The news that most Saints fans wanted to hear was delivered earlier this evening with the news that Mauricio Pellegrino had been sacked.

Just before 9pm this evening the club issued a statement via their website to confirm that Pellegrino's reign was over.

"Southampton Football Club can today confirm that it has parted company with First Team Manager Mauricio Pellegrino.

Assistant Manager Carlos Compagnucci and Assistant First Team Coach Xavier Tamarit have also parted company with the club.

We would like to place on record our thanks to Mauricio, Carlos and Xavier for their efforts during their time with Southampton, and wish them well for the future.

The club will look to appoint a new management team as soon as possible, with the search for a replacement already underway."

You would hope that search is far more advanced than the club is letting on, certainly you would think that they just haven't picked up the paper on Sunday and suddenly realised that we are in trouble, youwould hopw that they have been planning for the scenario that results wouldn't pick up for a while now, rather than just hoping that they will.

Certainly there will not be many Saints supporters disappointed by this decision and now it's been made hopefully the supporters can now get behind the team and perhaps hope that what has been an awful season so far might just have a happy ending with not only an escape from relegation but a Wembley appearance or two.

What is needed though is a quick burst, other clubs have seen a new manager have a short term impact and from that point of view Saints could go with a short term appointment, Maco Silva would top the supporters list although Mark Hughes is the early favourite amongst the bookies.

I would not say it is a happy day for Saints, I had hoped that Pellegrino might be a good fit for Saints, he certainly had every chance to do so, however although there were some mitigating circumstances, much of it was also of his own doing, he had a squad that really should have done a lot better.

It's a sprint for the line now and hopefully we have had that boost both on and off the pitch that will enable everyone to pull together and concentrate on the positives.

Photo: Action Images

skiptonsaint added 22:52 - Mar 12 Decent man but management style better suited to Spain or Italian leagues. Good luck Silva Bilic Hughes in that order but suspect Hughes will get it.
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petedoors1 added 22:59 - Mar 12 Oh so happy tonight with that news. Just think anyone could do better.
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Phil_looks_sharp added 23:07 - Mar 12 Is Strachan available? He’d be good at short sharp shock tactics if Saints opt for short-term appointment. A change of tactics to the positive could be provided by Silva. Don’t rate Bilic or Hughes Surely not Koeman or Redknapp.....?
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legod7 added 23:09 - Mar 12 I think the club were prepared to stick with him even if we were relegated. He blamed the players for the Newcastle defeat and I think that more than anything is why he was sacked.
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zonehead added 23:10 - Mar 12 Welldone les one bad appointment since Pardoe and you were swayed by the fans over Puel but it was a bit like brexit over MP a promise of high press attacking never delivered fortunately you can have a second referendum
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pintsizedsaint added 23:14 - Mar 12 Didn’t get a chance to comment on the Newcastle largely due to work and the length of the comments I could make on it! What I wanted to say was that it was clear the players were no longer behind MP. Lots of signals that they were going through the motions. MP was either a very stubborn man or was locked in a fearful situation whereby he feared to change anything. The continued approach of an isolated front man in a 4-2-3-1 was just shambolic. The continued oversight of Gabbi also shocking. The lack of proaction, the continued insistence of defence, the random swaps and subs finally took Saints to breaking point. Who’s next though? Silva would be a good call but is the prospect too daunting? Well Saints actually got away with it as Stoke and Crystal Palace lost, and there is a little respite in the distraction that is the FA Cup. If they stuck a deal now the new manager could end up with a FA cup win building momentum into next Saturday. But we’re placing a lot of hope on fresh blood, but we have a decent squad - it just needs rebooting and given confidence to play.

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no7saint added 23:16 - Mar 12 Silva for me, he has a reputation for building a strong team spirit and doing it in a short space of time. By no means a flawless choice but in the circumstances... Hughes I'm less sure about, too dour to inspire and couldn't stop the rot at Stoke. Then again I said that about Strachan back in the day!
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DorsetIan added 23:22 - Mar 12 Strachan might be tempted on a temp basis until the end of the season. Another chance to take Saints back to Wembley might appeal. He is no mug when it comes to tactics, he will impose his authority on the players, and he almost single handedly kept Coventry up at the end of 1997. Silva couldn’t save Hull last season and has been touted today as the next Benfica manager. Hughes offers little and would be a huge anti-climax. Bilic was a really good manager once upon a time and a break might have done him some good... ...but I think we need someone to do a job for 8 games and then look longer term once we know what league we’re going to be in next season.

