Next Southampton Manager: Back Saints to finish bottom under Marsch

• Marsch's tactics similar to Hasenhuttl

• Fiery temperament could be a problem

• Youthful squad unlikely to stay up

Marsch the favourite for Saints job

Nathan Jones, lasting an explosive 95 days, will be remembered chiefly for the way he spiralled so entertainingly in those final days. He certainly won't be remembered for anything he did at St. Mary's, having never won a game there in the Premier League.

You have to commend Southampton for their willingness to take a risk. Jones was always a daring appointment given the stylistic shift required of an inexperienced manager. But even after that blew up in their face Saints are again leaping into the unknown, replacing an abrasive man-manager who couldn't hack the relegation fight with an abrasive manager who couldn't hack the relegation fight.

Jesse Marsch is odds-on favourite to land the job, seemingly beating the likes of Steven Gerrard (15/2) Ralph Hasenhuttl (15/2) and Dean Smith (15/2), which might be one of the least inspiring shortlists we've seen in the Premier League in recent years.

Southampton's options were perhaps limited which partly explains why they appear to be plumping for Marsch.

Marsch's tactics align but they're flawed

The good news for Southampton fans is that Marsch's style of football makes a lot more sense than Jones's. There is a broad similarity between the hard-pressing, narrow-lined approach of the former Leeds United head coach and that of Hasenhuttl, who built the squad in his image over four years and whose legacy ought to have been respected with the last appointment.

Saints have gone too deep into Hasenhuttl's way of thinking to abandon it, and Marsch can pick up the mantle, albeit with a far greater physical and tactical intensity than the Austrian. His Leeds side weren't quite as mad as Marcelo Bielsa's but they were furiously aggressive in pressing high, counter-pressing in huge numbers, and constantly searching for the vertical pass.

Like Hasenhuttl's Southampton, the idea is to attack quickly and directly, although the difference is that Hasenhuttl became a lot more pragmatic over time, sitting in a deeper shape for long periods of matches before waiting for chances to counter.

This could prove a good appointment, then, if Southampton are encouraged to return to the Hasenhuttl ways only with greater urgency and self-belief.

But Leeds were deeply flawed under Marsch. His system often left huge gaps between the lines and especially in the wide areas as opponents worked out how to bypass the first wave of pressure and break down the flanks. Pressing so high and hard is great in theory, but it requires near-perfect connections of the sort Leeds could rarely deliver. Saints, bottom of the table, could struggle too.

They were also far too narrow most of the time, again exemplifying Marsch's extremist take on the tactical principles he was taught. Premier League teams consistently found themselves deploying narrow formations to combat this and, over time, it made Leeds look very blunt.

Intense American could clash with young players

That Southampton's squad is so young either makes them malleable enough to quickly learn Marsch's ideas, or means they will be too raw to cope with the high demands and inevitable defensive mistakes. It will probably be the latter, and yet the tactical side of things isn't the biggest worry.

Jones consistently threw players under the bus, and while Marsch won't do that he is a very intense character, as divisive as anyone we've seen in the Premier League in recent years. That level of energy did not always go down well at Leeds, and having a combustible presence in the dugout seemed to add to the pressure of their relegation battle.

Southampton are in a weaker position still, while having so many young players in the squad perhaps makes them particularly susceptible to a maverick and unpredictable energy coming from the manager. Assuming Marsch gets the job it will, at least, be highly entertaining one way or the other.

How to revive Saints

Marsch's priority should be improving Southampton's defending from set-pieces. They have lead to nine concessions this season and are arguably the biggest issue relating to the team's poor defensive record. Considering he will not be going back to basics in open play, this is the primary route to creating a more solid foundation.

The rest comes down to injecting self-belief into their more talented young players. Armel Bella-Kotchap and Romeo Lavia can be a superb spine for this team but neither has excelled during a difficult winter for Southampton. With both players arriving from high-pressing and possession-based clubs they may enjoy a more progressive system under Marsch.

Higher up the pitch, Marsch will pack the team with the quickest and most direct forwards, which is likely to provide a boost to the under-performing Moussa Djenepo. Kamaldeen Sulemana's strong start to life at Southampton suggests these two can become an electric pair on either flank, leading the charge in the counter-press.

But, to be frank, it is a squad low on quality, and it will require exceptional management to pull off an escape from relegation. Both tactically and psychologically, Marsch was not convincing as Leeds manager. His appointment is yet another gamble from the Saints boardroom - and another one that could backfire.