Soccer Football - Championship - Luton Town v Reading - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - November 1, 2022 Luton Town manager Nathan Jones applauds fans after the match Action Images/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Southampton reportedly have a verbal agreement to appoint Nathan Jones as their new manager following Ralph Hasenhuttl’s departure.Â
The Lowdown: Hasenhuttl’s exit
Following the Saints’ 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday, the south coast club decided to cut ties with Hasenhuttl, bringing an end to his tenure at St Mary’s on Monday morning.
It didn’t take long for Southampton to turn their attention to Jones, who was claimed to be the club’s first choice for a new manager.
It now appears that the Saints have taken a step closer to potentially appointing the current Luton Town boss as their new head coach.
The Latest: A verbal agreement
In a recent post on Twitter in which he shared a corresponding article for The Athletic, Southampton correspondent Jacob Tanswell shared an update on the situation.
He tweeted: “#SaintsFC have a verbal agreement in place with Luton Town for manager Nathan Jones. Personal terms are not expected to be an issue, with club wanting a new manager in before Liverpool. Not done yet, but the move is appearing likely.”
The Verdict: Quick work from Southampton
Given how quickly it has been from sacking Hasenhuttl to getting a verbal agreement from their reported first-choice replacement, this says to us that getting rid of the Austrian and having Jones on their radar has been in the pipeline for a while.
Across two spells in charge of Luton, the 49-year-old has overseen 302 games with the Championship club prior to tonight’s match against Stoke City. The Hatters have won 143 times on his watch, drawing 78 times and losing 81 matches along the way.
Would Nathan Jones be a good appointment for Southampton?
Yes
No
He got the club into the Championship play-offs last season despite the squad having the fourth-lowest market value in the division according to Transfermarkt.
While the Welshman has a decent amount of experience coaching and managing in English football, winning two promotions with the Hatters, Jones has yet to work in the Premier League.
That is why putting him in at the deep end at Southampton when they’re trying to avoid relegation could be a potential risk for the club.
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