Southampton fans have had to endure some miserable managerial stints in recent years at their beloved club.
Ivan Juric was meant to lift the club out of their relegation hole in the Premier League, when Russell Martin was dismissed mid-way through the 2024/25 campaign, but the forgettable Croat just piled the misery on even more by only being able to collect a abysmal two wins from 16 matches.
Will Still didn't fare any better the following season, as the ill-fitting Belgian only managed to muster up four wins, from the exact same amount of games as the 50-year-old.
Thankfully, even with the drama of Spygate souring his reputation, it goes without saying that handing Tonda Eckert the reins was a success, next to the horror show appointments of Juric and Still, with a stunning 21 victories collected from 35 games as the Saints' permanent boss.
Eckert could have looked out of his depth, being bumped up from the U21s to the main managerial role, but he stepped into the dugout confidently.
The same can't be said for Nathan Jones, who looked in over his head throughout his disastrous stay on the South Coast...
Jones' disastrous Southampton reign
There was a lot to initially like about Jones' appointment when he was handed the Premier League job in late 2022.
The passionate Welshman had turned Luton Town into Championship playoff material, after first taking on the Hatters vacancy when the club were marooned in League Two.
But, it proved to be too big of a step for Jones when being handed the daunting task of managing the Saints in the top-flight, as he went on to steer the relegation candidates to just one Premier League win from eight outings.
Jones' Saints record vs Juric + Still:
Manager | Games | Wins / Draws / Losses | Win percentage % |
|---|---|---|---|
Nathan Jones | 14 | 5 / 0 / 9 | 35.71% |
Ivan Juric | 16 | 2 / 1 /13 | 12.5% |
Will Still | 16 | 4 / 6 / 6 | 25% |
Overall, he would last just 14 games in the St. Mary's hotseat before he was handed his marching orders, with both Juric and Still somehow lasting longer, despite being car crashes in their own right.
He has managed to salvage his dented reputation in the beautiful game in recent years with Charlton Athletic, with Jones bringing Championship football back to the Valley at the close of the 2024/25 season.
He also kept the Addicks up at the first time of asking last campaign, with 19th spot secured, but he is staring another dire situation in the face right now in Greenwich.
He's deep in another dire situation now
It has come to light that Charlton has been put up for sale, meaning the Addicks are on the lookout for their fifth owner in six years.
This hardly screams of stability, and with Charlton just suffering a 3-0 pre-season defeat to League One opponents Reading, Jones won't be entering into the brand-new Championship season full to the brim with optimism.
Plenty of Charlton fans on social media seem to be losing their patience with the state of their dear club, and if his Southampton spell is anything to go by, Jones doesn't always perform well when the mood is toxic.
He will be given some time at the start of the season, but it will be intriguing to see if he's still in the Addicks dugout when he clashes with Eckert and Co. on Boxing Day, or whether he's been handed the sack.
Add us as a preferred source on Google