Claude Puel became unpopular with some members of his Southampton squad and, one year on, Pellegrino is in danger of losing his job at St Mary’s.
Southampton may not be the model of a well-run Premier League club.
Years of selling their best players and losing highly-rated managers has caught up to them and, these days, they are in real danger of relegation after spending the last couple of seasons overachieving in the top half.
Mauricio Pellegrino is the man in charge these days but, like his predecessor Claude Puel, the Spaniard is proving unpopular with supporters due to a less than inspiring style of football that is far removed from the high-pressing, all-action approach embodied during the spells of Ronald Koeman and Mauricio Pochettino.
And according to the Sun (6 March, page 53), the former Alaves coach is now facing the axe, regardless of whether Southampton survive or not this season after winning just five of 29 Premier League games.
Although the Sun adds that, unlike Puel, Pellegrino is still well-liked by his players, meaning any decision to give the 46-year-old the boot may not go down too well with the dressing room, despite the fact that Southampton have performed only to a fraction of their potential since the one-time Liverpool defender took over at St Mary’s.
Puel, in stark contrast, was dogged by rumours of player unrest as his single season in charge dwindled to a disappointing conclusion. As reported by the Independent, senior members of the squad were less than impressed with his managerial methods.
Pellegrino, then, at least has his dressing room support to hang on to for now.
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