Why Will Still or Liam Rosenior could be tempted to leave France for Southampton FC | OneFootball

2 reasons why Liam Rosenior or Will Still could be tempted to leave France for Southampton FC.

Summary

After Ivan Juric was sacked by Southampton last week, both Will Still and Liam Rosenior have been linked with a switch to St Mary's.

Both managers are currently cutting their teeth in Ligue 1, with Still in charge of RC Lens, and Rosenior in post at RC Strasbourg after receiving one of the harshest sackings you're likely to see by Hull City.

The pair have established themselves as two of the most exciting up-and-coming young coaches in European football, so it's no surprise to see English clubs monitoring them ahead of next season.

Following the sackings of Rusell Martin and now Juric this season, Southampton need to settle on a new long-term manager to head their project for the foreseeable future. This has seen them turn their attention to the French top flight, with both Still and Rosenior being linked with the vacancy in Hampshire.

Despite Championship football being guaranteed for the Saints next season, following official confirmation of their relegation, we explored two reasons why both of the aforementioned coaches could be interested in a move to the south coast of England.

A chance for Still and Rosenior to add promotion to their CV

Regardless of how desperately poor Southampton's season in the Premier League has been, you can't help but think they'll be towards the sharp end of next season's Championship table when all is said and done.

The gap between the Premier League and the Championship is wider than ever, as proven by the last two seasons. However, in the immediate future, this is a great chance for both managers to get either a promotion or a league title added to their CVs at a young age.

A good example to follow is Enzo Maresca, who took his first steps into management with Leicester City, following their relegation to the Championship. He won the division with the Foxes, and was head-hunted for the Chelsea job just 12 months later.

Both Still and Rosenior know they will be on many of England's top clubs' shortlists in the future, and what better way to grab their attention by adding a promotion or league title to their CVs? It might not be what the Saints want, but it could be a good move for both of their careers.

More scope to be noticed for Championship success

Expanding on the previous point, we've seen plenty of managers come over from abroad and not hit the ground running as expected. English football is a very different game to football in other European countries.

However, examples such as Regis Le Bris have proven that it can be done. Rosenior has almost two years' worth of experience under his belt in English football, but Still has yet to manage a professional match in England.

If they hit the ground running like the Sunderland manager has, this is more likely to attract the attention of larger clubs in the Premier League. Using the Maresca example again, a manager who has proven they can cut it in English football could be more likely to get a top job quicker.

Both managers have plenty of time in their careers to achieve success, so there's no need for them to try and rush to the top. However, Southampton may offer them a better stage to attract the attention of top clubs than they currently have in France.