Former AS Roma manager Ivan Juric has been linked with Premier League strugglers Southampton as they look to find a replacement for Russel Martin, who was dismissed following Sunday’s 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
Martin, 38, was sacked following Sunday’s heavy defeat as the Saints sit bottom of the Premier League with just one win all season. Martin’s dismissal felt inevitable for a while, as results and performances have left relegation looking almost certain for Southampton this season.
Despite guiding the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in his first season, Southampton’s run of 13 losses in 16 games, accompanied by error-filled performances and hefty defeats, has forced the Southampton board to make a change.
It has been reported by TBR that former Roma manager Ivan Juric is on a shortlist of potential candidates as the club would reportedly prefer a manager who is out of work, so compensation would not have to be paid. The 49-year-old Croatian has been out of work following his dismissal from Roma in November.
How did he fare at Roma?
Juric’s time with the Giallorossi was far from a successful one. The Croatian was only in charge for a total of 12 games and had a record of four wins, three draws and five defeats. However, it can be argued that Juric was never going to be a success at the Olimpico due to the off-field chaos that was happening at the time.
Roma sacked beloved club legend Daniele De Rossi after just four games of the season, despite majorly backing him in the transfer window, with the club drawing three and losing one of the opening four. This was a decision that greatly angered the supporters and resulted in protests against the owners, The Friedkin Group. As a result, Ivan Juric was walking into an already toxic environment, and because his Roma reign got off to a poor start on the pitch, the fans quickly became frustrated with Juric.
But what was his reputation like before Roma?
A well-respected coach
Before joining Roma, Juric was a well-respected coach in Italy. He is a coach who is renowned for building squads in difficult scenarios and has not finished in the bottom half of the table in his last five seasons. During a two-year spell with Hellas Verona, he achieved consecutive top-half finishes despite having one of the league’s smallest budgets, and since his departure, the gialloblu have been consistent strugglers in Serie A.
Additionally, during his three-year spell at Torino, he had the club comfortably sat in the top half of the table, which is remarkable considering they finished one place above the relegation zone before his arrival.
A good appointment?
Juric could potentially be a good fit for Southampton due to his style of play and experience with teams near the bottom of the table. The Croatian likes his teams to play with energy and be aggressive with a focus on winning duels. He often sets up his teams to create one-on-one situations, similar to Gian Piero Gasperini. His Verona and Torino teams were known for being good defensively, which will likely be music to the ears of Southampton fans, as their side have made numerous errors at the back this season. Juric has also been credited for being quick to get his ideas across to his teams, which may prove to be very important for quickly turning around Southampton’s fortunes.