After a week that has seen Saints play 3 games, take just a single point from the 9 on offer and drop to 20th in the Championship, not to mention the landmark of just 4 wins in our last 50 League games, Johannes Spors has a decision to make.

Forget last season, that is dead and gone, it can't be changed now, but this season is still there for the taking and whatever your viewpoint on Southampton the performances this season and especially in the last week have been unacceptable, our position in the table at this point in the season is unacceptable.

We knew that Will Still would take time to get his feet under the table, but after seeing the club spend big in the summer and arguably assemble the best squad in the division, we expected to be at least in or around the play offs at this stage and building up a head of steam for a push into the automatic places.

But what we have seen is a manager who even after having been at the club for nearly 5 months has not improved it in any way that I can see.

I see a squad floundering with a lack of leadership both on and off the field, I see players who are hesitant and lacking in confidence and on Saturday when I see a 20 year old who couldn't get in Crawley Town's side on loan last season and whose Saints career so far has been two 3 minute cameo appearances in the FA Cup 2 years ago and did not even have a squad number whilst the likes of Joe Aribo & Sam Edozie don't even travel with the squad, I see a manager who is out of his depth, but worse I see a squad who at best are bemused by his tactics and at worst are not playing for him, in short I think he has lost the dressing room and there is no way back from that.

Will Still may feel that both of those players were disloyal as they wished to leave, but having stayed his job is not to hold grudges but get the best out of his squad and get results.

When I have looked at Will Still stood in the dugout in the past 3 matches I have seen a rabbit in the headlights, not knowing what to do next.

Going on to getting the best out of his squad ! I don't think there is a Saints fan in the land who would claim that, they like me see a manager who chops and changes, has shown little faith in his players, he had bred uncertainty as players know that one bad half could see them dropped the following week.

I could go on for another 5 paragraphs about what I see when I watch Southampton play in the last months, but it is time to draw a line in the sand and stop moaning about the problems and start talking about the solutions.

If Will Still is sacked then we will have another embarrassing stat on the record books, one of having had 5 managers in charge in less than a year, but that is a better stat than what I see in this mornings League table.

It is time for our Sporting Director Johannes Spors to earn his money, yes he was the man who appointed Will Still, but crucially he was not the man that appointed Ivan Juric or Russell Martin, in fairness to him it has not been him who has blundered in the appointment of managers since Ralph Hasenhuttl was sacked 3 years ago, he was not at the club for most of them.

So he needs now to take control of the situation, like a good Labour MP on Sunday morning political TV, blame the people in charge before he came into power and do a bit of spin doctoring and then move forward.

Move Forward is the key here, I don't care about how many managers we have had in the last 3 years, how many mistakes have been made, they cannot be changed now, all I care about is the next manager, I had hoped that this issue would not crop up this season, I had hoped that Will Still was the man to take Southampton FC forward, but it is clear that he is not.

He has been given all the tolls he needs, he has at least two experienced choices for every position, he has bombed out good proven Championship players such as Will Smallbone who now sits 3rd with Millwall and replaced them with those who have no experience in this division.

It is now time for Johannes Spors to show he is decisive, that he can read situations and make decisions.

I don't find any satisfaction in calling for the head of a manager and part of me hopes that Will Still is not sacked and wins against Preston on Saturday and turns the tables, but I cannot see any evidence anywhere that we will do that.

So that leaves Johannes Spors with only once decision and it needs to be done now, If Still is still in charge on Saturday, there will be a lot of empty seats in St Mary's, but those that there will be making their feelings known and the last thing we need is a toxic atmosphere, another defeat could see us out of the drop zone only on goal difference.

If Spors does not have another manager lined up, then better to have Assistant Manager Paul Trollope in charge aided by Adam Lallana than see the current manager do the same things and get us the same results.

The players need a boost, they are playing with a weight on their shoulders, remove that and you will see performances improve.

Then we need to get in a manager who is experienced at this level, preferably with some success, who that man is I have not a clue, many of those who the Saints fans would like to have seen in the club, have now found other employment.

