Will Still divides fans with Sky Sports appearance, Southampton warned against ‘boring’ appointment

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Will Still is a name on everyone’s lips at the moment, but as Southampton eye him up as their next manager, fans are not sold on the Lens boss.

Having earned himself a glowing reputation during his time at Reims, where he led the French underdogs on an incredible unbeaten run despite not even completing his full coaching badges.

Will Still also attracted attention for his love of the video game Football Manager, which many credit as the source of his success.

Now managing Lens, Still has been named as a target for Southampton as they prepare for the 2025/26 Championship campaign, but his latest public appearance has put a lot of people off.

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Will Still divides fans in Sky Sports appearance

Appearing on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football to cover the Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest game, Still was given a big platform to showcase his expertise and offer some insights into his managerial style.

Still spent plenty of time outlining what he does behind the scenes in training, how he instructs his players to play, and touched on his man-management approach, too.

While some found it intriguing to finally hear what makes Will Still tick, a slew of fans took to social media to brand him as ‘boring’ and question his credentials in light of links to English football with Southampton.

One fan replied, “Was absolutely boring, I’m sorry for the guy,” while another added, “Here we go again. The hipsters will say he spoke well but if he’s all that, why on earth is he still at Lens winning nothing?”

Many addressed the intricacies of Still’s system, and suggested he is making things too complex, writing: “I wonder if he has enough charisma and is perhaps too overcomplicated to become a success in England? Hugely insightful to how he operates but we now all know his tactics. Lens you feel have also punched below their weight this season?”

Others bemoaned the shifting style of football in today’s game, with one supporter saying: “Almost making players become robots… I prefer the days a player would go past an opponent and create the space that way.”

Among the replies, there were cries of “Complicated nonsense” and “disjointed” tactics, but it wasn’t all doom and gloom from the fans watching at home.

One more positive outlook came from a supporter who wrote: “Love all the armchair managers here giving it big ones. The guy has come from nowhere and has managed two French Ligue 1 sides. One sitting in a healthy position now. He knows his craft, just enjoy a new face on Sky Sports giving his insights.”

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Southampton considering Will Still approach this summer

Will Still was close to joining Sunderland last summer, but opted to stay in France. Now, with fresh links again this year, could we finally see the young prodigy make the move to the Championship?

It would be a bit of a gamble for a club like Southampton, who will be gunning for promotion, to go for a manager who is relatively unproven, especially in the English game.

But, he’s proven he can handle the challenge at smaller clubs with far fewer resources, and it would be fascinating to see what he could do with the kind of budget Southampton would surely offer him.

Other options include Danny Rohl, who may want to return to Southampton, and Steven Gerrard looks ready for a new challenge in England.

Fans aren’t keen on Gerrard, though, so perhaps Still can sneak in and make a name for himself at St. Mary’s?