Ivan Juric’s relationship with several Southampton players is becoming increasingly strained, talkSPORT understands.
The Saints are heading towards the Championship and are rock bottom of the Premier League with just nine points.
Juric replaced Russell Martin in December and signed an 18-month deal with the club.
However, that new manager bounce never came and he has won just one Premier League game out of 10. That was to fellow strugglers Ipswich who came up with them from the Championship last season.
talkSPORT reported in January that there is a break clause in the 49-year-old’s contract that could see him leave in the summer.
That situation has not changed and we could see another new manager in the St Mary’s dugout at the start of the 2025/26 season.
That man could be Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl.
Rohl was a top target when Juric was hired back in December, but the Saints baulked at the £5million buyout clause.
However, relations between Rohl and controversial Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri have since deteriorated.
He has worked at the St Mary’s before and was Ralph Hassenhuttl’s assistant at the club.
Relegation seems to already be a foregone conclusion for the Saints as the sit a massive 13 points off Wolves.
Southampton need three more points to surpass Derby’s record-low Premier League points tally of 11.
Premier League manager sackings 2024/25
Oct 28 – Erik ten Hag (Man United)
Nov 24 – Steve Cooper (Leicester)
Dec 15 – Gary O’Neil (Wolves)
Dec 15 – Russell Martin (Southampton)
Jan 8 – Julen Lopetegui (West Ham)
Jan 9 – Sean Dyche (Everton)
Alex Crook’s verdict
It’s a season that’s never really got started for Southampton and credit to their supporters who have still been singing when the Saints go marching in. Well, it’s when the Saints go marching down, isn’t it?
They’ve got absolutely no chance of staying up nine points from 27 games. They might just about manage to finish ahead of Derby in terms of staving off the threat of a new record low points tally in the Premier League but it isn’t a given.
If they keep leaking goals with the regularity they are at the moment they’re going to concede more than 90 by the end of the season.
I still maintain it was unfair and a bit classless the way that former manager Russell Martin was hounded out by some Southampton fans having taken them to promotion last season.
They’ve stumbled upon Ivan Juric. He’s lost nine of his ten games in charge. They brought in a manager who is the polar opposite of Russell.
He therefore isn’t married up to the squad and philosophy at all. I don’t understand the appointment. I don’t see why they thought this guy was going to turn things around. I would be amazed if he was still the manager for the start of next season.
They’ve already appointed Simon Rusk as a more senior member of management. I think that could be the first step towards Ivan Juric being forced out of the football club and I think it’s a disastrous appointment.
Tyler Dibbling is clearly their most talented outfield player, bhis confidence has absolutely gone through the floor since Juric, who is a bit of an old-school disciplinary manager, came in.
I think Sport Republic have made a right shambles of it to be honest.
