What Tonda Eckert MUST Fix at Southampton After Victory Over West Brom | OneFootball

Southampton saw out a last-minute scare against West Brom, making it six wins from seven under Tonda Eckert.

It’s been a rough season for the Saints. However, despite these recent victories, one clear problem remains: the second-half performances.

First Half Recap vs West Brom

The former Baggie, Tom Fellows, made a darting run with the ball through the centre. Leo Scienza attacked the space created on the right-hand side, and Fellows slid him in on goal. No initial touch was necessary as the Brazilian claimed his first goal at St Mary’s to make it 1-0.

That goal signified his role under Eckert. Scienza, while a left winger, operates freely in possession. Eckert utilises a 3-4-2-1, where the two forwards behind the striker are the creative threat. He thrives in half-spaces where he can make things happen and have an impact across all phases. The Brazilian drops deeper to link play or drive with the ball, kick-starting Saints’ attacks. When the ball is on the right-hand side, he often shifts centrally.

Just five minutes later, Armstrong intercepted a West Brom defender before calmly slotting it past the keeper. 2-0. The 28-year-old wasn’t finished there. Harwood-Bellis found Azaz in space, who calmly turned and played Armstrong in behind. Chipping the keeper, Armstrong made it 11 goals for the campaign – a league-high total. 3-0 in 35 minutes.

Poor Second Half

West Brom restricted Southampton to just 0.06 xG in the second half.

Ryan Mason’s Albion have performed better when they have nothing to lose. Coming back to beat Swansea 3-2 but falling significantly short against the likes of QPR and Sheffield Wednesday emphasises that they stumble under pressure. When they played front-footed against Southampton, they posed a serious threat.

The Baggies scored two set-piece goals. Gavin Bazunu was called into action for a series of saves from corners. Ultimately, it was too much for the Irishman, who eventually came short for the first and failed to command his box for their second.

And this is where Southampton’s issues become more apparent.

The Saints lacked intensity. Passages of play weren’t coming to fruition, and they looked second best. Just 40% of ground duels and 32% of aerial duels were won — a complete contrast to the first half, where they won 59% of all duels.

Two out of the twelve goals scored at home have been in the second half during Eckert’s spell. While Southampton have maintained control in these situations, West Brom was a warning – one that, if the Saints take their eyes off the ball for too long, their defensive woes will be punished.

Why is there such a difference?

There are many factors behind Southampton’s inconsistency between halves. Eckert has said:

The German manager has emphasised that his men must improve defensively. That’s been the problem for the Saints, though. Their best form of defence is attack, and once they lose their momentum at the top end of the pitch, it begins to go downhill.

There’s a feeling of inevitability. When Southampton slip for a split second or begin to slow down, they are consistently punished for it.

But it’s not Eckert’s fault. Options from the bench offer little impact or a significant drop in quality. The typical substitutions are Ryan Fraser for Fellows, Joe Aribo for Azaz and Jay Robinson for Scienza. All of these weaken the side to some degree. Towards the end of the game, Fraser brings crucial experience but offers far less aggression in transition than Fellows, which immediately slows the Saints’ wide play.

It invites the opposition to step up and play on the attack. The Saints have conceded 37 shots (3.12 xG) in the past three second halves, compared to 24 shots (2.05 xG) in the opening 45s.

If Tonda Eckert is to revamp his side into a promotion-chasing outfit, he must find a way to extend his team’s attacking control beyond 45 minutes. Until they sustain their intensity, protect their box (like their life depends on it) at set pieces, and introduce more impact from the bench, almost every lead will feel fragile — no matter how well they start.