sam Allardyce – 10-1
- Domenico Tedesco – 10-1
- Nuno Espirito Santo – 12-1
- Marcelo Bielsa – 12-1
- Frank Lampard – 12-1
*Odds via Betfair and correct as of 12 February
Marcelo Gallardo
Marcel Gallardo has been a managerial free agent since leaving River Plate in 2022, with a hefty haul of trophies during his reign there. Gallardo was originally in contention for the Southampton job before Jones was appointed in November, and despite his being untested in Europe, he’s a pick that many Southampton fans would be eager to secure.
Gallardo has become known as a tactically astute manager, with a foundation of retaining possession and playing out from the back, but has equally demonstrated himself to be a flexible tactician when required.
Nuno Espirito Santo
Another manager on this list with plenty of Premier League experience, Nuno Espirito Santo is a name that Southampton may have to tussle with Leeds for if they want to bring the 49-year-old to St Mary’s.
The Portugese manager is currently plying his trade in Saudi Arabia as Al-Ittihad’s manager, but supporters will know him well for the acclaim he recieved during his four-year tenure at Wolves, before a switch to Tottenham Hotspur which saw him sacked within five months.
Although his stint at Spurs may cause some Saints fans to recoil, he was instrumental in Wolves finishing 7th in their first two seasons back in the top flight, and might just have the experience and aptitude to drag Southampton safe from relegation.
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