Eckert calms pre-season fitness fears as Southampton win 1-0 in Germany | OneFootball

Southampton made it two wins from two under Tonda Eckert with a 1-0 victory at Eintracht Braunschweig, following a 3-1 success at Eastleigh. The head coach downplayed fears that a short summer would leave his players undercooked.

The winner arrived before half-time. Flynn Downes fed Lewis Dobbin, who sent the American forward Downs clear. Downs rolled the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper, skipped beyond the final defender, then passed into an empty net. According to Sainstmarching.com, the head coach felt the first half produced the better football.

Eckert used different XIs either side of the break, handing 45 minutes to 22 players. He said he thinks the group will bank more than enough minutes to be ready for the Carabao Cup and then Watford. He added that Braunschweig’s quality on the ball made his side work harder than planned.

Southampton will start the Championship season on minus four points after last term’s fallout, which adds weight to this pre-season. The deduction leaves little margin to drift through the opening weeks, so the friendly schedule appears purposeful.

The aim is to be sharp for Colchester in the Carabao Cup on eight August, before the league opener at Watford on 16 August. The Germany camp runs for another eight days with two more friendlies, one behind closed doors and another at Preüßen Münster next Saturday. Whether the German will be in the Vicarage Road dugout on opening day remains anyone’s guess.

Source: Sainstmarching.com