Southampton ponder appointment of former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch
Jesse Marsch has not been out of work long, after being sacked by Leeds United just a week ago. However, there is now a vacancy at Southampton and Marsch could be the man to fill it.
Southampton lost 2-1 to ten-man Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend which prompted the departure of Nathan Jones. The club sit at the foot of the division and is in desperate need of a saviour.
According to The Athletic, “Marsch is being considered for the vacancy at Southampton. Despite his struggles at Leeds, Marsch continues to be admired by Southampton which could open the door for an immediate return to the Premier League.”
Is Marsch the man to save Southampton?
Marsch’s record at Leeds in the league this season is four wins, six draws and ten defeats. This is relegation form, so Southampton fans will not be too convinced if Marsch is appointed.
If Marsch does take the job at St Mary’s then many fans of the U.S. men’s national team will be disappointed. Marsch has been linked with taking over the USMNT for this World Cup cycle. The USA are co-hosting the tournament in 2026 and with Marsch considered the country’s best coach, a lot of people want to see him in charge of the Stars and Stripes.
There is a long way to go until the next World Cup and Marsch is unlikely to find a job that he will be in for over three years. However, the USMNT will want to appoint someone soon, so they can implement their ideas on the squad.
Staying in European club football will be tempting for Marsch, he has a point to prove and he could be in charge against his old side Leeds when Southampton travel to Elland Road later this month.
What are Southampton’s other options?
The Daily Mail has reported that. “They are also open to appointing an overseas boss which could see a renewed move for Torino manager Ivan Juric. The Croatian has supporters among the St Mary’s hierarchy who were keen to appoint him last year but he was deemed too expensive before Jones was appointed in November.”
Torino is currently seventh in Serie A, so Juric is unlikely to leave a club doing well to take the job at Southampton. They would have a better chance of appointing a manager who is available.
Football Insider has revealed, “Southampton have joined Leeds United in the battle to lure feted Argentine coach Marcelo Gallardo.” He is out of work, having left River Plate after eight years.
Gallardo was always linked with a move to Europe but opted to stay at River long-term. This opportunity would be a bit of a coup as the manager has won the Copa Libertadores twice. However, after being at a club for so long, he will likely not rush into a new job.
Southampton has a tough match against Chelsea this weekend. They need a manager who can deliver a bounce, and hit the ground running to get them some much-needed points in their quest to stay up.