Southampton have parted ways with head coach Will Still, after a 2-0 defeat to Preston North End left the newly relegated side sat 21st in the Championship.
It has been a miserable start to life in the second tier for the South Coast outfit.
33-year-old Will Still took charge from Lens in the summer, with an immediate return to the Premier League the aim. However, winless in five and on the back of three consecutive defeats, the Saints are far adrift of their promotion ambitions.
Posing one of the weaker defensive records in the league while being relatively toothless up front, averaging one goal per game, the club has decided to part ways with the young coach.
Southampton Announce Will Still’s Departure
Announced via the club’s official website, the club’s under-21s coach, Tonda Eckert, will take charge on an interim basis.
Meanwhile, group technical director Johannes Spors has commented:
“Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results.
“Ultimately, that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making a change now we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table.
“I would like to thank Will, Rubén, Clément, and Carl for their efforts and wish them well for the future.”
The departure has been expected, with the expectation that any newly-relegated side in the Championship will bounce straight back up to the top flight.
However, the Saints have been on a persistently negative spiral since their play-off final victory over Leeds United in 2024.
Last season saw Russel Martin depart the club, as they succumbed to relegation with a mere total of 12 points, only one more than the lowest recorded total.
Now, the club has only won four of their last 50 matches, meaning change is a necessity at this stage.
What Next For Southampton?
Under Tonda Eckert’s lead, the Saints will travel to Loftus Road to face QPR in midweek, before hosting bottom-of-the-table side Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.
Currently, the club sit ten adrift of the top-six and thirteen from the automatics, meaning two victories upon Still’s departure could heavily turn the tide. However, the negative spiral that the club has been in under several coaches cannot be underestimated.
The Saints boast an incredibly strong group of players for the division; however, instilling a sturdy mentality should be the priority for any manager taking the reins at St. Mary’s.
While results are the bread and butter of football, fans can find slight positivity in the team’s performance statistics. The Saints sit second in the Championship expected goals table, and are fourth for shots on target per match (FotMob).
Ruthlessness in front of goal has been a damning factor in their opening 13 matches, while frailty in their own box has been costly.
It will be interesting to see who Southampton move for in the managerial market. Usually favoring a young, progressive coach in the likes of Still and Martin, the Saints’ current situation could point the South Coast outfit towards a more pragmatic style of head coach.