5 wackiest moments of Nathan Jones’ disastrous three-month spell at Southampton
Nathan Jones’ time at Southampton has come to an unsurprising end.
The former Luton Town and Stoke City manager made the jump up to the Premier League when the south coast side sacked Ralph Hasunhuttl in November, although the side’s form hasn’t been any better with the Welshman in charge.
With the Saints sat rock bottom of the table, Jones’ time in charge at Southampton will ultimately be one to forget, although it did come with its hilarious moments.
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He wasn’t short of entertainment value, from talking about Welsh women to claiming he was one of the best managers in Europe, we look back at his moments of madness in the hot seat.
“I could have married a nice Welsh girl”
In a bizarre press conference, the manager defended his reign as Southampton boss, but it came across as nothing short of bizarre.
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(Image: PA)
The 49-year-old was trying to explain how he had spent his career pushing himself to the next level, although may have offended a few Welsh women in the process.
“I think every situation is unique,” he said after losing seven out of eight games in the league. “But look, I went to Luton, I was homesick when I went to Luton when I was a player. The manager David Pleat left, my next move was then to go to Spain [joining Liga 2 club Badajoz].
“I enjoy a challenge, I want to be the best version of me. I could have stayed in a mining community, been a PE teacher and had a nice life, married a nice Welsh girl, beautiful. But I didn’t. I want to test myself on every level. And that’s nothing against Welsh women.”
Saints fans to blame for his tactics
After his side’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford, Jones essentially blamed the fans for his style of play.
Despite the side’s terrible run of form under the Welshman, he tried to defend himself by throwing the fans under the bus, doing wonders to improve the fractured relationship between him and the home faithful…
“I’ve compromised,” he said. “I’ve compromised certain principles because of, one; personnel, but, two; the way people want to play and so on, because of fans and so on.
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(Image: Getty Images)
“I’ve compromised on a few little things, but no more because I’ve been very successful. Now I will live and die by my own philosophy.
One of the best managers in Europe, apparently
After being embarrassed week-in, week-out, Nathan Jones saw it appropriate to claim he had been one of the best managers in Europe, statistically anyway.
He decided to talk up Luton Town – the team he left – while his Southampton side were in the gutter.
He said: ‘I’ve been very successful playing in a fluid style, Luton were a really aggressive forward team. Statistically, there weren’t many better than me in Europe in terms of aggression, clean sheets, box defence, balls in the box, xG, all that kind of stuff.
“We were the best pound for pound because we spent next to nothing and produced a lot. I have moved away from that because it is the Premier League and because of certain players and internationals.”
Jones takes aim at non-league boss
When a manager divisions below Nathan Jones made a dig on regional radio, it was expected he would brush it off like he’d done with the national media, but instead, he fought back.
Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Havant and Waterlooville manager and Southampton fan Paul Doswell said: “He’s out of his depth, and not only out of his depth but by some way as well. I hate to say that, but it is true. He’s out of his depth by some way and his coaches are too.”
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(Image: Southampton FC via Getty Images)
Instead of celebrating his side’s victory over Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, Jones took aim at the National League South manager. He said: “I don’t know if I changed perceptions. Within 10 minutes of the Brighton game [a 3-1 defeat on Boxing Day], I was inept.
“The non-league manager criticised me the other day. It baffled me. I don’t speak about Havant & Waterlooville. I don’t speak about levels I don’t know about.”
Having more men on the pitch helped his side lose
In what turned out to be Jones’ last game in charge of Southampton, he blamed the fact his side had an extra man on the pitch for the 2-1 defeat.
After going 1-0 up at home to Wolves, Mario Lemina was shown red, with it looking like it was going to be a rare win for the home side.
However, it wasn’t meant to be as Wolves turned the game on its head, taking all three points back to the midlands with them having won 2-1. After the match, Jones made another bizarre excuse for his side’s fortunes.
“To me the 10-men was to our detriment because it made it a free hit for them in terms of stuff,” he said to Sky Sports.
“It added more pressure on us and it shouldn’t be like that – we should then control the game.”
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