3 Things We Learned From Southampton’s Pre-Season Opener | OneFootball

By Christian Lovegrove · July 19, 2026

Southampton opened their pre-season with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Eastleigh. Despite conceding first, Tonda Eckert’s side quickly settled into the contest and controlled proceedings for much of the evening.

While it’s only the first friendly of the summer, there was plenty to take away from it.

Early Priorities

There was an early glimpse of where Tonda Eckert’s priorities lie.

The German head coach is overseeing his first pre-season. With goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and Gavin Bazunu left out of the squad, team selection suggested Eckert is prioritising players expected to feature throughout the summer.

George Long, who acted as Southampton’s third-choice keeper last season, played the full 90 minutes. According to Daily Echo reporter Alfie House, Eckert will be prioritising both Long and Daniel Peretz, with the latter missing out as a result of a minor wrist injury.

American Damion Downs was trusted to lead the line alongside Cameron Archer during the second half. Despite a disappointing campaign last season, Eckert’s decision to hand him significant minutes suggests he wants to assess the striker before making any definitive decisions.

While Downs remains likely to leave this summer, nothing has been decided, and Eckert appears keen to assess him first. Given his age, transfer fee and long-term contract, the club may still have an underlying hope Eckert can get a tune out of him.

Academy Prospects Impress

Oyekunle and Akachukwu were the standout academy prospects on the day, with both getting on the scoresheet.

Striker Nicholas Oyekunle brought an energetic presence to the attack, consistently finding space. His movement inside the box was rewarded with a well-taken goal, underlining the goal-scoring instincts he has shown through the academy ranks.

Romeo Akachukwu had a hugely encouraging performance. The 19-year-old looked quick and confident with the ball on the left-hand side. He also came close to a second, only to be denied by a top-drawer save from the goalkeeper. Alongside his direct attacking threat, he showcased plenty of flair, with backheel passes and moments of skill catching the eyes of many Saints supporters.

Elsewhere, Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh slotted into midfield after replacing Jander and looked composed in possession, while Joachim Kayi Sanda adapted well at right-back. The central defender showed a willingness to make forward runs to support Tom Fellows while successfully playing progressive passes.

Fluid Structure

The attacking structure remained similar across both halves, but the movement patterns within it differed noticeably.

In the first half, Lewis Dobbin and Leo Scienza frequently rotated positions, with Dobbin often drifting towards the left touchline. This movement allowed Scienza to move freely into central areas, creating link-up play between the pair and offering greater fluency in possession.

Cameron Archer and Damion Downs operated more centrally in the second half, although Archer often peeled wide to combine with Akachukwu on the left-hand side. While the overall shape remained similar, the player movements created a different dynamic to the first-half setup.

The contrast was also evident at left-back. Ryan Manning, introduced in the second half, was comfortable operating in central spaces and playing passes through midfield, whereas Welington in the first half generally preferred to stay wider, building play from the flank, overlapping Scienza or offering a support option.

Ryan Manning and Welington offer different profiles at left-back for Southampton. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Conclusion

While it’s far too early to draw definitive conclusions, Southampton’s opening friendly offered encouraging signs.

Eckert appears keen to feature the club’s younger talent this summer and continue to advance a more fluid attacking structure. Tougher tests will follow soon, but the South Coast outfit’s first performance of pre-season provided plenty of reasons for optimism.