Next Southampton manager: The contenders to replace Nathan Jones

Ralph Hasenhuttl and Steven Gerrard
Ralph Hasenhuttl and Steven Gerrard / Alex Davidson | Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
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After a whopping eight matches in charge, Nathan Jones has been relieved of his duties by Southampton, giving one brave, brave man the chance to have a go at trying to keep them in the Premier League.

The fact that Jones was only at the helm for three months and yet his sacking felt like a long time coming speaks volumes about how badly things went - 11 managers have picked up a point at St Mary's this season and he isn't one of them.

His efforts have left the club rock bottom of the table, so they need to get their next appointment right if they want to avoid a return to the Championship.

Here's who they could turn to.


Ralph Hasenhuttl

Ralph Hasenhuttl
Things weren't all bad under Hasenhuttl / Robin Jones/GettyImages

Clubs managed: SpVgg Unterhaching, VfR Aalen, Ingolstadt, RB Leipzig, Southampton

Going back to an ex isn't always a good idea, but maybe it is for Southampton?

Sure, there were some low points under Ralph Hasenhuttl - losing more than one match 9-0 isn't ideal - but there were highs too. The Austrian implemented a very defined high-energy style of play, and they were capable of being utterly brilliant if everything synced up nicely.

Whether Hasenhuttl would go back just months after being dismissed is another thing, but maybe it's worth a shot as he did bag 12 of the 15 points they've accrued so far this season.


Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard
Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa / Laurence Griffiths/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Rangers, Aston Villa

The bookmakers favourite, at the time of writing, is former Aston Villa and Rangers boss Steven Gerrard.

Dismissed from his post earlier this season, Gerrard preserved Villa's Premier League status last year before embarking on a run of two wins from the club's opening 12 games this time around. Swings and roundabouts.

He did do an excellent job at Rangers before that, though handing him the reins would appear on the surface to be a rather large risk.


Adi Hutter

Adi Huetter
Adi Hutter has done some good work / Lars Baron/GettyImages

Clubs managed: RB Salzburg II, SC Rheindorf Altach, SV Grodig, Red Bull Salzburg, Young Boys, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach

If Southampton are interested in reviving Hasenhuttl's philosophy, to an extent, they could do far worse than former Eintracht Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter.

The Austrian laid the foundations for Frankfurt's future success before succeeding Marco Rose at Monchengladbach last season. That particular venture didn't work out, but he has success spells with Salzburg and Young Boys to also fall back on.

Not a favourite but not a bad shout by any means.


Marcelo Gallardo

Marcelo Gallardo
Gallardo is highly rated by many / Marcelo Endelli/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Nacional, River Plate

Another favourite with the bookies is Marcelo Gallardo, who seems to be linked with every job going these days.

He did an excellent job at River Plate, winning 14 trophies in eight years, before departing across the Atlantic in 2022 to European football.

Gallardo has been very open about his ambitions, but did recently turn down an approach from Dutch giants Ajax. Rocking up at Southampton would definitely be a surprise after that.


Jesse Marsch

Jesse Marsch
Marsch has just been sacked by Leeds / Clive Mason/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls, RB Salzburg, RB Leipzig, Leeds

Hiring the manager Leeds just dismissed for also dragging his side into a huge relegation mix? Surely not?

Well, Jesse Marsch did turn things around at Leeds initially, after being appointed as Marcelo Bielsa's Elland Road successor. But things turned sour for the former RB Salzburg boss pretty rapidly, and links to the USMNT job probably carry more weight at this moment in time.


Kjetil Knutsen

Kjetil Knutsen
Knutsen has worked wonders in Norway / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Fyllingen/Fyllingsdalen, Asane, Bodo/Glimt

Before hiring Jones, Southampton loved to make left-field appointments, and given how things went when they were less imaginative, they may decide to do so again.

If so, Kjetil Knutsen will surely be on their shortlist; he's worked wonders at Bodo/Glimt, transforming them from relegation contenders into title winners, and there's a romping 6-1 win over Jose Mourinho's Roma on his Europa League résumé.

St Mary's and the Premier League should still have some pulling power, but accepting life in the Championship would have be a real consideration for Knutsen.


Sam Allardyce

Sam Allardyce
It wouldn't be Big Sam's first rodeo / RUI VIEIRA/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Limerick, Preston, Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Everton, West Brom

Going from a left-field appointment to the least creative one possible, maybe it's time for The Return of the (relegation battle) King.

Sure, Big Sam did go down with West Bromwich Albion in his last job, but that was the first time in his long and distuingished career that he'd suffered such a fate. Pretty impressive considering the number of relegation battles Allardyce has been in.

Whether a tune could be gotten out of this Southampton squad is an entirely different matter.


Chris Wilder

Chris Wilder
WIlder did well at Sheffield United / James Williamson - AMA/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Alfreton Town, Halifax, Oxford, Northampton, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough

Rather than dabble in the dark arts - no offence, Sam - to try and stay up, Southampton could accept there's a pretty good chance they'll go down and look for someone best suited to taking them back up.

That could lead them to Chris Wilder, who took Sheffield United all the way from League One to the Premier League before earning them a top-half finish in the top flight.

A recent stint at Middlesbrough wasn't as successful, but Wilder has shown before that he's got what it takes.


Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney
Rooney did well with Derby / Matthew Ashton - AMA/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Derby, D.C. United

If Southampton want to go down the same route as Jones - a manager who performed well in the Championship considering their lack of resources - then why not go for a big-name upgrade in Wayne Rooney?

The major downside is that across spells with the Rams and MLS side D.C. United, Rooney has a career win percentage of just 26.3. Not great, Bob.


Dishonourable mention: Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard - Born 1978
The only man to lose to Nathan Jones' Southampton / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Clubs managed: Derby, Chelsea, Everton

Frank Lampard's record at Everton wasn't great at all, yet he's somehow made his way onto the bookmakers list of contenders.

Yes, Everton have been run into the ground by the ownership, but was anybody paying attention to the extreme tactical deficiencies on the field? Southampton's supporters will hope that Rasmus Ankersen and co sat up and took note, otherwise Nathan Jones will be laughing all the way back to Wales.

He did beat Lamps to earn his only Southampton win, after all.


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