Southampton FC eyeing Frank Lampard and Mark Robins to replace Will Still | OneFootball

Southampton are searching for a Will Still replacement

Southampton recently made the decision to sack manager Will Still after a disappointing run of form.

The South Coast outfit suffered a dreadful year of Premier League football during the 2024/25 campaign, which saw them relegated as statistically the division’s second-worst ever side, scoring just one more point (12) over 38 games than the infamous Derby County side of 2007/08.

Still was subsequently chosen as the man to gather the troops and head up a promotion charge back to the top-flight during the summer but failed dramatically in that task. The South Coast outfit have won just twice in their opening 13 league matches and a run of three successive defeats against Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End was enough to for the club to make a managerial change.

Southampton currently lie 21st in the table, just three points above Sheffield United in the relegation zone. The Saints haven’t operated out of League One since 2011 and won’t want to risk any possibility of falling back into the division.

As the higher-ups at St.Mary’s begin to sound out potential candidates to replace Still, a few names have already cropped up that may not have been predicted.

Southampton eyeing up Frank Lampard and Mark Robins

With Southampton scouring the market to see who could lead them back up the Championship table and away from relegation, rumours have started to emerge surrounding multiple high-profile names.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey via X, Coventry City manager Frank Lampard is top of Southampton’s shortlist, which they reportedly started compiling midway through last month.

Stoke City boss Mark Robins is also mentioned by Bailey as a potential replacement for Still, following his heroics with the Potters so far this campaign.

England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley and Gary O'Neil are rumoured to be in the running, which gives Southampton a healthy list of talented managers to pick from.

talkSPORT have backed up the Saints’ interest in Lampard and Robins, whilst also suggesting that Steven Gerrard could also be a name that the South Coast outfit looks at in the coming weeks.

Frank Lampard and Mark Robins could prove unattainable at this moment in time

Southampton possesses Premier League infrastructure and facilities, with an ultimate goal of returning to the top-flight in the near future.

This would make them an attractive option to manage for a number of managers, but in their current situation, they might not be able to secure Lampard and Robins.

Coventry and Stoke sit first and third in the Championship standings respectively, with both sides in with a real shot of promotion to the Premier League, as the likes of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton still fail to compete at the top of the division.

The Saints still have an extremely talented squad and will no doubt entice a talented manager to lead them forward throughout the rest of this season, but convincing Lampard and Robins to quit their current positions might just be a step too far.