Nicholl's teams prove to be frighteningly enigmatic, but capable, very occasionally, of playing some scintillating football. The highpoints of his six years in the proverbial hot seat are reaching the semi-final of the F.A. Cup in 1986.
The glittering emergence of Matthew Le Tissier, a debut hat-trick from the seventeen year old Alan Shearer during a 4-2 home victory over Arsenal in April 1989. A spectacular 4-1 triumph over eventual League champions Liverpool at the Dell in October 1989, in which LeTissier and Rod Wallace were particularly outstanding; and …if the referee in the Liverpool semi at White Hart Lane hadn't taken such a benign attitude to the consistent collaring of Steve Moran and Danny Wallace and, with the score at 0-0 and Mark Wright hadn't broken his leg it might have been us at Wembley!?
At the end of the 1990-91 season Chris Nichol is cordially deposed and Crystal Palace first team coach Ian Branfoot is appointed manager. He had formerly been youth and reserve team coach at the Dell, under McMenemy, and manager of Reading. His arrival does not lead to euphoria, rather, knowing looks and sniggering from Southampton's small but prominent population of Reading supporters. The lack of enthusiasm mutates to suspicion when veteran midfielder Jimmy Case is shown the door.
Ian Branfoot's two and a half year incumbency is not remembered for its football. It painfully recalls Saints' forwards in frantic but futile pursuit of long, high balls. A disciplinary record worse than Wimbledon's, a bemused Le Tissier stranded on the left hand side of a midfield. Car park protests, anguished letters to the Echo and the Pink, rocketing sales of fanzines, more car park protests, the formation of the Southampton Independent Supporters Association, the mass flourishing of red cards from terraces and stands, further car park protests, some spectacular goals from nowhere from Matty, and the return, in December 1993, of Lawrie McMenemy, as Director of Football.
Premier League Giants:- In January 1994 Ian Branfoot departed and was quickly replaced by Exeter Manager and former Saints' and England immortal Alan Ball. He was received rapturously despite a far from magnificent managerial record but then Rasputin would have got a "big hello" after Branfoot.
Saints, inspired by a new system that revolved around the fulgent Le Tissier, sparkled for the next year and a half, until, in the summer of 1995, after a massive financial inducement from Manchester City chairman Francis Lee, Ball moved north complaining that the Southampton board didn't love him anymore; or words to that effect.
Reserve team coach Dave Merrington stepped into the breach vacated by Alan Ball for the 1995-96 season. He will have the eternal affection of the Dell faithful for his stint as youth team coach and developing the likes of the Wallace twins, Alan Shearer, Nicky Banger, Matt Le Tissier … to name but a few, but his season in charge was not encouraging and culminated in a nail-bighter at the Dell against Wimbledon where a draw was enough to keep them in the Premier League. Ironically Alan Ball's Manchester City, who drew with Liverpool, took the downward plunge into the oblivion of the Football League.
Next in line? Step forward Greame Souness! A sometimes awkward but, fairly, sweet 1996-97 season (results don't get much sweeter than 6-3 humiliations of Man.U.) is soured as, after, or during, discussions with new chairman Rupert Lowe on the future of what is now Southampton Leisure Services plc both manager and Director of Football, McMenemy, "walk out" on the club.
The new boy is former Everton defender David Jones, who made his name in Southampton when the Stockport County side he managed eliminated them from the Worthington Cup the preceding season.
Page Six: The History Of Southampton Football Club 1997 - 2010