New "strong" contender emerges for Southampton manager job - Charlie Austin thinks he’s ideal | OneFootball

Southampton have been linked with appointing Gary O'Neil as their new manager

Charlie Austin has called for Southampton to appoint former Portsmouth man Gary O’Neil as their new manager, with the 42-year-old now emerging as a strong contender for the vacancy.

The Saints are on the lookout for a new manager after making the decision to relieve Will Still of his duties after just 13 matches of the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

At the time of his departure, the South Coast outfit sat 21st in the Championship and were just three points clear of the relegation zone, which isn’t where a side with the Saints’ quality should be competing.

With Still out the door, the search began for who might replace him as Southampton manager. Frank Lampard and Mark Robins were both names reportedly high up on the Saints’ shortlist, but it seems unlikely that they would leave positions at Coventry City and Stoke City respectively.

A Russell Martin return was mooted, whilst Lee Carsley also found himself as one of the rumoured candidates for the role.

The Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath has now reported that Gary O’Neil has emerged as a strong contender, after turning down a Wolverhampton Wanderers return earlier in the week, which is a move backed by a former St Mary’s hero.

Charlie Austin calls for Southampton to make Gary O’Neil decision despite Portsmouth past

When discussing the matter on Sky Sports News, former Southampton striker Charlie Austin suggested a name the Saints should be going after, which may have surprised a lot of supporters.

“I think they should try their hardest to go after Gary O'Neil,” stated Austin.

“I don't know whether Gary wants to come out and manage in the Championship.

“He might feel like he's a Premier League manager and that's where his stock is, but for me, that would be the perfect fit, although he did play for Pompey, which might be a stumbling block there.”

As Austin referenced, O’Neil does have a history with Southampton’s South Coast rivals, Portsmouth.

The 42-year-old made 192 appearances for Pompey after making his debut for the side in 2000 and was part of the team that won Division One (now the Championship) in 2003.

O’Neil was a regular for Portsmouth in the Premier League before going on to enjoy stints with the likes of Middlesbrough, West Ham United, QPR and Norwich City.

Given the fierce rivalry between Southampton and Portsmouth, O’Neil’s Pompey past would immediately sour his relationship with the St. Mary’s faithful.

This isn’t what any manager needs when stepping into a new job, and it means that any minor errors would be jumped upon by large sections of the fanbase.

Obviously, winning football matches is the most important thing and if O’Neil could carry Southampton up the table, all may be forgiven in relation to his previous Fratton Park allegiance.

However, the idea of seeing one of Portsmouth’s former stalwarts lead Southampton may be too much for some fans to take, and is a move that has potential for things to go very wrong, very quickly.