Exclusive: Sky pundit reacts to unfolding Southampton FC, Tonda Eckert situation - 'nobody blamed Ruben Selles' | OneFootball

Saints' interim boss will oversee at least the next three matches

Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert Don Goodman has described the latest update within Southampton's managerial search as a "win-win" for current interim boss, Tonda Eckert.

The German oversaw Saints' first back-to-back victories within a regular season since April 2024 prior to the final international break of 2025, with the South Coast side taking maximum points off of both Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.

Such on-pitch positivity marked an immediate contrast to the atmosphere felt throughout Will Still's short-lived tenure at St Mary's, with the 32-year-old receiving his P45 on November 2nd, with a 2-0 defeat to Preston North End stretching a previously dire run of form to just two wins in the opening 13 games of the Championship campaign.

Given the predicament which Southampton find themselves in after being newly relegated from the Premier League, a plethora of high-profile managers and head coaches have been linked with the vacant post over time, although under-fire ownership group, Sport Republic, are yet to make a concrete and final judgement on proceedings heading into the so-often season-defining festive period, with games coming thick and fast in the second-tier schedule.

The upcoming batch of fixtures also see Saints enter the latest 'three-game week' in the EFL calendar, and Eckert has been given the remit of overseeing performances against Charlton Athletic, Leicester City and Millwall, with Saints hoping to potentially move within touching distance of the play-off places should results go their way, such is the wide-open and congested nature of this season's Championship.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, the aforementioned Goodman believes Saints' current managerial situation is comparable to when Ruben Selles took over from Nathan Jones in February 2023, with the club already destined for a return to the Championship at the time.

Eckert is believed to have the backing of "key allies" within the club, although whilst the previous update was made public, so was the fact that Sport Republic have been warned of taking such a risk.

"I think it's a win-win for Tonda Eckert, getting the next three games," Goodman claimed. "It's basically a trial, isn't it? Let's have it right.

"They'll (the owners) be putting feelers out and having conversations. But, if Tonda Eckert wins the next three games, probably, the job is his.

"So, it's a win-win and he has absolutely nothing to lose," the Sky Sports pundit added."Even if they don't win any of the next three games, I don't think the fans would blame him.

"It's a little bit like when Ruben Selles took over from Nathan Jones and Southampton went down. Nobody blamed Ruben Selles at all, and it would be the same here.

"It's only a positive really, because he took over a team that could not possibly do worse," Goodman added. "When I say that, I don't necessarily mean performances, but results. It wasn't really possible for Southampton to keep getting such negative results.

"So, it was a win-win. At the moment, he's taking full advantage of the situation. If he wins the next three, I'd be shocked if the job wasn't his."

Tonda Eckert has the chance to continue a strong audition period at Southampton

Eckert was only named as Saints' Under-21s boss in the summer, so it would be a rapid transition for the 32-year-old, should he end up being offered the vacancy on a full-time basis.

The German has previous experience of being an extremely successful assistant at this level, having worked alongside Valerien Ismael as Barnsley made an unexpected run into the play-offs four years ago. However, the expectation levels at St Mary's are in a whole new stratosphere.

It must be said, though, that Eckert has reinstated some form of confidence into his squad in the past two games, with five goals being scored, with the vast majority of them coming through impressive passages of play also.

Unsurprisingly, the aforementioned decision made by Sport Republic has split opinion, with some believing a manager or head coach with greater experience should be handed the reins after how Still's tenure unfolded, whilst others are of the same stance as Goodman, believing Eckert may have done enough should the Reds keep up a solid run of form in the next week or so.