The Daily Mirror is reporting that Mauricio Pellegrino will be sacked in the summer whether Saints stay up or not, the big question Saints fans will ask is why do they not do it now then ?

The Mirror has claimed that Mauricio Pellegrino has not met the target that he was set when he joined Saints after the departure of Claude Puel and the club will sack him at the end of the season whether we stay up or what.They are also suggesting that Saints are already lining up his replacement and have a short list of candidates.

Just what those targets are is anyones guess, but there are several puzzling questions about the Mirrors claimes.

Firstly there is as to why if he is not meeting the standards set that the club do not sack him now, certainly 88% of the fans in our online poll (Vote Now Using The Link At The Bottom Of The Page) think that has has failed and the only option left if we are to stay up is to sack him.

Secondly there is still the possibility, smaller as it becomes each week that Pellegrino could actually finish the season in the top ten and could add to that with a Wembley CupFinal appearance and even a trophy, so why rock the boat now by leaking rumours to the press.

That perhaps suggests that the Mirror story is based on pure speculation and could be more down to agents trying to put their clients in the frame for the job and others that could become available.

As the Mirror also name potential successors in Fulham's Slavisa Jokanovic and Ostersund 's Graham Potter who spent a season as a player at St Mary's 20 years ago.

Jokanovic looks a better bet than Potter, he has a decent playing record as a player including a couple of seasons at Chelsea and as a manager has learn't his trade slowly but surely including taking Watford to promotion to the Premier League in 2015 and now turning Fulham into promotion contenders.

Jokanovic is not likely to leave Fulham if they are promoted so at this moment does not look to be a realistic option

Potter looks less a good bet with his only managerial experience being at Ostersund and that in a totally different enviroment and standard than the Premier League, with respect to the Danish League it is not strong and it is not a good grounding for the Saints job.

On one hand Saints fans will be glad to hear that the club know there is a problem and are dealing with it, on the other they will be disappointed that they do not have the successor ready to step in now.

There must be a point where Saints press the panic button, Palace's last minute defeat at home to Manchester United did Saints a favour, at one stage with the Eagles 2-0 up Saints were back in the relegation zone, but Matic's goal now effectively means that although Palace are only a point behind, their far inferiour goal difference means that they would need to beatSaints points total rather than equal it to stay up, however that could change in the final 9 games.

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DorsetIan added 08:11 - Mar 6 Pure speculation. They will have a source but it’s unlikely to be reliable. It’s all going to depend on the remainder of the season, whether we stay up and whether we continue to improve.
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Capt_Koons added 08:51 - Mar 6 "Ostersund 's Graham Potter who spent a season as a player at St Mary's 20 years ago" That must have been a lonely experience !
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skiptonsaint added 08:52 - Mar 6 This leak is the sort of thing Reed would do for me to try and calm the fans. I think there will be some truth in it I fear Fulham will go up so why change jobs ? And Potter while one for the future looks another cheap option to me and would he inspire a name like Promes to come to the club
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saint68 added 09:03 - Mar 6 The ulsterman with the donkeys teeth is coming.
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saintjf added 09:14 - Mar 6 Potter has done very well in Sweden using a real mix of players at a club with little history resulting in a very competitive team who had a run in the Europa Cup. Not sure he is a good fix for us though. Very interesting that it has emerged now. Perhaps action is being planned but not taken as there is no one available the moment.
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A_Saint_in_Stoke added 09:18 - Mar 6 The board are now treating us fans .... after their so-called success keeping VVD ..... NO, we will not fall in with your demands -- now shut up and get back in your box fans! Would this_charming_man have a word in Mr Reed's ear please --- to remind him that he will have many more EMPTY SEASON TICKET SEATS UNSOLD for next season - if they do not get rid of Pellegrino now B4 it's too late, also no-one appreciates the underhandedness tactics of the board - to keep us fans quite,and treat us with contempt.

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saintmark1976 added 09:26 - Mar 6 I suspect it's just a made up story put about by the London based media. Designed to further destablise the club ahead of a relegation battle. Ignore it.
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Jesus_02 added 09:33 - Mar 6 We are now in the worst possible situation 1 point from relegation with an ineffective manager that is a dead man walking. Well done Lez, Keep up the good work
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AirFlorida added 10:25 - Mar 6 I know I'm a stuck record but he's going nowhere until the season's end or we go down before- we can guess that from the board's actions. They've been praying all season that MP will turn out to be a mastermind and tactical genius. The fact we're in the QFs, one defeat in 10 and two wins from mid table is what's blinding them: 5 wins in 29, no wins at home in 8 and with possibly only 4 winable games left for us (and our form suggests we won't win those 4!) is what they should be focusing on!

