Players not to blame for Still's sacking - Manning

Southampton defender Ryan Manning says the players are not to blame for Will Still's sacking and claims it was "an easy thing to say for those looking in from the outside."

The 29-year-old played 12 Championship games under Still and is the club's joint second highest goalscorer this season with his two free-kicks against Wrexham and Watford.

After Still's departure some fans shifted blame to the players in the latter stages of his tenure.

But Manning feels Saints' poor results did not come down to a lack of effort from him and his team-mates.

"I just think that's from people on the outside looking in. It's an easy thing to say," Manning told BBC Radio Solent.

"It's so competitive at this level, no player could even go out on the pitch and not try, the gap and the difference between trying and not trying is huge at this level so no player does that.

"I think under the previous manager we were grafting and we were trying everything, we were desperate to win games and we didn't want to be where we were just as much as he (Still) didn't want to be.

"So I think that is just an easy thing to say but I think as players you have to take the good with the bad and just have to get on with it."

Things turned toxic at St Mary's in what turned out to be Still's final game in charge when they lost 2-0 to Preston North End.

Fans booed the players at half-time and full-time as well as chanting against the current ownership.

Since then interim boss Tonda Eckert has come in and won both of his matches in charge.

Ryan Manning has scored two goals in the Championship this season

There still remains a level of uncertainty as to what Southampton's short and longer-term future looks like in the dugout as Eckert is expected to take charge of their upcoming games following the international break.

If the German coach impresses and continues his winning streak then it could put him in a favourable position to land the job on a permanent basis.

Following Southampton's win over Sheffield Wednesday, Eckert was seen sharing an embrace with sporting director Johannes Spors, someone who will be heavily involved with appointing whoever the next boss will be.

"I think for us now we just have to keep pushing on with this momentum and keep looking forward and I think that will garnish everyone together," Manning added.

"A few wins and fans are back on side, enjoying it and everyone's looking forward to going out playing games.

"This league is famous for momentum, when it's going good it's good and when it's going bad it's so tough."

After the break Saints are straight back into action with three Championship games in the space of a week.

Eckert will lead the team away at Charlton on Saturday, who are managed by former boss Nathan Jones, before a midweek game against Leicester City and then an away game at Millwall before the end of the month.