In this respect Spors will have a lot of work to do, but do it he must.

All Photos Via Reuters

sandywelsh added 09:42 - Oct 27 Will Still has to go now!!! We need to get an English Manager with experience in the top 2 leagues.
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underweststand added 10:02 - Oct 27 Whilst blaming the manager for poor results - we have seen two players going public and admitting that the problem is on their side and not the manager's fault. It has to be seen that various individuals have DAJFU in some games, but as a unit haven't clicked and some contributors on this site fail to see any alternative other than sacking yet another manager. The truth is that we are stuck with the players we have, which is in part due to some of "the old guard" who were responsible for the relegation and are'nt up to it anymore , and new recruits who are still adapting to " the English game ". The fact that we have a fast -growing group who are either ill ,or longer term injured is a point that seems to be ignored by some of the more vocal fans on this site. The "tough decision" is not whether to sack Will, or not - but WHO might replace him, and come in with his own favourite formation, and try to play safe by re-introducing those in the club who have (perhaps) rightfully been omitted until now. Any "decent manager " will not be sitting on his hands waiting for a phone call at this point in time in the season, those who are approached and already successful with other clubs are unlikely to want to see a potential relegation on their CV.

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DorsetIan added 10:16 - Oct 27 I've been hearing a lot about so much of the blame being on the players rather than Still, but, for me, the manager's job is not just about tactics, team selection and astute substitions, but also about discipline and the man-management of the players. This may be unfair to him, but Still's personality does not ooze authority and his age and lack of experience will not help that. At this stage, after such a long history of regularly losing, and such a series of lightweights and oddballs in charge, this club really needs a manager who the players cannot but respect and respond too. Still never was and still isn't the right guy for the monumental task of turning this Club around. And he will go soon enough, so it might as well be now. The only question for me is that if Spors is off to Juventus, how is the next recruitment going to work ??!

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andywelsh added 10:19 - Oct 27 While I agree that recent results have been unacceptable I am still inclined to give Will Still until after the Christmas period to turn things around. You don’t become a bad manager overnight but we have been an underperforming team under 5 other managers. I know many will want an easy fix but I remain unconvinced that it exists. Trollope and Lallana will undoubtedly change nothing as they are part of the management team. I am also pretty sure that promotion this year would be a long term hindrance and as long as we can achieve a mid table finish, sticking with Still would be a better option.

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grumpy added 10:46 - Oct 27 By Christmas it will be too late.
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Centurion added 10:54 - Oct 27 I never expected promotion this season. However, I did hope for signs of steady progress with a chance of promotion next year with a strong and cohesive squad. I cannot see this at the moment. Yes it is early days, but for whatever reason, Will Still seems to have lost the dressing room. He has to go.
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Bowlercow added 11:00 - Oct 27 Do managers make all decisions on thier own or is it a collective of the coaching team ? If it is the latter then Trolop and Lala would not be an option Up to now I have backed Will all the way but his weird subs on Saturday lost the crowd as well as the team Minutes after coming on Stevens appeared to be asking who he should be marking I am prepared to give him upto the next international break That gives Spors a chance (who apparently knows nothing about a link to Juve) to suss out a suitable replacement Much like Watford we may struggle to find anybody good Thats what rotating door policy does

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davidargyll added 11:05 - Oct 27 I have always thought that man management, as Dorsetian said, is the crucial aspect of a manager’s brief. And the key point here is not the players saying we are not performing well enough but for the manager to do something about their now almost certain losing mentality by coming up with confidence-building plans for every man in the team I have said before that it is letting in goals that have caused us to be in this position. WS clearly has no idea how to resolve this problem, no doubt because of his lack of experience, and he is not going to be able to learn any solutions any time soon. Either this didn’t come up in his Xbox experience, or else he didn't get that far into the game. Either way, HE MUST GO. AND GO NOW.

