Exclusive: Don Goodman raises "questions" as Will Still heads for Southampton FC | OneFootball

It’s change aplenty at St Mary’s, with it looking increasingly likely that Will Still is to be appointed their new manager

Southampton have reportedly reached an agreement with RC Lens to appoint Will Still as their new permanent manager.

That’s according to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, who revealed he is set to sign a three-year deal at the south-coast club.

The Saints were relegated from the Premier League this season, enduring a difficult one-season stay in the top flight, so there’s plenty for Still to come in and work on.

We asked pundit Don Goodman whether he thinks Southampton will be a force to be reckoned with next season.

Many moving parts to Southampton’s upcoming season

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Goodman said: “I think any sort of relegated club like Southampton is usually in turmoil and usually there's going to be a huge overhaul of the playing squad.

“And that's why it's very impressive when a relegated team completely overhauls a squad and still gets towards the top end of the Championship.

“That's why Russell Martin, for instance, I thought did a fantastic job at Southampton, a couple of seasons ago.

“So, again, so many variants, which players will stay, which players will go, which players will be attracted to Southampton, how will Will Still settle into the Championship. These are all questions that remain to be answered.”

Will Still will have the eyes of the world on him

If, as reports suggest, Still is appointed as Southampton’s, then it will become one of the early stories of the new campaign.

He provoked intrigue a few years ago after stating Football Manager inspired him to get into coaching, and his then-employers Reims were forking out £22,000 a game in fines to have him managing their side, as he didn’t hold a UEFA Pro Licence.

He’s done his credentials no harm since, with a positive spell at RC Lens, before putting himself in the shop window with an in-depth appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.

Heading into a club on the back of a tumultuous season is not easy at the best of times, it’s even harder at a club the size of Southampton, who will have expectations of an instant return to the Premier League.

The added intrigue of Still’s own story will only intensify those factors; it’ll be interesting to see how he deals with the pressure.

Saints’ success could depend on the summer with Tyler Dibling sale looming

But not everything is on Still’s shoulders; much will depend on the business done in the summer.

That will include outgoings as well as incomings, chief amongst the former being young starlet Tyler Dibling.

The club reportedly value him at around £100m, a figure which has displeased suitors like Manchester City, but even if he doesn’t sell for that hefty price tag, it illustrates that if he does go, the numbers will be big.

Any Dibling windfall, plus parachute payments that will be worth around £49m to the Saints this summer, will leave the club with plentiful reserves to go out and bolster their squad.

How that money is spent could be much more decisive than Still’s performance and, as Goodman says, with many of those pieces still to fall into place, it’s difficult to be too definitive on Southampton’s chances just yet.