It was quickly forgotten about, but it feels like a lifetime ago since Will Still was in the Southampton dug-out.
His awful reign in charge of the club feels insignificant now next to all the Spygate drama that has come out involving Tonda Eckert, but if Southampton hadn't had such a dire start to the season under the Belgian, they could have potentially gone up automatically.
It really was a terrible couple of months for Still in the St. Mary's hot-seat, as the 33-year-old only lasted 16 games in charge of the Championship club, before being handed his early P45.
Still's awful time in charge of Southampton
He would last longer than the likes of Steve Coppell and Nathan Jones, but that's hardly an achievement, as his life expectancy on the South Coast only stretched out to a sorry five months.
Picking up just four wins from his 16 games in charge, it was clear that Still was very much out of his depth in the Saints dug-out, having only ever been exposed to French football before being launched into the stressful managerial environment of the EFL.
Three straight losses to Bristol City, Blackburn Rovers, and Preston North End in October and early November would be the nail in the coffin for the promising head coach, who would have entered the English game optimistic that he would be a success.
After all, in Ligue 1, he had steered both Lens and Stade Reims to comfortable mid-table finishes, so Southampton taking a gamble on the wide-eyed manager did make sense.
Eckert would be just the spark Southampton's season needed after Still was put out of his misery, with the German - who is the exact same age as the unemployed Belgian - now waiting in limbo as to what the 2026/27 season will hold for him, after he was recently given a public backing by Saints owner Dragan Solak.
Still, after several months out of the beautiful game, looks set to make a return to the managerial hot-seat, while Eckert waits with bated breath for more penalties to come his way, with the ex-Lens boss hopeful he can show the masses that his stint at St. Mary's was nothing more than an unfortunate blip.
He could be back in a dug-out very soon
Reports from France indicate that Still is set to take on the reins at Auxerre, with talks between the 33-year-old and the Ligue 1 outfit at a 'very advanced stage.'
He would be picking up the pieces from a poor season in the French top-flight, with Christophe Pélissier nearly sending The Ajaists down to Ligue 2. This would bring his four-year reign at the club to a sad end, as he was dismissed at the close of a nail-biting season.
Still will be so desperate to show the wider footballing world that he is still a promising manager, rather than a washed-up figure, with the out-of-work boss once referred to as a "fine tactician" by his ex-Lens sporting director Pierre Dreossi.
He has had that reputation damaged by his uninspiring spell in England, where he looked clueless as to how he should switch things up to get the Saints back to winning ways.
In a strange turn of events, though, Still could be employed by a top-flight club next season, while Eckert is cast to one side with a banning order, depending on what transpires.
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