Talks between Southampton and former Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch have broken down, according to reports.
The Saints are on the lookout for a new manager following the sacking of Nathan Jones at the weekend. The side are currently bottom of the Premier League four points adrift of safety, while there is a nine-point difference between Southampton and Nottingham Forest.
The Reds currently sit in 14th place, six points clear of Everton in the last relegation spot, but a loss against Fulham in their last outing had some fans looking over their shoulder again. Forest have a number of injury concerns as well as a clash against Man City on the horizon.
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That game comes before what could be two crucial matches against West Ham United and Everton, who are both also fighting for Premier League safety. The Toffees are currently in 18th place, while West Ham are in 16th, four points behind Forest.
Southampton will hope that the appointment of their third manager of the season will be able to turn around their season and propel them up the table. But it now seems that the manager won’t be Marsch.
The American looked set to arrive at St Mary’s after entering talks with the club. But various reports now say that those talks have broken down due to the length of the contract being offered, with Marsch wanting a longer deal than the short-term one being proposed by the Saints.
Marsch has only been out of work for just over a week after being fired from his role at Elland Road following Leeds’ 1-0 defeat against Forest at the City Ground. Leeds are also on the lookout for a new boss, with the club confirming that caretaker manager Michael Skubala will continue to take charge for the club’s "upcoming fixtures".
Should an appointment at Southampton not be made before the weekend, which is now looking likely, then first-team coach Ruben Selles will take charge of the team for the Premier League match against Chelsea.
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