Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton are stuck in the Premier League relegation zone – but could Chris Coleman take his job at St Mary’s?
Chris Coleman has admitted that he misses the buzz of management amid claims that the former Wales manager has been lined up as a potential successor to Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton, according to The Mirror (6 November, pull out, page 7).
In the aftermath of that record-breaking 9-0 home defeat to Leicester City recently, The Mirror (29 October, page 55) reported that Southampton were sniffing around for coaches who could potentially step into Hasenhuttl’s shoes at St Mary’s should an immediate change be required.
And Coleman, who has been out of the game since being sacked by Hebei China Fortune in May, was apparently on their radar.
Now, there is no real suggestion that Hasenhuttl is in immediate danger of losing his job with a narrow 2-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday representing a dramatic improvement, even if Southampton left the Etihad with yet another loss to their name.
But with the South Coast side stuck in the relegation zone, having accumulated just eight points in 11 league matches, the former RB Leipzig boss is under pressure to turn things around and fast – especially with Coleman eyeing up his next job.
“I miss the stress of it all. I miss training every day. The games are awful, 90 minutes of carnage, but when you win it’s a relief. Management is so difficult when you’re in it but when you’re out you miss it,” said the 49-year-old, who is perhaps most famous for guiding Wales to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
Coleman has previously coached in Spain and Cyprus as well as China and he is clearly not afraid of the unknown. No wonder he is so keen to admit, via the Mirror, that the MLS is a challenge he would love to take on.
But for as long as he remains on the market, that’s just an extra issue for Hasenhuttl to deal with.
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