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Tonda Eckert breaks down what helped Southampton upset Coventry

Tonda Eckert has offered his fascinating managerial perspective as to how Southampton managed to cause a thrilling upset at Coventry City.
Coventry City v Southampton - Sky Bet Championship
Coventry City v Southampton - Sky Bet Championship | Matt Watson/GettyImages

We might be a couple of days on now from Southampton's famous 2-1 win at Coventry City in the Championship, but Saints supporters will still surely be beaming from ear to ear at the confident manner in which their team upset the odds at the CBS Arena.

Of course, Frank Lampard's hosts would have anticipated a tricky showdown, as Southampton travelled to the Midlands on the back of a seriously impressive ten-game unbeaten run in league action.

But, for all of fanfare Southampton are receiving, the Sky Blues are arguably in a world of their own at the very summit of the second tier, with 77 points next to their name making them the resounding favourites to be crowned champions.

Tonda Eckert's men didn't play to the expected script here, as goals from Flynn Downes and Kuryu Matsuki stunned the home masses, as the Saints attempt to break into the playoffs, 20 points behind Lampard and Co.

Southampton needs to ensure they maintain their focus, with another huge game to come this mid-week against Norwich City, but the confidence levels are through the roof at the moment, for good reason.

Having to stand strong against wave after wave of Coventry pressure, with the hosts registering 20 shots at the Saints' net, it was a really resilient display that saw the three points come home to St. Mary's.

Eckert opened up about the battling nature of the performance to the media post-match, as he pinpointed exactly why Southampton came up trumps, despite being relative underdogs.

Eckert breaks down how Southampton upset Coventry

Eckert is continuing to stick out as an extremely astute operator from the sidelines, with the February Manager of the Month award falling into his lap subsequently.

He isn't one for resting on his laurels, either, as he made a decisive change for the game at Coventry, that ultimately helped his side to unnerve the table-topping hosts.

Opening up about tactical decisions after the 2-1 win, Eckert spoke of the importance of adding an additional midfield figure to the mix, courtesy of Cameron Bragg, to negate Coventry's midfield domination via the likes of Josh Eccles and Frank Onyeka.

He said, when quizzed on his methodical approach: "We had an idea of how the game was going to go until minute 60, and then we just needed to have the option to open up after.

It was important for us that we had some impact players on the bench who can bring the game in our direction, rather than right from the start.

Coventry is quite clear that they have a heartbeat in their team that you need to control. That was the idea, to play with one more midfielder today."

The rookie head coach won't be looking for too many pats on the back, however, as his attention now surely shifts towards the rest of the games to follow, between now and the 46-game season closing.

If he can show off more of his tactical flexibility in these matches to come, a playoff finish is definitely on the cards.

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