Southampton FC told to consider Ole Gunnar Solskjaer amid EFL revelation - 'he knows the game' | OneFootball

The Norwegian has hinted at a possible return to management in the Championship

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…

Southampton are one of a handful of Championship sides still on the lookout for a permanent successor to Will Still, who departed the club at the beginning of November.

The Saints had endured a dismal run of just two wins in 13 second-tier games under the 32-year-old's management, despite the fact his initial appointment at St Mary's was heavily backed by supporters, who continued to pin the blame for a turgid return to the EFL on ownership group, Sport Republic, rather than the 32-year-old.

German interim boss and previous Under-21s manager, Tonda Eckert, has since taken charge of back-to-back wins for the first time since April 2024, with the South Coast side seeing off Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on November 4th, before rising up to 17th in the table following a 3-1 success over Sheffield Wednesday on home turf last time out.

Unsurprisingly, a plethora of names have been linked with the vacancy, and such speculation has been met with intriguingly differing responses, with rumours of an appointment for ex-Portsmouth midfielder, Gary O'Neil, unsurprisingly, causing a strong reaction from supporters in last weekend's clash with the Owls.

Whilst his name hasn't entered the frame as a first-choice to take over Saints or one of Swansea City, Norwich City and Middlesbrough - who are all conducting managerial searches of their own - a fresh revelation from former Manchester United boss and striker, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, may be turning heads.

In a timely turn of events, Football League World's Southampton fan pundit, Martin Sanders, would back Saints' owners to consider the 52-year-old after listening to the Norwegian's words on Sky Sports' 'The Overlap' podcast.

Southampton FC backed to consider Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in managerial search amid EFL revelation

Solskjaer does have a recent extensive managerial resume of differing success levels, having won two Eliteserien titles in his first stint as Molde FK boss, before moving to the English game with Cardiff City in 2014, which proved to be a disastrous move by the Bluebirds.

His nigh-on three-year stint at Old Trafford was well-documented as being tumultuous, before he was sacked as Besiktas boss in August after just seven months in charge, as the Black Eagles were knocked out of the UEFA Europa Conference League at the play-off round at the hands of Lausanne-Sport, despite having a 52 percent win ratio.

As such, when asked what his next managerial plans are, Solksjaer revealed: “It’s not like I’m desperate to be back in [management], but yeah I can be.

“I love living [in England] as well.

“You know when my kids ask me [where], I’m [telling them], mid-Championship and up," he added.

Despite the fact it has since been claimed that Saints are expected to offer Eckert the vacancy on a full-time basis, Sanders wouldn't be displeased if Solksjaer was to land it instead.

"Funnily enough, I was just watching the Overlap and what he was saying," he told FLW.

"He was linked with the Saints job a couple of years ago. I think they (the owners) would consider him.

"He knows the game, has good contacts. He would definitely get a bit of respect from the players, which is what you need. He's been around the game.

"Would he guarantee Saints promotion back to the Premier League? probably not, but I think any manager is a gamble," Sanders explained.

"I don't mind Solskjaer to be honest, but I think lots of Saints fans would turn their noses up at it."

Southampton FC would be taking a gamble with any managerial appointment

As Sanders alluded to, no managerial appointment can guarantee success, even if it is someone who has extensive experience of managing in the Championship.

However, with Saints' squad having restored some confidence of late, there would be an understandable hope amongst supporters that such fortunes would continue under a new boss, be it an external or internal appointment.

At present, with 31 games left in the season, they are just seven points behind the top-six, and with the January window upcoming, there is still adequate time for a promotion bid to be mounted.

Solskjaer will also believe he is a far better head coach than what some outsiders give him credit for, and the chance to prove himself again may arise in the Championship, which is exactly what Frank Lampard is currently doing with Coventry City.