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grumpy added 11:11 - Oct 27 While Will took off the dressing room a player he substituted made the effort to speak to the fans ,some I would think made the effort to travel to two away games in a week,and encourage them to continue their support. Will is uninspiring and hasn’t a clue what his best team is and how change a situation when it goes wrong.
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BigbadBarry8myboat added 11:58 - Oct 27 It didn't surprise me at all that our game went down hill massively when "Captain Jack" came on. The guy is a liability. Apart from the Bristol City result, our defence looked stable and "ok" as soon as we got rid of Bazunu and Stephens from it. Out issue was going forward. That was until Still brought Stephens back into the fray. It can't be a manager thing that all managers since Ralf, have had the same issues. A favouritism and need for certain players to be in the team, the same issue scoring goals. The problem as much as the manager I think comes from further up, why was Stephens given another 3 year deal when most Supporters were breathing a sigh of relief when his contract ran out. Why when Ramsdale went did we not get in another "half decent" keeper. Why did we go for Damion Down, when we were speaking to people like Semenyo not at Bournemouth ?

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highfield49 added 12:12 - Oct 27 The only candidate likely to available and ticks the boxes is Gary O'Neil in my view. My biggest hope is that the club act decisively because this week has been a disaster. For me, Jack Stephens in midfield was the last straw and substituting our best attacker utterly bewildering. I've backed Will Still to turn things around but I can't excuse tactical stupidity.
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pintsizedsaint added 12:53 - Oct 27 I’ve lost count the amount of times ive come on this forum to see the words “He must go, and go now”. How’s that worked out for us? 7 managers in 5 years, and continual decline. Why do we expect that the next manager will solve the clearly deep set issues at this club - that sits mainly with the players and the poor recruitment? dont expect to get a highly sought after manager btw, who’s that crazy to do that? And what happens to the next manager if they don’t stop the rot? Will we see the same “He must go” posts again?

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pintsizedsaint added 12:53 - Oct 27 I’ve lost count the amount of times ive come on this forum to see the words “He must go, and go now”. How’s that worked out for us? 7 managers in 5 years, and continual decline. Why do we expect that the next manager will solve the clearly deep set issues at this club - that sits mainly with the players and the poor recruitment? dont expect to get a highly sought after manager btw, who’s that crazy to do that? And what happens to the next manager if they don’t stop the rot? Will we see the same “He must go” posts again?

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pintsizedsaint added 12:58 - Oct 27 correction: 8 managers in 5 years! Forgot to include the current manager… How many clubs have succeeded having that level of turnover? How can a manager succeed if players know they can just stop playing/not bother if they don’t like him? this club needs stability, not another bandwagon to jump on.
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kenchilds70 added 13:11 - Oct 27 Maybe I'm wrong but we work hard to score one goal and both midfield and defence go into relax mode. That's Still's job to motivate the players to intensify pressure to increase a one goal lead to two or more, That does not happen. If you manager watch you see little or no reaction to on field mistakes or successes. His tactical nowse is a little limited and when substitutions are called for...and often are, his timing and choices are a little lacking. He needs to learn from these errors, bite the bullet and apologise for them publicly and change his ways. Xmas would be my deadline to start seeing that but if there is no response SR should order the taxi.

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Colburn added 13:18 - Oct 27 Neither Spors or Still have a clue, we are heading in one direction and it sounds worse than the boyband..
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Colburn added 13:18 - Oct 27 Neither Spors or Still have a clue, we are heading in one direction and it sounds worse than the boyband..
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halftimeorange added 13:34 - Oct 27 Like the majority of fans I am starting to become disillusioned with not just Will Still but, with Saints as a whole however, what happened with Still's claim on arrival that the first thought in players' minds should always be forward? If anything our build-up to attacks have, in general been pedestrian at best and, if anything, slower and less incisive than they were under Russell Martin. There are exceptions i.e., Scienza, Robinson, Fellows but, are the bulk of the players just ignoring Will Still and doing their own thing. That wouldn't surprise me as, in his interviews, Still is faltering and unconvincing. If this is the same in the dressing-room it's no wonder we aren't playing as a team. On the managerial front, asking for Still's head isn't necessary for the best. Who foresaw what Nathan Jones has achieved with Charlton, and he was driven out partly due to vitriol from supporters (of which I was one). Spors, if he isn't looking to sack Still, needs to urgently provide him with a top-drawer mentor. Btw, the bookies have us finishing ninth and 40-1 against relegation. They're more optimistic than I have become!

