Fans will not remember Ivan Jurić's time at Southampton fondly. That's putting it lightly; he was one of Southampton's worst managers of all time.
Ivan Jurić was brought in halfway through the 2023/24 season to avoid relegation. Instead, he guaranteed it. Watching Southampton play under Ivan Jurić was woeful to say the least.
The Croatian manager promised to bring heavy metal football to St Mary's. It's just a shame that his strings were completely out of tune, and it had Southampton fans thinking the vinyl was scratched.
Lo and behold, he was sent packing before the season even ended. He had all but guaranteed relegation for the Saints at this point, but it didn't take him long to find his new club.
Jurić joined Atalanta as manager in June. Despite his awful Premier League reputation, he's still held in high regard in Italy.
Ivan Jurić is working wonders with former Southampton player
Just shy of one month after being appointed, Ivan Jurić turned his attention back to Southampton, where he signed one of the Saints' most promising players, Kamaldeen Sulemana.
Sulemana has since made four Serie A appearances and netted his first Atalanta goal at the weekend. He also provided an assist in that match, a stellar performance.
So, is Sulemana off the mark? Has Ivan Jurić poached one of Southampton's prized assets and is about to make them regret it?
Well, it's not quite as dramatic as that. He was always bound to leave Southampton, as one of the players who isn't quite good enough for the Premier League but too good for the Championship.
That said, Sulemana's 10/10 performance at the weekend does put one very ugly truth in the spotlight for Southampton: Sulemana is capable of great performances, and he can be a threat to opposing defenders when given an opportunity.
Ivan Jurić recognized this when he coached Southampton last season. Sulemana was one of the diamonds in the rough during that tricky period, and if he was given more chances when playing for Southampton, it might have been different.
It's never nice to see a former player achieve success elsewhere, no less when they're coached by a former coach that everybody hated. Unfortunately, this is just part and parcel of being a Southampton fan in the 21st century.