Southampton FC decision is "make or break for Sport Republic" - it hasn't been well received | OneFootball

Southampton are set to appoint U21 boss Tonda Eckert as Will Still's successor on a permanent basis.

Southampton are considering the appointment of U21 boss Tonda Eckert as their head coach on a permanent basis after his impressive start as interim boss.

Will Still was named as the Saints boss in the summer, with the former Lens chief arriving with a good reputation following the work he had done in France.

However, his time on the south coast didn’t go to plan, and Still was dismissed following a 2-0 defeat to Preston earlier this month, which left Southampton hovering above the relegation zone.

Tonda Eckert set to land Southampton job on a permanent basis

Eckert took over after Still’s exit, and he has overseen two wins, with Saints picking up three points at QPR before following that up with a 3-1 success over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

It appears that he has done enough to convince the hierarchy that Eckert is the right man for the long-term, as TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has revealed that he is now 'expected' to be appointed as permanent head coach. Whether that's truly the case remains to be seen, but it's a possibility.

Obviously, that was a major talking point among the fan base, and given the spotlight on the owners, it feels like a major risk given the 32-year-old’s lack of experience, which was the first factor highlighted by this point...

Meanwhile, this fan suggested that two games is too small a sample size to make such a big decision.

Another referenced just how big a gamble this is for Sport Republic, given how much pressure they are facing from the fans.

This fan described the situation as 'make or break' for the owners.

Finally, this supporter explained why he thinks the owners are proving to be a problem with attracting a high-level, proven manager.

Southampton must get this next managerial decision right

As you would expect, the Southampton fans are angry at the way the club has operated over the years, with plenty of bad decisions from the top contributing to their struggles.

So, appointing Eckert would be a very brave move, but it doesn't mean that he isn't the right man for the job. He is obviously highly-rated as a coach, and he has shown in the past two games that he can get results with this group.

That isn't long enough to judge him properly, but sporting director Johannes Spors has seen Eckert work on a daily basis, so ultimately his judgement needs to be trusted.

Given his track record, Southampton fans will understandably be nervous, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out if Eckert does land the job on a long-term basis.