Southampton: Five alternatives to Jardim if Saints sack Mark Hughes

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DOETINCHEM, NETHERLANDS – AUGUST 12: Feyenoord Manager / Head Coach, Giovanni van Bronckhorst gives his players instructions during the Eredivisie match between De Graafschap and Feyenoord at Stadion De Vijverberg on August 12, 2018 in Doetinchem, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Southampton have, on the whole, done really well when recruiting from the Netherlands since their return to the top flight, and arguably their biggest success was bringing in Dutch legend Ronald Koeman.

The 55-year-old guided the Saints to a sixth-place finish, something which seems totally crazy just two years later. If the blueprint worked last time, then maybe it will again, and that’s why Van Bronckhorst could be a possible option for Southampton.

In a era of Ajax and PSV dominance, the Dutchman guided Feyenoord to an Eredivisie title in 2017 while keeping up a strong domestic bias with their squad being mostly homegrown talents. Van Bronckhorst may seem like a manager out of the Saints’ reach but many thought that about Koeman before we joined the club.

At 43 he’s young and hungry and would almost certainly relish the chance to test himself in a tougher league.