Southampton Defeat Birmingham as Eckert Era Kicks Off in Style | OneFootball

The Tonda Eckert era has officially commenced at Southampton with a crucial 3-1 victory over Birmingham. After being permanently appointed on Friday, he’s now made it three wins from three at St Mary’s, accumulating nine goals in that period.

But how did the game unfold? Did the Saints ride their luck, or was it another dominating display on home turf?

Match Recap

Electric first halves have been a hallmark of Eckert’s tenure thus far. And this game began no differently.

It took just six minutes for Southampton to gain the lead, with Irishman Finn Azaz firing it into the bottom corner. After receiving the ball from a driving Leo Scienza, the midfielder shaped left, keeper James Beadle bit, and the left-footed finish flew right. 1-0 Southampton.

Scienza wanted in on the action. Cutting in from the left, he curled a strike towards the far corner. Beadle pulled out a brilliant stop and edged it just past the post.

The Brazilian didn’t stop there.

A dazzling run saw Scienza drag out the keeper before the winger threaded it to Tom Fellows on the opposite side of the box. The Englishman looked set to open his Southampton account but blazed it onto the crossbar. An open goal? Yes, but the bouncing pass made the finish a difficult one.

Tactical Look: Saints’ Second

Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been rejuvenated under Tonda Eckert. His role, as a wide centre-back, has seen him occupy the right-hand side of defence. His ball-playing ability has been recognised and, frequently yet effectively, put to use.

Southampton’s in-possession 4-back with Harwood Bellis outermost right

The 23-year-old constantly tried to find a floating Armstrong or Azaz – and it worked.

Armstrong lost his marker Christoph Klarer, who spent four years in Southampton’s academy, and headed it to a wide Finn Azaz.

Azaz peeled into the half-space, dragging Paik Seung-Ho out of the middle. This left Armstrong with even more space in the gap between their defence and midfield, as fullback Alex Cochrane was caught pressing Tom Fellows.

Visual of Southampton’s Armstrong dropping deeper causing Birmingham problems

This overload on the right caused many problems for the Blues. Finn Azaz would often make overlapping runs for Fellows and vice versa, leaving Cochrane caught 1v2.

Azaz received Armstrong’s header and returned the pass to the Saints’ top scorer. Both Seung-Ho and Cochrane were occupied with Fellows and Azaz, leaving just Tommy Doyle in the centre, who was marking Casper Jander.

Birmingham’s defensive line operated in a mid-block, one that tried to balance the threat of being caught on the transition and without allowing too much space in front. The aim of finding a balance failed, as Armstrong dropped deeper and found himself yards of space.

Klarer stepped up, but Armstrong skipped past him and rocketed a fine 25-yard finish into the bottom left corner. Beadle was able to make contact, yet the power proved too much. 2-0 Southampton.

Second Half

The latter periods of the first half saw the Saints drop in intensity, inviting Birmingham to play on the front foot. The second half maintained that rhythm, with Chris Davies’ men focusing on their wide threats. Winger Demarai Gray was a problem, as he consistently caused issues for Tom Fellows.

The Jamaican eventually found the net. He cut in, similar to Scienza in the first half, but whipped it with such power that it left Gavin Bazunu with no chance of stopping it. The score was 2-1, a message from Birmingham that they weren’t out of it yet.

Less than five minutes later, the Saints made it 3-1. Leo Scienza had an effort saved by Beadle, which fell right into the feet of Armstrong. A routine tap-in from close range saw the control shift back to the home side.

Tactical Look: Birmingham’s Wide Play

Birmingham offered little centrally. Their chances originated from the flanks. Striker Jay Stansfield was kept ineffective by the Saints’ overload in the middle, with two midfielders and three centre-backs.

A total of 48 crosses by Birmingham. While Southampton shifted into a direct unit in the final third, the Blues waited for overlaps to form in order to create chances. Demarai Gray was able to use these overlaps as bait, which provided space for him to cut into.

Davies’ men dominated possession yet yielded just 0.7 xG from open play, compared to 1.28 for the South Coast outfit.

Graph representing Birmingham’s attacking areas away from home

A pivotal chance fell to Furuhashi, who, while Bazunu was lying on the ground, blazed it over the crossbar from around five yards out. These second balls were their best chances, but the Saints were able to sort out each one. From making 46 clearances to making just three saves, it was a great display from the Southampton backline.

Managers’ Thoughts

Tonda Eckert realises what St Mary’s must become: a fortress. He said:

He recognises the need for even more defensive solidity. As a team targeting a higher position, clean sheets will need to become a regular occurrence, he added:

Birmingham boss Chris Davies was disappointed in his side, who looked second-best in the opening 25 minutes and, ultimately, paid the price. He said:

What We Learned