Sky Sports pundit drops claim about 'crazy' Southampton under Tonda Eckert | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff provided his verdict on Tonda Eckert's start to life at Southampton after replacing Will Still.

Southampton continued their incredible start to life under Tonda Eckert with a 3-2 win against West Bromwich Albion last night, with Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff full of praise for the recently-appointed 32-year-old.

West Brom were three goals down on 35 minutes, with Adam Armstrong notching twice against his former club. Tom Fellows assisted Leo Scienza for the opener prior to Armstrong's double to put them in command ahead of half-time. However, despite late goals from Karlan Grant and Nat Phillips, Southampton held on.

The three points are their sixth in seven matches, with Eckert named manager on a permanent basis until the end of the 2026/27 campaign thanks to their recent form. Southampton are now just a point outside of the play-offs ahead of tonight's Championship matches, including Bristol City against Leicester City and Ipswich Town hosting Stoke City.

However, McAnuff believes that the Saints are a team to keep an eye on under Eckert, especially given the firepower in their attacking unit, and with each of them now firing after struggling under Will Still.

Speaking on Sky Sports News' Soccer Special show last night pre-match, McAnuff detailed his thoughts on the job Eckert has done so far, particularly regarding the improvement to the Southampton forward line.

He said: “Yeah, it’s crazy, isn’t it, Jules? I think it’s 18 goals in six games since he’s taken over.

“Which is a ridiculous ratio, in terms of scoring. I know that man there is probably one of the biggest examples, Finn Azaz; big-money move and we all expected him to kick on.

“He is a proven player at that level. And again, then Adam Armstrong — his proven pedigree at this level. Scienza has been fantastic.

“That is, genuinely, when you watch them, I think there’s a little bit more attacking intent — in terms of how quickly they move the ball. They were getting in decent positions under Will Still but they just weren’t taking those chances.

“As forward players, and certainly those of us who played in those forward areas, once you get that first one, there’s a sense of frustration around and disappointment at not taking some of those chances, but this man [Adam Armstrong] — incredible.

“Some of the types of finishing. He’s got everything in his armoury. From that point on, the teams not really looked back. You look at the game they did lose, still got two goals. They got done by a late one against Millwall, so it’s been a huge turnaround.

“He’s done a fantastic job. You can see that run of results there — absolutely brilliant. I think the question was: when do they make that decision? And what that decision was going to be.

“He can’t have done any more in his time. Now it’s about the players going and carrying on the work he’s done so far.”

Southampton might have the best attack in the Championship

Despite the fact Coventry City have scored 51 in 20 games and Ipswich Town also boast a wealth of attacking options under Kieran McKenna, it could be argued Southampton's forward line has the highest ceiling, at least in terms of their overall performance level.

When on song, it's hard to stop the likes of Scienza, Armstrong, and co. who have all scored goals at a higher level or been absolutely outstanding over the last few seasons in the Championship.

The likes of Fellows and Azaz should have offered more than they have so far, but their quality is undeniable on an individual level. Prior to their arrivals, they had scored or assisted 25 and 44, respectively, over the course of the last two campaigns at this level.