Southampton

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Southampton have confirmed they have "reluctantly agreed" to allow director of football Jason Wilcox to depart and join Manchester United.

Wilcox has long been linked with a role at Old Trafford, since Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos secured a minority takeover at the Manchester club in December 2023.

Southampton will receive a compensation fee.

"Whilst the club is naturally disappointed that Jason’s stay at Southampton has only lasted nine months, it wishes him well for the future," said Southampton in a statement.

"The club will continue to work closely with Russell Martin and his back-room team to ensure they have all the support they require moving forwards."

Manchester United said Wilcox "will work with all technical areas of the football department to achieve the highest standards of performance".

Darren Fletcher will remain at Manchester United as part of the football leadership team working across the men’s first team and academy.

Wilcox will report to the yet-to-be appointed sporting director, who will have overall responsibility for football performance, recruitment and operations.

Dan Ashworth is earmarked for that role, although as yet, no compensation deal has been agreed with Newcastle for his services.

The Championship title and promotion race is incredible.

Leicester were 12 points away at one point and looked like they were going to set all kinds of records. Southampton started off slowly before going on an unbelievable run, dropped off again, and now they are back in with an unbelievable shout because of the performances and the results of the top three.

Ipswich have been relentless to get to where they are and Leeds are now just having a hiccup. From their point of view, what was hard for them at the beginning was all the uncertainty around players and their loan deals and clauses that were written in on relegation. They had a slow start but then they have been incredible since.

There are some amazing games coming up for all those in the title and promotion race and it will be wonderful to watch.

But at the moment it feels like no one wants to win it with the points that are being dropped and you have to say it is the pressure. The pressure is ultimately playing into the race.

If you were to ask me who is going to win the title and who is going to get promoted – I could not call it. You cannot call it because of the results the teams have had and the games they have coming up.

When Leeds were facing a struggling Blackburn at home you would think it was the perfect game for them - and then they lost. Leicester went to Millwall and you thought that would be a game where they could go and get three points and then they didn't.

With the drama still to come in matches they have to play against each other too, it is fascinating.

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Southampton manager Russell Martin has said Saturday's game at Cardiff is his side's biggest of the Championship season.

Saints appeared to have slipped out of contention for automatic promotion but three successive home wins, coupled with the division's top three all stuttering in recent matches, have put Martin's side back in the mix.

Southampton are four points behind second-placed Leicester, have games in hand on leaders Ipswich and third-placed Leeds, and still have to face the Foxes and Whites before the campaign concludes.

"With four games to go, the next three really don't matter if we don't take care of tomorrow [Saturday]," said Martin. "It's so important, it's the biggest game of our season for sure."

Cardiff are one of the few Championship sides that are unable to reach the play-offs but are also safe from relegation.

Martin does not believe that will give his team an advantage, however, adding: "I think it's dangerous - that 'nothing to play for' thing is a bit of a throwaway comment in football really.

"They will have thousands of people there watching them, some people will be out of contract, some will be on loan and some will have been given opportunities at this stage of the season that haven't had [previously] many.

"So there's always something to play for, individually and collectively."

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Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is likely to be out for nine to 10 months following an operation to repair a ruptured Achilles, manager Russell Martin has confirmed.

The Republic of Ireland international, 22, was hurt in the warm-up before Tuesday's win against Preston.

Martin told a news conference on Friday: "Gavin has had a huge setback, a huge disappointment in his life and career right now. There will be some really dark and lonely moments because when you dream of doing something, you do it every day and then that's taken away and you don't expect that, it's really difficult to deal with. We will support him and get round him, but we also have to accept there will be moments when he feels that.

"How you deal with disappointment will define everything you do and I've got no doubt he will come out of the other side stronger."

This year's battle for automatic promotion to the Premier League looks set to go right to the wire, with last season's relegated sides Leicester, Leeds and Southampton trying to bounce straight back. However, Kieran McKenna's Ipswich are currently top of a four-way fight.

BBC Sport has examined the run-in and Opta's predictions for the final league table.

At the turn of the year Enzo Maresca's Leicester looked certain to bounce straight back up to the Premier League, topping the Championship table with a 13-point gap over third-place Southampton.

But after the Saints' win over Preston on Tuesday, four teams are involved with just a handful of games to go.

According to Opta, the Foxes have a 62% chance of winning the title and 84% of sealing promotion. Ipswich have a 62% chance of securing back-to-back promotions, according to Opta.

