According to the latest media reports, Southampton have spoken to both Steven Gerrard and Chris Wilder about the vacant managerial position at St Mary's, but are not convinced that either are the man for the job.

There is a lot of hot air spoken by many media sources when a manager is sacked and a club is looking for his successor, so we have to take most of them with a pinch of salt, but after the news that talks broke down with former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch, comes rumours that Saints have also discounted two other out of work football managers for the role.

Reports in the media claim that former Rangers & Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard is unlikely to get the job after holding talks with Saints, despite a decent track record at Rangers and also at Aston Villa were he had rather mixed results and lasted barely a year in the job.

At both clubs he had signed experienced names with allegations that at Villa his signings were more about his connections than what Villa were looking for and that would be far from the spec for any Southampton manager where it is about bringing in younger players and turning them into Premier League quality.

Chris Wilder who enjoyed success with Sheffield United before spending a short time at Middlesbrough and was of course a reserve team player at the Dell, was also a consideration, Scottish sources have said he has had talks at both Aberdeen & Southampton, but both links have gone cold and they also claim that Saints were once again unconvinced after talking too him.

So the hunt goes on for the next Saints manager, but the time and the number of suitable candidates is running down and Saints need to seen to be pro active and in control of the situation.

The truth is they probably are, some fans have berated the club for not landing Marsch, indeed some of those leading the fury were only days earlier in uproar about the fact that Saints were even considering him

But the fact that we have not just took him on, on any terms, but have held on for the right agreements shows that we are not panicking and hopefully have other contenders on our radar.

Photo: Action Images

Centurion added 10:33 - Feb 16 Sounds about right. No need to rush into a new appointment. Likely we are facing relegation and so we need a manager who has a strategy for a promotion campaign.
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mushinexile added 10:40 - Feb 16 Players don't develop themselves. Let Ruben do what he can for the rest of the season and then get in a hard bastard that will work them up into a team fit for PL football. We have historically punched above our weight and made good players. With the right manager we sill could.
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IanRC added 11:05 - Feb 16 Gerrard would be a disaster, too in love with Liverpool to do a decent job for us. If we can pull off a surprise on Saturday Potter could come back on the coach with us.
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pintsizedsaint added 11:16 - Feb 16 Appreciate I might be in the minority here, but I’ve said before that I reckon Ruben Selles is the best fit at the moment. I know that sounds a risk, but all the stories coming out of the club is that he is hugely respected by the players, and is seen as a competent manager in waiting. For me, the biggest issue now is the players getting behind someone and playing with heart. We have an incredibly talented squad that has shown it can cause the likes of Man City, Chelsea etc real damage. Ruben is widely credited as being instrumental in the tactics that led to our 2-0 win over City (although that meant a false narrative for NJ that prolonged the agony). If you have a team that is together and playing for the manager, that’s 80% of the task complete.

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pintsizedsaint added 11:17 - Feb 16 …the other 20% being goals and luck!
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mattlegod added 11:19 - Feb 16 Agree with IanRC, Gerrard not the right man and Wilder would have been another "Nathan Jones type " gamble too. We either hold out to the summer and see what Selles can do (can't help thinking he would need some assistance though) or get Nunes in who would be a good appointment if we stay up or go down.
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Rossm2006 added 11:38 - Feb 16 I dont think i remember a situation at saints or outside where appointing a coach works beyond the short term. He already has a certain relationship with the players and that must change as a manager. Id argue this is why they would probably be up for him taking over, they are all his mate , that is the job of a coach. Also he never seems to have been at a side beyond one season. I dont blame Marsche at all for turning down the offer, budget has clearly gone after the pay off to get Jones and subsequently get rid of him. If the club has no faith in a manager beyond 4 months why on earth would you join to dent your reputation even more with a relegation on it you had little to do with. I remember Wigley was a great coach to and a certain dutch gentleman. The rest as they say is history and two relegations. We are so far gone this season i am starting to think we may as well appoint Adkins, he would get the crowd behind the team and show a bit of energy and positivity. Also recent championship experience and of course or promotion history in it, should he want/ do enough to stay next season. Sadly we must start thinking about next year for me, staying up is a distant punt, look at the fixture list and then the table. We have to be realistic, we are not a good proposition to take over at the minute, both in terms of on the pitch and how we have treated the last two managers and the interference/lack of help they seem to have faced from above.

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Rossm2006 added 11:40 - Feb 16 Nunes would also be a good shout, good call.
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underweststand added 12:14 - Feb 16 I wasn't convinced with the idea of Jesse March - as if Leeds wasn't a bad lesson to him. Former Saints trainee Wilder's best success was a stand-out season with Sheff. Utd, and helping to keep a few L1/L2 clubs safe from relegation for a short time. Gerrard was one of my favourite players in an England shirt but the reality of trying to manage sides less talented than Liverpool is apparent. IMO ...he's only looking for a temp. job until Klopp eventually leaves L'pool and the Kop welcomes him back to Anfield like the Prodigal Son ...before his predicable failure. His success in the SPL was to occasionally win something in a two-horse race amid a load of carthorses playing at League 2 level. We haven't knowingly seen the effect that Selles might have had on the squad. He came last summer when Ralph was still struggling to succeed with 4-2-2-2, and then became " the extra" whilst Nathan Jones fatally battled on with his own particular ideas. Selles "managed " the side (between RH and NT) in an away game at Liverpool where he started with the "usual suspects", but was already lost by HT however we looked better with his change of ideas in the second half and may have saved us from further disgrace. IF we are to survive the only way is UP, and (aside from a easy passage into the next round of the FA Cup)... the next 5 Prem. games will most likely decide where we will be playing next season. (like Millwall, Hull, Stoke and TOO many trips up to the North-East). Give the man a chance.. otherwise there are a handful of loudmouths in the Northam who could do the job just as well.

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