Former Saints defender Andy Townsend believes Sean Dyche would get Southampton the results they need in a battle against relegation, speaking to talkSPORT (7 November, 4.20pm) after the Premier League strugglers handed Ralph Hasenhuttl his P45.
Already this season, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Wolves, Brighton and now Southampton have all found themselves in the market for a new head coach.
Dyche, however, remains strangely absent from the gossip columns, despite his undoubted success in turning an unfancied Burnley outfit into a fixture of the top-flight on a shoestring budget.
The gravel-voiced 51-year-old does not appear to be in Southampton’s sights either; the Saints instead putting their faith in a coach who has never before worked in England’s top flight, Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.
Should Southampton target Sean Dyche instead of Nathan Jones?
“If you are in the bottom three, you’ve got to start winning some games,” points out Townsend, who spent three years with Southampton in the 1980s. “You’ve got to know how to deal with that and how to handle that. And Dyche absolutely, 100 per cent can do that.”
Townsend, however, wonders if Dyche would have reservations about taking over at a club like Southampton; a side who’s buy-low, sell-high transfer policy tends to result in a lack of consistency in terms of the playing staff and the frequent departures of key players.
“Does Sean want to come into a club like Southampton? I’m sure he wants to get back involved somewhere,” the former Republic of Ireland international adds.
“Does he want to come into a club where their MO is going to be turning players over? Looking to sell players? He was always selling players at Burnley but I don’t think they were always looking to do it.
“Whereas, at Southampton, it appears that’s the way they’re going; turning over so many players over the last couple of years. Does that fit with Dyche? I don’t know.”
Luton confirmed around Monday lunchtime that Jones has been given permission to speak to Southampton. Dyche, meanwhile, is reportedly holding out for a top-flight job following recent interest from West Brom.
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