Southampton took the chance on the highly rated but unproven in English soccer Will Still last summer. Still had a good reputation from his time in Ligue 1, where he managed Stade de Reims and Racing Club de Lens. He had also previously impressed in Belgium with Beerschot and Lierse. However, he lasted just 16 games in charge of the Saints.
The South Coast side currently has its U21s coach, Tonda Eckert, in charge on an interim basis. It is unclear who the next Southampton manager will be. Their former manager, Russell Martin, is available after being sacked by Rangers, and former Portsmouth player Gary O'Neil has also been linked with the role.
Whilst there is uncertainty in the dugout, Southampton have been boosted on the field by the return of one of their former players.
After short stints at Barcelona and Chelsea, Oriol Romeu found a club to settle at in Southampton. The midfielder made over 250 appearances for the Saints, represented them in the Europa League, and was an EFL Cup runner-up.
Romeu left Southampton in 2022 and returned to Spain to play for Girona and Barcelona again. However, he is now back at St Mary's.
Which player is Southampton's Oriol Romeu most similar to?
According to the analytics platform FBref, Romeu is most similar to the current Fulham player Sander Berge. This is based on statistics, including types of passing, shots, and defensive play. Other players FBref lists Romeu as being like are Wolverhampton Wanderers' André, Fenerbahce's Edson Álvarez, and Tottenham Hotspur's Yves Bissouma.
Being similar to Berge will be a huge boost, as he starred in the Championship for Sheffield United. He finished second with the Blades during the 2022/23 season, which earned the Blades promotion back to the Premier League. Berge went on to star for Burnley and currently Fulham in English soccer's top flight. The midfielder also remains an international for Norway.
Whilst Romeu is now 34 and never played for Spain at the senior level, he represented them up to the U23s. He has also represented the Catalonia national football team. His CV is very impressive as it also includes Champions League and FA Cup winners' medals with Chelsea. Romeu also won La Liga and the Supercopa de España with Barcelona.
Romeu's experience should be a great influence on this Southampton side, in particular the club's younger defensive midfielders, Flynn Downes and Shea Charles.
There have been reports that James Ward-Prowse could return to Southampton in January. The Saints legend is currently frozen out under Nuno Espirito Santo at West Ham United. To have two experienced midfielders in Romeu and Ward-Prowse could be good for the Saints, but they will need younger legs around them.
Whoever Southampton's next manager will be, they will have a huge job turning their season around. The Saints are currently 19th in the Championship. However, their eventual goal will be to return the club to the Premier League. They will need experienced players such as Romeu to achieve this feat.