SOUTHAMPTON, England :At just 32, Will Still speaks with the conviction of a veteran tactician as he outlines his blueprint to resurrect a Southampton side still reeling from one of English football’s most calamitous campaigns.
The Belgian-born English coach has wasted no time setting out his stall after signing a three-year deal with the recently relegated Saints, who endured Premier League ignominy as the first team to lose 30 matches in a 38-game season.
“I don’t like to sit in and wait and be passive,” Still told reporters at St Mary’s after witnessing Southampton’s defeat by Arsenal. “I’d like our teams to dominate, to go and press, to be as aggressive as we can be.”
Still arrives fresh from guiding RC Lens to eighth place in France’s Ligue 1, and his appointment represents a bold statement from a club desperate to bounce back from a season that yielded a paltry 12 points.
Southampton’s dramatic fall mirrors the rapid rise of their new manager, who has quickly built a reputation for high-octane football during his brief but impressive career.
“We want to be high up the pitch and in the opposition’s third as much as possible,” said Still, articulating the antithesis of the football that saw Southampton sink with barely a whimper.
His philosophy extends beyond tactical diagrams to the club’s fractured culture. “It’s about creating that environment where we’re here to win and we want to win consistently,” he explained.
“I want to create this high-energy team with good humans who actually enjoy doing ultimately the best job in the world.”
With five weeks before pre-season begins, Still is already immersing himself in all things Southampton, studying past matches and familiarising himself with his new surroundings.
“It allows you to come back in for pre-season and just hit the ground running,” he said – precisely what Saints supporters will be hoping for as they look to return their club to the Premier League at the first attempt.
(Editing by Christian Radnedge)
