Squad number confirmations gave supporters something lighter to focus on. Transfer business and the Eckert disciplinary case still dominate the wider picture heading into the weekend.
News summary
Southampton's women's team took two fresh injury blows this week. Rachel Brown suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the Barclays Women's Championship fixture against Newcastle United, while Rianna Dean has had surgery on an ankle problem. Both are facing an extended spell out, according to the club's own update.
On the men's side, Tonda Eckert still has until Tuesday to answer three FA charges tied to the Spygate affair that cost Southampton their play-off spot in May.
Former referee Keith Hackett used a column this week to predict a touchline ban for Eckert stretching into double figures. That forecast has stirred plenty of debate among supporters already. The reaction gets a fuller look in the opinion section below.
Southampton also confirmed a batch of squad number changes for the new season. Daniel Peretz has taken the number one shirt after his permanent move from Bayern Munich, the vacancy left by Alex McCarthy's switch to Leicester City.
Leo Scienza now wears the number seven once carried by Matt Le Tissier and Rickie Lambert, a reward the Echo linked to his player and fans' player of the season double last term. Caspar Jander moves up to number eight for his second season on the south coast. Lewis Dobbin takes the eleven, and Cam Bragg has been handed squad number 26.
Transfer news
Fulham have followed Leeds United into the race for Shea Charles. A written bid worth £24 million is being prepared, short of Southampton's £25 million asking price. Leeds had three bids turned down for the midfielder earlier in the window. Fulham's approach, first reported by the Daily Mail, still falls short of what Saints want.
With Will Lankshear's move to Middlesbrough now confirmed, Southampton have leaned further into talks over Como forward Ivan Azon as a fallback option. Fabrizio Romano broke the story of an approach worth close to nine million euros. There has been no fresh movement on price since.
West Brom's interest in Cameron Archer has not gone away, though it remains some way from a breakthrough. An opening offer close to £3 million plus add-ons has been mentioned, with the total package potentially reaching £5 million. The Baggies are yet to make direct contact with Southampton over a deal.
Southampton are also standing firm on Leo Scienza. Aston Villa have joined Tottenham, Everton and Leeds in tracking the winger. Saints are said to want around £35 million before discussing a sale, a stance more than one outlet described this week as reluctance to sell.
Fan Opinion
Eckert's response to the FA is the story that overshadows everything else on the south coast this morning. Hackett's prediction of a lengthy touchline ban landed before the charges had even been formally answered. It forced supporters to weigh up a punishment nobody has confirmed yet.
Saints Marching's coverage back in May offers the clearest guide to where this heads. An independent panel had already found the spying plan was organised from the top of the coaching staff. Junior staff were pressured into carrying out tasks they felt uneasy about, the panel said at the time. A separate piece on the players' show of support for Eckert made much the same point weeks later. It reported that the FA held the final word on any punishment, not the club. Hoping for a light outcome was never going to be enough on its own.
Reaction on a forum thread beneath the Hackett story split in a familiar way. One supporter argued the club had "been punished enough already" and would not accept any ban at all. Another wanted a fine and a suspended ban instead. That fan reasoned the four-point deduction and play-off expulsion had already covered the punishment. A third said two or three games without touchline access would be a fair outcome rather than a dream result.
There is a case for sympathy here. Eckert took this squad from 21st in the table to a top six finish and an FA Cup semi final. A supporters' poll in May found eight in ten fans wanted him to stay despite the charges, a result reported by Saints Marching at the time. None of that changes what the panel found back in May. A short ban looks the fairer outcome given the turnaround under Eckert, but the record built up over the past two months points toward some form of sanction landing before pre-season is done.
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