Tom Cleverley was in attendance at the under-21s match between Manchester City and Southampton, having been linked to the Saints job, according to Joe Bray.
It has been a season of little enjoyment for Southampton, one that saw them relegated from the Premier League with seven games remaining in the campaign, the quickest any team has been confirmed for the drop. Russell Martin’s persistence with his possession-based style of football that earned Southampton promotion was ultimately what got him sacked.
In Martin’s place, Southampton turned to Ivan Juric but the Croatian was unable to turn the club’s fortunes around. Soon after the Saints’ relegation was confirmed, Juric departed St Mary’s. Since then, Simon Rusk has been in interim charge of the club, but it is clear they will look for a new face in the summer.
Southampton have been linked with a number of managers, though it appears they might be close to appointing a particular name.
Southampton Like Cleverley
Manager was in attendance at youth match
Tom Cleverley
Joe Bray of the Manchester Evening News has reported that, at a recent under-21s clash between Manchester City and Southampton, Tom Cleverley was in attendance. The former midfielder recently completed his first season as a senior manager, guiding Watford to a mid-table finish.
Watford, who at the turn of the year were in contention for the play-offs, were favourites for relegation at the beginning of the campaign. It is a testament to the work Cleverley did, then, given that the Hornets finished well-clear of the bottom three. Despite this, Cleverley was still sacked in the summer, a decision that received much criticism.
Watford's 24/25 Season
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A much-appreciated manager who is now out of work, Cleverley’s recent sacking would make him a perfect target for Southampton, who would not have to pay a fee to acquire him. The Saints have already been linked with Cleverley in their search for a new manager.
As proven with Martin two seasons ago, a capable Championship manager is more than able to achieve great things with Southampton, should they make smart additions in the transfer window.
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( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 23/05/2025 )
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