Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Tim Sherwood, a short-priced favourite to become the next manager of Queens Park Rangers, is expected to have further discussions today and remains in a strong position. He is clearly the man Rangers want after failing to attract any interest from either Steve McClaren and Paul Clement, and his ability to nurture young players is a perfect fit with what is now required.
Beaten for the fifth time in succession, the club does at least have a strategy for the long-term, which seems quite a sensible idea for a multi-million pound business. “Our recruitment policy is changing,” the principal owner Tony Fernandes told supporters in the match programme. “We want to develop a philosophy of buying young, hungry players.”
Given the number of players out of contract in the next 18 months, they will need to, whether still in the Premier League or back down in the Championship, where there would be a knock-on effect with severe penalties for falling foul of the Football League’s financial fair play regulations.
Southampton - the latest match in picturesShow all 127 1 /127Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long curls in Southampton's fifth goal
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Shane Long added a fourth for Southampton
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his third to net the fastest ever Premier League hat-trick
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Mane scores his second to double Southampton's lead
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 6 Aston Villa 1 Sadio Mane celebrates netting the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Jordi Gomez celebrates scoring his second penalty for Sunderland
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sunderland 2 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures gomez1.jpg Jordi Gomez scores his first from the penalty spot
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Tottenham left-back Ben Davies is carried off with a suspected dislocated shoulder
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Nacer Chadli calmly slots the ball into the net to make it 2-2
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Southampton players celebrate after Graziano Pelle scores his second
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle jumps highest to head in his and Saints' second
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Erik Lamela celebrates getting Spurs level
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Tottenham 2 Pelle pokes the ball beyond Hugo Lloris to open the scoring
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace and Maya Yoshida of Southampton compete for the ball
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 0 Sadio Mane scores for Southampton against Crystal Palace
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio mane celebrates with his Southampton team-mates after his late goal against QPR
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores a late winner in Southampton's 1-0 victory over QPR
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field after suffering a neck injury
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey celebrates his goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Swansea 1 Jonjo Shelvey scores for Swansea with a long-range effort
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle got Southampton off to the perfect start with an early goal.
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Yaya Sanogo fires past Fraser Forster to score his first goal for Crystal Palace
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Sanogo celebrates his goal
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Marouane Chamakh, scorer of two goals, is mobbed by team-mates after putting the Eagles into the lead
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a late chance
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 3 Alan Pardew has now won all four matches since taking over as Crystal Palace manager
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Juan Mata challenges for the ball with Fraser Forster during the Premier League match at Old Trafford
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett can't reach the shot from Southampton's Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Dusan Tadic celebrates the only goal at Old Trafford
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 A downbeat Arsene Wenger at St Mary's
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 Dusan Tadic (right) capitalises on Wojciech Szczesny error to make it 2-0
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Arsenal 0 Mane celebrates putting Saints 1-0 up
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 Eden Hazard celebrates the equaliser
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Chelsea 1 Mane opens the scoring for Southampton
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Yannick Bolasie tries to dribble past Maya Yoshida
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Sadio Mane scores the opener at Selhurst Park
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Mane celebrates with his team-mates
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Ryan Bertrand scored a brilliant goal to make it 2-0
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Toby Aldereiweld headed home the Saints' third
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 1 Southampton 3 Palace scored a late consolation but Neil Warnock was booed by the home fans
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Teenager Harrison Reed started for a young Southampton team
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Roberto Martinez and Ronaldo Koeman watch the action at St Mary's
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Jose Fonte heads the ball towards goal but it was given as a Romelu Lukaku own goal
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Southampton players celebrate a crucial opener
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Graziano Pelle scores his 12th goal of the season to put Southampton in control
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 3 Everton 0 Japanese defender Maya Yoshida scores his first goal for the club to hand all three points to Southampton
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Southampton boss Ronald Koeman before kick-off at Bramall Lane
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Nigel Clough angered Koeman with the Dutchman saying he didn't have 'respect' for him or the ref
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Marc McNulty pokes Sheffield United into the lead against their Premier League opponents
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 McNulty celebrates his eighth goal of the season with team-mates
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Florin Gardos was sent off late on in the game
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Sheffield United 1 Southampton 0 Sheffield United are in the semi-finals of the competition
