The Opening Favourites To Replace Will Still Have Been Revealed
Monday, 3rd Nov 2025 09:41

They say the bookies rarely get it wrong, if that is the case then Southampton supporters might not be too happy with the current favourite to take over from Will Still at St Mary's. Here we take a look at all the early runners.

Betting site Oddschecker makes interesting reading this morning after last nights news that Will Still was no longer Saints manager.

Ex Saints manager Russell Martin is the current favourite with odds of 6/4, he had started the betting way down the list, but a flurry of money placed on him has made his odds shorten and he overtook another Ex Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl who was the leading contender according to the bookies when they opened last night.

Ralph is down to 10/1 now and is in 4th place, Michael Carrick is in 2nd place at 5/1 and there are certainly many Saints supporters who would not be unhappy to see him arrive, Brendon Rodgers is 3rd at 8/1 and then Gary O'Neil & Lee Carsley at 10/1.

These last two perhaps show that the book for a next manager is a fun bet, O'Neil is perhaps best known for his time as a Portsmouth player and that alone would be enough for a fair chunk of the St Mary's faithful to discount him.

However he does have a small but good track record having taken Bournemouth to promotion in 2022/23, but then being sacked shortly after, he then joined Wolves and led them to 14th place in his first season, but he was sacked in the December of 2024 with the club hovering around the relegation zone.

Lee Carsley would perhaps be a wild card, he has little coaching experience at League level, having spent the last 5 years in the England set up as first U20 and then U21 coach as well as a spell as caretaker manager of the full squad.

There are some interesting names further down the list, although I feel that most of them are just there to make up the numbers.

So in the next week we will find out whether the sacking of Will Still has been a knee jerk reaction based on the last few weeks or whether Johannes Spors has always made sure he has a plan B in place should he have to sack him.

All Photos Via Reuters

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SaintPaulVW added 09:56 - Nov 3 Koeman and Mo Po came seemingly out of nowhere. Just hoping Spors has been quietly on top of it.
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DorsetIan added 10:08 - Nov 3 Martin would be ridiculous. Carrick would be uninspiring. Carsley would be another stupid gamble. We need a manager who can take this club and players by the scruff of the neck and get the most out of what’s available.
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DF_20032017 added 10:16 - Nov 3

Not many inspiring names on the list. Martin left after a really toxic game at home so I can't see people taking to him again. He could maybe get us on side if he wins games but do you sack him if he gets us up?

Has Carrick actually done anything other than have one decent run in his first season?

I can't see Ralph having any interest in coming back.

Brendon Rogers is the only one with a decent track record on the list. I can't stand him but he could probably get a tune out of the team. Also seen Robins and Lampard linked but why would they come now?

SanMarco added 10:33 - Nov 3

Early lists like this are just thrown together by guesswork. Any unemployed manager not too big for the post is likely to be on there. There would be no logic in Martin returning. Even if he stabilised us and got us up, say, next season we know he can't manage at the higher level. And the idea of him teaching the current squad all that tippy tappy in your own penalty area nonsense makes the mind boggle. I like Ralph but I don't see it.

Remembering that SR are making the decision I have little faith that the next one will be their first decent choice, and let's face it this won't be their first or even fifth attempt to get it right. I hope I am wrong but pessimists are rarely wrong when it comes to SR decision-making.

GRIM added 10:33 - Nov 3

It's got be be someone that's currently out of a job.
There's no way that we would be prepared to pay compensation to another club to get their coach.
But Please, Please Not Russell Martin , we're already a laughing stock, appointing him would just make it hilarious.
And how many of us supporters would want him back, not many.
But we all know that SR make very strange , risky appointments & they'll do the same again.

mascott514 added 11:12 - Nov 3 It will be a random we haven't heard of I would think. But I would take Ralph any day Only thing is, I can't see he's the right style of manager to turn this bunch around. I think we need a Warnock style screamer - they need to feel some wrath.
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landsdownsaint added 11:22 - Nov 3 Unfinished business for Ralph here I’d love him back but can’t see it . I wouldn’t mind Warnock coming in till end of season coz he’d let some of them players what they should be thinking when they put that shirt on , our club needs a proper football man who knows that league inside out
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Bowlercow added 11:22 - Nov 3

