Most Southampton supporters assumed that Danny Rohl was the next Southampton manager, according to one report so did Johannes Spors as the man making the decision on who would get the job, so what made him change his mind.

Only one man can answer the question as to why Will Still is now in the St Mary's hot seat and not Danny Rohl, but attackingfootball.com have a theory as to why that is now the case.

They say that Technical Director Spors had two main criteria for who would be the next manager of Southampton FC.

The first was that his footballing philosophy should be about playing high-tempo football, similar to the ‘Jurgen Klopp way’ and secondly that he should have had experience managing a club in the Championship.

Rohl fitted both of Spors wants and also had the added bonus that he had been the assistant manager at the club under Ralph Hasenhuttl, not to mention coaching at Bayern Munich and the German national side.

So why the U tun by Johannes Spors ?

Well attackingfootball.com also have a theory, they say that Rohl was reticent to manage another club in the same division as Sheffield Wednesday his current position and that in articles he has expressed an interest in managing in the Premier League or Bundesliga, this may have rung alarm bells with Spors who wanted to make a quick appointment .

So whilst still interested in Rohl he decided that he also needed to look elsewhere.

Apparently Tom Cleverley was interviewed and then came the game changer, Spors found out that Will Still was looking to leave Lens in order to spend time with his partner Sky Sports reporter Emma Saunders, Saunders was diagnosed with encephalitis and is having treatment in England.

But the fact that Still was looking to come to England was far from the sole reason Spors was still after Still.

He looked deeper at his track record and what struck him was Still's adaptability, his ability to set out his teams to counter the opposition threat, not just in starting line ups, but during games.

Still might not have fulfilled Spors second requirement of having managed in the Championship, but his footballing philosophy and adaptability convinced Spors that Still was the man for Saints.

It was the lack of adaptability that got Saints in this position in the first place, Russell Martin's utter refusal to compromise his possession football game one iota, even when it was clear that other teams had sussed out the style and were waiting to press and force errors, Martin refused to change.

This probably struck a chord with Spors, who in Still saw a man who had publicly stated that he is not concerned about sticking to one style, but adapting to the situation at any given time, his focus is on winning games, not running his own agenda.

Attacking Football go on to say this about Still.

"He could still easily utilise a high-tempo system, as demonstrated at times with Stade de Reims and Lens, but he will prioritise control in possession while competing in the Championship.

"His Lens 2024/25 side averaged 54.1% possession in Ligue 1, showing that their edge in control of games is important to their success. Lens had the fourth least possession in their own defensive third but the fourth most in Ligue 1 in the final third, juxtaposing Martin’s style.

"This would see the increase in directness that Spors wanted. So while Still isn’t quite the Röhl that would bring back the ways of Southampton cult hero Ralph Hasenhüttl, he has the ability to bring this out of the Saints squad.

Of course appointing Still is a gamble, but football has changed over the years, there is no guarantee that a manager who has been successful at one club will be successful at another, slowly but surely the journeymen managers who get teams up or keep them up are going.

From this respect Saints supporters should be happy, Spors has not invented the wheel, Southampton FC have been appointing managers for 70 years who are very much up and coming rather than established.

Neutral observers have noted that Southampton a club now in the second tier of English football have secured the services of a manager from the top flight of French football whom he has steered to a top half finish only a few points off of a European qualifying place.

They might counter that we have punched above our weight in this appointment.

Certainly since Sport Republic arrived at St Mary's they have made mistakes, they firstly let the old board run things and that resulted in relegation two years ago, they then appointed Jason Wilcox who oversaw a successful promotion campaign, but left just before it's conclusion.

We then soldiered on without a Director of football and we paid a high price, we were directionless again on the footballing side of things.

The arrival of Johannes Spors has seen stability return to St Mary's and the appointment of Will Still shows the thought that has gone into the process, this isn't the panicking of sacking Ralph Hasenhuttl and then Nathan Jones and Selles in quick succession.

It isn't the leaderless situation that allowed Russell Martin to run his own agenda and then the baffling arrival of Ivan Juric.

This is a reset of the was that the club is run, Sport Republic have made mistakes, hopefully they have learned from them and we have addressed the issues we have had and can once again move forward.

On Saturday morning I was unsure about the wisdom of appointing Will Still over Danny Rohl, the more I read about our new manager and the thinking behind his appointment, the more confident I am that this club can compete next season.

All Photos Via Reuters

EvertonSaint added 12:18 - May 27 The decision has been made so we now wait for the summer transfer market, but will it be with optimism or has the last twelve months dented our confidence so much we are dreading the comings and goings? I sincerely hope Mr Still has the full support of the board to recruit and sell as he wishes. There are some good players at St Mary’s, but we all know that if we are to build confidence and change attitudes of the supporters then serious decisions about who goes and who stays. We all know who is a good footballer and who is not fit to wear the red and white stripes. The 24/25 season showed us what the managers in control couldn’t see or were so stubborn that, as Maggie said “the manager is not for turning”. Well, Mr Still, I for one has an early positive attitude towards next season and with Mr Spors in place, his work has also been positive. Players we have on loan will go, our loaness will return which I hope many are given a chance to shine under the new manager. Mistakes in last years transfer market will hinder recruitment unless they are so disillusioned with SFC that they request to leave ( I wish…). At least I can enjoy the summer after a disastrous 24/25 season where the owner lost the plot, but seems to be trying to rectify his nieve appointments. I look at the summer break with both interest and trepidation as the club I first visited on Boxing Day 1959 looks to salvage our battered confidence. Only time will tell. In Saints I trust and believe.

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Bowlercow added 13:34 - May 27 We need the recruitment of players to be on par with the recruitment of Will. Spors has done a really well to get him
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Colburn added 17:55 - May 27 Can’t argue with any of that Nick, just about spot on. I’m genuinely quite surprised by this appointment, I’ve followed his fortunes since he took over at Reims when they were being fined 22k a match because he didn’t have the badges.. Very happy with Still, not sure we could have got anyone better. It’s all about the player recruitment now, everything else is in place.

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Block8 added 18:47 - May 27 We have to be positive and see where the next few months get us. As everyone knows recruitment and departures are the priority and we have to hope Spors has enough clout with the board to get what Still requires. The big problem is the size of the squad, and the length of contract of some of the excess, will make it difficult to move them on. However with a positive head on lets move onward and upward. COYR

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saint_ben added 07:37 - May 28 I think people sometimes forget that managers — just like players and fans — are human beings. It’s easy to look at names, odds, and rumours, but the reality behind big decisions like this is often far more nuanced. From what I understand, and I’ve heard this from a very reliable source, Rohl simply didn’t interview well. It’s not a slight on his coaching ability or reputation — but when it came down to it, he didn’t present the clarity, vision, or presence that the club was looking for. In contrast, Will Still impressed on a deeper level. He communicated a clear strategy, understood the club’s direction, and showed a genuine hunger to be part of the project here. At the end of the day, we need someone who wants to be at Southampton, who gets what we’re about, and who has the leadership qualities to carry that forward. Will Still has shown that, and now more than ever, we need to back him. No one succeeds alone — not in football — and the support of the fans can make a massive difference. Let’s rally behind him and give this new chapter the best possible start.

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