Last year presented a sequence of challenging experiences for the Southampton supporters in the highest tier of English football.
The reward for Saints’ triumph over Leeds United in the play-off final held at Wembley in May 2024 materialized as a demanding Premier League journey. This campaign yielded a mere pair of victories, accumulating a total of 12 points, and witnessed three distinct managerial figures at the helm.
Following their premature demotion from the Premier League, the club recognized the necessity for a comprehensive revitalization in anticipation of their return to the Championship. Consequently, they initiated precisely that transformative process.
Opportunity knocks for Will Still
This restructuring process entailed the appointment of 32-year-old Will Still as the club’s new head coach, a strategic move by Southampton to entrust one of Europe’s most discussed burgeoning coaches, who was positioned at number 46 in FourFourTwo’s rankings of the world’s foremost managers earlier this summer, with his inaugural opportunity in English football.
Still’s journey in coaching commenced in Belgium, marked by a brief period as caretaker manager for Lierse in 2017, before assuming the managerial role at Beerschot. Subsequently, he transitioned to France, establishing himself in positions at Reims and then Lens, before seizing the chance to return to his homeland earlier in the summer.
He arrives at St Mary’s possessing a notable standing, with his initial task revolving around the resuscitation of the relegated Saints.
Moreover, Sky Sports commentator David Prutton suggests that Still possesses the requisite character to embrace this undertaking and refute the skeptics who are casting doubts on his limited experience.
“There’s been media hype about him since a couple of years ago, when there was all that talk of Reims paying a fine of £22,000 every time he managed them, because he didn’t have his UEFA Pro Licence,” former Saints and Leeds United midfielder David Prutton tells FourFourTwo.
“ As a coach, he was the wonderkid. I’m sure there’ll be some Southampton fans who’ll have their arms folded and say: ‘Come on then, Will Still, let’s see what you’re made of and what all the hype is about.’
“But from what I’ve seen, heard and know of Will, he’ll be relishing that opportunity. It’s almost like, ‘What’s all the hype been about? Now I can show you’.”
Southampton will begin their 2025/26 campaign with a notable home match against recently promoted Wrexham before proceeding to face fellow relegated team Ipswich Town away from home.
