Southampton Identify ‘First Choice’ to Replace Will Still

Following a hodgepodge beginning to the 2025/26 Championship campaign with them sitting 21st in the table, the powers that be at Southampton turned back on their Will Still appointment and parted ways with the 33-year-old. Frank Lampard has been named as one of the potential replacements and the Englishman could reignite their dream of promotion.

Still, who joined in the summer of 2025 after accruing a 1.49 points per match rate in France with RC Lens between July 2024 and June 2025, struggled to adapt to English football. In 16 matches across all competitions, he produced just four victories at the helm – with just two of them coming in England’s second-tier division.

Born and raised in Belgium, Still was appointed and replaced Ivan Juric following Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League – and it was believed the young, and somewhat inexperienced, tactician was earmarked as the man for the job. For weeks, rumours regarding his sacking circulated, and the club made their decision on Sunday.

Frank Lampard the Leading Contender for Southampton Job – Here’s Why It Would be a Shrewd Appointment

With the fixtures continuing to come thick and fast – Southampton travel to face Queens Park Rangers in the week before playing host to Sheffield Wednesday next week – the club’s higher-ups are keen to appoint a new manager sooner rather than later as they look ahead to, hopefully, a fresher era following a poor start to the season.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) following the news that Still had been relieved of his duties after just 125 days in charge of Saints, journalist Graeme Bailey has reported that Coventry City’s Frank Lampard remains their first-choice replacement. The ex-Chelsea boss is alongside Mark Robins, Lee Carsley and Gary O’Neil on the shortlist.

London-born Lampard, 47, turned his hand to management after a lengthy career operating in the Premier League with Chelsea and his first stint was with Derby County. Then appointed by the Blues in 2019, he also enjoyed a 44-game spell with Everton before returning to Stamford Bridge for a caretaker stint in April 2023.

This season, however, has been Lampard’s brightest in management. After Robins’ 387-match stint in charge of the promotion hopefuls, the ex-midfielder took over in November 2024 and led them to a play-off final, which they lost narrowly to Sunderland at Wembley; and, in 2025/26, he is hoping to be automatically promoted instead.

At the time of writing, Lampard’s side are top of the Championship after the opening 13 matches – they’ve won eight, drawn four matches and lost just once since August. Most impressively, however, is the rate The Sky Blues are scoring at. Their tally of 36 is 14 more than Hull City, who are the second-highest scorers in the division.

Southampton, on the contrary, are failing to make the most of their possession in the final third – and, having scored just 13 goals in the same number of outings, Lampard’s goalscoring expertise could return a sense of urgency from an attacking sense. Such coaching could see them rise up the rankings as the weeks go by.

As of early November, the 47-year-old’s Coventry contract ends in the summer of 2027 – and whether he would leave the Coventry Building Society Arena for St Mary’s in the coming weeks remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, however, Southampton would be much brighter with him at the helm.

Elsewhere, GIVEMESPORT sources understand that several figures at Southampton – including players and staff – would welcome the return of Russell Martin, who is out of work after being sacked by Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers recently.

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 03/11/2025