Four ex-Premier League managers lead race for vacant Southampton hot seat

Southampton are on the lookout for a new manager after Ivan Juric was removed from his position following confirmation of their relegation from the Premier League following Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, and names are already being linked with the vacant job.

It has been a torrid season for Southampton. They made a poor start to life back in the Premier League, and that resulted in Russell Martin being sacked in December. Ivan Juric was appointed as his replacement, and he did not manage to fair much better, and he has now followed suit in losing his job.

There are still seven Premier League matches to go until Southampton’s return to the Championship is made official, and the new manager will be tasked with ending the miserable campaign with some pride restored, which would be done by scoring at least two points in order to avoid becoming the worst Premier League side in history in terms of points total – Derby currently hold that record with 11 points from the 2007/08 season.

English managers emerge as favourites for Southampton job

As per Birmingham World, English managers are leading the way in the bid to become the next manager of Southampton, who want their new head coach to have experience in England, while also playing a high-intensity style of football.

At this stage, former Nottingham Forest and Leicester City manager Steve Cooper is considered to be the favourite to land the Southampton post, but he is closely followed by Sean Dyche, Gary O’Neil and Steven Gerrard. All four are currently out of work, so their arrival could be hasty upon the club’s decision.

Whoever is appointed by Southampton will be tasked with securing an immediate return to the Premier League, which will be easier said than done in next season’s Championship – especially as they are likely to be unable to call upon Tyler Dibling, who has been strongly linked with the likes of Tottenham.