Eckert’s Southampton Run Riot in Five-Star Win at Charlton | OneFootball

It finally clicked. Southampton ran riot today against Nathan Jones’ Charlton – a performance to remember and hopefully build on for the rest of the campaign. Interim boss Tonda Eckert insisted that this next week wasn’t an “audition”, but after a display like that, can it really be anything else?

The First Half

It took just five minutes for Southampton to create a goalscoring chance, with midfielder Caspar Jander steering an effort just wide. Eckert’s men followed it up with two successive chances, with Fellows whipping a well-placed cross to Adam Armstrong, who blazed it over the bar, and Finn Azaz being unable to get the ball out of his feet in time.

A warning of what was to come.

Charlton couldn’t get out of their own half, and the fourteenth-minute mark began the goalscoring spree. Dangerman Fellows hugged the right flank, receiving the ball and instantly going forward. He took it into the box and crossed it at the byline, finding a determined Ryan Manning, who made a darting run into the box. After heading it onto the crossbar, it found its way into the net. 1-0.

Brazilian Leo Scienza was electric again today. Inside his own half, like his QPR goal, he skipped past several Charlton defenders before finding Armstrong. The bagsman received the pass behind him, causing a tame effort to be blocked. It shortly fell back to him, rifling it into the roof of the net. Southampton had never gone 2-0 up this season in the league before Eckert. Now, they’ve achieved this three times in a row.

Playing out the back was a failure under Will Still, but the German manager has found a rhythm, similar to Russell Martin two years ago, and it was prevalent for the third goal. Taylor-Harwood Bellis found Armstrong, who came deeper, and this dragged out the Charlton defender, leaving exploitable space behind. Jander jumped at the opportunity to make a run, with Armstrong threading him through.

As the ball was played in front of him, there was no hesitation as he found the bottom right corner, leaving the goalkeeper standing in his place.

Everything was going to plan. Passes out the back were perfectly timed, and patterns of play confused the Charlton players, who were running aimlessly for the whole half. It had been just seven minutes since they took the lead, with the Saints notching another. Armstrong, again, dropped deeper, calmly turned and slotted Azaz one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

He wasn’t going to let his earlier chance stop him, as he confidently took it around Kaminski and subtly bounced it over the sliding Charlton defender. Blowing a kiss to the home fans, the Irishman seemingly sealed the three points in just the 22nd minute.

Settling Down

Nathan Jones was furious on the touchline. A substitution in the 24th minute emphasised his acknowledgement of error today. He opted for a change in system, bringing on Rankin-Costello to switch to a four-back. Twenty minutes went by, consisting of half-chances for either side. The Saints were a constant threat on the transition, meaning Charlton were in a predicament: committing too many bodies forward meant there would be guaranteed attacking situations to inflict further damage.

As the half slowed down, the Saints were in full control. They were first onto every ball, winning twenty-two duels and playing composed, with no bookings, actually zero all game.

The Saints counter-pressed and won the ball back, playing it out wide to Fellows, who took on his man and did his signature step-over to create space and a shooting opportunity. His shot was deflected, edging just wide before Finn Azaz seized it at the back post to make it five. Three goals in two starts, alongside playing a role in Ireland’s qualification to the World Cup play-offs, would’ve massively boosted his confidence.

But a perfect half wasn’t to be, with Charlton’s Lloyd Jones finding himself free from a corner, comfortably heading it in before the half-time interval. A consolation for the Addicks, who had been dominated and outplayed at the Valley.

A Tactical Look

Southampton played in their usual 3/5-back shape but shifted fluidly in possession. When Harwood-Bellis had the ball, he was operating in a right-back space. This meant Fellows wasn’t limited to constantly tracking back for involvement.

He was pinning their left wing-back, and this often meant that Southampton were in a 4-3-3-style formation. Azaz would drop back to make himself an option and enforce the midfield alongside Jander, with Bragg sitting behind the two. Manning would sit as high as Bellis, creating that four-back, meaning their most influential and dangerous forwards (Armstrong, Scienza and Fellows) were always in the right spaces at the other end of the pitch.

When Azaz didn’t drop deeper, Fellows would hug the byline, with Bellis sitting more narrowly. The English winger utilised first-time passes with his left foot to find Armstrong and cut in on his left to drive centrally and break lines.

Bringing back Bazunu may result in less reliable shot-stopping, but he was pivotal in the initial phases of build-up. He’s far more composed than McCarthy, but the Irishman still played it long when necessary. Tonda Eckert has found the correct balance and consistency within the side, which is improving every game.

Second Half of Control

The second 45 minutes brought composure for the Saints. They limited Charlton to zero shots on target, zero big chances and an xG of just 0.29. While it wasn’t a perfect half, they had to be pragmatic and see out the result without inviting risk.

A half filled with complaints by the Addicks, penalty shouts with little substance, decisions given the wrong way for both sides and constant fouls by the Charlton players. 11 fouls and four yellow cards summarised a Nathan Jones side: gritty and aggressive – none of which were present in the first half.

Managers’ Thoughts

For years, Armstrong has faced constant criticism when playing as a central striker. His profile has lacked physicality, and he’s yet to prove he could play there. The game against QPR reinforced this belief, since he struggled to find space. But he’s been revitalised in the past two games, finding himself space, both by dropping deeper and occupying space behind the defensive line. Eckert praised the 29-year-old:

Flynn Downes had to come off last time out, meaning he couldn’t start today. Academy graduate Cameron Bragg stepped up with a superb performance. His composure in build-up meant he slotted into the side with ease, and he got stuck in, winning 7/9 ground duels and over ten tackles and recoveries. As a result, he’s received much praise.

What Does This Mean?

It’s back to the drawing boards for the Addicks, who have now suffered two defeats in a row. Injuries have left them relatively thin, but he’ll know his defence was far too passive today.

No Saints manager this century had won their first three league games before Tonda Eckert. His perfect start has been nothing short of instilling a genuine winning mentality on the South Coast. But the upcoming week will be pivotal: with tougher assignments against Leicester and Millwall looming, the way Southampton handle these tests could define their season.