SAINTS are the exception to the rule that managerial continuity equals success.

When Gordon Strachan is replaced as Saints boss, the new incumbent will become the sixth manager to work for Rupert Lowe since he succeeded Guy Askham in May, 1997.

No other club to have played in the Premiership for the last seven years will have a record to compare with that unless Leeds and Tottenham, two falling giants now in a perennial state of flux, replace their respective caretaker managers before Strachan goes.

But, while Leeds and Spurs are a shadow of their former selves, Saints have gone from strength to strength under Lowe, who has overseen the move from The Dell to St Mary's as well as a rise from relegation candidates to mid-table.

The news of Strachan's impending exit will not help Saints in their fight to avoid the drop, so Lowe will be aware of just how important it is that his sixth managerial appointment is the right one.

Mark Hughes, Micky Adams, George Graham, Paul Sturrock, Nigel Worthington, Gary John-son... at the moment, the list of potential candidates is as long as you want it to be.

But, if you believe the stats, a long term manager is the key to long term success.

Manchester United and Arsenal have not made a managerial change in the time that Lowe has been boss of Saints.

Enough said.

Surely it is no coincidence that the Premiership's two most successful clubs have had one man at the helm for eight and 18 years respectively.

But, perhaps more revealing is the fact that Charlton, a club on more of a par with Saints, have had no change in the bootroom since Alan Curbishley took his first job back in 1991.

Pound for pound, Charlton are arguably as successful as United and Arsenal, having achieved what they have done without the same finances.

And a look at Saints' own history shows what having managers with longevity can do for a club.

The foundations laid by Ted Bates in his 18 years in charge helped Lawrie McMenemy, who had 12 years at the helm, to become Southampton's most successful manager.

So you wonder how much better Saints would do if Strachan's replacement decides to stick around.

Most clubs with a high managerial turnover have a trigger happy chairman breathing down their necks but Lowe did not want either Glenn Hoddle or Strachan to go

Like Souness, who resigned within a couple of months of Lowe's arrival, Hoddle and Strachan decided to leave of their own accord.

A lack of transfer funds and a personality clash with Lowe was behind Souness's exit, while Tottenham pulled tightly on Hoddle's heart strings.

Strachan is yet to make it clear why he is leaving - it is certainly not because of a troublesome hip - but it is hard to criticise Lowe.

He spent a lot of money on St Mary's and not giving Souness the funds he wanted has worked out brilliantly.

The building of a new stadium has made Saints' future secure and has allowed them to compete more readily in the transfer market now.

Could they seriously have attracted players like Antti Niemi and Kevin Phillips while they were playing at The Dell?

Now Lowe will be looking to bring in a manager who is prepared for the long haul. The difficulty is finding one that does not see St Mary's as a stepping stone to bigger things.