Tonda Eckert, Southampton FC’s interim manager, is set to oversee the Saints’ next three Championship games as the club’s managerial search continues.
The Saints parted ways with their previous permanent manager, Will Still, on the evening of Sunday, November 2nd, with the 32-year-old’s final game in charge being a 2-0 loss to Preston North End the day before, leaving the newly relegated club 20th in the Championship after two wins in their first 13 games.
Following his appointment, Eckert has overseen back-to-back victories against Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday, the first in a regular season for Saints since April 2024 under Russell Martin, with the South Coast club rising to 17th in the standings prior to the recent November international break.
Several names have been linked with the vacancy since Still’s dismissal just under three weeks ago, but Sport Republic, the club’s under-fire ownership group, has yet to make a final decision on who will land the permanent gig, and whether such a figure will come from within the club or outside.
Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned successes in West London and St Mary’s have given the likes of Dragan Solak and Johannes Spors plenty to think about, which has lengthened Eckert’s audition period after previous reports only increased the 32-year-old’s chances of landing the job full-time.
Tonda Eckert’s future as Southampton’s interim manager gets a fresh timeline update.
As previously stated, various names were associated with the vacant position at St Mary’s before it was confirmed that Eckert will at least guide the Saints during the recent two-week fixture hiatus.
This occurred amid claims that Spors, the Saints’ sporting director, was looking for a German-based head coach, albeit no names fitting the bill have emerged in the competition for the job.
Last week, Alex Crook of talkSPORT stated that the hierarchy was expecting to award Eckert a full-time position following good victories and performances against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, during which five goals were scored.
The Daily Echo has revealed that Eckert, who was only appointed as manager of Saints’ Under-21s side in pre-season, will now oversee the club’s upcoming three Championship fixtures, with next week marking the latest ‘three-game week’ in the schedule.
Southampton will play Charlton Athletic, Leicester City, and Millwall this season, with the Foxes’ home game wedged between two journeys to south London.
It has also been alleged that despite an interview process, a standout candidate has yet to be discovered, and Eckert is considered to be a strong contender, despite Sport Republic being made aware of the risks associated with such a significant decision.
Southampton fans react to latest managerial news surrounding Tonda Eckert.
It’s safe to assume that such news has polarized an already divided fanbase, with one supporter calling the current scenario a “joke.”
Another made their stance clear, as they are clearly unhappy with Sport Republic’s latest stance on the matter.
One disgruntled Saints supporter believes Eckert’s permanent appointment would reveal an obvious lack of desire.
However, some fans were not saddened by the new developments.
Another believes Eckert will have done enough to land the job if he was to keep up his winning record.
It’s no surprise that Saints fans are divided, but Eckert will seek to prove any doubters wrong in the next games, which might push his team even closer to the play-offs depending on results.
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