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Southampton teenager James Hesketh had to go off after a heavy challenge from Michael Keane
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Fraser Forster smothers an early attempt from Ashley Barnes
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Sadio Mane leaps in the air to bring the ball under control
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Kieran Trippier attempts a free-kick in front of the Turf Moor crowd
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Dusan Tadic saw his penalty saved by Burnley keeper Dusan Tadic with the game still 0-0
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Burnley 1 Southampton 0 Ashley Barnes turns in a cross to score a crucial winning goal for the CLarets
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Robin van Persie put Manchester United ahead after capitalising on Jose Fonte's poor back pass
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Pelle drew Saints level before the end of the first half
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Van Persie celebrates his second goal of the match that turned out to be the winner
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Man City 3 Manuel Pellegrini clashes with referee Mike Jones
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 Man City 3 Frank Lamaprd scores City's second
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Victor Wanyama leaps in the air to clear an early corner
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Graziano Pelle shields the ball from Esteban Cambiasso
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Jamie Vardy rides a tackle from Morgan Schneiderlin
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Shane Long got off the bench to score his first goal for Southampton since moving to the club for £12m
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Matthew James and Leicester players react after conceding
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 Leicester City 0 Long celebrates his second goal with team-mates to mark Southampton's best ever start to a top-flight season
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama scored a superb goal from 40 yards in the opening stages
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 The midfielder latched on to a poor clearance and lobbed a stranded goalkeeper
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 England manager Roy Hodgson was at the KC Stadium to see high-flying Southampton
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Mo Diame and Morgan Schneiderlin battle for possession
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 Ryan Bertrand falls under a heavy challenge from Ahmed Elmohamady
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Hull 0 Southampton 1 James Chester complains at the challenge from in-form striker Graziano Pelle
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Southampton's Graziano Pelle celebrates his late winner
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Pelle scores Southampton's third, and his second
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Goalscorer Mame Diouf celebrates with Steven Nzonzi after Stoke equalise - but the jubilation was short-lived
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Stoke 2 Southampton 3 Asmir Begovic can't get anywhere near Pelle's early strike
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Sadio Mane of Southampton scores the opening goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Asmir Begovic of Stoke City watches the ball cross the line as Sadio Mane of Southampton scores the opening goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Dusan Tadic of Southampton battles for the ball with Charlie Adam
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Stoke 0 Sadio Mane of Southampton celebrates with manager Ronald Koeman
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Sadio Mane completes the rout
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Victor Wanyama scores Saints' seventh
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Dusan Tadic gets his name on the score sheet
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Vito Mannone reflects after Liam Bridcutt's own goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle gets his second of the game
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Jack Cork bundles in the home side's third
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Graziano Pelle scores Saints' second
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 8 Sunderland 0 Santiago Vergini reflects on his bizarre own goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle celebrates scoring for Southampton
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a simple chance for Saints
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Sandro limps off with an injury, just days after hurting his knee by sliding to celebrate a goal in training
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Armand Traore, Steven Davis and Leroy Fer compete for the ball
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Arsenal's Abou Diaby and Southampton's Steven Davis in action during the Capital One Cup third-round tie
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Nathaniel Clyne (No 2) drives home his side's second goal past Arsenal’s David Ospina at the Emirates
REX
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Arsenal 1 Southampton 2 Alexis Sanchez delivered one of the best free-kicks of the season
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama and his team mates celebrate their winning goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Victor Wanyama celebrates after giving the Saints the lead
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfriend Bony walks from the pitch after being sent off
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfried Bony receives a red card
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Wilfried Bony cuts down Maya Yoshida and receives a second yellow
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Gylfi Sigurdsson lets fly from outside the box
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Swansea 0 Southampton 1 Nathan Dyer skips over the challenge from Ryan Bertrand
c
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 After Jack Cork had made it 3-0, Newcastle fans turned up the volume on their protests against Alan Pardew.
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Jack Cork celebrates after scoring the Saints' third.
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Alan Pardew's afternoon could only get worse after Graziano Pelle doubled his side's lead after just 19 minutes.
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Graziano Pelle gave the Saints the best possible start, tucking his effort past Tim Krul in the first half.
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 4 Newcastle 0 Alan Pardew returned to his former club with his job looking increasingly under threat.
