Southampton: Five alternatives to Jardim if Saints sack Mark Hughes

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BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: Mark Hughes manager of Southampton during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Southampton FC at Vitality Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

With just one league win from nine, Mark Hughes’ future as Southampton manager remains unclear, especially with a host of replacements available.

One of these possible options is Leonardo Jardim, who has been earmarked over the past week or so as a replacement following his dismissal from Monaco after four years in charge. The 44-year-old would be quite the coup from the Saints if they managed to entice him in, but stranger things have happened.

Whoever the replacement is though, Southampton need to make a decision regarding Hughes’ future relatively soon, as last campaign they delayed and delayed with Pellegrino and almost left it too late with Hughes himself only just saving the Saints from the drop.

The Welshman was rightly given the job full-time but his side have not shown that grit and determination they did at the tail end of last season. He came in to install that stability factor but after nine league games we’ve seen the exact opposite, and fans are now fearing the worst.

So, if Hughes is removed from his position and Jardim isn’t a viable option to replace him, what other managers should Southampton pursue?