How the EFL Championship table looks since Southampton appointed Tonda Eckert | OneFootball

Football League World looks at the Championship table since Southampton's appointment of Tonda Eckert

Southampton have endured a mixed campaign in the Championship after last season's relegation from the Premier League, with the Saints often struggling to deliver on both internal and external expectation.

That was, of course, the case under ex-boss Will Still, who rocked up on the south coast with plenty of anticipation but won just four of his first 16 games before being relieved of his duties after Southampton plummeted to 21st place.

Still's dismissal prompted the appointment of Tonda Eckert, and considering the German had only previously coached Southampton's under-21 side, the decision to hire the former academy coach on interim terms then turn his position into a permanent one was met with a division of opinion from Southampton supporters.

Eckert's tenure has not been without flaw nor frustration, and fans have been quick to voice their concerns when fit. Equally, however, Eckert is now becoming increasingly popular in Hampshire, with Southampton's fortunes having trended upwards in recent months amid a late charge towards the top-six - and there's every chance he could be the man to get them out of the second-tier at the very first time of asking come May.

Southampton have been making waves in the Championship, and with that in mind, Football League World has decided to take a close look at exactly how the league table looks since Eckert's appointment.

The Championship table since Southampton appointed Tonda Eckert

Eckert was appointed as Still's initial successor on November 2, and his first game in charge three days later saw Southampton run out 2-1 winners at QPR.

Further victories over Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Leicester City led to Sport Republic hiring Eckert full-time, and it's a decision they'll hardly be looking back at with any tinges of regret now.

From the time in which Eckert assumed Still's position, the Saints' form has been remarkable and perhaps makes you wonder what could've been achieved across a full campaign under the 33-year-old's leadership.

That's because, in Eckert's 21 games at the helm, Southampton sit at the top of the second-tier table with 38 points. 11 of those have been victories, with just five draws and five defeats playing out, while no team has scored more goals than the Saints' 41 and 26 have been let in at the other end.

Southampton's goal difference of +15 ties them with second-placed Ipswich Town, who also have the same number of points but have scored fewer goals - albeit with a game in hand.

Middlesbrough have the same amount of points on the board, too, but have a weaker goal difference, whereas the likes of Wrexham, Coventry City and Sheffield United are a few points shy of Southampton.

Southampton can achieve promotion under Tonda Eckert this season

The actual league table currently positions Southampton in seventh-place, four points adrift of Wrexham in sixth. However, the underlying data - Saints rank second in the Championship for xG at 57.3 - alongside their form under Eckert suggests that gap will be bridge and the south coast side will ultimately finish the season inside the play-offs, which will then present a viable chance of promotion.

Southampton's squad still contains many of the promotion-winners from the 2023/24 campaign, in which they successfully navigated the play-offs under Russell Martin.

This is a group of players who know how to handle the lottery of the play-offs, and that puts Southampton in good stead for what may lie ahead.

Saints' remaining fixture list is largely favourable too, with only three promotion contenders still on the calendar in the form of fixtures against Coventry, Ipswich and Wrexham. The trip to North Wales already feels particularly crucial in the context of the ever-intensifying race for the top-six, and it's hard to bet against Southampton under Eckert at this moment in time.