Paul Sturrock profile, from Soccernet.com:

Some might say little had changed on England's south coast. Southampton were still in the business of defying odds and in Paul Sturrock, they'd found a manager clearly in keeping with the club's personality.

'Luggy' Sturrock's entire playing career was spent with unfashionable Dundee United, making over 600 appearances and scoring nearly 200 goals, under the aegis of Jim McLean, a man who history will surely record as one of Scotland's great club managers.

The famously taciturn McLean took great pride in describing United as the little corner shop going up against the big Scottish supermarkets. As Dundee United together with their 'New Firm' rivals Aberdeen, successfully upset the balance of power in the Scottish game in the eighties, Sturrock became arguably McLean's most valuable chess piece.

An honest, old-fashioned inside forward with bags of skill, he was a player opposing fans feared but nevertheless respected. Sturrock would certainly have added to his haul of 20 Scottish caps, and 11 goals, had it not been for strong striking competition from Kenny Dalglish, not to mention Charlie Nicholas, Maurice Johnston and Frank McAvennie. United kept upsetting the apple cart and my travels with them took me to Split, Barcelona, Moenchengladbach and ultimately Gothenburg for the first leg of the 1987 UEFA Cup Final.

The fact that United lost 2-1 on aggregate was no disgrace; indeed their magnanimous fans were singled out by European football's governing body for their sporting behaviour after the return leg at Tannadice.

He won several honours with the club, including a the SPL title in 1983 and also teached the European Cup semis the following year. Throughout these Euro adventures, Sturrock was a compelling and intelligent figure on and off the park. A deep thinker about the nuances of football, this was clearly a man destined to contribute to the game long after his playing days were over.

In 1989, he began coaching at Tannadice, before motoring twenty minutes down the A90 to take charge of St Johnstone four years later. Not until 1998 did he get the chance to manage his beloved United but the chemistry had changed and two games into the 2000/01 season, Sturrock resigned, citing the need for a sabbatical from football.

In reality, a change of scenery was what the doctor ordered. Saying goodbye to the SPL, Sturrock tried his luck in England's lower echelons with Plymouth Argyle. It was a match made in heaven.

Thriving on a new way of life and climate in his adopted city, Sturrock quickly won over the Home Park punters and even turned his hand to working as a restaurant critic for a local newspaper. In three-and-a-half years with limited funds, Sturrock had taken Argyle from the depths of the Third Division to the upper reaches of the Second.

He won the Third Division title with 102 points, being named Nationwide Manager of the Year for the division. Bigger clubs than Plymouth of course pay heed to such managerial achievements in the lower divisions and it should have been no surprise when Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe came calling. Mind you, having toiled for so many years in less than glamourous football surroundings, there was always a worry that Paul Sturrock wasn't ready for the rarified air of the Premiership.

This is a manager with the innate ability to cajole and inspire. Amiable yet demanding, humourous while constantly searching for innovation, Sturrock's thirst for knowledge has served him well. At a time when Southampton fans have been bemoaning Gordon Strachan's departure, the Saints hoped they had stumbled on the next best thing.

But Sturrock lasted only a little over five months in the job. After a stuttering opening to his St Mary's tenure the media reported his imminent departure in the run-up to the start of the 2004/05 season.

Amid rumours of dressing room unrest and player revolts, Sturrock remained a defiant figure. But that would not last long. The Scot left Southampton only two games into the season, following a 3-2 home win over Blackburn Rovers, by 'mutual consent'. Sturrock was fighting a losing battle from day one.

He made mistakes at the outset, which left him with an unsurmountable task - and he paid the ultimate price.