Exclusive: Southampton eye Portuguese title-winner as manager option, Saints also have Carlos Corberan concerns
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TBR Football can exclusively reveal that Santa Clara coach Vasco Matos is on Southampton’s list of potential Russell Martin replacements but the Premier League strugglers have concerns over West Brom manager Carlos Corberan.
Southampton are on the lookout for a new head coach after sacking Russell Martin amid the wreckage of Sunday’s 5-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.
And, while relegation rivals Wolves are closing in on Al-Shabab boss Vitor Pereira, The Saints are still at the stage of identifying potential targets and drawing up a shortlist.
That shortlist, TBR have been informed, includes former Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl, and the aforementioned Carlos Corberan.
A more left-field option, however, could be Vasco Matos.
Southampton eye Vasco Matos after Russell Martin sacking
TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey has been told that Vasco Matos is indeed a genuine option at St Mary’s.
The 44-year-old is currently in charge of Santa Clara in the Portuguese top flight.
Matos took over at the Estadio de Sao Miguel in 2023 and immediately took Santa Clara back to Portugal’s top flight, winning the second tier with a club-record points haul.
Matos, who made his name while inspiring lower-league FC Alverca to a shock cup win over Sporting Lisbon five years ago, also presided over one of the most impressive defensive records in Europe. Santa Clara, while losing only three times, conceded a grand total of 19 goals in 34 matches.
Not content with merely guiding Santa Clara to promotion, Matos’ Primeira Liga newcomers currently sit a remarkable fourth with nine wins from 14 games. They are only five points off Benfica in the third.
That ability to get a limited squad overachieving in the table’s upper echelons, plus his success in organising a backline, should appeal to a Southampton side with only five points and conceding 2.25 goals per game on average.
TBR have learned that Matos, like Hillsborough chief Rohl, is not currently at the top of Southampton’s wishlist, however.
Southampton have concerns over West Brom boss Carlos Corberan
Southampton would ideally like to bring in a free-agent rather than pay a compensation fee for a manager currently under contract elsewhere.
Hence why Southampton are considering former Roma boss Ivan Juric – sacked after only 12 games at the Serie A giants – and the unattached Kasper Hjulmand.
Carlos Corberan has a £2.5 million release clause at West Brom. A clause Southampton currently have reservations about triggering.
While The Saints would perhaps benefit from a change in approach – Martin’s refusal to renege on his passing principles saw Southampton give up so many goals through unforced errors – there is a concern that Corberan’s style is simply too different to the man who masterminded that play-off final victory over Leeds United.
As emphasised by a tally of 10 draws from their last 13 matches, Corberan’s teams tend to be a little bit more safety-first.
And, while Martin usually played the same way regardless of the opposition, a man who worked under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United often adapts his approach depending on the strengths and weaknesses of their rivals on the day.
