Just like that, Southampton's ongoing silence has been broken.
Indeed, the Saints had been radio silent for some time on social media, after the Spygate scandal had come to the surface, but that all changed right at the start of June.
Both Dragan Solak, the Saints owner, and Tonda Eckert would deliver heartfelt messages to the disgruntled St. Mary's masses about the Spygate situation, with both high-profile individuals apologising and holding their hands up for the mess that has occurred.
With Solak also going one step further in another interview to state that he is willing to give the German a second chance, despite his prying antics resulting in Championship playoff expulsion, it appears as if Eckert has the club's backing.
It will all rest on whether the controversial head coach is banned from the FA or not for his involvement in this end-of-season circus, with a surprise managerial candidate waiting in the wings, if this happens, according to new reports.
The shock manager tipped to replace Eckert
SportsBoom is exclusively reporting that the Saints have Sean Dyche in their sights if Eckert is handed a substantial suspension.
The former Burnley boss is being sounded out as an option as contingency plans begin to be drawn up, with it noted that the 54-year-old is considered a "safe pair of hands" in moments of crisis.
With a proven Championship pedigree also listed as another reason as to why Dyche is on the shortlist of managers to come in, if Eckert is suspended, it isn't the wildest shout to suggest that the one-time Everton boss could come in and save the day, if yet more punishments are handed out to the South Coast outfit.
It remains to be seen, though, whether Dyche would be up for the challenge of managing in the Championship, again, having last managed in the gruelling league back in 2016, when Burnley lifted the second tier title.
Dyche is a smart option as Southampton wait and see
While Dyche is widely known now as a Premier League-calibre manager, having collected 99 top-flight victories in charge of the likes of Nottingham Forest, alongside the Clarets and the Toffees, he has a lot of experience in the second tier, too, which makes him an astute pick if the Saints need a quick fix post-Eckert.
Across 171 games at the punishing level, before, Dyche has managed to steer both Burnley, and Watford, to an impressive 79 victories, with two promotions under his belt at Turf Moor.
Could a third potentially be on the horizon at St. Mary's?
Dyche's Championship record:
Competition | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Championship | 171 | 79 | 57 | 35 |
That would be some achievement if that were pulled off next season, considering Southampton starts the season with a four-point deduction, but Dyche has thrived before by ensuring his teams have a strong "mental resilience," as he put it in 2015.
The South Coast side will need to be go into next season with a headstrong mindset, as they are currently the villains of the entire division. Dyche won't care one bit if his team has that tag attached to them, with the 54-year-old managing to deliver results under pressure all of his managerial career.
Of course, all this is just rumours and gossip at this point in time, with Southampton left in more limbo as to what Eckert's final penalty will be from the FA.
If he does receive a lengthy ban, though, Dyche could be a smart band-aid to slap onto proceedings.
Add us as a preferred source on Google