According to media reports this morning Saints have identified the man they want to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl should they sack him in the next few weeks and it is a man already in a job with another Premier League club.

The Daily mail has run a story this morning that says that should Saints sack Ralph Hasenhuttl, then the man they are looking to replace him with is Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.

Ironically Cooper himself is under fire at the City Ground despite leading Forest back to the Premier League for the first time in almost a quarter of a century.

That appears to count for nothing though and after 5 straight defeats, it seems his job is now on the line.

Two clubs said to be interested are Saints and also Wolverhampton Wanderers.

It seems that Saints are in no hurry though and Ralph's job appears after at least until after the weekend when he takes his side to Manchester City.

Forest don't play until Monday when they take on Aston Villa at home, defeat in that one could see Cooper relieved of his position, that would suit Saints who would then be able to target their man, if indeed he is their man, without the hassle of negotiating with another club and a compensation claim.

Photo: Action Images

wessexman added 10:25 - Oct 6 I would prefer Brendan.
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SaintPaulVW added 10:39 - Oct 6 We all thought we were getting a striker over the Summer. Ralph thought we were getting a striker over the summer. We didn't get a striker over the summer. Sack Ralph! Lol COYR
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derbydog added 11:08 - Oct 6 It can’t be a Brendan who would want to build his own team, it could be a Cooper who is a renowned coach. Cooper would be told to work with what he’s got which may or may not be an upgrade on Ralph. The 23 player influx at Forest was never going to work and hopefully Cooper wasn’t the man behind it. I don’t think Ralph will get sacked this side of the World Cup because the quality of the players he has is plain to see so he has earned some patience. In the bad old days I always used to look at the PL and reassure myself that there were always three worse teams than Saints. Maybe that’s the call now and get in a striker and be well set for next season. Livramento and Romeo back soon too don’t forget.

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Rossm2006 added 12:07 - Oct 6 So for the hysterical fringe calling for Ralph out, are they suddenly happy with a manager who has lost 5 in a row, only has one premier league win ever and has also struggled when faced with an influx of players that he had little to do with signing and little time to gel them? For the record i think Cooper is a great coach and Forest would be mad to sack him or let him go. Just as i fear we would be to let Ralph go.

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Centurion added 12:18 - Oct 6 I actually think Ralph been a little unlucky in the last three games. If Che had his scoring boots on we would be comfortably mid-table. I would wait until Christmas. The team might just gel.
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Rossm2006 added 12:27 - Oct 6 Totally agree, if we could finish a happy meal we would have had at the very least a point off everton. Big issue we have no fixed for a while
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stmichael added 12:28 - Oct 6 only saints could replace Ralph with a manager lower than us in the table.. Laughing stock
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Ifonly added 12:43 - Oct 6 Rossm2006: "So for the hysterical fringe calling for Ralph out, are they suddenly happy with a manager who has lost 5 in a row..." Hardly a hysterical fringe. By my take it's the majority of Saints fans who watch them play. The difference between Cooper losing 5 in a row and Ralph is not this season, it's a record built up over time. I don't know anyone calling for Ralph to go who is basing it on this year's results only. A calm look at the facts says that over the last year Saint's form hasn't been good enough and there are no signs that Ralph knows what to do to turn it around. He's tried everything he knows and it hasn't worked.

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Rossm2006 added 12:55 - Oct 6 Thats funny because i remember everyone chanting his name in march when we beat Norwich at home at the end of feb / early march and we were tenth and at 40 points faster than an at any point post Koeman. A calm look at the facts also show his win % is better than Potter at Brighton and hes got 50 extra games on him. Yet Potter is now Chelsea manager. 34.5% vs 31% This team is young , inexperienced and has barely played together. If anyone thought we would be top ten they need a realty check, its not football manager on the pc. Sure if you could tell me we could get Poch, even for a season or two, i may agree, but changing him for an unknown? No thanks, i think we learned that lesson last time we got relegated from the Prem?

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Jesus_02 added 13:08 - Oct 6 Slow news week for Premier league. Telegraph and Mail just keeping their productivity up. I would be extremely surprised if they went for Cooper. I've always been supportive of Ralph, he managed us through a difficult time with a limited budget and a whole bunch of overpaid underperformers, but everything has its time. It seems like he has had one step out of the door for a while. All the talk about him retiring at the end of his contract is a bit too cozy. I think its time for someone with a bit more energy.

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PezzaSaint added 14:18 - Oct 6 More encouraging words from Ralph at the press conference for Man City ‘Every year it's the same. The league gets tougher and stronger every year. The top six and teams like Newcastle are spending massive money, which is probably why we were unable to get the players we wanted in the summer.’ What a clown!
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I_would added 15:19 - Oct 6 "Ooh 'arold"
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SanMarco added 15:34 - Oct 6 A 'calm look at the facts' says 12 points in 20 games. Whatever was sung at the Norwich game is an eternity ago in football terms. As for the 'hysterical fringe' - most people who want Ralph to seem to make a reasonable enough case. Perhaps best to answer the 'Ralph Out' arguments with accurate and calm facts rather than loaded language. Personally (and I am nearly always wrong) I think he will go after West Ham if we go to five defeats in a row. If it were up to me I would give him until the November break but it isn't up to me or any of us. Just because the Mail and Telegraph usually chat sh1t doesn't mean there isn't something in it - it 'feels' like he will go soon. Oh, nearly forgot - Cooper? Too inexperienced at top level for me.

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highfield49 added 18:13 - Oct 6 Can anyone explain to me how a new coach is going to turn Che and Adam into regular goal-scorers? I don't have any particular issue with a competent replacement for RH being recruited, it's just that miracles are generally quite difficult to perform and I see no evidence that anyone is capable of getting more goals from our strikers. Arguably we don't get enough quality crosses into the opposition penalty area, but to see those less than frequent opportunities squandered week after week by the selected forwards argues more for a change of players rather than manager.

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AmericanSaint added 18:38 - Oct 6 I think this is just paper talk, but do think he is on barrowed time until the WC break. I have been a RH supporter in the previous seasons as I think he was given little to work with regards to quality players. This year was the make/break season for me as he has been backed in the transfer window (albeit a proven striker, which we all asked for). I think he has made some very inconsistent choices for starting players and this has hurt us. I also think the players have let us down to do poor play, elementary grade level defending and of course our inability to score. Like "SanMarco" said, it is not our decision whether he stays or goes, but I think the owners will give him the next few games to WC and then make a change if we are not up the table (minus the MC game, as they are crushing EVRYONE).

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saintmark1976 added 19:53 - Oct 6 So Ralph is under pressure with the vast majority of supporters wanting him gone a s a p. The owners and management want Ralph to stay however, so what do they do? That’s right, they put out a rumour to a friendly member of the press to tell the supporters that if Ralph goes his replacement will be the manager of the team which is currently bottom of the Premiership. It’s a typical False Flag operation on the part of the owners and management in an attempt to divert attention away from Ralph’s failings including only taking twelve points from the last sixty available. A typical “ Hang on to nurse because her replacement could be worse” political ploy.

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Billeewithers added 02:31 - Oct 7 It’s is a simple problem currently. Ralph allows the ball to be played backwards too early in the repossession. The result especially with KWP is constant back play before coming forward ta a fully formed deep defence. Further causing moves to be ponderous with players taking way to many touches whilst looking for a pass. Front players finding little space and having to do way to much to even get a sight of goal. They will penetrate only with moves of the absolute highest quality. Let the players and the ball off the leash Ralph. We have in Adams and Armstrong two finishers who flourish when arriving at speed in and around the area.play to that end product.

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geezershoong1 added 15:20 - Oct 7 Steve Cooper has just renewed his contract for 5 years!
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geezershoong1 added 15:20 - Oct 7 Correction: until 2025.
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underweststand added 07:53 - Oct 8 Everyone should have an impressive CV, and Cooper's looks good - considering he has never played senior football in England, but got himself the task of handling the England U17 side before moving into League management (albeit at Championship level), but after Forest bought 20 players and spent £200 million, he's still in the drop zone and has discovered that life in the Prem. is not merely moving 4 places up in English football. There are a number of things that Ralph might be reasonably criticised for, but he has passed the test that more than a dozen other managers have failed in the last 4 years, namely keeping us up in the Prem. Ralph has said that he won't continue after his contract is over, and whether it is sooner rather than later, we will likely have a new manager in the next 12 months, but it's highly unlikely to be Cooper.

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