Stoke City 3 v 1 Derby County
EFL Championship
Saturday, 9th August 2025 Kick-off 15:00
Will Still Speaks Ahead Of His First Competitive Game In Charge.
Friday, 8th Aug 2025 15:07

Will Still has been speaking to the press as he prepares for his first game in charge of Southampton FC in anger, read on for what he has been saying. The Daily Echo has been reporting from Will Still's first pre match press conference, here is what the manager has had to say.

When asked about his squad for the game against Wrexham, Still had this to say.

"WS: Charlie Taylor's still got a couple of more days in front of him before he can get minutes in his legs but he's been back in training for a few days.

This is good but he won't be in the squad just yet. Will Smallbone has got a calf injury, so he'll be out for a little while. James Bree, same thing.

He'll be out for a bit with his leg as well after coming off last weekend. And Taylor Harwood-Bellis is nearing match fitness.

He looks really good in training, but he's obviously been out for quite a while, so we're not going to force him back into it now.

I think we will probably use next week for game minutes for him. Then there are a few players who are where they're at in their career and making choices.

So Tyler Dibling won't be there. Sam Edozie won't be there, and Joe Aribo won't be in the squad either."

Southampton supporters will be disappointed to hear this from Still, these guys are meant to be professionals, they are paid very well to be doing a job, if they want to take time off to make a decision, then perhaps they can also decline to receive their very substantial wages this week, two years ago the likes of James Ward Prowse and Nathan Tella had choices to make, but they still turned out for the club in the Championship's early games whilst they made them, even Romeo Lavia was on the bench for the opener.

How is Flynn Downes and his fitness after injury?

WS: "He's okay. He's trained since the start of the week. We had to slightly adapt him at the start of the week but since then, he's been fine.

Whether he can start is a different question but he'll be involved. He's with the squad. We've got a 20-man squad. So it's positive having him back.

He brings good energy. He's obviously got all the qualities that he has got. So he'll be there and thereabouts. But everyone knows how big our squad is.

Everyone knows how much quality we have. So we've picked 20 of them and we'll go with that."

Is Mateus Fernandes in the 20-man squad for Wrexham?

WS: He is. Matty was back in training, same thing, Tuesday. We've given him time and a bit of space and a bit of clear thoughts on what he wants to do.

He's missed a few days as well, or most of last week. So he's building back up to being ready. But he's there. He's confident. He wants to be here.

Again this shows the calibre of some players and the lack of it is some of those mentioned, Downes & Fernandes are professionals who earn their money and respect those not only employing them, but those who support them.

If there is one thing you want tomorrow, what is it?

WS: Playing forward, I think. The energy that it brings excites people. People want to stand up and see the team looking forward, playing forward.

Getting in the opposition's half. I just want energy. I know that sounds a bit basic and it sounds a bit fairytale-like but it has been difficult.

It has been complicated. But we're getting there. We've turned the corner now. We had a good pre-season. We've taken time to analyse everyone in detail.

We have looked at how things work, who everyone is. We just need to start tomorrow with the energy and the intensity that we want to start with.

But also just break the shackles, let go of the chains, let go of the stress and tension that there can be and enjoy playing the beautiful game.

I think if we do that and we get the details right and the basics right, people will at least understand it and see in what direction we're going.

Has there been any movement on transfers to tell fans?

WS: "I think the last week is always busy. They're working on it. I'm sure when we can announce that people are coming in, then we will.

I think Johannes said it last night. It's a process. But we also don't just want to get any old player just because he looks half decent.

We want good players, but we want good people as well. And we want players who can identify themselves to Southampton.

We want players who want to be here and want to succeed here. I know it's frustrating at times for supporters and for the whole football club as a whole.

But we need to get things right and I think Johannes is very conscious of that. "

So an honest appraisal from Will Still who hasn't hidden behind any excuses, he has told it how it is, that certain players are not mentally tough enough to go out and do what they are being paid to do, whilst others are.

If i was Everton I would be asking questions as to whether Tyler Dibling really is the type of player they want at a club like Everton, who pride themselves on their players being loyal to the club, will Everton just be Southampton in a years time, when a bigger club comes calling.

All Photos Via Reuters



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andywelsh added 15:51 - Aug 8
I think it’s understandable that for a kid Dibling’s age, it could be a bit unsettling. I think though that this is more about Southampton protecting potential transfer revenue. If a deal is close our strategy probably involves losing Dibling and this would then make us relatively comfortable with regards to the fair play rules etc. Similarly there have been rumours about Edozie for several weeks. Aribo is less clear cut but he may have been given permission to find a new club.
1

ElSanto added 15:59 - Aug 8
I wouldn't want Aribo or Edozie playing in fairness. If we want them to leave lets keep them healthy and let them be busy trying to find buyers with their agent. They also probably wouldn't start anyway.

We must want Dibling to go if he isn't going to sign a new contract. £50m will go massively to getting our club back healthy. So with that amount of money on the line, maybe it's better to let him stay healthy until he comes to a decision about signing a new contract with us or let us wait for a bidding war.
4

Bowlercow added 16:13 - Aug 8
The most important sentence when talking about Fernandez "he wants to be here" Possibly on the bench tomorrow but then a starter every game
Sugawara at RB if Bree is unfit and Man in at LB
Quashie and capt Jack
Charles with a league debut for Moses Sesay
and Flyn as a 60 minute sub
Frazer Robinson Armstrong
with Damion the Demon up front
For the Hollywood stars,tomorrow will be like that moment in Bambi,ywhen his mum died
2

Colburn added 16:49 - Aug 8
You are being very presumptuous here.. Surely Saints have decided that Dibling should train alone to avoid injury and thus the chance to bring in big money. I think it is disingenuous to suggest this is driven by Dibling. The key phrase I picked up on was non contact training which suggests it’s is making this decision to protect our potential windfall, not Tyler.
Secondly, it seems like we are the ones who have told Aribo that he is surplus to requirements, not him telling us he wants out. Quite simply, he’s not hungry and energetic enough and gets found out. So again, I think we have made this decision and giving him time to try to find a new club, not like there’s been loads of offers coming in and his head turning, no he’s just no longer required.
As for Edozie, I don’t know, something doesn’t seem right because we loaned him out last year when he would have given us more than Diaz and probably Fraser and Armstrong too.
I appreciate you may have your ear more to the ground but I don’t see the angle of bitterness that you see, I see sensible decisions being made to give us the optimal chance of being prepared as best as possible for the future.
2

underweststand added 19:32 - Aug 8
Your headline is...Will speaks ahead of his first game ..etc, but I think it's more interesting to hear his comments AFTER the first game. Did things go the way he hoped? ..and was his formation the right one for that game ...or, if it didn't - what's the next move?
I have the feeling that the line-up will change a bit in the first month, and with the "possible departure" of the players mentioned, who will come in as replacements?

Quite frankly, I don't think we will get a picture of Will's best line-up for at least 3 or4 games, but most importantly how many goals we can score?. We must expect to concede at times, but we'll need to score 90+ goals - if we are looking at a promotion spot.
1


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