Southampton find themselves on the brink of breaking into the top six in the Championship table with twelve games to go, after a disastrous start to the season under Will Still.
The chief criticism of the players was that they lacked character and togetherness. Still himself struggled for words at times, such was the lack of energy in his team.
Tonda takes over at the wheel
Since Tonda Eckert stepped into the cockpit, he has steered Southampton back on track like an experienced Championship manager.
Initially, under Eckert, there was a clear shift in the players' attitude. Away at Queens Park Rangers, they dug in and got a result despite playing poorly.
Eckert got the best out of Tom Fellows, playing him in a hybrid wing-back role where he opened up Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic and Leicester City like a can of beans.
When the slump came, over the Christmas period, it hit harder than a Tyson Fury uppercut and the Saints looked destined for a mid-table finish at best.
Johannes Spors deserves some credit
But Johannes Spors had no intention of letting the season drift without giving Eckert the resources that he needed to get the team closer to the promotion pack.
Out went Bazunu, Fraser, Aribo, Downs, Armstrong, Edwards, Bella-Kotchap, and Juan Larios. At the same time, Spors brought in Daniel Peretz, James Bree, and Cyle Larin. Samuel Edozie came in from the cold and has been like a new signing.
Now that the Head Coach has a trimmed squad, it feels much tighter and far stronger. The back four looks stable, and with Peretz behind them, Harwood-Bellis and Jack Stephens are back to the form that helped Southampton to promotion in 2024.
Eckert won't take his foot off the gas
But Eckert is not about to let the players take their foot off the gas.
“It's step after step. We need to stay humble, we need to put our heads down and keep working,“ he told the Southampton website.
“We are still far away from where we want to be. We need to keep pushing. I think there is some progress. We need to make sure we turn this into a very good month, and we do this by winning on the weekend.
Southampton fans have noticed the difference lately. Despite only managing a point against Nathan Jones' stubborn Charlton side, the crowd at St Mary's recognised the players' efforts. It was a far cry from the boos that rang around St Mary's after the Swansea City and Portsmouth matches under Still.
Eckert seems to have got the formation and balance right. He has the players to mount a serious charge for promotion, and they seem to have the togetherness to make it happen.
“Overall, we just need to make sure we grow more and more together. I think we are in the middle of the process; the results obviously help, but I think that we are moving in the right direction.”
3,200 Saints fans are travelling up to Hillsborough on Saturday, and expectations are rising. With Tonda at the wheel and the engine purring, the race is on!