Rohl Tipped to Take Over at St Mary’s as Next Southampton Manager Odds Favourite Amid Managerial Shake-Up
Southampton Football Club is undergoing significant managerial changes following a challenging 2024–25 Premier League season. After a series of disappointing results, including a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham that confirmed their relegation, the club parted ways with manager Ivan Juric, who had been in charge for just over three months.
In the search for a new manager, Danny Röhl has emerged as the frontrunner. Currently managing Sheffield Wednesday, Röhl has impressed by steering the team away from relegation threats and into contention for playoff spots in the Championship. His previous experience as an assistant at Southampton under Ralph Hasenhüttl adds to his appeal. Bookmakers have positioned him as the clear favorite for the role, with odds as low as 1/2.
Other candidates reportedly under consideration include Liam Rosenior, currently managing French side Strasbourg, and Will Still, the young manager of Lens. However, Rosenior’s potential move could be complicated due to Strasbourg’s ownership ties with Chelsea’s parent company, BlueCo.
As Southampton aims to rebuild and return to the Premier League, the appointment of a new manager will be a critical step in setting the club’s future direction. Let’s take a look at some potential candidates and their betting odds for 2025.
Next Southampton Manager Odds
| Manager | Odds | Betting Site |
|---|---|---|
| Danny Rohl | 6/4 | BetVictor |
| Gary O’Neil | 4/1 | LiveScore Bet |
| Will Still | 12/1 | Parimatch |
| Steven Gerrard | 12/1 | Bet365 |
| Chris Davies | 20/1 | BetVictor |
| Chris Hughton | 33/1 | Unibet |
| John Terry | 33/1 | BetMGM |
Danny Rohl
Once again, Danny Rohl finds himself leading the race to become Southampton’s next manager—just as he did last December when the role was last up for grabs. Bookmakers are backing the current Sheffield Wednesday boss as the frontrunner, offering odds of 6/4 for him to take the reins at St Mary’s.
Back then, Rohl was in pole position too, but the Saints took an unexpected detour, appointing Ivan Juric instead. That gamble didn’t pay off. Juric managed just two wins in 16 games and was shown the door the moment relegation became a mathematical certainty—having done little more than his predecessor Russell Martin to prevent the inevitable slide.
Looking back, Rohl may well have been the smarter long-term choice. With him at the helm, Southampton might have been better prepared for life back in the EFL, guided by someone who not only understands the league but has already proven he can thrive in its chaos.
At Sheffield Wednesday, Rohl has quietly worked wonders. He pulled off a great escape last season, rescuing the club from a looming drop. Fast forward to now, and the Owls are sitting mid-table—13th in the Championship—just 10 points shy of the play-offs after a spirited 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Monday.
It’s no surprise, then, that several betting sites have him listed as the odds-on favourite to take over at Southampton, edging out the likes of Gary O’Neil, Will Still, and Steven Gerrard.
Rohl also has unfinished business at St Mary’s. He previously spent eight months at the club in 2019 as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant before moving on to bigger things—first Bayern Munich under Hansi Flick, and later the German national team.
Now 35, Rohl returned to frontline management in October 2023 when he took over a struggling Wednesday side seven points adrift of safety. Three crucial wins to close out the season—against Blackburn, West Brom, and Sunderland—ensured their survival.
Gary O’Neil
After being shown the door by Wolves in December, Gary O’Neil is likely itching for a fresh challenge—particularly at a club still reeling from a recent managerial exit. He’s already proven he can steady a rocky ship in the short term, guiding Wolves to a respectable 14th-place finish in the 2023/24 season, even while juggling a depleted squad and a transfer window that offered little in the way of reinforcements. But things unraveled towards the end of his tenure, with cracks appearing in the dressing room harmony—raising questions about his ability to hold a fractured squad together when the pressure mounts.
Will Still
The football world’s favourite “Championship Manager” prodigy, Will Still, continues to ride a wave of cult hero status. The self-taught tactician, who honed his craft on a computer game, turned heads with a decent spell at Reims—even if an 11th-place finish in 2022/23 didn’t set the world alight.
Whispers of a dream return to West Ham surfaced, but for now, he finds himself at Lens, trying to rally a squad that looks to have fallen short of European qualification. Still’s potential for return to the Premier League is undeniable, but unlike O’Neil, he hasn’t yet faced the kind of real-world setbacks that forge a manager’s mettle. His next move could tell us a lot about how ready he really is.
