Nothing can take last night's victory at Queens Park Rangers away from Tonda Eckert. The young German has been thrust into the limelight following Will Still's sacking and been handed the chance to make or break his reputation.
A similar opportunity came Simon Rusk's way last season and his defensive approach really didn't do anything to enhance his reputation. Now, it seems that Eckert is bound to repeat Rusk's mistake.
Eckert's team selection was wild. Gavin Bazunu didn't need to be brought back in to the side unless he was planning for his side to play the ball out from the back. This was indeed the reason Bazunu was back in the side and as the first goal kick went short, the spirit of Russell Martin could be felt hanging in the Shepherds Bush night air like an evil spectre.
A risky move that paid off for Saints
Recalling Jack Stephens to the back-line was another risky move but one that did pay off for the under-21 boss. The captain put in a passionate performance if not the most cultured. He marshalled the back line with some gravitas and was strong when he needed to be.
Playing Tom Fellows as a hybrid right wing-back (as Still described it) is just pretty stupid. He's no use as a defender and is then too deep to be able to have an impact in the final third. One of the few times that he did get forward resulted in him putting in a cross that was flicked on by Jay Robinson creating an almost certain goal. Had Ryan Manning not been impeded at the far post, he probably would have scored.
The midfield two was the right pairing but the shape of the side meant that they were overrun in the central third all night. Caspar Jander and Flynn Downes played on the edge and were unable to cope with the overloads in midfield that Rangers created all night.
Jay Robinson looked lightweight against a strong QPR side. In possession, he looked liable to give the ball way too cheaply; in defensive transitions he was way off the pace and lacked strength. When he went off with cramp, it was a clear sign that he should be used only as an impact substitute at this stage of his development. The goal aside, Robinson had a poor game.
The reason Saints played so defensively at QPR
The way the Saints played perhaps shouldn't have come as a surprise either. Eckert is schooled in the Italian art of football meaning that he is more focused on not conceding than scoring.
Southampton may head into the Sheffield Wednesday match on Saturday with more confidence and they may well get a result against one of the league's poorest teams. However, the win at Loftus Road merely papered over the gargantuan cracks with flimsy tissue paper.
Saints fans will hope that Eckert's team will evolve and that he will bring results. If he does that he could be in with a chance of the permanent role.
However, describing the performances of Stephens, Bazunu and Robinson as excellent just goes to show how out of touch the young German manager is with what was actually going on in front of his eyes. Bazunu gifted QPR a goal. In the first-half, Stephens was turned around like a spinning top. Robinson just looked frail.
In a few weeks, when technical director Johannes Spors unveils the new boss, it would be a huge surprise if the name he announces is Tonda Eckert.