Southampton’s form this season has been nothing short of disappointing, and as a result, Ralph Hasenhuttl has been dealt the sack by the Saints after just under four years at the club.
The south coast side announced the news this Monday following Southampton’s latest defeat in the Premier League, a 4-1 loss at home to Newcastle United that would ultimately prove to be Hasenhuttl’s last game in charge of the Saints as the club confirmed his sacking the following day.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup break just around the corner, Southampton would be wise to use this gap in the season to conduct a proper recruitment process to find Hasenhuttl’s replacement, with the Saints having the gift of time on their hands to make the right appointment before the Premier League restarts on Boxing Day.
Indeed, Southampton sacking Hasenhuttl is just one of many sackings the English top-flight has seen this season, and here are five candidates the Saints should be looking at as a potential replacement for the Austrian coach in the coming weeks.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino is arguably the best manager Southampton have ever had in their modern Premier League history, and with the Argentine coach still out of the job, an approach for the former PSG and Tottenham boss feels like a potential possibility for the Saints.
Whilst it might be a stretch to say that Pochettino would consider a return to St. Mary’s given the club’s status and placement in the Premier League, there’s no denying that Southampton holds a special place in the South American’s heart, and a return to England could be enticing for the 50-year-old at this stage in his career.
Domenico Tedesco
Southampton’s theme of appointing managers in recent years means that we should expect an unorthodox recruitment in the coming weeks, and Domenico Tedesco fits that bill to a tee with the German-Italian coach currently a free agent after being dismissed by RB Leipzig.
The former Schalke 04 manager’s style of play and transfer strategy fits Southampton to a tee, and given that Tedesco is yet to manage in the Premier League, the 37-year-old could be very tempted to make his first step into the English game with the Saints, who could be a perfect fit for the Bundesliga coach.
Chris Wilder
Perhaps the most left-field option on this entire list, Chris Wilder took the Premier League by storm with his Sheffield United side in the 2019/20 season. And whilst the English coach recently faced the chip at Middlesbrough, Southampton could be an ideal next step for the former Championship boss.
Innovative, smart in the transfer market and willing to give youth a shot, Wilder has all the elements to get Southampton back off their feet and getting results in the Premier League, with many players in the Saints squad already tailormade to flourish under the South Yorkshire coach.
Kjetil Knutsen
Kjetil Knutsen is no stranger to being linked with Premier League jobs, with the Bodo/Glimt manager rumoured with the Brighton & Hove Albion job after Graham Potter’s departure as well as Nottingham Forest as a potential replacement for Steve Cooper. However, Southampton is a perfect fit for the Scandinavian.
Indeed, the 54-year-old has been a large reason why Norweigian minnows Bodo/Glimt are now on the footballing map after their sensational rise up the Norweigian and European ranks over recent years. And for Knutsen, Southampton would be an ideal next step given how perfect the Saints match up with the 54-year-old’s philosophy.
Scott Parker
Many would agree that Scott Parker was unfairly dismissed at AFC Bournemouth earlier this season after the English coach had taken the Cherries back to the Premier League only to be dealt one of the worst opening slate of fixtures that could befall any newly-promoted team. Yet Southampton could offer the young manager an olive branch.
Parker’s style of football is pleasing on the eye and could work wonders on a young team like Southampton’s. And given how unjustified the Englishman’s sacking was at Bournemouth, a return to the Premier League this year could be on the manager’s agenda following Hasenhuttl’s sacking.
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