Ivan Juric has left his role as Southampton manager just over three months after taking charge, following a disastrous run that saw the club suffer the earliest relegation in Premier League history, with seven games still remaining.
Appointed on December 21, 2024, Juric was expected to help steady the club after a poor start under Russell Martin. Instead, results worsened. Juric managed just four points from 14 league matches, fewer than Martin’s five, and with a lower points-per-game average (0.29 vs 0.31). This placed Juric below even Terry Connor, who had long held the record for the worst points-per-game average among managers with at least 10 Premier League matches.
Juric did register one win — a 2-1 away victory over Ipswich Town on February 1. That single triumph spared him from matching Connor’s unfortunate record of 13 games without a win during his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2011-12 season.
His tenure began on Boxing Day with a 1-0 loss to West Ham United at St Mary’s. From that point until his departure, Southampton collected only four points — more than just Leicester City, who earned three from one fewer match — and conceded a league-high 38 goals in that span.
Juric’s exit means Southampton could appoint a third permanent manager this season, mirroring what happened in their previous relegation campaign in 2022-23. That year, they began with Ralph Hasenhüttl, then turned to Nathan Jones, who lasted just eight games, before ending the season under Ruben Selles.
A similar pattern occurred in 2004-05, when Southampton again finished bottom of the Premier League. Paul Sturrock was dismissed after only two matches, with Steve Wigley managing 14 before Harry Redknapp took over. Redknapp oversaw 22 games without saving the club from relegation — made worse by the fact that his former side, Portsmouth, avoided the drop by six points.
Only last week, Juric expressed his desire not to be remembered as a failure. Unfortunately, with Southampton setting unwanted records under his leadership, his short-lived tenure will be marked as one of the Premier League’s most difficult managerial stints.
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