Having sacked Claude Puel earlier this month, Southampton FC had a big task on their hands to replace the 55-year-old Frenchman with an even better manager. On Friday, the Saints announced Mauricio Pellegrino as the head coach of the south coast club on a three-year contract.
The former Deportivo Alaves manager enjoyed a fair amount of success last season with the Spanish side, helping them finish in the top of the La-Liga as well reaching the finals of the Copa del Rey eventually losing the trophy to FC Barcelona. Southampton’s decision to let go off Claude Puel met with plenty of criticism from the fans as the Frenchman did help the Saints reach the EFL Cup final and also play attractive football over the course of the seasons despite the injuries and a lacklustre attack. Pellegrino will have a lot to live up to with the Premier League getting extremely competitive year on year. So is Mauricio Pellegrino the right man for Southampton? Let’s take a look.
Forward thinking manager
Pellegrino is considered to be a passionate manager who is known to be a thorough professional and has a niche for developing young talent while also implementing tactical flexibility. Similar to his fellow national and League competitor Mauricio Pochettino, Pellegrino also implements a mix of attack and defence in his game. The newly appointed Saints manager can bee seen as a combination of Mauricio Pochettino and Manuel Pellegrini.
Learnt from the best
The 45-year-old Argentine manager knows a lot about the English game than one might think. Pellegrino joined the Reds as a player but later became the assistant to Liverpool’s former manager, Rafael Benitez for a period of two years. His experience of working under an established manager like Benitez along with his first-hand experience of the English game from the Liverpool dugout could really come handy when the season starts later in August.
Passion for success
Pellegrino is certainly a man with a goal and his appointment as manager of Southampton FC shows the faith he has in the club. Despite lucrative offers from League rivals Crystal Palace FC, the Argentine chose the Saints as his perfect destination keeping in mind the culture and philosophy of the club.
But apart from all the good that comes from the appointment of Mauricio Pellegrino, the 45-year-old will also have the big task of keeping hold of the talented Southampton squad. Players like Virgil Van Dijk are currently being pursued by Premier League giants who are willing to meet any kind of price tag the club can come up with.