If they appoint Martin then we become the laughing stock of football
Imagine a team built around Jack Stevens
Players like Fellows,Scienza,Robertson and Charles wouldn't get near the team sheet because they want to play the ball forward He would want them to play backward or sideways
Agents would have a field day selling them plus Wood,Edwards,Jelert,Wellington,Quarshie,Matsuki,Sesay and any other player who wants to play forward h

saintmark1976 added 11:25 - Nov 3 Spot on GRIM reference Martin. I know that you contribute to the Forum section of Nick’s site. For those advocating his return who don’t view the Forum, there are many who post there saying if he returns, they will simply walk away from S F C once and for all. He really is that toxic.
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Centurion added 11:45 - Nov 3

We need a charismatic, no nonsense manager that knows the Championship and English leagues.
He needs to get in there and stamp his authority and playing style. No more pandering to the players. Kick out the non conformers, at whatever cost, and I mean even relegation and truly start again. In this way create a tight, loyal and hardworking side who know how to win and if necessary win tough.

amex added 12:15 - Nov 3

It would only become toxic if Martin lost first few games, probably very toxic.
However, if he won first couple of games fans would soon get behind him again. That is football.
All considered think Russell Martin most pragmatic choice given our circumstances.
If we went up, should we sack him like we did Nigel Adkins ? Good question. Was harsh but ultimately correct decision in case of Adkins.
Lets stable the ship first, with Martin (my choice from that list) or whoever gets the job. Then think about promotion next season.

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amex added 12:15 - Nov 3

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Reeder68 added 12:16 - Nov 3 Mick Mc Carthy for me, it can't get any worse can it ...........
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highfield49 added 12:23 - Nov 3

The list of candidates on the betting odds is pretty depressing. Inevitably they're all linked with failure and, mostly, recent failure at that.
Just to indicate how unenthusiastic I am, some of them are on a par with making Captain Jack player manager. Actually, as a preference to Russell Martin or Brendan Rodgers why not chuck in Stephen Gerrard to the mix!
Tbh my actual preference would be Gary O'Neil, despite his connection to the slum down the M27. Even with that burden to carry he isn't as toxic as the front runners. Unless, of course, he's gone back to Wolves whilst I've been posting.

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ItchenNorth added 13:20 - Nov 3 I think that Mark Robins would be a good appointment. He worked wonders in challenging circumstances at Coventry, when their future was uncertain, and now he's got Stoke punching higher in The Championship than anyone expected. We'd be able to probably double his wages and Saints have a far bigger budget than Stoke.
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dowater added 13:38 - Nov 3

Here we go again on the look out for a new manager, when what we need is a new strike force. if we had a striker that could knock in 20 goals a season for us, we wouldnt be in this mess again. when are we going to learn that we need to invest in a good center forward or 2. it doesnt matter how many managers we go through, they all need the same thing, someone to knock in a few goals and win some games.

Bowlercow added 14:00 - Nov 3

Will ce here with a 59% win rate
MoPo came with a 39% win rate
Neither had experience in England
RoKo and Puel No previous experience in England
Those 3 gave us our best years since Markus bought the club
I think players not selected by Will,Downes Stevens being the main ones have dumped on him from a great height They should be ashamed of themselves for atempting to destroy the career of a fellow pro
I hope the new Sheff Weds owners pick him up and he does for them what 5nSt Nigel did for us

bryanK added 16:34 - Nov 3

So let’s pay off Russell Martin and then bring him back. If he returns I will never attend another match at St Mary’s.
I firmly believe he is the root cause of our current demise even at the start of this season the Martin style was prime in certain players and has led to the downward trend in our performances.
If there are players seeking his return shame on you. Sports Repubic please get the next appointment right.
A manager who takes no prisoners is the order of the day.

pintsizedsaint added 18:10 - Nov 3 For the LOVE OF GOD why is Russell Martin even being remotely considered? He’s one of the reasons we are in this god awful mess. He’s hardly gone on to prove himself has he?! and thats in the bloody Scottish Premiership! We would be an absolute laughing stock if we took him back, you might as well throw Nathan Jones and Juric back in the mix.
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pintsizedsaint added 18:26 - Nov 3

I see some posts here that i think hit the nail on the head. I strongly suspect Will identified bad culture in some of the bigger players and tried to confront it. This was seen when Jack S (our so called club captain and “leader”) was dropped to 5th choice. Wasn’t there some click bait about there being a revolt at a big championship club soon after?

You then have Flynn Downes with his continuously jippy tummy and THB (alongside others to be fair) clearly putting in less than a tenth of a shift on the pitch.

These are all players who think they’re billy big balls - they believe they should be playing in the Premier League, and were miffed at a 32-33 year old with no footballing experience telling them what to do. I also suspect Russell Martin fostered a clique within the team too (those who were in and those who were out). toxic.

whoever comes in needs to sort these things out pronto.