Southampton may well have ended their interest in making Jesse Marsch their new manager after talks broke down.
Negotiations have faltered over the length of any proposed contract, with American Marsch wanting longer than the short-term deal Saints wanted to offer.
First-team coach Ruben Selles will continue to take the team in training and for Saturday's match at Chelsea.
Southampton will continue looking for another replacement for Nathan Jones, who they sacked on Sunday.
However the club may also consider leaving Selles in charge for longer than they anticipated - and he may now have an opportunity to put himself in the running to be appointed as the club's new permanent manager.