Dutch pair take Saints helm

Southampton have named Jan Poortvliet as their new head coach after manager Nigel Pearson was told his contract will not be renewed despite steering the club to safety last season.

Poortvliet, who played for Holland in the 1978 World Cup final, will be joined at St Mary's by countryman Mark Wotte.

The pair are so keen to join the Coca-Cola Championship club they have agreed to pay compensation to their current clubs with Poortvliet, 52, at Helmond Sport while Wotte, 47, has been coaching in Qatar with Ahli Doha.

Chairman Michael Wilde told the club's official website, www.saintsfc.co.uk: "We are extremely grateful for Nigel's contribution. He came to the club at a time of crisis and through his hard work and commitment we were able to avoid relegation on the last day.

"However, the board have been looking closely at the situation on the playing side of the club whereby we are inevitably going to have to depend to a large extent on the quality of our youngsters in the academy and the reserve team.

"Our view on that was we would need to adopt a European-style coaching system comprising head coach, with the objective of linking the academy to the first team.

"The board believe this will create opportunities for our younger players, which might not occur within the traditional English management structure."