Former Saints keeper believes fans should be patient with Will Still
Former Southampton goalkeeper Paul Jones thinks new manager Will Still can be a success.
But, fans may have to wait for his stamp on the team to start showing.
The Saints’ season kicks off on Saturday as they welcome newly-promoted Wrexham to St Mary’s in what will be Still’s first professional game as manager.
After relegation from the Premier League, Chairman Dragan Šolak moved to appoint the young Englishman from RC Lens.
Jones, who played over 200 times for Southampton, believes an immediate push for promotion may be harder than people believe.
Speaking to business consultants Champions (UK) plc, he said: “It might be tough. The teams around them are strong, you’ve got clubs that have been in the Championship for a while or have come down from the Premier League and are now looking to go back up. It’s the same situation for Southampton.
“Their first game is a big one, against Wrexham, which will be massive for Wrexham as they’ve just come up to the Championship. There’s always an edge to those kinds of games.
“And of course, we’ve got the return of the Pompey derbies, which is something new and exciting we haven’t had for a while. If the manager and team can get off to a decent start, build some momentum, and get the fans behind them, I think they’ll do very well. It’s going to be tough, like I said, but a decent start could definitely help ease tension early on.
“He’s a bit unknown over here. Time will tell. Although I think a good start will help, I do also believe you’ve got to give him 10 or 12 games to really get his stamp on the team. I know he’s had pre-season, but it still takes time.
“I wouldn’t really look at the league table seriously until after 10 games, by then, you start to get a proper sense of where you are. He’ll be learning as he goes along, and hopefully he’ll learn quickly. If he does, and the team starts picking up points, that’ll be key.”
Last season’s number one Aaron Ramsdale recently left the Saints for Premier League high-flyers Newcastle, in a season-long loan deal.
Former goalkeeper Jones, who won 1998 Southampton Player of the Season, thinks Ramsdale will be a big miss for their upcoming Championship campaign.
“Obviously, he did really well last season,” he continued. “Especially considering how many shots he was facing and the team in front of him to be honest just not being very good.
“He’ll fit in well at Newcastle. It’s a good move for him. Eddie Howe knows him from his time at Bournemouth, so I think he’ll settle quickly and do well if he gets his chance there.
“I think we all assumed he could be off in the summer after relegation, but it’s still big shoes to fill despite being in a lower division.”
Jones was speaking at the Farmfoods British Par 3 Championships at Nailcote Hall, where he plays in both the Pro and Celeb-Am sides of the competition.