Claim made on Southampton manager situation - Will Still & Ralph Hasenhuttl mentioned | OneFootball

FLW’s Southampton Fan Pundit reveals his thoughts on the growing unrest at Saints.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

There is sympathy for under-fire Southampton manager Will Still following unsavoury scenes at full-time after Saints' 2-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon, but he's claimed to not have too long left to turn things around, understandably.

The loss saw the Hampshire outfit drop to 20th in the Championship table with just 12 points from as many games, prompting angry reactions from the travelling support at Ewood Park.

As questions are being raised about both the manager's future and the board - Sport Republic - some fans have even called for the return of former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl after he was spotted watching their defeat to Bristol City.

Southampton FC blame should be on the players and not Will Still

When asked about the growing calls for change and whether he would support a return for Hasenhuttl, FLW’s Southampton Fan Pundit, Martin Sanders, pointed the finger squarely at the players themselves.

"I really feel for Will Still, I like him a lot, I think he’s a good guy, I really do and like we’ve changed a huge amount of the squad and personnel and everyone’s pointing the finger at the manager," Sanders told FLW.

Sanders then mentioned that he sees a lot of players who are not giving maximum effort on the pitch. "I’m very much like the players have to take a huge responsibility, like I do see a lot of players that are not giving 110%," he added.

This criticism comes at a time when Still himself has acknowledged the frustrations of Saints fans, telling BBC Radio Solent after the Blackburn defeat that fans are entitled to be angry at him.

During the game in Lancashire, Leo Scienza gave Southampton a 23rd-minute lead with his first goal for the club, but they should have really extended their advantage when Adam Armstrong was twice sent clear against his former employers - which Sanders touched on.

"Adam Armstrong, he’s a good striker isn't he. If he scores those two chances on Saturday, we win the game and it’s not talked about - it’s a scrappy win, that’s what you want.

"It’s the same at Bristol City wasn’t it, we had the chances, we didn’t take them, we didn’t win the game. We could’ve won all three games last week if we took our chances, but it has been the story of our season. Not only do we not take our chances, we make errors at the back," the Fan Pundit said.

Will Still claimed to have until the international break to turn Southampton's fortunes around

The defeat at Blackburn marked Southampton's second consecutive loss and leaves them three points above the relegation zone, albeit it’s still early on.

When asked how long Still has to turn things around, Sanders suggested that the international break in November might represent a natural cut-off point for Dragan Solak and co to assess the situation.

"So, look, for me, I feel sorry for him and I hope he can turn it around. You say to me how long he's got, probably till the international break I would think."Regarding the growing calls for Ralph Hasenhüttl to return to Southampton, Sanders doesn't think it's the "way to go."

"Talk about Ralph Hasenhuttl, two 9-0 defeats on his CV at Saints, like there’s not that many players that came out and said anything good about him since he left really.

"I’m not a massive fan of his to be honest, but a lot of fans are calling for him to come in, but I’m not convinced that’s the way to go," he concluded.

Hasenhüttl himself is not currently in a job, having been sacked by German club Wolfsburg in May after an eight-game winless run left the Bundesliga side in 12th place.

Ultimately, Still was appointed with a clear plan to implement an attractive style of play and secure an immediate return to the Premier League, but progress - if any - has been painfully slow.

The coming weeks will probably prove decisive in determining whether the young manager's project at St Mary's can be salvaged or whether Sport Republic will be forced to make another change in the dugout - but that's all without considering how angry Saints fans are with them.