Next Southampton manager odds: Marcelo Bielsa among…

Next Southampton manager odds: Marcelo Bielsa among early favourites after Nathan Jones sacked

In the frame? Marcelo Bielsa could succeed Nathan Jones as Southampton manager
(Picture: Getty Images)

Marcelo Bielsa has emerged as the bookmakers’ very early favourite to succeed Nathan Jones as Southampton manager.

Jones was sacked by the Saints on Sunday after just four months in charge after a dismal run of form continued with a 2-1 home defeat by 10-man relegation rivals Wolves at St Mary’s.

A run of seven defeats in their last eight matches has left Southampton rooted to the foot of the Premier League table and four points adrift of safety with 16 games left to play this season.

Jones was appointed from Championship high-flyers Luton just before the mid-season World Cup break in November following the exit of Ralph Hasenhuttl after almost four years at the helm, but he was unable to arrest the decline and quickly alienated fans with his polarising tactics and bizarre comments in the media.

First-team coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan have followed Jones out the exit door, with Ruben Selles tasked with leading the team for the short-term ahead of next weekend’s clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

But Southampton know they must move quickly to appoint a full-time successor to Jones as they bid to avoid a damaging first return to the second tier of English football since 2012.

Leeds legend Bielsa has been installed by some bookies as the early favourite for the job, having been courted by Everton before their recent appointment of Sean Dyche, only to see his unusual offer to manage the Under-21s first before then taking the first-team reins in the summer rejected.

Hasenhuttl is also high up in the betting for a shock return to the south coast, but that seems incredibly unlikely given their position when he was dismissed. Former Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo and Rafael Benitez are also being linked along with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Domenico Tedesco, though the latter was recently appointed the new head coach of Belgium.

Relegation fire-fighter Sam Allardyce is also a name that features in the markets along with former Southampton duo Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, plus Burnley’s Vincent Kompany, Reims chief William Still, Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick, Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou and Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand.