Saints Down To Shortlist Of Four

Saints are believed to be down to a list of four names for the vacant managers job with one preferred candidate.

Speaking to the Daily Echo Les Reed has confirmed that Saints are in the final stages of appointing a manager, all four names on the list were on an original hit list drawn up before Mauricio Pochettino left as the club drew up plans for that eventuality.

But one name is to the fore and that is Ronald Koeman, he is believed to be at an advanced stage in negotiation, however talks have been put on hold as he is on holiday and is due to return on Sunday.

The new man will need to appoint a new backroom team, over the past few years the club had persued a policy of having a constant back room staff with any new manager only appointing an assistant, however when Cortese brought in Pochettino the ex Espanyol boss was allowed to bring in his own men in the key positions and Saints are now paying the price in that all the first team coaching staff are now are at Spurs, meaning just the thing that Cortese set out to avoid he allowed to happen.

So Monday looks the design on day for the new man to be named and the smart money is on Saints going Dutch

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