Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has come under an avalanche of pressure following a wretched nine-game winless streak which leaves the struggling Saints one place above the dreaded drop zone. In the aftermath of the club’s disappointing defeat at home to Crystal Palace many sections of the support vented their anger and frustration on social media, with a number calling for the board to enforce a change in the dugout.
The Saints have not made a mid-season managerial change in five years since they surprisingly replaced Nigel Adkins with the little known Mauricio Pochettino, and what a masterstroke that proved to be. The problem the Hampshire outfit have at this current time is there’s a real lack of high-quality gaffers out there at the moment, while the traditional ‘relegation firefighters’ are now all back in management, although this category of manager doesn’t suit Southampton’s style.
Below we take a look at a handful of managers who could replace Pellegrino at St Mary’s should the Argentine be relieved of his duties.
Brendan Rodgers
Since venturing north of the border to Celtic in the summer of 2016 Brendan Rodgers has restored his reputation and got his old swagger back. Yes, Scottish football may not be the most competitive in Europe but Rodgers bagged a treble in his debut season - impressively going unbeaten in the league - while he’s since added another trophy to his collection.
Rodgers, already an icon at Celtic, is clearly loving life in Scotland but you get the sense that in order to really make the next step up in his managerial career he needs to return to the Premier League. Southampton, despite their current position, have oceans of potential and now bags of cash and they should be doing everything in their power to lure Rodgers to St Mary’s.
The ever-positive Rodgers boasts strong man-management skills and a preference for an attacking approach, which could be music to the ears of toothless Southampton’s struggling strike-force.
Manuel Pellegrini
No we’re not suggesting Mauricio Pellegrino replaces himself at Southampton. We are of course referring to the similarly named Manuel Pellegrini, the former Premier League title-winning manager of Man City. Pellegrini has been hotly linked with a move to St Mary’s on more than one occasion, and you can expect his name to once again be in the frame should Pellegrino be axed.
Pellegrini has never hidden his desire to return to the Premier League, but whether he has the heart and stomach for a relegation dogfight is open to debate. It’s difficult to envision a vacancy opening up at any of the top-6 clubs anytime soon, while in the next tier of teams Everton and Leicester have both already changed managers this season, and with this in mind the current Hebei China Fortune boss may be forced to look lower down the league ladder...all the way to 17th...where Southampton currently reside.
Eddie Howe
One man who has long been touted as a future Southampton manager is Eddie Howe, the longstanding popular boss of the club’s south coast rivals Bournemouth. Like the Saints, the Cherries are enduring a difficult season to date, but Howe is still widely regarded as one of the most highly-rated young British gaffers in the game today.
Only five times in the last 13 seasons have managers switched Premier League clubs during the season, and in truth it’s difficult to see Howe trading top-flight touchlines at this pivotal stage of the campaign, especially given his hero status at Bournemouth.
Howe was however spotted at St Mary’s on Tuesday night, but while a deal looks unlikely at this present moment in time, should the Saints be without a manager in the summer, the 40-year-old could then perhaps be swayed to dart along the south coast.
Ronald Koeman
Next up we have a real curveball in former Southampton manager Ronald Koeman….hold on, don’t click away in disgust just yet.
The Dutchman infamously ditched Southampton for Everton in 2016, having just led the Saints to a Premier League high 6th spot - five places and a whopping 16 points ahead of the Toffees. Saints supporters were understandably left livid, although many at the club were glad to see the back of him, especially the younger players.
Koeman had high hopes of eventually becoming the next Barcelona boss, but after his tenure at Everton was cut short, he’s now stuck in the managerial scrap heap. Granted, a return to St Mary’s seems far-fetched, but Koeman is one of the only available managers at the moment, while he undoubtedly elevated Southampton during his two years at the helm. It’s definitely one to ponder, although he could well be in for an initial toxic backlash should this actually come to fruition.
Patrick Vieira
Given the scarcity of available managers Southampton could turn their attention to Patrick Vieira. The Arsenal legend is in fact in work, over in the States with New York City, but the chance to manage in the Premier League for the first time could prove too tempting to turn down.
Vieira, who was previously Man City’s reserve team and Elite Development squad manager, has twice led New York City to a top-2 finish in the East Conference, before coming unstuck in the semi-finals. Vieira was linked with the Saints in the summer, and could well be propelled back onto the club’s radar should they begin the hunt for a fifth manager in less than four years.