Getty
Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Graziano Pelle celebrates his goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Morgan Schneiderlin levels the score line
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Southampton 3 Mark Noble celebrates his opening goal
GETTY IMAGES
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 West Brom players scramble to clear the loose ball inside their penalty area
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Youssuf Mulumbu gets a sore one where it hurts
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Graziano Pelle wins a flick-on ahead of West Brom defender Craig Dawson
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Gary Gardner and Steven Davis put their heads in where it hurts
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 Stephane Sessegnon drives past Southampton midfielder's to put his team on the attack
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 West Brom 0 New signing Brown Ideye almost scores a late goal for the visitors but his header was saved by Fraser Forster
Getty Images
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Javier Manquillo in action on his Liverpool debut
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Dejan Lovren also made his Reds debut, lining up against his former side
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Jordan Henderson celebrates the first goal after laying on the pass for Raheem Sterling
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Raheem Sterling celebrates his well taken opener at Anfield
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Nathaniel Clyne celebrates with team-mates after bringing the scores level
Southampton - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 Southampton 1 Daniel Sturridge celebrates after scoring the winner for Liverpool against Southampton
GETTY IMAGES
“We made a number of mistakes in the transfer market over the last few years,” Fernandes added and Harry Redknapp, who departed on Tuesday, must take his share of responsibility.
As part of a revamp even before the new manager arrives, Les Ferdinand has been promoted from “head of football operations” to “director of football”, which is apparently different and will give him a more-hands-on role at all levels. Yesterday he sat in the stand next to Roy Hodgson, while Kevin Bond – one of the fleet of coaches employed under Redknapp – and Chris Ramsey did duty in the technical area. “Myself and Kevin will take the team on Tuesday [at Sunderland] and after that we’ll re-evaluate,” Ramsey said. “I socialise with Tim but I don’t know if he’s coming in.”
Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane (Getty Images) As ever in football there is a short-term to consider and the effect of this last-minute defeat is that on Tuesday Rangers will be more desperate than ever to earn a first point on the road this season at the 12th attempt.
Holding on for a draw against opponents who again sit third in the table this morning would have been considered a psychological as well as mathematical boost. It was denied to them in a dramatic last period when Fraser Forster kept out Charlie Austin’s jab from close in, the outstanding Sadio Mané drove in a goal and Matt Phillips’s even later effort was ruled out.
The blow to Rangers must have felt as painful as the one Eljero Elia took when the hefty Richard Dunne booted him between the legs.
The new regime made four changes, giving Adel Taarabt only his second start since August, after which he was insufficiently fit according to Redknapp. Exciting and frustrating in the usual measure he was unable to influence a game in which Southampton’s tactics were clear and successful from the start: use the pace of wide players Mané and Elia to run away from a ponderous Rangers back-line. Even Forster’s arrowed clearances were part of that.
Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field (Getty Images) In their very first attack, Elia sped on to Mané’s pass only to shoot wide of the goal as Rob Green charged outside his penalty area. In the 33rd minute Mané beat Clint Hill for a shot that Green turned for a corner, from which Jose Fonte volleyed against the bar.
Southampton were not discomfited by a nasty looking injury to Matt Targett, who had to be taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray on his neck after crashing to the ground. That led to seven minutes of added time before the interval, during which Elia’s speed again took him clear for a shot straight at the goalkeeper.
There was little change early in the second half except that Mané was wrongly given offside as he was sent through by Graziano Pellè’s flick. Hill had to hold Elia back to prevent him getting away again but towards the end Rangers improved, which made the eventual outcome seem a little more unjust than it really was.
England manager Roy Hodgson alongside QPR director of football Les Ferdinand (Getty Images) In the 74th minute Joey Barton’s shot was diverted by Austin six yards out and was brilliantly saved by Forster. Substitute Mauro Zarate then drove a good effort over the bar, but in added time Mané held off Nedum Onuoha and slashed a high shot across Green into the top of the net.There was still time for Phillips to put the ball past Forster but Southampton were awarded a free-kick.
Most worrying of all for Rangers was the news that Austin, their only genuine goalscorer, left the ground on crutches. However it was revealed today that the striker will only miss one game. While the 13-goal top scorer is only set to miss the midweek encounter with Sunderland with bruising to his right foot, the club confirmed on Sunday afternoon that Dunne will be out for up to three months having suffered a medial cruciate ligament injury in his right knee.
Onuoha also sustained a hamstring problem which will keep him out for three to four weeks.
QPR (4-4-1-1): Green; Onuoha, Dunne (Vargas, 83), Caulker, Hill; Phillips, Barton, Fer, Traore (Isla, 73); Taarabt; (Zarate, 63) Austin.
Southampton (4-1-4-1): Forster; Clyne, Fonte, Yoshida, Targett (Gardos, 26); Wanyama (Schneiderlin, 61); Mané, Ward-Prowse, Davis, Elia (Tadic, 80); Pelle.
Referee: Roger East.
Match rating: 6/10.
Man of match: Mané.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies