Saints have finally let out what has been the worst kept secret over the last few days when just after 5pm on Saturday evening they announced Ivan Juric as the replacement for Russell Martin.
The statement released by Southampton Football Club read as follows
"Southampton Football Club is delighted to confirm Ivan Jurić as its new Men’s First Team Manager, subject to final work permit approval.
Despite the club’s current position in the Premier League, we remain focused on fighting for survival this season and believe this appointment will provide us with the grit and determination needed to improve results on the pitch.
Jurić, a former Croatia international as a player, arrives at Saints on an 18-month contract with a reputation for helping his teams punch above their weight.
"I want us to be more aggressive, to do much more pressing and we have to be quick to change mentality because this is my idea of football."
Ivan Jurić
Men's First Team Manager
The 49-year-old’s coaching career to date has been spent in Italy, most recently with European giants Roma, but with notable success across spells in charge of Mantova, Crotone, Genoa, Hellas Verona and Torino.
Speaking after signing his contract, Ivan Jurić said:
"I’m very pleased. I think it's a really big challenge but I’m very optimistic because I saw a team that can do better.
"It's important to immediately be connected with the fans. I want an aggressive team and I think that fans of Southampton will like that.”
Although this appointment is not the experienced Premier League manager that some Saints supporters were demanding, having previous Premier League or English top flight experience as a manager is no guarantee of success at Southampton FC.
Indeed over the past 70 years Saints have had 31 managers and only 9 arrived having previously managed in the top flight of English football.
Alan Ball, Graeme Souness, Glenn Hoddle, Gordon Strachan, Glenn Hoddle, Harry Redknapp, George Burley, Alan Pardew & Mark Hughes.
It's fair to say that their time at the club had mixed results, the truth is the Southampton way has always to identify managers who could be described as young and hungry with something to prove and that is certainly the case in Ivan Juric.
So I would say that whatever our opinions on this appointment and I appreciate there will be a few different ones in this case, that he is the manager now and we have to back him to get things right.
That should hopefully be quite an easy task, to be blunt we have been appalling this season, so we should at least improve results, whether there will be enough improvements to save us from relegation is another thing.
Welcome Ivan Juric and good luck !