One thing is painfully clear: Tonda Eckert has not received the market support his Southampton team desperately needed.
Tonda not backed in the window
When asked in January if he was confident in those above him ahead of the transfer deadline, to improve the level of the Southampton squad, Saints head coach Tonda Eckert said: "Yes. I'm very confident that the club will take the right decisions."
But just one outfield incoming, and the sale of the current season’s top scorer, Adam Armstrong, as well as the sale of promising defender Ronnie Edwards, has left Southampton fans with more questions than answers over where this season is heading.
Since Tonda Eckert's first match in charge of Southampton, the side has ranked sixth in the Championship table, with 28 points from 17 games - an average of 1.64 points per game.
But with his side just seven points off the play-off places, Eckert will surely have wanted his side to have received appropriate support in the market, rather than just losing some quality.
But, this inactive window of incomings was prewarned by Southampton Sporting Director Johannes Spors, who said in December: “We won't be big spenders in January for two reasons. The club is not in a position to let us be big spenders, and we don't need it. In the winter, we work on bits and pieces here and there, but we want to give stability to the group.”
Weeks later, Saints boss Eckert came out in support of Spors, saying, “I'm very happy with the players and the squad. Johannes [Spors] gave an interview that we're not going to move heavily in January. At the same time, you always have eyes and ears open, but that's a constant process.”
Southampton’s window looks good in terms of lowering the size of the squad and wage bill, but it is much weaker as a whole.
Southampton’s winter window - complete picture
Incomings:
- Daniel Peretz - loan [£7m option to buy]
- Cyle Larin - loan [option to buy]
- James Bree [return from loan]
Outgoings:
- Adam Armstrong - £9m
- Ronnie Edwards - £4.5m
- Armel Bella-Kotchap - £4.3m
- Ryan Fraser - free
- Gavin Bazunu - loan [£8m option to buy]
- Damion Downs - loan [£8.7m option to buy]
- Joe Aribo - loan
- Juan Larios - loan
Saints left chasing their tails
Since they completed the acquisition of Southampton Football Club in 2022, Sport Republic have signed 45 players for the Southampton first-team - none have scored double figures, and the joint-top scorer among them is centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis (9).
A damning stat that backs up the lack of promise Southampton fans feel towards new striker Cyle Larin. Sport Republic have had another transfer window to forget, much like many of the others since 2022.
It looks as if Tonda Eckert has been given no backing to get this underperforming Saints team into play-off contention, but it will be a stellar job if he can.