Southampton eye 32-year-old to replace Will Still and it's got Saints fans talking - 'stop this nonsense' | OneFootball

Southampton U21s head coach Tonda Eckert could be the man to take Will Still's role as the Saints' first team boss

Southampton U21s head coach Tonda Eckert is amongst the list of names being linked with the top job at St Mary's following Will Still's sacking.

According to The Athletic, Southampton have earmarked their U21s head coach Tonda Eckert as a candidate to take the reins in the dugout at St. Mary's following Will Still's departure on Sunday evening.

It's not been the start that many would've expected from the Saints this season, having been one of the three sides relegated from the Premier League last term. Having endured a difficult first 13 games by merely picking up 12 points, that was enough to bring an end to Still's brief time in charge, with their 2-0 loss to Preston North End being the final straw.

Having been appointed in May 2025, Still's side have won just two of their opening 13 league games, leaving them 21st in the Championship table.

With a push for the play-off places now seeming unlikely due to their below-par start to the campaign, the 33-year-old manager was relieved of his duties before things get even worse for the Saints.

As for the here and now, the search for Still's replacement is well underway, with academy coach Eckert a strong contender for the role, according to journalist, David Ornstein.

Tonda Eckert is a key candidate to become Southampton's first-team manager

After being appointed as Southampton's interim boss upon the sacking of Still, Eckert has been given the backing by the board to lead the Saints into their next fixture away to QPR on Wednesday evening, and could well be appointed on a full-time basis despite the club exploring other options including Brendan Rodgers and Michael Carrick, as reported by Teamtalk.

Club owners, Sport Republic, have been criticised by Saints fans since taking over the club in January 2022 with the heat on them now being hotter than ever due to a lack of clear plan. However, if Eckert were to be appointed as the Saints boss permanently, then one thing for sure is the the club would get a manager that knows the club and the current setup ever since being in his role from July earlier this year.

Despite having no experience of being a head coach to this point in his managerial career, Eckert was formerly the assistant manager at Serie A side Genoa and has a solid understanding of what the EFL has to offer, having been an assistant to Valerian Ismael at Barnsley between August 2020 and January 2022.

If Eckert is to win over the backing of the Saints faithful, that must start with getting a positive result at Loftus Road on Wednesday. Talks around him potentially taking Still's role permanently have been widely frowned upon by their fanbase due to his inexperience at Championship level.

Many Southampton fans unhappy about Tonda Eckert potential full-time appointment

With Eckert having very little experience as a manager, especially when it comes to Southampton having very high expectations, he has a big job on his hands to turn the current pattern of results around with little time to implement his style of play onto the players.

Many fans on social media have reacted to the news of Eckert being a main contender, and it's fair to say that the majority aren't happy.

One fan commented via the SaintsExtra X page and said: "Please NO. Stop this nonsense, Saints." With fans making it clear that they would rather a manager with plenty of Championship experience under their belt who is perhaps used to getting teams out of trouble, Eckert is by no means the name that you'd turn to if that's the case. However, as aforementioned, the only way to get fans on board is by gaining three points in the games he is given on an interim basis.

Another fan made their feelings clear as they said: "Of course he is, Sport Republic only ever select the cheapest option." With the Saints having been down this road before with Ruben Selles and Simon Rusk, many fans are tentative that their past failures will be replicated with Eckert. Therefore, understandably, Southampton fans would rather their owners stamp down their authority and appoint a manager with Championship pedigree.

One Saints fan commented: "He has good pedigree at youth level but we need someone with experience and an aurora to sort things out." Again, echoing what Saints fans want to see, is someone who can take the club to the next level and be ambitious of reaching the Premier League and staying there for time to come. Whereas, as this Saints fan eluded too, despite Eckert proving that he is more than capable at youth level, making the jump straight into a struggling Saints side may be a step too far at this stage.

Another fan offered an alternative to Eckert and believes that Liam Manning would be a suitable candidate. They commented by saying: "I really hope we try and poach that Liam Manning from Norwich, he done a fantastic job last year at Bristo, and I reckon he'd sort us out."

Despite Norwich being fellow Championship strugglers, with Manning on the brink of a sacking himself, his second tier know-how could well guide Southampton up the table and assured safety this season.