Manager Will Still has been reported to have reached a full agreement with Southampton to sign on as their new manager on a 3 year deal.
Most well known for his time at Reims where he guided the French side to a 17 game unbeaten streak – the current Ligue 1 record – the Belgian will be aiming to guide recently relegated Southampton back to the Premier League in the 2025/26 season.
How Does The Belgian Manager Set Up?
During his time at Lens, the 32 year old traditionally set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation – a arguably defensive formation. The defensive nature of this formation can be seen through the statistics of Lens this season with the French side conceding just 39 goals during the Ligue 1 campaign – the 3rd lowest of any team in the French top tier.
However, this formation also meant that Lens were lighter than other teams around them from an attacking perspective with the 8th place side scoring just 42 – the lowest of any side in the top 10 teams in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season.
Similarly, Southampton were set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. This has lead to the Saints being low-scorers in the Premier League with just 25. However, the key difference comes in the goals conceded. During the course of the 2025/26 season so far, Southampton have conceded 84 goals – the worst of any team in the English top tier. This is something that Still will aim to work on if he joins the South England side.
Will Still’s Managerial Statistics –
| Team | Games Managed | Games Won | Games Drew | Games Lost | Win Percentage (%) |
| Lierse | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 77.78 |
| Beerschot | 15 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 40 |
| Reims | 65 | 25 | 19 | 21 | 38.46 |
| Lens | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 44.74 |
So, Why Come Back To England?
The reason for Will Still coming back to England doesn’t fall inside the footballing world but instead in his personal life.
Since June 2024 – when they announced it publicly – Still and Sky Sports reporter Emma Saunders have been dating. However, in March 2025, it was announced by Saunders who took to social media that she was suffering from Encephalitis – a serious condition that causes brain inflammation with the potential to be life-threatening.
This can be seen to be why Still has decided to return back to England due to personal circumstances and to be closer to his wife.
What Do Southampton Need?
Southampton will be looking to reset and rebuild following their relegation from the Premier League and construct a team that can be competitive in the Championship next season. In Will Still, Southampton may have got this.
One area that the Saints could work on is their defence. This is something that has been a key issue in their 2024/25 season with the worst defensive record in England’s top tier. This may involve keeping some of the players they have now or even going into the transfer market and recruiting players – perhaps with lower wage demands.
Consistency can also be argued to be key if a team is to be competitive in the Championship. This is something the 32 year old manager has experience establishing during his time at Reims and could be a key aim with the manager signing on.
So, What Do You Think?
With this deal looking certain to happen, how do you see Still managing Southampton? Will it be a success and what signings do Southampton need to be competitive in the Championship? Let me know in the comments.