Southampton Sacks Manager Will Still After Disappointing Stint
Southampton Football Club has parted ways with manager Will Still after just five months at the helm.
The 33-year-old was appointed in May following his departure from French Ligue 1 side Lens, but he has managed only two wins out of 13 Championship matches this season.
The Saints faced boos from their home crowd after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Preston North End on Saturday, a result that left them in 21st place in the league standings.
In an official statement, the club announced that Ruben Martinez, Clement Lemaitre, and Carl Martin have also left their positions, while Tonda Eckert, the head coach of the men’s under-21 team, will take over on an interim basis.
“Will is a great person who dedicated himself to improving performances and results,” said technical director Johannes Spors. “Ultimately, this process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making this change now, we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table.”
Spors expressed gratitude towards Will, Ruben, Clement, and Carl for their contributions and wished them well in their future endeavors.
This season, Southampton has recorded only two victories, along with six draws and five defeats in the league. The two wins came on the opening day against Wrexham and away at Sheffield United at the end of September.
After securing wins against Northampton Town and Norwich City in the EFL Cup, the team was eliminated following a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
Still’s dismissal follows a disappointing run of five games without a win, comprising two draws and three defeats. Following Saturday's loss, he told BBC Radio Solent that he did not believe there was an “instant fix” for the team's struggles.
“If I had found an instant fix, I would have done so a month or two ago,” he stated. “To be honest, I don’t think there is an instant solution, and whoever takes over will face a significant challenge. I mentioned a few weeks ago that there are many aspects that need to change, but we haven’t had the time to implement those changes yet, and there is still a lot of work to do.”
Further updates will follow.