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AirFlorida added 10:35 - Mar 6 Anyone got any news on Charlie 'I'll be seeing ya' Austin?
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BaselSaint added 10:38 - Mar 6 I agree that MP is toast whether we stay up or not. The rest, who knows how reliable it is?
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highfield49 added 11:01 - Mar 6 If this speculation is in any way accurate I can only hope that Reed had the decency to explain the situation to the manager before speaking to the press. This is hardly going to inspire Pellegrino to motivate the players but, that said, he's failed to motivate them all season. So we're not only in the mire but positively digging in deeper. Genius.
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DorsetIan added 11:09 - Mar 6 Don't be so sure that MP will be sacked if we stay up. They sacked a manager last year who had had a dreadful run and then presumably regretted it - they will be wary of doing the same thing again. And let's get real about managing in the Premier League. Left, right and centre there are managers with proven pedigrees who weren't or who aren't able to turn their clubs into winning machines: Wenger, Allardyce, Pardew, Pulis, Mark Hughes, Moyes, Koeman, Benitez... ...you can set out reasons in each case, but this is a hard hard league with every club having very good players and a bit of money to play with, and it is impossible to say that if we bring in MrX as manager, we will improve. There's at least an evens chance that the bloke will make no difference or make us worse. MP is not a clown. We are not rock bottom with nothing going for us. Despite what is a really really disappointing season so far, we would not be relegated if the season ended now. I think we are improving - just look at the last couple of performances from Redmond. His run down the wing and cross for Boufel to miss was absolutely outstanding. Carillo hasn't scored but has made a difference. Gabbiadini has scored again. Charlie will be back soon. Give MP just a tiny tiny bit of credit for keeping us sane and still in the fight, and improving the team, and let's march on, like we're supposed to do.

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Consigliere added 11:24 - Mar 6 Not sure if that's a typo Dorsetian but if so its an (in)apposite one. The problem is that we are driven mad by the manager's tactics!
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DorsetIan added 12:09 - Mar 6 Fair enough Consigliere. I was referring the team being kept sane rather than the fans!
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richardmdcooper added 12:37 - Mar 6 Potter would be a great appointment- his record in Sweden is incredible. Like the Fulham guy also. The fear though is they go for another journeyman yesman from Europe who’s committed to playing a defensive 4-2-3-1 no matter what.
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DorsetIan added 13:35 - Mar 6 Why not give Brian Potter a go. He didn't wonders at Club Phoenix.
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underweststand added 14:04 - Mar 6 to Richard md Cooper yes Potter's record in Sweden looks good and he took a very poor provincial side from Div 4 (read L2) upto the top tier and won the Swedish Cup last year, BUT the general standard there is very poor compared to the PL. What Saints need at this stage is an experienced manager who knows the PL , and how to handle games against top sides. If Conte leaves Chelsea at the end of the season, then we should mortgage the Civic Centre to get him...sadly I think what we need is a bit beyond Potter's competence level. If all else fails, I'd go back fro Pardew, who may well get the push from West Brom, but who I have always rated and is the only manager to win us a trophy in the last 40+ years.

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underweststand added 14:11 - Mar 6 to Capt Koons. pardon me BUT........I think you'll find that when Potter had his only season with Saints - it was at The Dell ...and St.Mary's wasn't even a glint in Rupert Lowe's eye.
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SanMarco added 14:13 - Mar 6 If this was to be true and Saints have allowed it to be leaked then it is the kind of pure idiocy we are getting used to. What is the one thing worse than a squad low on confidence led by an out of his depth manager? A squad low on confidence led by an out of his depth manager who knows he is going whatever happens. I therefore hope this isn't true - well actually I hope it is true but that the Mirror are making it up and just happen to have guessed right. Anyway I could try a Harry Potter joke if I wasn't so busy...

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Colburn added 15:42 - Mar 6 I agree it sounds like the ‘London’ journalists trying to ruin us again as with the Liverpool Lemina link.. don’t believe it has come from any club official. However I’m staggered that Pellegrino is still there, can’t imagine anyone else would do a worse job of motivating the team to show the fight and passion so many teams around us have shown in recent weeks. We can’t afford another drab European manager with boring negative tactics in future, it doesn’t create success in English football like it can abroad. High press, have a go at teams and we might win one and draw one every 3 games and have 55 points each season, got to be a better option than bore draws. If this rumour is true, maybe the club know who they want but can’t have him now for whatever reason, and this is why Pellegrino is still here... I’d imagine the Fulham manager would probably be the one if this story has roots as this would explain all!

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Braveheart added 15:53 - Mar 6 Do we really want another foreign manager with obscure European/Latin tactics? A good home grown British manager is what we need. I don't care if this borders racism, we need a tough talker and someone who is not afraid to kick butt. Hoddle, McInnes, Strachan, Hughes, McCoist, Potter. Would all be contenders for me, but the options will shorten if we drop.
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BoondockSaint added 16:28 - Mar 6 Highly doubt this is true. But........ Potter's record looks pretty good: Small team climbed out of the lower leagues. Did OK for their first time in the Europa, actually won the second leg vs Arsenal (OK, I know, that's not saying much!). Things are looking up for them......so maybe he might not want to take on Saints and it's front office. San Marco: As of right now I'm stuck watching the depressing "Mauricio Pellegrino and the Deathly Negative Tactics" I'm worried it's not going to end well......

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KriSaint added 00:39 - Mar 7 Probably only a false rumour. So much fake news these days. Unless we win the FA cup and stay up I want Pellegrino out in the summer. My top 5 new manager list: 1. Michael Laudrup 2. Brendan Rodgers 3. Mark Hughes 4. Ronald Koeman 5. Kevin Keegan
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AirFlorida added 09:53 - Mar 7 What's Strachan doing these days...
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