Elisabeth Kübler-Ross may well have been thinking about the Saints fans reactions to appointing a new manager when she came up with the five stages of grief model. As the end of Ralph Hasenhuttl's four year reign came to a sad but inevitable conclusion, following on from a 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle, there was a palpable sense of intrigue and excitement amongst the fanbase as we waited to hear who would be next.
Ralph does a perfect impression of Saints fans opening Oddschecker on Monday afternoon...
Gallardo...Jaissle...could even Poch come back? The Twitter crayonistas were in their flush until they'd pumped out the Oddschecker web address with their elbows to find the favourite for the role was the lesser-fancied Nathan Jones of Luton fame, and Stoke infamy. Denial and anger had raised their quisling faces and the roars of plenty could be heard rather louder than they had been around St. Mary's recently.
As the feisty Welshman travels south today to, presumably, seal the deal to become Southampton's next head coach, with all of two days of reflection behind us, is it quite as mad a choice as we might be fearing?
Firstly though, a word or two on Ralph.
We all knew that things were coming to a head. He knew. The players knew. We were all really just waiting for the World Cup break, when the inevitable was going to happen. Sadly though, despite actually being the better side (how strange to say that about a 4-1 defeat), Newcastle put paid to any drawn-out agony, and with our strikers misfiring once again, Ralph's fate was sealed.
Regardless of what you might read in the Daily Echo's Facebook comments section, on reflection Ralph did a terrific job at Southampton, but was ultimately worn down and broken by the end. Four years of absolute commitment to a project that shifted frequently under his feet, the guy kept Southampton in the top division, despite a total lack of investment and disinterest from the chairman for the majority of his time at the club. Think back on it - he kept us clear of relegation, whilst having a centre back group comprising of Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Polish own-goal machine. Jack can't get a game currently at Bournemouth, the Beanstalk has become a figure of derision and comedy at Leicester, and the O-G Pole has been busy warming his bottom on Villa's bench, whilst (possibly) firing barbs at the manager from afar. The Athletic to confirm....
Southampton's CB options under most of Ralph's reign
How do you keep a club in the top division with those players? Think on that. It's a triumph of coaching, and at the same time, enough to wear down even the toughest of men. He should leave with his head held high, and our eternal gratitude. It's not an exaggeration to believe that he saved our club. If we'd been relegated under Gao's stewardship, the ramifications don't bear thinking about. Thank you, Ralph. He'd be an excellent choice for Rangers if they fire Van Bronkhorst, despite what any throbbing tub of bitterness in Australia might say.
Thank you, Ralph.
So, what of the new guy?
Like most observers, I've gone through a process of concern, surprise, and now some kind of reconciliation with the choice. It's not one anyone outside of the club would have locked in, but in reality, we also don't have teams of data analysts and successful football men to guide us to the choice. Ultimately we, as fans, need to trust the knowledge of Rasmus Ankersen and his team - he's not exactly had a bad record of picking the right managers at the right time. For all the teeth-gnashing about not getting a 'proven top level manager', there needs to be a sense of reality about our ability to shift someone like Matthias Jaissle across, and a realisation that though Marcelo Gallardo's record at River Plate is pretty mighty, the reality is that he's never managed a team outside of Argentina, and would represent at least as much of a risk as a talented young coach from England's second tier. It reminds me somewhat of Brighton's decision to hire a guy that had taken a Swedish club through the divisions, and then got a well regarded Championship club to tenth. That didn't work out so bad.
What Jones will bring the club, and which we desperately need, is an injection of energy and enthusiasm. He's an infectious character - annoying to opposition clubs and managers (and hey, that's no bad thing) - and is proactive throughout game situations. Those are two things that 'latter day Ralph' was struggling with. His zest had been well and truly grated by the end, and supporters (and possibly players) often felt his in-game decisions were too reactive. Jones won't do that. He'll act, and he'll be buzzing up and down the touchline. As long as they respond correctly to his introduction, the players will get a much needed lift of energy too. Whisper it quietly, but perhaps Jones can bring the confidence back. Anyone with that level of enthusiasm will take people with them, and those that don't want to go on that journey will be left behind.
Mad ball of energy, Nathan Jones
He's done a remarkable job at Luton, and he's tactically smart. Listen to Paul Ince talk about doing his coaching badges with Jones. He used to annoy Ince (not hard, granted) with his absolute attention to detail, and unbreakable desire to keep on learning more...more...more.
Are there risks? Of course there are. There's a risk that the players won't buy-in to someone who isn't a 'name'. If that's the case though, well we're better off without those with that attitude. Yes, his time at Stoke was a failure, but anyone with knowledge of the club will know that there were a number of mitigating circumstances there (and they've hardly pushed on since he left). Alongside that, he will have learned a lot for that experience. Much as Eddie Howe will have learned a lot from his doomed period managing Burnley. More pertinent is the fact he's never finished a season in a lower position than previously. That's no small task at a club with the resources of Luton. He creates unity, a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. He coaches players to make as fast a transition to attack and creating chances as possible. That's mana for Southampton FC right now. It even sounds a bit....Poch-like.
Worried? Yes, of course. Excited? Absolutely. And we all should be. Put down the pitchforks for the moment, and wait and see. It could be quite the ride.
COYR!