Bizarre Tonda Eckert moment v Birmingham City has got Southampton fans reacting | OneFootball

Tonda Eckert was shown a yellow card in Southampton's win over Birmingham for kicking the ball away in comical fashion.

Tonda Eckert secured his first win as permanent Southampton head coach on Saturday as his team beat Birmingham City 3-1 at St. Mary’s Stadium.

After an underwhelming start to the campaign under Will Still, Saints' hierarchy turned to Eckert after the ex-Reims chief was dismissed, and it looks like an inspired decision.

A run of four wins in five games as caretaker prompted the board to give him the job permanently, and Southampton continued their impressive form with a deserved victory over Blues.

Tonda Eckert discusses late booking in Southampton’s win over Birmingham City

So, it was a great afternoon for the 32-year-old, although he did pick up a late booking that could count against him if Eckert is suspended at some point in the future.

And, it was a booking that certainly got the fans talking, as it was not the sort of incident you see very often.

Even though Saints were cruising to three points with just 30 seconds left to play in added time, Eckert decided to boot the ball away when it came to him, in rather comical fashion.

Unsurprisingly, Eckert was booked, and he admitted that it was just ‘instinct’, as he vowed not to repeat the mistake moving forward.

“You know what it's like when you play football. I'm not proud of it, and it was not my intention, but it was instinct. The ball landed, and my right foot told me to go for it. It won't happen again!”

Given the nature of the yellow card, it was one that got Saints fans talking, as many admitted they loved it given the unusual circumstances.

Another supporter laughed at Eckert's reaction, as he praised his attitude.

This fan was also pleased to see the 'spicy attitude' that Eckert had displayed, as he urged the players to follow suit on the pitch.

This Southampton fan joked it was 'the best thing' they'd seen all season.

Finally, even a Birmingham fan admitted he found it funny given the circumstances.

Tonda Eckert is loving life at Southampton right now after a brilliant start

It's fair to say this was a funny yellow card as it was so unnecessary, but Eckert was obviously in the moment, and he was rightly booked.

Of course, if he does end up getting four yellow cards, Eckert will be banned, and he would certainly regret this one if that did happen, but that's still a long way off. Plus, he has promised it won't happen again!

Ultimately, fans like to see emotion from their managers, and Eckert does go through a lot on the touchline as he is fully invested in what is happening on the pitch.

Clearly, the results since his appointment show that it's very much working, and even little things like this can help build Eckert's relationship with the fans as they see somebody in the dugout who cares and is passionate about the club, and he has already improved so many individuals, including the likes of Tom Fellows, Leo Scienza and Adam Armstrong.

That run of five wins in six has transformed the outlook at Southampton, and they will definitely be looking up the table as they try to close the three-point gap to the play-off places, and then the second automatic spot.

It will be difficult to do that, as there will be bumps in the road for Eckert down the line, but he has had a fantastic start to life as a head coach, and he will look to build on that against West Brom in the week.