SAINTS are closing in on the appointment of Croatian coach Ivan Juric to be their new manager after Russell Martin was sacked last week.

The club is still working through the finer details of Juric's contract and nothing is signed and sealed but strong reports state he will join.

Juric is a free agent after he was dismissed from Serie A giants Roma five weeks ago and is reportedly set to arrive at St Mary's this weekend.

Juric is discussing a one-and-a-half-year contract with the club, which would feature an option to extend the deal if he impresses the hierarchy.

Who is incoming Saints boss Ivan Juric?

Juric is a 49 year old former international midfielder who began his career with Hadjuk Split, before moving to Sevilla in 1997 and playing 69 times.

He departed Sevilla to briefly return to Croatia with Sibenik in 2001, before spending his final nine years as a player in the Italian league.

Juric announced his intention to become a coach immediately upon retiring and he stayed on as a youth coach at Genoa while doing his UEFA badges.

He also delivered an interview with the Italian version of Rolling Stone, in which he professed to be a fan of death metal music.

Juric's English is also described as "pretty good" by club sources - which feels like a fairly important skill for making an immediate impact.

In July 2011, new Inter Milan coach Gian Piero Gasperini named Juric as one of his assistants but the entire coaching team were sacked in September.

Juric again followed Gasperini to Palermo as an assistant, before taking his first steps as a head coach at Serie C side Mantova in 2014.

What has he done in his managerial career?

Juric moved from Mantova to Crotone in Italy's second division after one season and went on to win promotion to Serie A that same campaign.

Juric then replaced Gasperini as Genoa's head coach in June 2016, going on to manage the Grifone over three separate, consecutive spells.

His first stint (July 2016-February 2017) lasted 28 matches, his second (April 2017-November 2017) lasted 20 and the third (October 2018-December 2018) lasted just eight.

Genoa finished 16th and 12th across the two unusual seasons that saw Juric have his input on the side. Hardly a ringing endorsement.

Juric's real managerial success began with Hellas Verona, taking over in July 2019 and going on to finish ninth in their first season back at the top level.

They then followed that up with a 10th-place finish in 2020/21, before Juric took over at Turin-based side Torino in July 2021.

Torino finished mid-table in three consecutive seasons (10th, 10th, 9th), with Juric announcing his amicable departure from the club this summer. 

Juric was appointed to replace club legend Daniele De Rossi at Roma in September and lasted just 12 matches before he was sacked.

The club had been having ownership struggles - Friedkin Group have now bought Everton - amid Juric's tenure, which harboured four wins and five draws.

How does he manage his teams?

Juric's Torino finished ninth in Serie A last season and only three teams in the whole division conceded fewer than the 36 goals his team shipped.

However, they also only scored 36 goals - finishing on a goal difference of 0 - a record of which only three teams in the league scored fewer.

His side also had a goal difference of +1 the season before and that sums up Juric's approach to the game, cautious and pragmatic.

During his failed Roma tenure this campaign, he exclusively deployed three-at-the-back formations, whether it was coded as a 3-4-2-1, 3-4-3 or 3-5-2.

The emphasis is also on aggression and high pressure and man-to-man marking, aiming to regularly put the opposition into a reactive state.

Juric's teams rank higher for short and medium passes than they do long balls but there is a variation to their game not seen under Russell Martin.

Torino averaged 51.6 per cent possession last season and completed the fewest through passes behind the defence but the third-most crosses.

What does this mean for Saints?

Saints will demand that Juric makes them better defensively and on set-pieces, which they believed to be the undermining of Martin. 

Juric will likely bring his three-at-the-back system with him to St Mary's should he sign, giving the likes of Nathan Wood plenty of opportunity.

The appointment of the Croatian would be more closely aligned with Ralph Hasenhuttl and Nathan Jones than what we saw of Saints under Martin.

Sport Republic wanted to make a long-term appointment with a view to next season but Juric would feel like more of a short-term firefighter.

However, Juric was a managerial target when Hasenhuttl was sacked in November 2022 and has been admired by the ownership for some time.

If Juric signs a one-and-a-half-year contract, with on option for a lengthy extension, it feels less likely that he departs the club in the event of relegation.

But a short deal would mean Saints could still make a new appointment in the summer for the Championship promotion push if needed.

Bringing in someone now for next season was always problematic, with six months of the season and likely heavy losses still to come.

Should he pull off a miracle, an extension clause keeps the power in Southampton's hands. We should add that the terms of Juric's deal are unfinished.