LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – Premier League basement club Southampton on Saturday appointed Ivan Juric as their new manager on an 18-month contract.

The former Roma and Torino boss replaces the sacked Russell Martin, with the south coast club bottom of the table and nine points from safety ahead of their match at Fulham on Sunday.

Martin was dismissed after an embarrassing 5-0 loss at home to Tottenham last weekend.

“We remain focused on fighting for survival this season and believe this appointment will provide us with the grit and determination needed to improve results on the pitch,” Southampton said in a statement.

The club said Juric had a “reputation for helping his teams punch above their weight”.

The 49-year-old Juric said: “It’s a really big challenge but I’m very optimistic because I saw a team that can do better.

“It’s important to immediately be connected with the fans. I want an aggressive team and I think that fans of Southampton will like that.”

The former Croatia midfielder led Torino to three mid-table finishes in Italy’s Serie A, establishing a reputation for creating defensively sound teams, before leaving at the end of last season.

Juric replaced Daniele De Rossi as Roma boss in mid-September but lasted less than two months in the Italian capital, overseeing just four wins from 12 games.

Southampton returned to the Premier League following a 1-0 victory in a Wembley play-off final against Leeds in May.

But they have found life back among the elite tough to handle, winning just one of their 16 Premier League games so far this season.