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NBSaint added 23:23 - Mar 12 Eddie Howe would be good, but I don’t suppose he’d leave Bournemouth at this stage in the season.
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saintstuinoz added 23:35 - Mar 12 Welcome news this morning. We have a chance to stay up, and even if not, build for next year. I'd be happy with Silva or Hughes. Dour as Mark Hughes is, he is well connected and respected so would be able to attract some top players here, and is unlikely to walk out on us (except for Man U, but that is a long way off). Silva seems a decent manager, but the concern is what happened at Watford and if he's going to wait for the Everton role. Can't see Strachan coming in, nor Rodgers or O'Neill and I don't rate Bilic at all. De Boer is a possibility, but his reputation is in tatters after Inter and Palace, so don't think we'd gamble on him. Koeman has the Dutch job now, so no chance of him (although I'd love him back). Personally I'd take Nigel Adkins, but can't see it happening. With respect to both, I just hope we don't gamble on putting Kelvin Davis or Raidi Jahdi in charge as a cheap option. Whenever we've tried that in the past it has backfired spectacularly. Outside bet, Louis Van Gaal on short-term contract, with extension if we stay up...

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KriSaint added 23:38 - Mar 12 Anything other than a short term deal (with an option to continue) is probably out of the question. I would prefer an experienced, british manager. I´d like to think that a few names would be tempted with the first match being a winnable FA cup quarter final and with 3 victories in the 8 remaining games probably being enough for safety. My list: 1. Gordon Strachan. 2. Mark Hughes (people forget how well he did in his 4 seasons at Blackburn) 3. Glenn Hoddle (yes he is a prick, but....) 4. Nigel Pearson 5. ?

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KriSaint added 23:51 - Mar 12 Yes, I am an old, romantic, probably naive Saints fan (since 1980), but my no. 5 choice is Kevin Keegan. Why wouldn´t he be able to carry us through 8 league games and 3 cup games with success?
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Jesus_02 added 00:22 - Mar 13 Pearson
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A1079 added 00:24 - Mar 13 I am disappointed Nick. I am disappointed that it came to this. I am disappointed it happened to Puel. I don't revel in seeing people struggle and being hung out to dry, or losing their jobs, especially when they are decent people as I suspect they both are. But, certainly in the case of Pellegrino, he was the wrong appointment, it was evident very early on and compounded by his lack of gravitas, tactical nouse and man management skills or ability to motivate. He had to go, but he should have gone in December or certainly at the start of the transfer window. But I would have much rather he had succeeded. I am disappointed because, I would rather we did not have to keep changing and seeking managers and coaches and backroom staff. I fear that whoever we get in now, it is probably now too late, but I guess it provides a chance, but at the very least, I hope it gives a platform to rebuild whether in this league or the Championship. But out of this there are 2 other groups who cannot ignore their part in this mess of a season. Most noticeably those supposedly in charge of steering the ship and they should not be allowed to hide behind this decision or when the season closes, be allowed to get off scott-free. The 2nd group are some of the players - most noticeably one or two of our foreign internationals who have shown to be unprofessional, under-hand, selfish and show no duty to the club or the fans that pay them. They are toxic and need to go, because if they will do it once, they will do it again, when the mood suits them. For now though, we have to get behind the team and especially the players that do care, even if they are not the best and treat these next 8 games as if their lives depend on it. Then lets hope the club have learnt from this and deal with those that have allowed some of this to happen.

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BuenosSaint added 03:24 - Mar 13 The board also knew that the fans were increasingly turning on them (as W. Ham) and to save their own butts hung MP out to deflect the attention. I think LeGod is right; once MP blamed players then it meant the dressing room was clearly lost beyond recovery. and we would have subsequently crawled all the way to relegation from here on in.
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AirFlorida added 07:21 - Mar 13 Let's get the wee man back until the season's end to dangle some carrots in front of our shambolic donkeys. if that doesn't work then you know he'll go both barrels on any sulky performers!
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KriSaint added 08:53 - Mar 13 Having thought on nothing else than who´s going to take over from MoPe since his sacking was announced last night, and after having not slept all night, I have come to think, that we would be best off with Marco Silva or Gordon Strachan. Not Mark Hughes, who was initially no. 2 on my list, and though I like him. He was simply shit at Stoke this season. I thought Hughes did a very, very good job at Blackburn 10-12 years ago.....but it´s a long time ago. STRACHAN OR SILVA FOR ME. (I might change my mind later :-/ )

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pete_boggs added 09:29 - Mar 13 Reed appointed him and Puel , he should resign immediately.
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Whiteknight added 09:29 - Mar 13 A1079 - Totally agree with your comments. Unfortunately, I think we are looking at the symptom rather than the cause of the problem and whoever we bring in the root causes of the problems at the club have not been solved. Still, I feel a little more optimistic this morning than yesterday afternoon. I think that it is absolutely key that we all get behind the team now and become a twelfth man, both home and away, starting on Sunday. COYS

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SaintBrock added 09:39 - Mar 13 Too little, too late Nick. We needed you last night!
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BuenosSaint added 10:51 - Mar 13 one other thing - I agree with A1079. Like Puel last year i am again disappointed. I still wanted MP to succeed. i.e keep us up and maybe a wembley appearance. If we limp out of FA cup and are crap in the last 8 games resulting in relegation then sacking him will be classed as a mistake.
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