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kingolaf added 13:36 - Oct 27 Still has to go now. He is an absolute liability and we’re going nowhere under his (lack of) leadership. To leave him in place for any further period of time is merely delaying the inevitable and throwing more points away.
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SanMarco added 13:42 - Oct 27 Tough one this one. I always respect Nick's views even on occasions when I disagree with them. He nearly always errs on the 'loyal' side of the endless debates we have - so to read him calling for Still's head so soon is eye-opening to say the least. It certainly puts a big tick in the sack Still column for me. The Stephens decision on Saturday will of course be seen by many as a 'feck you' gesture to the supporters. No idea if it was but it certainly was a very odd thing to do. We are only about 7 points off the play-offs and if it was now February we would be hoping for a good late run. So it is the stick or twist dilemma that SR constantly provides us with: Don't move (keep Still - get it) now and will be regret it when we are 17 points off in Feb? We shouldn't worry about sackings of past managers or indeed how it looks. We should worry, instead, about SR's capacity to appoint a suitable manager. Past history is not good. If they have just got another potential dud up their sleeves (Rooney wouldn't astonish me) then we might as well keep Still. My compromise is that they start looking now (and maybe take advice from people who know how to appoint decent managers) but give Still until the next (yet another) international break. By that time we may be in the relegation places - a fact that would be symbolic indeed.

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underweststand added 14:40 - Oct 27 a new manager?...let's not forget you can only appoint a new body from those who are willing to apply for the task, which is increasingly unattractive when looking at the table. Any / Every unemployed manager- even the well-known names -will want to work and a convincing interview may easily persuade the Board to make another WRONG decision. I'm not sure that the old-school methods of ; a loud voice, or walking into the dressing room with a shotgun under your arm can cut it anymore with the current generation. Given the fact that we are stuck with the playing staff (the fit ones that is) the last thing we need is yet another change of formation, and several times in the recent past I thought we had reverted to slow-mo Russell Martin style with 70% possession and no goal attempts. In recent memory we have had 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 5-3-2 and any other combination of bingo numbers you can think of. The majority of those in the relegated squad should move on, or be paid off. Despite the fact that it has taken time to adjust I am more impressed with some of the European signings than with the old familiar faces who can't cut it anymore. My criteria for all new signings is; minimum 6 feet tall, with a bit of muscle, without a long injury history, or with "glass ankles". No-one else need bother to apply. We've got quite enough " lightweights " on the book already.

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PezzaSaint added 15:54 - Oct 27 As a few have said, it would be a mistake to go straight back into the Premier League and become cannon fodder once again. The team is miles off being able to compete at the top of the Championship let alone the Premier League and we should be looking for consolation this season, particularly now after such a poor start. Therefore you could make an argument to keep Will Still in place and let him try and build a style of play that could develop a good side. I’m not convinced by him though and feel he should be sacked. His demeanour doesn’t inspire, his substitutions are strange and in most games this season we’ve handed the initiative to the opposition in the second half of games where I feel a manager worth his salt would find a way to manage games better and get us to the win.

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Jesus_02 added 16:41 - Oct 27 Change the Manager AGAIN if you want but we are going knowhere fast without a striker that can score 1 on 1 and can hold the ball up or a goal keeper that can command his box.
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saintmark1976 added 16:59 - Oct 27 How about sacking Spors and keeping Still ? After all, wasn’t Spors the doughnut who appointed him in the first place ?
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Boris1977 added 17:20 - Oct 27 We're in the sh*te and without a goal scorer or reliable defence we'll struggle. Sports Republic own this mess but don't have the will to sort it out. If Will goes who/what replaces him? Another obscure appointment who has to stabilise the club with the current crop of mediocrity at their disposal. How can owners get it wrong time after time? COYRs
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