Next Southampton Manager Odds: Is Rohl the man to steer Saints to Premier League safety?

On Sunday night, barely an hour after a humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton's board finally pulled the plug on Russell Martin's tenure as head coach, just over five months after the 38-year-old had signed a three-year contract extension. The question now is: who will replace the Englishman? And can they inspire a turnaround and save the Saints from what looks like an almost certain Premier League relegation?

Below I have listed the Next Southampton Manager Odds featuring the leading contenders and a few surprise names that could be in the reckoning...

Danny Rohl @ 15/8

Look away now, Sheffield Wednesday fans - your manager is favourite to replace Martin and be appointed the new Southampton boss. It's a move that would make a lot of sense, even if Danny Rohl lacks any Premier League managerial experience.

Firstly, the German has been a tremendous success in his first management role. He took over at Hillsborough in October last year with the Owls rooted to the bottom of the Championship table and inspired the club to final-day survival.

He subsequently signed a new contract at Wednesday until 2027 and, at the time of writing, has the South Yorkshire side in ninth place in the second tier following a run of three wins from their last five games, the most recent of which was a 3-1 victory at Oxford United on Saturday.

Secondly, Rohl has historic ties to Southampton as he was appointed as Ralph Hasenhuttl's assistant following the Austrian's arrival as head coach in December 2018. Rohl left the Saints the following summer to take up the role of analysis assistant coach under Niko Kovac at German giants Bayern Munich, and his departure was heralded as a major reason for Southampton sliding into the relegation zone during the first few months of the 2019/20 season, although they would eventually get back on track to finish 11th.

One thing to bear in mind, though, is that investment firm Sport Republic, backed by Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak, only completed their takeover of the club in January 2022, meaning Rohl's time at the Saints predates their involvement, so there is no firm link between the two.

Nevertheless, Rohl is sure to still have supporters inside the club, and fans won't forget his impact on the side under Hasenhuttl.

At 35 years old, though, Rohl is even younger than Martin, and more inexperienced, so is he what the Saints need to mount a survival bid? Or are Sport Republic already looking ahead to next season?

Besides, would Rohl even be tempted to swap South Yorkshire for the South Coast? The Saints are on the slide and it would take a miracle, a bigger one than he masterminded last season, to keep Southampton in the Premier League. Will he wait for a better offer? We will have to wait and see...

Carlos Corberan @ 13/2

Like Rohl, Carlos Corberan is head coach of a Championship club that has enjoyed a strong start to the season, with West Bromwich Albion three points and one place better off than Sheffield Wednesday in eighth. Of course, the Baggies are a more established club at that level, at least in recent years, with the Owls spending two campaigns outside the second tier in 2021/22 and 2022/23; however, the West Midlands side have themselves suffered from a lack of investment over the last couple of years and, arguably, are punching above their weight now.

Corberan was appointed as West Brom boss in October 2022 and led the Albion away from the relegation zone to finish ninth before securing a play-off spot in his first full season at the club in 2023/24. The Baggies ended the regular campaign in fifth and drew 0-0 with Southampton in the first leg of their play-off semi-final tie at The Hawthorns before losing 3-1 at St Mary's to miss out on a Wembley final.

Club and head coach moved on from that disappointment and despite an underwhelming summer transfer window, Albion are just two points off sixth-placed Middlesbrough after 21 games played and only recently relegated Sheffield United and Burnley (both two) have lost fewer matches than WBA (three). Draws have been an issue as they have recorded a league-high 11 stalemates, but before Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Watford, Corberan's side enjoyed a 12-game unbeaten run, a remarkable achievement in a division as hotly-contested as the Championship.

Dissenters will point towards a paltry 24 goals scored - only Swansea City (23) have struck fewer in the top half - but they possess the fourth-strongest defence after Burnley (eight), Sheffield United (11) and Leeds United (15), with just 16 goals conceded so far. Given the Saints have shipped 36 strikes in 16 Premier League outings so far, second only to another managerless side, Wolverhampton Wanderers (40), West Brom's defensive record may pique Sport Republic's interest, and Corberan is clearly another talented tactician.

As with Rohl, Corberan's lack of Premier League experience could count against him, but he's rightly in the mix.

Graham Potter @ 8/1

A highly-regarded head coach? Tick. Premier League experience? Tick. A man familiar with living on the South Coast? Tick. Graham Potter even has playing experience with Southampton having appeared eight times for the Saints in the 1996/97 Premier League season.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea boss would likely be a hugely popular appointment as Southampton's next head coach, but there is a major hurdle to overcome - whether he would actually want the job.

Potter led Brighton to ninth in his final full campaign in charge and left them in the top four in September 2022 when Chelsea came calling. He was sacked seven months later with the Blues mired in 11th but did take them to the Champions League quarter-finals and has been linked with some attractive jobs since, notably West Ham United during the summer.

So, why would he take the risk and join Southampton? The West Ham job could come around again soon with their head coach Julen Lopetegui under huge pressure already, and that looks like a much more appealing role.

It would be a big shock if Potter was to be appointed at St Mary's, and I just can't see it happening.

David Moyes @ 9/1

Speaking of West Ham, how about a move for their old boss David Moyes? The Scot left the Irons for the second time in the summer after a four-and-a-half-year spell which brought about the club's first European trophy, the 2022/23 Europa Conference League, and two top-seven finishes.

