If Saints become the eighth Premiership club to appoint a foreign manager, history suggests that Rupert Lowe should opt for a Frenchman.

It is nearly 14 years since Dr Jozef Venglos became the first manager from mainland Europe to take charge of a club in England's top flight.

The Slovak only lasted a season - he inherited a Villa side that had finished second to Liverpool in 1990 but they could only finish 17th under a man dubbed 'Dr Do Little' by Villa fans.

But Ossie Ardiles had already been at Swindon Town for a year and the Argentinian was introduced to Premier league management when he replaced Peter Shreeves as Spurs boss a decade ago.

Ardiles, who also managed Newcastle, when they were in the old second division, and West Brom, remains the only South American to have managed an English club and was the first high profile foreigner to enjoy any longevity in management in this country.

Before 1989 our leading clubs were not exactly xenophobic, just reluctant to change but Ardiles's five years heralded a new era in the English game.

Chelsea, for example, have not had a British manager since Glenn Hoddle left to take over as England boss nearly eight years ago.

Saints, though, have always stuck to Brits.

Former Scotland teammates Gordon Strachan and Graeme Souness are the closest the club have ever got to bringing in a 'foreign' manager.

But this week's grapevine suggests that Saints chairman Lowe may well be looking beyond these shores as he scours for the right man to bring in as his fifth managerial appointment.

If so, and if he wants to make a long term appointment, the records of Arsene Wenger and Gerard Houllier suggest that he should go French.

That would seem to be his thinking.

Former Senegal coach Bruno Metsu is now working in the United Arab Emirates after leading Senegal to the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup, while Philippe Troussier is managing Qatar after success with Japan in the last World Cup.

Alain Perrin, the Frenchman who took Marseille into this year's Champions League, could be another possible target after resigning last week.

Lowe is well aware that Georges Prost, Saints under 17s coach, has brought a different dimension to the Academy, and may feel that the first team could do with a similarly fresh approach.

Arsenal, Chelsea and - whatever you say about Gerard Houllier - Liverpool have got the most from foreign managers.

Wenger has won two doubles since arriving at Highbury in 1996 while no Liverpool boss has ever matched Houllier's FIVE trophies in 2001.

But there is no reason why clubs further down the Premiership pecking order cannot benefit from a more continental outlook.

Jean Tigana was a huge success in leading Fulham to promotion from the First Division and establishing them in the Premiership before he was replaced by Chris Coleman last year.

After all, it was Tigana that signed Louis Saha for just £2.1m from Metz shortly after taking over in the summer of 2000. Nearly four years on and Saha is now set to go to Manchester United for a £10m profit.

Not a bad legacy to leave behind.

But it is not just Frenchmen that have succeeded in England.

The Italian pair of Gianluca Vialli and Ranieri left have continued Ruud Gullit's good work at Chelsea and, at a lower level, two Scandinavians have been a boon.

Jan Molby did wonders in taking Kidderminster from the Nationwide Conference and into the Football League while Icelander Gudjon Thordarson has been a relative success at Stoke - winning the AutoWindscreens Shield trophy in 2000 - and now at Barnsley.

But bringing in a foreign coach doesn't necessarily equate to decent performances.

Swiss boss Christian Gross flopped at Spurs in 1997 while ex-Saints defender Ivan Golac had a brief and forgettable spell at Torquay in the early 1990s.

And Norwegian Egil Olsen lasted less than a season at Wimbledon before getting the sack.

Foreigners to have managed English clubs.

HITS

Arsene Wenger (Arsenal, 1996 - present)

Claudio Ranieri (Chelsea, 2000- present)

Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea, 1998-2000)

Ruud Gullit (Chelsea, 1996-98)

Gerard Houllier (Liverpool, 1998- present)

Jean Tigana (Fulham, 2000-03)

Gudjon Thordarson (Stoke, 1999-02 and Barnsley, 2003-present)

Jan Molby (Kidderminster, 1999- present, with a spell at Hull in between)

MISSES

Ruud Gullit (Newcastle, 1998-99)

Christian Gross (Spurs, 1997-98)

Ossie Ardiles (Spurs, 1993-94)

Jozef Venglos (Aston Villa, 1990-91)

Egil Olsen (Wimbledon, 1999-00)

Jan Sorensen (Walsall, 1997-98)

Ivan Golac (Torquay 1992)