Southampton taking ‘massive gamble’ as new manager decision made, Le Tissier taken aback
Southampton have been on the hunt for Will Still’s successor and look to have settled on the man they believe can lead the club back to the Premier League this season.
Southampton recently sacked Will Still after a dismal start to his time at the club following his appointment in the summer.
Interim boss Tonda Eckert has led them to successive wins since his exit, but the St Mary’s outfit still sit 17th in the second-tier and need a real upturn in form to be promotion contenders.
Football Insider revealed in-between those two games that Eckert could be appointed as the new Southampton manager on a full-time basis if he earns decent results, but other names are also known to be in contention.
They are now set to confirm an appointment very soon, and it could be one that backfires massively in the months to come.
Eckert is set to be handed the full-time Southampton job
According to a new report from talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, via X, Southampton are expected to give interim boss Eckert the managerial role on a full-time basis.
Crook states that the impending appointment feels like “another massive gamble” from the club’s owners Sport Republic, with stability needed after Still’s turbulent reign.
With the 32-year-old in charge following Still’s exit, Southampton beat QPR 2-1 away from home on 5 November and then cruised past struggling Sheffield Wednesday with a 3-1 victory at St Mary’s on Saturday (8 November).
Prior to his interim role, Eckert had been the club’s under-21’s coach since July, and he admitted after that win against the Owls that he had “enjoyed every single day so far” while managing the first-team, and leading the players out was a “special moment” for him.
He has not held a managerial position in his short career so far, but has coached at the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, and was most recently an assistant first-team coach at Serie A side Genoa.
Matt Le Tissier is unsure about Eckert becoming permanent Southampton manager
A number of names have been in the running to take over at St Mary’s, with Gary O’Neil linked to the Southampton job, while Russell Martin was mooted with a return but that has seemed less likely as time has gone on.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider on 12 November, Southampton icon Matt Le Tissier insisted that he could not see Eckert being handed the Saints reins on a full-time basis due to the way Still, who had no Championship experience, failed to impress.
He said: “I’d be surprised (if Eckert was appointed full-time), just because we’ve already hired a manager who didn’t have any real experience in the Championship. (Still was) quite a young coach.
“He had players on the team that were older than him, I think. Certainly, Alex McCarthy was older than Will, which I think is difficult when you’re going to appoint a new manager.”