When Southampton talk about ambition, they talk about the Premier League. Not as a distant dream, but as a clear objective. That context matters when assessing any appointment, particularly one so close to the first team. Which is why the decision to install Ben Garner as Tonda Eckert’s assistant raises more questions than it answers.
This is not a personal critique of Garner. By all accounts, he is diligent, well-liked and thoughtful about the game. His coaching education is solid.
Shadowing José Mourinho, completing a UEFA Pro Licence, and working in different environments; none of that should be dismissed. But Southampton are not searching for a coach to develop at this level. They are meant to be operating at it.
The uncomfortable sticking point concerning Saints fans
Garner’s managerial CV is the uncomfortable sticking point. Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers, Charlton, Colchester. League Two play-off pushes and brief upturns are respectable achievements, but they are a long way from the pressure, standards and scrutiny that come with a club aiming to return to the Premier League.
The Championship alone is unforgiving enough. Saints need experience that reflects where they want to go, not where they have been.
Assistant managers matter. They are not ornamental. They are the sounding board, the challenger, the calm voice when ideas need refining or questioning. Eckert is a driven, obsessive head coach with clear tactical fixations.
That profile demands an assistant with the authority to push back. Someone who has lived at the sharp end of elite football and understands what has to change when things are not working.
Garner is not equipped to challenge the Head Coach - here's why
It is difficult to see how a coach whose highest managerial achievements came in League Two is equipped to provide a sufficient level of challenge. Experience as a first-team coach at Crystal Palace a decade ago is not the same as having recent, relevant exposure to top-level problem-solving.
Southampton have made similar appointments before. The club has a habit of talking big and recruiting small, of framing potential as progress. That approach might make sense in youth development, but it feels misplaced on the first-team coaching staff.
If Saints truly believe they are a Premier League club in waiting, then their appointments should reflect Premier League standards. This one doesn’t. It feels safe. Convenient. And worryingly modest.
Ambition is not just about players or systems. It is about the people shaping decisions every day on the training ground. Right now, it is hard to escape the feeling that Southampton have settled for less than their stated goals demand.