This Southampton strike pairing has Eckert dreaming before Watford | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert has been enthused by loan arrival Divin Mubama and the potential chemistry with Cyle Larin as Southampton head to Watford.

According to Sainstmarching.com, Eckert had clocked Mubama in a City under-21s game against Saints before taking the senior job. He sees him as a definite number nine with real ambition.

Despite an ankle injury, the 21-year-old scored five Championship goals in 28 games on loan at Stoke last term, including a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Bristol City. The pair held a long meeting the day before, going through the squad, and Mubama already knew most teammates and their tendencies. The report suggested he would be ready to go as soon as the paperwork cleared.

Asked if Larin and Mubama could form the new strike axis after Ross Stewart’s free move to Swansea, Eckert likened it to a father-and-son dynamic rather than two peers. Larin, 31, joined permanently in June after his January loan from Mallorca and scored the opener in the cup win at Colchester. Mubama is 21 and still learning, and Eckert reckons Larin sees him as someone to bring on rather than a rival.

Ben Brereton Diaz started in that tie and struggled, so the manager suddenly has genuine choices up front. He called that a luxury, noting how much Saints changed the game from the bench.

Watford are unlikely to roll over. Alessio Dionisi’s side counter quickly and threaten through the wingers, similar to his Sassuolo teams, and Eckert accepted Saints will have to graft to prise the game open at Vicarage Road.

With a four-point deduction hanging over the season, a sharp start would steady nerves. Whoever fires, the head coach fancies his attack. The report has already mapped where the Shea Charles money should go, and a settled front line would free it up elsewhere before Sunday finally offers fans a proper look.

Source: Sainstmarching.com

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