Southampton next manager odds: Who is favourite to replace Russell Martin?

WHO will be Southampton's next manager?

That's the question ons everybody's lips following the departure of Russell Martin, who was sacked following Sunday's 5-0 thrashing against Tottenham.

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Martin, 38, guided the Saints to promotion last year in his first season in charge, but it's been a disappointing return to the top tier of English football.

Southampton are rock-bottom of the division and nine points adrift from safety following a run of 13 defeats in their opening 16 matches of the 2024-25 campaign.

Martin managed just one Premier League victory against Everton in November, but has lost five of the last six and conceded FIVE in each of his last two home games against Chelsea and Spurs.

With the club having also scored a league-low 11 goals, Southampton chiefs made the decision to part ways with Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take interim charge of the senior side.

But who will be next in the dugout?

It could be viewed as a bit of a poison chalice given no team has ever had five points or fewer at this stage of a Premier League campaign and avoided relegation.

It's a wide-open betting market with favourites swapping frequently at this early stage, but the latest frontrunner is former Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand at Evens.