Southampton got Tonda Eckert off to a flying start as permanent first team coach with a clinical display at St Mary's on Saturday.
Birmingham City arrived on the South Coast in good form. Unbeaten in three and looking to break into the top six, Chris Davies' side might have expected to come away with rather more than a comprehensive defeat.
Finn Azaz gave the Saints an early lead when he drove home a left-footed shot after just six minutes.
Then Adam Armstrong extended Southampton's lead when he lashed home an effort from long range. The power of Armstrong's shot seemed to catch James Beadle by surprise in the Birmingham City goal. He might have expected to have kept that one out, low down to his right.
Demarai Gray got the visitors back into the match with the goal of the match in the 54th minute. Given the freedom of St Mary's by Tom Fellows, Gray cut inside onto his right foot and sent a powerful dipping strike past Gavin Bazunu's futile dive.
But Birmingham's lead didn't last long. When Flynn Downes won the ball back for Southampton in midfield, as Birmingham pressed for an equaliser, he set Saints away on another transition. Scienza went on a mazy run, ending with a right footed shot which Beadle failed to hold on to. The ball bounced tamely out, giving Adam Armstrong an early Christmas present. He made no mistake from five yards out.
Beadle kept the visitors in the match with two great saves from point blank range, first from Armstrong and later from Cameron Archer. When Kyogo Furuhashi inexplicably put the ball over from a few yards out, Southampton were able to close the game out with considerable ease.
Full-Time: Southampton 3-1 Birmingham City
Southampton player ratings:
Gavin Bazunu (GK) - 6.5/10 - Made a couple of very good saves and looked more reliable than he has done recently. His distribution was good, particularly a long throw out to Fellows in the second half.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis (RCB) - 7.5/10 - A colossus in defence and a threat in attacking corners. Made a mammoth 14 clearances as Birminngham put in cross after cross. Unable to link play with the central midfielders as Fellows often became his only outlet for a forward pass.
Nathan Wood (CB) - 7/10 - Given a quiet day due to the efforts of Harwood-Bellis and Jack Stephens.
Jack Stephens (LCB) - 7/10 - The captain played on the edge, fired up early on by a tussle with Marvin Ducksch which went unnoticed by the officials. His was a captain's performance.
Tom Fellows (RM) - 6/10 - Fellows did his best work going forward but was pinned into his own half for too much of the match. Asked to cover too many yards again by the manager. His running with the ball was breathtaking again.
Flynn Downes (CM) - 7/10 - Downes is becoming one of Southampton's most reliable and consistent performers. There are few better than Downes against the ball in this division. The arrival of Oriol Romeu could help Downes to be more composed with the ball. His tackle leading to Saints' third goal was the highlight of his match.
Caspar Jander (CM) - 7/10 - Made another telling contribution before being rested for the final 10 minutes. Great in possession and tireless in the press, Jander has quite rightly become one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Ryan Manning (LM) - 6.5/10 - Wasteful in possession and positionly poor throughout. This was not Manning's best day at the office. His dead-ball delivery was decent but he needs to contribute more than that.
Léo Scienza (LF) - 8/10 - Withdrawn after an hour with Southampton two goals up. By then he had an assist to his name and three shots, all on target. Scienza's end product nearly always matches the quality of his dribbling with the ball.
Adam Armstrong (CF) - 8.5/10 - Took a free-kick that wasn't his to take early on which illustrates Armstrong's desire to score goals this season. His first was a speculative but powerful shot. His second was a classic poacher's finish. Should have been rewarded with the match-ball but was denied by a very good Beadle save.
Finn Azaz (RF) - 7.5/10 - Quietly effective and extended his goalscoring run to six in five matches. Dispossessed too easily and his passing could have been better. A goal and an assist more than makes up for those issues but Azaz still has some things to improve on.
Substitutes:
Joe Aribo - 4.5/10 - An inexplicable moment of hesitation on the ball followed by a ludicrous tackle and subsequent yellow card. That just about sums it up!
Oriol Romeu - 6/10 - A couple of clearances, a block and an accurate pass was just about an adequate performance as the veteran works his way back to full fitness.
Jay Robinson - 6/10 - Better in transitions, lacking only the final ball. Annoyed the boss by being slow to get ready when coming on for Scienza.
Ronnie Edwards - 6.5/10 - Eckert's best substitution of his tenure. Should have brought on Edwards 10 minutes earlier.
Cameron Archer - 5.5/10 - Didn't work hard enough out of possession and wasted a great chance when he could have shown more composure to round the keeper.