The 61-year-old achieved huge success with West Ham and is vastly experienced in the Premier League, also managing Everton, Manchester United and Sunderland in the English top flight. He suffered relegation with the Black Cats in 2017 but has since rebuilt his reputation which started its decline at the Red Devils.

He's probably the best 'safe pair of hands' that Southampton could hope to appoint, but like Potter, does Moyes need the aggro of a relegation scrap with the Saints, who look ill-equipped for survival? It's not worth the risk to Moyes' reputation, and thus I can't see him being tempted down to the South Coast, while Sport Republic may not be looking for his type, anyway.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer @ 12/1

Tongues were wagging on the weekend when former Cardiff City and Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was spotted at Molineux watching Wolves take on Ipswich Town in a relegation six-pointer. Gary O'Neil was under severe pressure heading into Saturday's game and his side subsequently lost 2-1 to the Tractor Boys, with O'Neil relieved of his duties the following day.

It has since been reported that Solskjaer's presence was not linked to that of O'Neil's impending departure, and was in fact because he wanted to see Ipswich, managed by his friend Kieran McKenna, while his son is a supporter of the club.

A move for Solskjaer would have raised eyebrows around England given his struggles toward the end of his time at Man United, while his only other experience in the Premier League saw the Norwegian suffer relegation with Cardiff.

The 51-year-old lacks any real credentials to take over a struggling Premier League side, and we can expect to see his name fade into obscurity once more.

Kasper Hjulmand @ 14/1

Kasper Hjulmand could be a name to watch out for. Sport Republic was set up by Dane Rasmus Ankersen, who acts as director of football at Southampton and thus has a large say on the incomings and outgoings at St Mary's, and a move for his compatriot, Hjulmand, could be in his thinking.

Perhaps it's a lazy link but it's a well-trodden path with American-controlled clubs Swansea City and Leeds United appointing Bob Bradley and Jesse Marsch, respectively, in years gone by.

Hjulmand hasn't managed a club side since leaving Danish side Nordsjaelland in March 2019 but led the Denmark national team from June 2019 until July this year. His biggest achievement was taking the Red and Whites to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 (played in 2021) at Wembley where they lost 2-1 after extra-time to England. The 52-year-old left his post after taking his country to the last 16 of Euro 2024 where they lost 2-0 to hosts Germany.

A lack of experience in English football could count against Hjulmand but Ankersen, at least, will be very familiar with his work.

Rafa Benitez @ 14/1

A two-time La Liga winner, a Champions League winner...the list of Rafa Benitez's achievements as head coach of top clubs like Valencia and Liverpool goes on but, crucially, they have dried up in the last decade. His last trophy was the 2016/17 Championship title with Newcastle United and his two most recent roles, at Everton and Celta Vigo, saw him sacked in the first season with both clubs looking nervously over their shoulders at relegation.

I think it's fair to say Benitez has had his time at this level and Southampton should be looking past the Spaniard.

Michael Carrick @ 16/1

The third Championship manager in this list, Michael Carrick has been in charge of Middlesbrough since October 2022. Boro were 21st at the time of his appointment but Carrick inspired the Teesside club to a fourth-place finish, although they suffered disappointment in the play-off semi-finals against Coventry City and were unable to replicate those feats in his first full season as boss, ending the 2023/24 campaign in eighth.

Boro have made a bright start this term, though, and are currently sixth having won five of their last eight games, while only Leeds United (37) and Norwich City (36) can better their goals tally of 35 after 21 matches.

However, like Rohl and Corberan, there would be concerns about Carrick's lack of top-flight managerial experience, although the former England international did have a brief spell as interim head coach at Man United.

Lee Carsley @ 16/1

The current head coach of England U21s, Lee Carsley enjoyed a positive four-month stint as England national team boss, winning five of his six matches in charge to help the Three Lions win their Uefa Nations League group. The 50-year-old came out with his reputation enhanced and was linked with a return to one of his former clubs Coventry City before Frank Lampard was handed the reigns at the Midlands club.

Once again, Carsley is someone without Premier League management experience, but having worked with some of the country's brightest talents, he's someone who could get the best out of some of Southampton's underperforming young stars, such as Cameron Archer.

Mark Robins @ 16/1

Mark Robins worked wonders with Coventry City, taking them from League 2 to the Championship play-off final and an FA Cup semi-final earlier this year; however, he was sacked last month with the Sky Blues struggling in the second tier and thus it's unlikely the Saints would make a move for a manager who wasn't deemed good enough for a Championship team.

Steve Cooper @ 16/1

Steve Cooper lifted Nottingham Forest from the bottom of the Championship into the Premier League via the play-offs in 2022 and kept the East Midlands club up in their first season back in the big time. However, he was dismissed as manager in December last year with the Tricky Trees in 17th and lasted just over five months at newly-promoted Leicester City this season before being sacked with the Foxes in 16th.

Southampton would be an attractive move for Cooper but the Saints are likely to steer clear of someone who was considered disposable by one of their relegation rivals.

20/1 bar the field

The return of Ralph, anyone? Hasenhuttl spent nearly four years at St Mary's before departing in November 2022 with the Saints in the Premier League relegation zone. He stayed out of management until March 2024 when he was tasked with steering VFL Wolfsburg to Bundesliga survival, and he was successful in his endeavours.

After a sticky start to the current campaign, the Wolves embarked on an eight-game unbeaten run which only came to an end last Friday, and Hasenhuttl's reputation has been restored. Could he be tempted by a return to the South Coast? It's unlikely, but he's 20/1 if you fancy it, the same price as Steven Gerrard and John Eustace.

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