Next Southampton manager odds: Russell Martin no longer the favourite after Will Still was sacked

Relegation to the Championship has been compounded this season by a series of dismal performances, with Saints now languishing in 19th in the league.

With just three wins to their name, manager Will Still was sacked by the board, having been brought on board at the end of last season.

Southampton’s group technical director Johannes Spors said: “Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results.

“Ultimately that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked. By making a change now we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table.”

In the aftermath of his departure, fans were pleading with the board to bring back Russell Martin.

The Englishman was at the helm during the 2023/24 campaign, and spearheaded Saints to a run of 25 games unbeaten, which still stands today as a club record. Even though he floundered in the Premier League and was eventually sacked, he has a proven history in the Championship - and Southampton simply need to avoid relegation this season.

But according to SportsCasting, interim manager Tonda Eckert has made a staunch claim for the permanent job, and Martin is no longer the bookies’ favourite.

Spokesperson Shane Orton said: “Interim boss Tonda Eckert has seen his odds shorten to 2/1 after a strong start to life in charge with a win at QPR, showing that the market is backing him to continue the momentum.

“Meanwhile, two former Saints bosses, Russell Martin and Ralph Hasenhuttl, remain firm contenders at 3/1 and 5/1 respectively, keeping the race for the next permanent manager wide open.”

Here are the full odds for the next Southampton manager:

Tonda Eckert 2/1

Russell Martin 3/1

Ralph Hasenhuttl 5/1

Gary O’Neil 11/2

Michael Carrick 6/1

Brendan Rodgers 8/1

Lee Carsley 8/1

Steven Gerrard 10/1

Alex Revell 12/1

David Wagner 12/1

Mark Robins 12/1

Frank Lampard 14/1

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 14/1

Carlos Corberan 16/1

Paul Heckingbottom 16/1

Ange Postecoglou 20/1

Liam Manning 20/1

Liam Rosenior 20/1

Michael Skubala 20/1

Paul Trollope 20/1