Saints supporters heading for St Mary's on Sunday wondered whether Will Still would be at the game and secondly whether he would be appointed before or after the game, they found the answer shortly before kick off.
The announcement that Saints have a new first team manager and the phrase used was Manager and not Head Coach, came in the run up to the kick off against Arsenal, although there were few Saints supporters who didn't think that this would happen by that time.
Southampton Football Club announced their new first team manager with the following statement:
Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Will Still as its new Men’s First Team Manager.
Still has agreed a three-year contract at St Mary’s, having most recently been in charge of French Ligue 1 club RC Lens.
The 32-year-old has carved out a reputation as one of the brightest young coaching talents in Europe, with his standing having been shaped across his impressive time working in Belgium and France.
He most recently guided Lens to an eighth-place finish in France’s top flight this season, a spell that followed a successful two years in the same league with Reims, where he became the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues and also shot to prominence after guiding the team to a record-breaking 19 games unbeaten in the 2022/23 campaign.
Prior to his time in France, Still worked as a coach in Belgium – the country of his birth to English parents – with Lierse and Beerschot.
Group Technical Director Johannes Spors said: "Will is a young, innovative manager who has already gained significant experience throughout his career, and we have been extremely impressed both by his track record and our conversations with him.
"What was very apparent in our discussions was the clarity of his philosophy and the identity he wants his teams to have, but also his willingness and ability to adapt to different situations as they present themselves, which will be an important quality in the Championship next season.
"We were very impressed by his personality and his values, and we feel he will be an excellent fit for the culture we are looking to build at Staplewood.”
Will Still said: "I’m extremely proud and excited to have joined Southampton – there is huge potential here and we have a great opportunity to do something special.
"The project that has been laid out to me is very impressive and, all together, I believe we can build a clear identity and a very positive future for the team.
"I can’t wait to meet you, the fans. I look forward to hearing you in voice, and feeling the energy and belief at St Mary’s and beyond.
"I’m eager to get to work this summer and start building a close-knit group that can make everyone proud and ultimately get us back to where we belong; in the Premier League.”
Whilst I would expect social media lighting up with suitably raging supporters slagging off Sport Republic for appointing such an unknown and inexperienced manager, this was not the mood amongst most Saints fans in the pub I went in before and after the game.
Whilst not exactly buzzing with excitement about the arrival of Still, most seemed to be of the mind that he is here now, we have to get behind him.
Those who seem to think that appointing young inexperienced coaches with little track record is a Sport Republic thing, history reveals that most managers appointed at the club have not been in the experienced with a proven track record category.
Back in 1955 Ted Bates had been reserve team coach at the Dell for under two years when he was given the job as first team manager, Chris Nicholl had just two years as assistant manager at Grimsby under his belt when he succeeded him and going forward with the likes of Branfoot, Alan Ball & Dave Merrington, the appointments were all not about appointing managers that had the track records that excited the fans.
Indeed when we did appoint experience such as Graeme Souness, Harry Redknapp & Mark Hughes is was not a case of raging success.
So Will Still is the latest in a line of managers who arrive at the club who are in the up and coming bracket rather than been there and done it, more often than not it has worked out.
So welcome Will Still to Southampton, I truly hope that you get the backing both from those in charge of the club and those supporting it to get a fair crack of the whip at the task ahead in the Championship next season.