‘Really surprised’ – Matt Le Tissier makes Southampton admission amid Frank Lampard talk
Matt Le Tissier has admitted that he cannot see Southampton being able to poach the likes of Frank Lampard or Mark Robins to manage them after the sacking of Will Still.
The Southampton legend has exclusively told Football Insider that the strong form of both Coventry City and Stoke City means both managers are unlikely to leave their clubs to join the struggling Saints.
Southampton sacked Will Still on Sunday (2 November) after a dismal start to the new campaign following his appointment in May.
He initially started well with three wins in his first five games at the helm, but their form failed to continue and they won just one of their last 11 matches leading up to his exit.
A number of managers both out-of-work and currently in position at other clubs have been linked to the vacant position, but St Mary’s chiefs do not look close to an appointment just yet.
Southampton target Frank Lampard alongside other bosses
Still’s final game in charge saw Preston win at St Mary’s on Saturday (1 November) as Lewis Dobbin and Mads Frokjaer-Jensen scored for it to end 2-0 to the visitors and leave the Saints 21st in the Championship.
His subsequent sacking has seen the club’s owners immediately begin their search for a new boss, with Coventry manager Frank Lampard believed to be considered as an option as his side currently sit top of the second-tier [talkSPORT].
Stoke boss Mark Robins has been mooted as an option following their own strong start, while Russell Martin has also been linked with a return to Southampton after he was sacked last December.
Sporting director Johannes Spors is known to be leading the search for Still’s successor as they aim to avoid a shock relegation battle, but an out-of-work manager may well be the main route he is forced to go down considering their current struggles.
Le Tissier says Southampton are unlikely to be able to poach a manager so could spring a surprise
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Premier League icon Le Tissier admitted that he cannot see his club being able to nab a manager from a side near the top of the second-tier, but mentioned a former Saints boss who is not Martin as someone who could potentially return.
“I’d be surprised if you could nick a manager who’s managing a team near the top of the Championship who are gunning for promotion to the Premier League (like Lampard or Robins).
“I’d be really surprised if you were able to nick one of those managers away from the clubs, given what’s happening where they are at the moment, to come and manage a team that’s fourth from bottom.
“I’m not quite sure how we would be able to persuade somebody in that position to try and do that.
“Gary O’Neil is obviously the one that’s available. There’s a whole plethora of managers. I see a lot of Southampton fans, or quite a few had mentioned that Ralph Hasenhuttl was out of a job, a previous manager.
“But I think when he got sacked, there was a little bit of a cloud there, so I’m not sure if they would go back down that route, given the way that it ended last time.“