Southampton fans have been quite vocal in their distrust of Sport Republic for a good while now and they have certainly held Šolak, Ankerson, Kraft et al to account over last season's relegation.
The appointment of Johannes Spors as group technical director was supposed to put things right and the recruitment of Ivan Juric as the first team manager followed Russell Martin's inevitable sacking. Juric failed. Simon Rusk was promoted as interim. He parked the bus and Saints were relegated with 12 points.
Saints fans can be forgiven for not getting too excited about the recruitment of Will Still for the 2025/26 Championship season. Few knew he was and quite frankly even less really cared. What the fans really wanted was a proven manager with Championship success.
Vindication is rarely sweet, so when Will Still was sacked with Saints on the brink of a relegation battle, the feeling was bitterness and anger. All that was about to change.
Saints attract a coach of the highest calibre
In July 2025, Tonda Eckert was appointed as Under-21s Head Coach, replacing Calum McFarlane who had left to take up a new role at a Premier League club.
The German arrived with the experience of coaching at Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig at Academy level. A spell as Assistant Manager at Barnsley is on his CV too. He's also recently been Assistant First Team Coach, to Patrick Vieira, at Serie A side Genoa CFC.
All the above is great experience to be the Under-21 coach, but if Eckert had applied to be the first team manager in the summer, presumably he would not have been given an interview.
Whether there was any real intention to fast-track Eckert into a senior coaching role at Southampton is anybody's guess and no doubt Sport Republic will claim that was always their aim.
On his appointment, there was clearly an appreciation of Eckert's ability from the Director of Group Talent Strategy, who told the Southampton FC official website, “To attract a coach of his calibre is a testament to the progress that has been made on and off the pitch, and the success we have had in not only developing players but our staff also.“
A coach who has surprised everybody
Now the 32-year-old is making a mockery out of all of us. He's led the team to four straight wins since stepping into the hot seat. He's galvanised a squad that looked rudderless and low on confidence.
In Tonda, we trust pic.twitter.com/812T9SRuUg
— Total Football Insight (@final_whistle1) November 26, 2025
The wins have been no fluke either. He's made tactical tweaks along the way and not been afraid to make a change whenever he's felt like he has needed to.
Finn Azaz has gone on a goal scoring run with four in as many games. Adam Armstrong is contributing assists as well as goals now and Tom Fellows looks like a new player.
At the back, his team look confident in possession. Taylor Harwood-Bellis is growing in stature and assurance and Nathan Wood is dominating attackers in the air and on the ground.
If this has been an audition, then there has never been a more resoundingly successful performance that Eckert's at Southampton. Last night, against Leicester, he showed the tactical acummen to defeat a good side.
In the 'battle of the parachute-payments,' Southampton now look best placed to push on for promotion. Before Tonda Eckert was appointed interim, the club's very survival in the Championship looked precarious.
Eckert's appointment as permanent boss feels imminent and a good performance at Millwall at the weekend should be enough to secure him the role. How far Sport Republic can claim the credit for Eckert's rise to Head Coach is questionable. It feels like a very happy accident.