Southampton are predicted to get 89 points, with two of their final four games away at Leicester and Leeds.

Read the full lowdown on the Championship promotion battle

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Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem believes Russell Martin's side must win against Cardiff on Saturday to be back in the race for automatic promotion.

Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich all stumbling recently, coupled with Tuesday's 3-0 win over Preston, have moved Saints back within four points of the top two with four games to play.

"We're fourth - the table never lies," Tessem told BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam and Jo podcast. "But of course we are [back in the automatic promotion hunt]. We've been given a lifeline.

"If we win against Cardiff ,we have the lifeline but we have to win - that's the truth of it. We're not in it until that game is won and that's on Saturday.

"Then the important games start after that but that game has to be won before we go to Leicester. Without that, I don't think we have a chance."

Southampton coasted past Preston with three first half goals at St Mary's on Tuesday evening and Tessem believes the visitors having nothing to play for gave his former team an easy night's work.

"We were good because Preston allowed us to be good," he added, "They gave us too much space and they weren't aggressive. They let us play. You could see after the first two minutes they were absolutely not up for it.

"It should have probably been more but Saints had control and Preston had no sniff of goal. I don't mind it being boring when it's controlled boring. It was a well controlled, good game throughout."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home With Adam and Jo is now live.

After Southampton's romp against Preston made it three home wins in a row, the boys ask if Saints are not only in the hunt for automatic promotion but now back in the title race.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Southampton reignited their hopes of automatic promotion with wins over Coventry City and Watford, with runaway rivals Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Leeds United all dropping points in their previous two outings to allow the Saints back into the hunt.

Russell Martin's men looked set to waste their opportunity to further close the gap on Saturday, after relinquishing a two-goal lead to the Hornets, before Flynn Downes scored a 99th-minute winner to lift the roof off St Mary's Stadium.

Many fans had given up on a place in the top two weeks ago and, while Southampton are still outsiders, the players clearly believe the opportunity is still alive.

So whether you are a fan who is constantly frustrated with Martin's possession tactics or you are someone who has faith in the manager, it is now time to get behind the team, more than ever this season, in what could be an enthralling conclusion to the campaign.

Automatic promotion is still improbable, but Southampton must win one game at a time and see where it takes them.

Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich have shown that they are getting nervous and will almost certainly drop points again, so it is time to take advantage of it.

Harry Tizard can be found at The Saints Score, external

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Russell Martin says his players need the fans' support "now more than ever," as they continue to push for promotion to the Premier League.

It is a four-horse race for the two automatic spots that are currently occupied by leaders Ipswich Town on 89 points and Leicester City with 88.

Southampton are seven points behind the Foxes with a game in hand and need six points to catch third place Leeds United, who have played two more games at this stage.

Flynn Downes' goal in the final seconds gave Saints a dramatic victory 3-2 over Watford on Saturday as Leeds suffered their first home defeat of the season.

"This team never gives up," said Martin. "They are fighting hard for each other and we are going to need that.

"They have to feel the game but also manage that and make sure we are playing the game the way we want too. That is not easy but it is the challenge that we have. The style of the team is not going to change.

"The fans have been incredible. I love the connection between the fans and the team.

"Now more than ever those players need the supporters and that is through the good and tough moments because it is going to be huge."

Former Southampton striker Jo Tessem was feeling "great" after midfielder Flynn Downes scored an injury-time winner at St Mary's Stadium to keep Russell Martin's side in with a chance of automatic promotion.

"This is why we love football. This is absolutely fantastic," said Tessem on the Goin' Home With Adam And Jo podcast.

"The people who leave early need to stop doing this! They missed the most important minute of that football game. You have got that togetherness in the stadium. People, you cannot go home! It is absolutely the dumbest thing you can do in football."

The Hornets fought back from two goals down leaving the Saints searching for a winner in the late stages of the game, and Tessem has been explaining how hard it is to "find the fifth gear again" after letting a two-goal lead slip: "It is almost impossible.

"You could see Watford were trying to defend. They were trying to stop us from attacking and we were flowing [to begin with]. We got the easy first goal after 57 seconds or something, and we were cruising and got the second one. Everything was perfect.

"Then, after 30 minutes, it all went crazy. It was like we thought the game was over and we didn't need to do anything more. They started thinking that it was easy, we can pass the ball around, and do the possession football.

"But, when you start thinking like that, you lower your expectations and that is what happened. Then, when you have done that, you can't get back to it."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds