After firing Ralph Hasenhüttl earlier in the week, Southampton have hired their new manager. The club appointed Nathan Jones on Thursday to take the reigns of the south coast club. Jones, 49, was recently boss of Luton Town. The Welshman won the EFL Championship’s Manager of the Season award with the club for the 2021/22 campaign.
Luton Town went from 12th in the table in 2020/21 to sixth last season. Jones’s now former club currently sit ninth in the standings in one of the most competition soccer leagues in Europe.
The manager gave his first interview soon after accepting the role with Southampton. “I’m really proud to be given this opportunity,” stated Jones. “I know a lot about the club from back in the days of The Dell, to coming here to St Mary’s, and it’s a wonderful football club.”
“A lot of my family are Southampton fans, which doesn’t half help, and I feel really, really proud to be given the opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.”
“Obviously, I wanted to manage in the Premier League, I’ve dreamt of that since I’ve become a coach or a manager, but this club in particular – because of how it’s run, because of the structure, because of how they look deeper than just results – really appeals to me.”
Southampton bring in new manager in relegation zone
The Saints currently find themselves in the relegation zone at the moment. Sitting 18th in the Premier League table, Southampton has only managed three victories in 14 league matches during the current campaign.
Reports surfaced after Hasenhüttl’s sacking that players and officials lost faith in their former manager. The Athletic claimed that Saints players even went to the board last season with concerns about the coach. Ultimately, the club decided to remove their former manager after a series of poor results.
Jones will now have to try to right the ship and keep Southampton in the Premier League. The hiring comes at a good time considering the World Cup break is coming up.
Southampton have just one match before the league shuts down for the upcoming tournament. Although this game is against Liverpool, Jones will then receive extra time with his players prior to their next match in late December.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Sportimage
