Howe Drops Off Shortlist As Saints Narrow Their Search
Saints have removed Eddie Howe from their shortlist as they sound out potential replacements for Ronald Koeman in the St Mary's hot seat.
Eddie Howe has been taken off the shortlist compiled by Southampton Football Club according to the Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson, who as a journalist who made his name covering Saints for the Echo is closer than most to the club in the national press.
Although Howe's achievements at Bournemouth are impressive, after informal discussions both Saints & Howe himself are understood to be uneasy about the issues that might arise should Howe make the short journey East to St Mary's, he has attained god like status at the Cherries and unlike Koeman seems to be prepared to stick to his morals.
That is not to say that he will not be considered at some point in the future, but at the moment, the issues mentioned plus the fact that Saints felt thatat the meoment he just lacked that bit more experience in the European market means that he is now not under consideration.
Rudi Garcia is understood to be on that shortlist as is Frank De Boer, the first advantage of either being that they are currently not in employment meaning no compensation deals would have to be struck.
Garcia is the outsider at present although he has emerged as the bookies favourite, you get the feeling though that De Boer has the track record that Saints want, however they are looking for long term stability and the Koeman situation has perhaps unfairly made them wary of employing another coach from Holland who would arrive with a similar record to Koeman.
The list is understood to be completed by a third as yet un named foreign coach who could come from a number of names mentioned so far including Emery, Villas Boas, Pellegrini, Pereira and a new name who has moved up the list Ernesto Valverde.
Valverde has a decent track record in both his native Spain and with Olympiacos in Greece, he is currently with Athletico Bilbao where he has been since 2013.
He is now 10/1 with Sky bet and his odds are coming in fast.
Jeremy Wilson reports that Saints are keen to make an appointment by the end of next week at the latest, with the players or at least those who did not take part in the Euros in France, returning on Tuesday 28th June for preliminary fitness training, they want the new man in place by then.
Wilson goes on to state that the new man should have European experience and that the club are focusing on the Europa League as a big target this season and that he should also be very much a coach who gets out on the training ground.
All of the three men who are on the short list fit this profile, it is now only a case of deciding who is the first target and persuading him that joining Southampton Football Club offers a great opportunity, the reality is that in the last few years we have really progressed and that it truly does make an attractive proposition for all but the very elite managers in World football.
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