Eckert Sparks Southampton Revival With Successive Wins | OneFootball

After a crucial win in midweek, Southampton were desperate for their first back-to-back wins in 571 days. Interim boss Tonda Eckert achieved this and has already matched the previous head coach, Will Still’s, win total in just four days.

Sheffield Wednesday showed intent in possession but were denied by their lack of quality in forward areas. So how did the game unravel, and was it a true indicator of a shifting tide at the Saints?

Before the first whistle, the stadium rose in applause for midfielder Oriol Romeu’s return to St Mary’s, as he walked out to greet the fans, re-joining as a free agent just two days prior.

Saints Begin Superbly

Southampton started brightly. Early penalty appeals were followed by Wednesday defender, Sean Fusire, almost chesting the ball into his own net; however, he was able to clear it away relatively quickly.

A promising start like this seemed to slowly decline in recent weeks. But after constant forward play, Ryan Manning drilled a low cross into the box, cutting back to Caspar Jander in the ninth minute. The German bobbled past a player before defender Liam Palmer hit the ball into him, deflecting the ball on target. Keeper Ethan Horvath looked set for a routine save, but the ball slipped through his grasp and into the net.

The St Mary’s crowd felt pure relief to see their side score on home turf. It marked just five goals at home all season; that was soon to be improved more. Winger Tom Fellows was electric. The 22-year-old took the ball past his man with ease, cutting on the inside and threading a well-timed pass to Finn Azaz. The Irish international comfortably took it first time, firing across goal and finding the bottom corner just eight minutes after the Saints took the lead.

Wednesday Grow into it

Southampton grew to be comfortable. A little too comfortable. In usual Saints fashion, a clean sheet was deprived as Manchester United loanee Harry Amass launched a 25-yard shot, bouncing past Gavin Bazunu’s left arm into the net. This save should’ve been dealt with better, especially reinforced by the xG of only 0.02.

Both sides operated with a back three, with most of the game’s chance creation coming from the flanks. The Saints did change shape in possession, though. Tom Fellows positioned himself far higher, allowing for Harwood-Bellis to sit wider behind him, sometimes providing himself as an underlapping option, as play progressed into Wednesday’s half — a 4-2-3-1 variation.

Finn Azaz had a close shot cleared off the line. This was followed by him, brimming with confidence, attempting an out-of-the-box strike, just falling wide of the right post.

As half-time crept closer, it felt like the Saints were desperately trying to see it out. The Owls played some nice football, with organised passages of play led by captain Barry Bannan, causing the Saints’ defence problems. Gavin Bazunu was busy before the interval, making two pivotal saves to maintain the lead.

The Second Half

Midfielder Flynn Downes only featured for 45 minutes after suffering a muscle problem. Youngster Barnaby Williams was a late call-up this week, due to Cameron Bragg’s absence, and came on to replace Downes. Making his senior debut, he was received with a warm welcome from the Southampton faithful.

Just two minutes into the second half, Harwood-Bellis attempted to find Armstrong, who operated centrally today. The Sheffield Wednesday marker misread the pass, which led to Armstrong being in behind. After calmly faking a shot to cut in past Palmer, the 28-year-old used the outside of his right foot to score his fifth of the season and restore the Saints’ two-goal lead.

Eckert’s men caused issues through Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows out wide. However, their substitutions deeply impacted the side’s creativity. They were pinned back in a 5-4-1 mid-block with striker Damion Downs leading the line, allowing the Owls to maintain 67% possession in the second half, with over double the amount of passes as the Saints.

Nothing troubled Bazunu, though. Wednesday failed to register a single shot on target or create a big chance.

Managers’ Thoughts

As the final whistle blew, it sealed their second victory after Still’s sacking — a tally that Eckert is bound to be proud of. The win has placed him first in the bookies as the Saints search for their permanent head coach, he said:

Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen admitted they lost to a “stronger team” but was “proud” of his side; he said:

The international break has come at the perfect time for both sides. Sheffield Wednesday will look to regroup, with Pedersen even scheduling a meeting for Monday to discuss potential free agent signings.

It’s been a busy week on the South Coast. Losing to Preston was the breaking point, leading to toxicity rising around the club. In just four days, the atmosphere has dramatically changed, as successive wins have appeased the fans and sparked a glimmer of hope. The foundations have been established by Tonda Eckert. Whether they decide to give him more time or look elsewhere, Sport Republic have to get this right, as the fans will turn quickly on them if it turns for the worse.