Struggling Southampton have decided that change at the club is necessary in order for the team to escape the clutches of their rotten run of form.
But, it’s not beleaguered boss Mark Hughes that has been sacked - yet - but vice chairman Les Reed, who has today (Thursday) left the club with immediate effect, much to the delight of numerous Saints fans.
In an official club statement, chairman Ralph Krueger said:
“I would like to go on record to thank Les for the eight years of hard work and dedication he has given Southampton Football Club.
“His time at the club will be remembered for the fine work he did in overseeing our progress through the divisions and establishing the club in the Premier League.
“The process of recruiting the right individual to head up our football operations is under way, and is a decision that needs to be given the necessary time and attention that reflects what an important position it is within our club.
"Now, more than ever, we are grateful for the continued support of our staff and fans as we work towards our joint aim of moving up the table."
So what does this mean for manager Hughes who is currently priced at 2/1 to become the first victim of this season’s Premier League Sack Race, behind the odds-on frontrunner Slavisa Jokanovic.
The Welshman may have saved the Saints from the dreaded drop late last season, but the club’s wretched form since August has been nothing short of woeful.
The Hampshire side have recorded a single meagre Premier League win this season - a 2-0 victory at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace - leaving the stuttering side just one point above the relegation zone in 16th.
Perhaps fortunately for Southampton, there are remarkably four clubs that have been even worse than them this term, although an eighth top-flight defeat in 12 at home to Watford this weekend could see the Saints plummet into the bottom-three, and it would no doubt be the end of the road for Hughes.
At the time of writing Hughes has the worst win rate of any Saints manager - with 20+ games under their belt - in the history of a club, and fans will need no reminder that he’s only scraped one league win at St Mary’s, which is remarkably the club’s only home triumph in what is rapidly approaching a whole year.
But while Hughes is losing fans by the day, a look at the Next Southampton Manager Market informs us that David Moyes is the early favourite to replace him...
