Tonda Eckert ‘Deserves Time’ At Southampton Insists Defender
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Plymouth Argyle defender Joe Edwards believes Southampton boss Tonda Eckert deserves time to get a good run of form going again, amid the Saints’ poor performances during the Christmas period.
Southampton were thrashed 4-0 by Middlesbrough in their last Championship fixture on Sunday, dealing a blow to their hopes of recovery under Eckert.
The heavy defeat against Boro has extended the Saints’ winless run to six in the league and raised some worries.
The bad form has resulted in Southampton slipping down to 15th in the Championship table and sitting eight points off the last playoff spot.
Eckert was appointed as the permanent boss at St. Mary’s in early December, after being the interim boss following Will Still’s sacking.
The German has seen a sharp rise in stature during his time at the club, given he only joined Southampton as the Under-21s head coach at the beginning of the season.
Following a run of six wins in seven games as interim manager, the Saints hierarchy handed Eckert the permanent job, despite being warned against it by one former EFL star.
Eckert is now struggling to get a consistent run of results from his Southampton side, who have only won once in his seven games during his time as permanent boss.
Questions are now being asked over whether the Saints hierarchy made a mistake in appointing the inexperienced Eckert.
However, after the thrashing at Middlesbrough, Plymouth Argyle captain Edwards has backed the Southampton boss to come up with another good run of form.
Edwards believes that any manager would have been under pressure at a big club like Southampton, due to their pre-season expectations of finishing in the top six and challenging for promotion to the Premier League.
The Pilgrims skipper is of the view that Eckert deserves time given the Saints job is his first stint as boss at first-team level.
“It is the size of the club and the expectancy”, Edwards said on EFL All Access (26:40).
“I think before the season everyone fancied them to at least be in the top six, challenging for promotion.
“So when you are not in there, the pressure will build no matter who the manager is.
“I think because he [Eckert] had such a good interim spell, I am imagining the owners really got sucked into how he was and what he had achieved in that short period.
“To get the job now, I think he deserves time.
“This is his first, first-team role as a manager and as I said he did put that good run together and got them going again.
“So there is no reason why he can not do that again.”
Eckert’s decision making has been worrying for one former EFL star, who revealed he did not like the use of winger Tom Fellows as a wing-back in Eckert’s system.
The 32-year old, who will hope to strengthen in necessary areas as he looks to get Southampton’s season back on track, is set to see transfer business done this month, with Damion Downs heading for Hamburg.
The German is set to welcome his first signing at the club as goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is on course to join Southampton on loan from giants Bayern Munich.
It remains to be seen if Eckert is able to turn Southampton’s form around and mount a charge for the playoff spots in the second half of the season.
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