Ralph Hasenhüttl’s spell in charge of Southampton is over and Nathan Jones is the club’s key target.
Santos made the decision to fire the Austrian after a run of poor results.
Hasenhüttl had been in charge of St. Mary’s since December 2018, following an excellent spell in charge at RB Leipzig. However, his time at Southampton has lost its spark.
Surviving two 9-0 defeats will remain an unlikely feat to match in the Premier League. However, Hasenhüttl ultimately ran out of rope after one win in nine games.
Nathan Jones is the main target for the Southampton job
While a number of supporters have speculated or hoped for a possible Mauricio Pochettino return, Nathan Jones is a much more realistic target for Southampton.
Indeed, the Premier League side have already received permission from Luton Town to discuss a possible move to St. Mary’s Stadium.
Luton Town take on Stoke City on Tuesday night in the Championship. Jones will be in charge of the match. He then plans to talk to Southampton after the game is over.
“We would like to go on record that the Premier League club has approached the board in the right way, for which we are grateful, and that the whole situation is extremely amicable with Southampton and Nathan,” read a statement from the club. Luton club on Monday. .
Jones has done a remarkable job with Luton over two spells. He took over the team when they were in League 2 and got promoted. He then led Luton to second place in League 1 before leaving for Stoke City.
It was a doomed date at Stoke. He never fully adjusted to life with a team that was recently relegated from the Premier League.
In his first full season at Luton, Jones finished sixth. He earned Manager of the Season honors for the Championship.
Southampton identified the Welsh manager as the person who would lead the team out of relegation. It is a deal that is expected to be concluded fairly quickly.
Supporting Nathan Jones
Once Jones arrives, the World Cup in Qatar will be on everyone’s mind. His first month on the job will probably consist of getting used to a new environment and equipment.
Southampton returned to the Premier League as the master of finding talent and value in the market. Nicola Cortese’s work with Les Reed helped the club build a team capable of exceeding its budget.
With other Premier League clubs following suit and working in similar ways, the talent pool has dried up for Southampton. Ownership changes have limited investment and the club has been spiraling into a true relegation fight for a while.
Jones’s best job at Luton came when he was able to completely rebuild a team. He will not be given the time or support to do this immediately at St. Mary’s. 2022/23 will have to be about survival more than anything.
Southampton have scored the fourth-lowest number of goals this term and need to find a striker in January. That could give Jones enough help to organize the team and try to avoid the drop.
In the long run, Saints fans can’t expect a style of football similar to that of Pochettino or Ronald Koeman. Jones prefers a system that relies much more on intense pressure from the front and direct transitions.
It’s not a long pass, but a quick turn from defense to attack. Think of how Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool played before they landed quality passers like Fabinho and Thiago. Southampton will be much more direct and efficient under Jones.
PHOTO: IMAGO/PA Images
