Southampton set sights on ‘fantastic young coach’ shining in France’s Ligue 1

Fri 14 March 2025 19:15, UK

TBR Football can exclusively confirm that Southampton have set their sights on a “fantastic young coach” currently plying his trade in France.

The Saints currently have Ivan Juric in the dugout, but he hasn’t managed to turn the south coast’💙s fortunes around.

Southampton currently sit bottom of the table on just nine points, 14 points from safety and all-ꦿbut set for relegation.

Saints seem to already🅷 be looking ahead to next season and are looking for someone else to take th🧔e reins from Juric at the end of the campaign.

Photo by Sathiri Kelpa/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Southampton eyeing Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior

TBR Football chief correspondent Graeme Bailey understands that Chelsea owners BlueCo face a battle🧔 to keep hold of Liam Rose♔nior.

Rosenior succeeded Patrick Vieira as Strasbourg head coach last summer and he has done an outs𒆙t🅷anding job.

The Alsace club are curr𝄹ently seventh in Ligue 1 – just four points off Monaco in fourth.

TBR Football understands that a number of club✅s around Europe havꦏe been alerted to Rosenior’s performance in France.

🤡We understand BluꦓeCo are delighted with Rosenior and would be loathed to lose him, but they also understand the interest emerging given the job he has done.

We can now reveal that Rosenior is on Southampton’s radar as they prepare to move on from Ivan Juric this ✨summer – as he has 🧜a break clause in his contract which they will use.

Sheffiel♓d Wednesday’s Danny Rohl is another name they are considering but he has a release which TBR Football understands is around £5million and could be🌠 an issue.

What Liam Rosenior could bring to Southampton

Rosenio♛r began his coaching career in 2022 as Derby County’s caretaker🀅 manager before taking the Hull City reins later that year.

The ♏40-year-oldꦰ then parted company with the Tigers in May 2024 and joined Strasbourg two months later.

Rosenior replaced Patrick Vieira🦩, who had left by mutual consent after finishing 13th in the Ligue 1 table in 2023/24.

Strasbourg are currently s✃eventh in ☂the table, just four points off a Champions League spot, thanks to Rosenior’s great work.

recentꦑly wrote: ‘Rosenior has created a team that is over achieving their xP (expected points) by 7.23 after 25 league games which is currently the highest overachievement in Ligue 1.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
15	EvertonEverton	28	7	12	9	31	35	-4	33
16	West HamWest Ham	28	9	6	13	32	48	-16	33
17	WolvesWolves	28	6	5	17	38	57	-19	23
18	IpswichIpswich	28	3	8	17	26	58	-32	17
19	LeicesterLeicester	28	4	5	19	25	62	-37	17
20	SouthamptonSouthampton	28	2	3	23	20	68	-48	9

💞‘This is by no means a coincidence, his side hav♔e taken to his possession dominant, high-pressing system like a duck to water.

‘This can only be attributed to Rosenior’s exc⛦eptional ability to work with young player🅠s as Strasbourg have by far the youngest squad in Ligue 1 at 21.8 years.

‘Rosenior is very versatile with the way in which he sets his team up on paper, varyin🤡g from a; 3-4-2-1, 4-4-1-1 and 433.

‘These formations allow for great defensive coverage against other attacking outfits whilst being able to seemles💖sly transition into their in- possession 3-2-5 shape.

‘The𒁏 wingbacks stay high and wide, really stretching the opposition which in turn allows the number 10’s to create a box midfield with the pivot.’

They concluded: ‘To summarise, L💯iam Rosenior is a fantastic young coach who fits the identity perfectly of Strasbourg and the direction in which the BlueCo group want to t🦹ake the club.

‘A progressive coach too, taking inspirat𝓰ion and ideas from the very best managers at the top of the game – to help refine and shape his own ideas.’

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Southampton set sights on ‘fantastic young coach’ shining in France’s Ligue 1

Southampton eyeing Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior

What Liam Rosenior could bring to Southampton