MY ACCOUNT
Ruben Selles masterminded Southampton’s 1-0 victory at Chelsea last Saturday and has emerged as the favourite to become the next permanent manager of the Premier League club.
James Ward-Prowse’s free-kick was enough to hand the Saints victory at Stamford Bridge and move the South Coast side to within three points of safety.
Interim boss Selles, 39, has delivered a strong case to suggest that he should remain in the dugout but may have to continue to prove himself in the coming matches to get the job in the long term.
Ahead of Southampton’s crucial game at Leeds on Saturday, we turn the spotlight on the Spaniard and his managerial rise.
Coming prepared
Selles is well-seasoned and has a wealth of experience as a coach, despite being under the age of 40.
The Valencia-born tactician started out as a fitness coach for Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, before moving on to a role with Villarreal’s youth team.
His first job as an assistant coach came in 2010 when he departed for Russia to support Aleksandr Pobegalov at Shinnik Yaroslavl.
Over the next 12 years, Selles perfected his craft across Europe until he received an offer to become second in command at Southampton under Ralph Hasenhuttl.
His extensive CV meant that he was given the reins when the Austrian was sacked last November and is reaping the rewards of his loyalty once again following Nathan Jones’ departure.
There is no doubt that Selles is ready to become the next permanent boss at St Mary’s but the club would be gambling on the well-travelled coach to drag them out of one of the closest relegation battles in recent Premier League history.
Selles’ style
Selles has already implemented a new belief and desire within his squad.
He opted to move away from Jones’ preferred 5-3-2 formation and established a classic 4-4-2 to provide balance in both defence and attack.
This allowed central midfielders Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia to be supported by wide players on either side of them and there were two outlets at the top end of the pitch to provide a threat to Chelsea’s goal.
Skipper Ward-Prowse praised the coach’s immediate impact, saying: “I think you can see that belief from minute one.
“There’s been a lot of outside noise, a bit of chaos around the place but Ruben has come in and shown a bit of calmness and great leadership in that moment and settled everyone down and given everybody confidence.
“It’s a familiar way of playing for us. We want to be front-footed and take the game to teams.”
Crunch clashes
As talks with ex-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch have failed, Southampton will be keen to sort their managerial vacancy sooner rather than later with an incredibly important run of fixtures on the horizon.
They face Leeds, Leicester and West Ham within the next six weeks and any wins over their fellow strugglers could ensure their safety at the end of the season.
So congested is the bottom half of the table, Saints lie only eight points behind 12th-placed Crystal Palace meaning their fortunes could change drastically should their momentum continue at Elland Road.
It is more than likely that Selles will be given the role until the end of the season, which is added motivation for the Spaniard to secure Southampton’s Premier League status as well as his role at the club.
Plain and simple
Selles has not held anything back when stating his desire to remain in charge on the South Coast.
He believes he has been ready to become a manager for a long time and that Southampton can provide the perfect opportunity for him to show what he can do.
Speaking before the Chelsea game, he said: “I have been feeling ready to be No1 for the last four years.
“I have been through all the levels of football, not just in England, but in the rest of the world.
“I am very proud of what I did, every single corner I’ve been in. I have a lot of personal experience and coaching hours, so I think it is a natural thing for me.
“The people who run the club will make a decision, but, of course, I would be more than happy to do the job.”
Southampton’s trip to Leeds could be a crucial match for both players and manager, moving the club one step closer to safety and their coach to the top job at St Mary’s.
