Will Still is set to make his highly anticipated debut as the manager of Southampton this Saturday, facing Wrexham in the 2025/26 Championship. At only 32 years old, Still has quickly become one of the most celebrated coaches in Europe. His remarkable success with Reims and Lens in France has rocketed him into the limelight. As per our previous post on the man, his appointment at Southampton is a huge step in his managerial career. He now faces the thrilling challenge of leading a team in England’s lauded Premier League.
Still’s educational path began at Preston North End. There, he trained as an academy coach, but took on a course at the local university. His first experience coaching at a club level with the U12s became an important initial step that would soon lead him to his biggest roles ahead. He started his professional career as an analytics video guy. With grit and perseverance, he worked his way up the Belgian football pyramid and eventually made it to the top tier. His relocation to France as an assistant manager was a defining moment in his career. Then, when the previous manager was unexpectedly let go, it was Abel who received a dream promotion to head coach at Reims.
A Rapid Ascent in Coaching
Few coaching careers to this point have enjoyed the meteoric ascendance that Will Still’s has. In hindsight, his time at the newly-reformed Preston North End provided the jumping off point that would define his long career. His years as an academy coach spent honing his craft in nurturing young talent translates to a deep understanding of the nuances of player development.
Following his stint as a video analyst, Still moved on to a coaching career in Belgium. His commitment to the profession propelled him to move up the coaching ranks quickly. With that strategic mind, he deservedly won his place in France. While serving as an assistant manager, he faced an unanticipated opportunity when he was asked to take over as head coach for five games before the World Cup.
“That run really put me in the spotlight, although that was never the intention. I was literally just filling in until the World Cup. The board said to me: ‘You’ve got five games. Just try to pick up as many points as possible.’” – Will Still
This surprising turn of fate allowed Still to showcase his remarkable coaching acumen. With his aggressive style of play, he soon turned heads and generated buzz.
Coaching Philosophy and Methodologies
Will Still coached a philosophy of control and ability in play ahead, and most importantly, defensive discipline. He is as adamant as you get that “defensive effort is not up for discussion” – an idea you better believe he will plant in the heads of his Southampton players.
Perhaps one of his most underrated strategies is keeping players focused at practice. Instead of requiring players to suffer through long stretches of focus, he introduces a focus time of only seven minutes. This approach is intended to make the sessions more engaging and keep players focused during the entire training session.
“I’ve always thought of it this way: I hate watching boring games of football. I don’t want to go to a stadium or sit down to watch a match on TV and think, ‘I don’t want to watch this’.” – Will Still
Most importantly, it can still want to cultivate a compelling brand of play that invigorates and entertains fans and players from all walks of life. He describes his teams with one word: proactive. This approach is apparent in his training sessions and his tactical decisions on match days.
Preparing for the Challenge Ahead
As he prepares for his first match with Southampton, Will Still is focused on instilling his philosophy within the team. His priority is to ensure that players adapt quickly to his methods, given the tight schedule ahead in the Championship.
The match against Wrexham presents an opportunity for Still to demonstrate his coaching prowess and connect with the Southampton fanbase. The young Frenchman has an impressive track record of success at club level in France. Now, as he arrives at this new adventure in England, expectations are sky high.
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