Southampton next manager: Portsmouth hero shock contender for St Mary’s job
Portsmouth’s rivalry with Southampton is no doubt one of the fiercest in the country.
After Pompey secured their Championship survival last week with two games to spare, it is now certain that the South Coast derby with occur next season for the first time since 2019.
This is thanks to Southampton’s struggles in the top-flight, with the club currently bottom after they became the quickest side to be ever relegated from the Premier League.
With the anticipation for the derby next season at a high, there could be a potential twist in the match, which will no doubt disgruntle a few of the Fratton Park faithful.
Gary O’Neil a contender for Southampton manager position
There is no doubt that Southampton need a big rebuild this summer. As it stands, the Saints could still end the campaign as the joint-worst team in Premier League history as they sit on 11 points with four games left to play.
The club have now gone through two permanent managers this season after Ivan Juric was sacked for his failure to keep Southampton up.
With the Saints now eyeing a replacement, former Portsmouth star Gary O’Neil has been linked with the job.
The former midfielder came through Pompey’s academy and made nearly 200 appearances for the club before leaving in 2007. During this time, he played a crucial role in Portsmouth’s promotion to the Premier League in 2003 when they won the First Division title.
Since retiring in 2019, he has stepped into management and was in charge of Wolves until December.
| Gary O’Neil teams managed | Win percentage |
| Bournemouth | 29.73 |
| Wolves | 31.75 |
Now, according to Oddschecker (29 April), the 41-year-old is one of the favourites to take over at Southampton.
Some bookies believe the odds of him joining the Saints are just 5/2.
O’Neil would ruin his Portsmouth legacy by going to Southampton
If O’Neil did go to Southampton, he would burn all bridges with Portsmouth.
The former Saints star was not just a player who was at the club for a few years, but instead was a key player who came through the academy in Portsmouth’s golden years.
For him to go to Southampton when Pompey are set to play them next season would be unforgivable.
Hopefully, this is just all speculation from the bookies and O’Neil finds a job elsewhere.