"If you look at Finn and what he's done for us in the last season, he doesn't need any direct competition." Eckert made his stance obvious when asked about summer signing Lewis Dobbin.
Dobbin signed from Aston Villa on a four year deal worth around £9million this month. The move made him Saints' fourth summer arrival, after a season on loan at Preston North End. 10 goals and 8 assists followed in the Championship. A FotMob rating of 6.86 across 39 appearances tells the same story.
Dobbin made his first Southampton appearance in last weekend's win over Eastleigh. He scored too. Braunschweig await tonight in the first match of an eight day training camp in Germany.
Why Eckert won't pit Dobbin against Azaz
"What Lewis gives us is just flexibility in the front line," Eckert said of his new signing. "He likes to be close to the goal, but he can also come in off the side."
Azaz's clearest strength has been creating chances rather than converting them himself. Eckert defended his midfielder earlier in the season, after a run of missed opportunities from the players around him. That defence lines up closely with the case Eckert made for Dobbin this week.
"I wouldn't connect Lewis and Finn too much, as they can play together," Eckert explained. "But Finn has been top, not just in terms of what he gives to the team on the ball, but the dedication and the way he puts himself on the line."
What Dobbin adds that Saints didn't have
Dobbin played most of his minutes at Preston as a second striker or attacking midfielder. His pace was used to threaten defences in transition rather than simply holding the width of a winger.
That versatility caught attention as soon as the move was completed this month. The switch was viewed as shrewd business in early coverage of the deal, given how closely his output at Preston compared to Azaz's own return in his first season on the south coast.
"He can give that through the middle, he can give that over the left and over the right," Eckert said. "So I think it gives us some flexibility going into the final third."
Southampton's front line now looks deeper without an obvious weak link. Eckert has been clear that Dobbin's arrival adds to Azaz's threat instead of taking away from it.
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