Fulham sacked Slavisa Jokanovic last week, becoming the first Premier League club to make a managerial chance – will Southampton follow suit?
This time last year, a quarter of the clubs in the Premier League had sacked their manager. 12 games into the 2018/19 campaign, however, only Slavisa Jokanovic has suffered the axe with Fulham bottom of the table.
Though Southampton’s under-fire boss Mark Hughes is perhaps a little fortunate not to win this season’s sack race.
The Welshman is under huge pressure after winning just one Premier League game so far with The Saints, who only narrowly avoided the drop in May, seemingly sleepwalking towards another relegation battle.
But with Fulham deciding to twist rather than stick, appointing veteran Claudio Ranieri two years after he led Leicester City to that improbable Premier League title, could The Cottagers scare Southampton into a decision?
According to The Mail, The Saints will make a decision on Hughes’ future should they lose their first game after the international break on Saturday. Ironically, this is against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The report adds that Southampton are keen to learn from the Mauricio Pellegrino debacle, having almost suffered relegation after sticking by the Spanish coach for far too long last season.
And if Fulham are obviously rejuvenated by Ranieri’s appointment, benefiting immediately from that ‘new manager bounce’, Southampton’s board might just be convinced to make a very similar decision.
They very nearly left it too late last season and might not get so fortunate this time around.
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