One Southampton star has turned his fortunes around under Tonda Eckert - Will Still may be seething | OneFootball

Adam Armstrong has been on fire since Tonda Eckert replaced Will Still in the Southampton dugout

Having begun the 2025/26 Championship season in dismal form, Southampton took drastic action in dismissing former Reims and Lens boss Will Still from his position as head coach, and has since replaced him with the club's Under-21 head coach, who is now getting the best out of one of their star forwards.

After a tough campaign in the Premier League last season, to put it mildly, where they amassed just 12 points, narrowly beating Derby County's lowest-ever point record of 11, Southampton were hoping for a much brighter campaign this season.

The Saints chose to appoint the then-32-year-old Will Still as the club's new head coach over the summer to lead them into the new season, with the English coach having made a name for himself for his coaching exploits in both Belgium and, in particular, France.

However, after just 16 games in all competitions with just four wins, Southampton made the tough decision to sack Still from his position, with the club in real danger of slipping away from any hopes of a top-six finish this season.

Prior to the Englishman's dismissal, Championship talisman Adam Armstrong had netted just four goals in 13 Championship outings, falling well beneath the expectations that have come to befit him across the years.

The forward has proven to be a menace in the final third at Championship level for both Blackburn and Southampton previously, and upon Still's departure, he has once again started scoring like he has shown previously in years gone by.

Tonda Eckert is getting the best out of Adam Armstrong at Southampton

Having taken charge of the Saints' first-team on an initial interim basis following Still's departure, Southampton have since appointed their former Under-21 head coach, Tonda Eckert, as first-team head coach on a permanent basis.

The 32-year-old won four of his five games in charge as interim boss, earning him a shot as the head coach on a permanent basis, and his upturn in form has benefited one man in particular.

Armstrong has scored seven and grabbed three assists in eight games since Eckert has been at the helm, and is looking like the forward of previous years that lit up the second tier.

The Newcastle United academy product has become synonymous with the phrase 'too good for the Championship, not good enough for the Premier League', joining the likes of Dwight Gayle, David Nugent, and Anthony Knockaert in this elite club.

Armstrong hitting form in front of goal couldn't have come soon enough for Southampton, who at one point looked in serious danger of mounting a relegation battle, rather than the expected promotion push everyone had expected.

Despite their most recent 2-1 defeat away to struggling Norwich City, Armstrong's proficiency in the final third in recent weeks has seen the club rise to 10th, just four points outside the play-off places, having been much closer to the bottom of the table before Eckert's arrival.

Should Southampton sustain a promotion push this season, Armstrong will be absolutely crucial to that ambition.

Last time out in the Championship, the 28-year-old hit 24 goals and grabbed 13 assists across all 46 Championship games and in the play-offs, playing every single game for the Saints under Russell Martin as they defeated Leeds United in the play-off final, with Armstrong scoring the only goal in the final.

With 11 goals and three assists in 21 league games already, the diminutive forward is well on his way to hitting a similar feat that he hit not even a couple of years ago.

Surrounded by the likes of Leo Scienza, Tom Fellows and Finn Azaz, Armstrong will continue to have chances created for him, as he continues to create for those surrounding him, and may well prove to be the catalyst that Eckert needs to fire the Saints back to the top flight.