Southampton FC should move quickly to appoint ex-West Brom boss to replace Will Still | OneFootball

Southampton are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Will Still, and may target Carlos Corberan, who is under pressure at Valencia.

On Sunday evening, Southampton confirmed the dismissal of Will Still as head coach, and with the Saints sitting just outside the relegation zone in the Championship, they should keep one eye on Carlos Corberan's situation at Valencia.

For Southampton fans, it's been a dismal year or so.

The Saints have won just four of their last 51 league matches, culminating in a humiliating relegation from the Premier League last season, where they narrowly finished just above Derby County's lowest-ever points record in the top flight on 12 points, and sit just above the relegation zone after 13 games in the second tier.

Following the dismissal of Ivan Juric at the end of last season, Southampton moved quickly to secure the signature of former Reims and Lens boss Still, who joined the Saints in May on a three-year deal.

After a turbulent summer window which saw nine new arrivals and 19 players leave the club either permanently, on loan or due to retirement, the Belgian boss had a big job on his hands to rebuild the squad and create cohesion.

However, the job has proved too much for Still, who, after just two wins in 13 league matches, was dismissed on Sunday evening, with their 2-0 home defeat proving to be the straw which broke the camel's back.

The Saints are once again on the lookout for a new manager, with Graeme Bailey reporting via X that Frank Lampard, Mark Robins, Lee Carsley and Gary O'Neil are among potential candidates that the club are looking at to replace Still.

Though with just two games until the international break, it may be wise to wait and assess all their options ahead of what will be a crucial appointment for the Saints as they look to rescue their season.

Southampton must keep closely monitoring Carlos Corberan's situation at Valencia amid Will Still's sacking

One of the candidates that Southampton must keep an eye on is Valencia boss Carlos Corberan.

The Spaniard has managerial experience in England before, having served under Marcelo Bielsa as a first-team coach at Leeds United, before taking the top jobs at both Huddersfield Town and West Brom respectively, which led him to the opportunity to manage Valencia.

The Spaniard joined Valencia in December 2024 with the club in the relegation places in La Liga, and he would help guide them to safety and finish in a comfortable 12th in the Spanish top flight, diminishing prior relegation fears.

However, with the summer to rebuild his squad in preparation for this season, for one reason or another, Corberan has failed to build upon his positive start to life at the club, and Valencia currently sit in a similar position to where the 42-year-old had found them in.

With the club now sitting in the relegation zone, Corberan has guided Valencia to just two wins, three draws, and six defeats in La Liga so far this season, with big defeats to both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the process.

Should Corberan be dismissed from his role, Southampton should be on high alert to move for the Spaniard before anyone else does.

Carlos Corberan is highly regarded for his work with Huddersfield Town and West Brom

In July 2020, Corberan was offered the position as head coach of Huddersfield, which he accepted, and in his first season in charge, things didn't exactly go to plan, finishing in a lowly 20th in the Championship table.

The next season, however, he completely transformed the Terriers, guiding them to a third-place finish despite a lack of spending and much of the same squad the season prior, but would ultimately lose out in the play-off final to Nottingham Forest, after which the Spaniard resigned.

Following a brief stint in Greece with Olympiakos, Corberan joined West Brom in October 2022 with the club second-bottom in the Championship table after 16 games, and would successfully steer them away from relegation and finish in a comfortable ninth.

The season after, Corberan would work his magic once more, guiding the Baggies to a fifth-place finish, but would once again lose out in the play-offs, this time in the semi-finals to Southampton, who would go on to be promoted in the final against Leeds.

Having managed just three full seasons in the Championship to date, Corberan has taken teams that were fighting relegation into the play-offs twice.

With Southampton in real danger of falling into the relegation zone by the end of the international break, with games against Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday coming up, waiting for a move for Corberan could prove to be a stroke of genius.