Southampton’s campaign has felt disjointed because, in reality, it has unfolded in two very different phases.
The opening chapter under Will Still was defined by caution and restraint — a reflection of a coach whose reputation was built in France by organising sides to survive against stronger opponents. Control came first, ambition second.
The current phase under Tonda Eckert could hardly be more different. Risk, speed and attacking freedom now underpin Southampton’s play. The personnel remain largely unchanged, yet the mood and intensity have shifted dramatically.
Still took charge of a squad built to impose itself on the Championship. Parachute payments, proven attacking talent and a restless fanbase pointed towards a proactive, front-foot identity. Instead, Saints often appeared braced for danger rather than intent on creating it. The ball moved safely but slowly, attacking players were restricted by structure, and performances rarely justified the patience being asked of supporters.
Eckert’s rise has been understated but transformational. Initially installed as a temporary solution following Still’s dismissal, the 32-year-old former under-21s coach has overseen four wins in five matches — enough to earn a permanent deal through to 2027.
Southampton now sit 14th, just five points off the play-off places, but their position only hints at the scale of change taking place.
The contrast between Eckert and Still is not simply about attacking more and defending less. It is about alignment. Still’s best work came with teams comfortable without the ball, organised to frustrate and counter.
This Southampton squad is designed for control and creativity — pace on the flanks, movement between the lines and forwards who thrive on service. What it required was a coach prepared to empower attackers rather than shield them.
What Eckert has changed
So what has Eckert actually altered? And how has one subtle positional tweak helped unlock one of the Championship’s most productive attacking midfielders?
Speaking to Football League World, Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders explained the difference.
“He’s getting them up the pitch and playing forward,” Sanders said.
“A mate of mine summed it up well the other day. Will Still managed underdogs in France, playing against bigger teams, where the priority was defending, absorbing pressure and staying in games. That style worked there.
“But Southampton have parachute payments. The recruitment has been geared towards attacking football. We’ve signed quick, powerful wingers to get on the front foot — and that’s what we’re doing now.”
Sanders believes Eckert has simplified the task.
“He’s given the players freedom. Finn Azaz is central now, and you can see what that’s done for his numbers. Scienza can attack defenders inside or out because of his pace — he’s outstanding. Fellows looks a real talent too, and Eckert’s even found a way to get Adam Armstrong enjoying his football again.”
Finn Azaz: the symbol of the turnaround
Azaz has become the clearest expression of Eckert’s influence — not because the quality wasn’t there before, but because the conditions now suit it.
Since Eckert’s interim appointment, Azaz has scored against Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton (twice), Leicester, Millwall and Birmingham, a surge that has directly followed his move into more central areas.
Across the season, the underlying numbers reveal why the breakout felt inevitable. Seven league goals from an expected goals figure of 3.87 highlight elite finishing. Twenty chances created, three assists from 1.64 xA, and 44 touches in the opposition box point to a player consistently operating in dangerous zones.
Eckert hasn’t reinvented Azaz — he has simply cleared the path.
That clarity of role reflects Eckert’s wider impact. He hasn’t imposed a rigid philosophy. Instead, he has adjusted spacing, tempo and intent.
The result is a Southampton side that moves the ball quicker through central areas, attacks space earlier and trusts its creators to decide matches rather than merely contribute.
Promotion talk remains cautious. Defensive fragility hasn’t vanished — Eckert himself has acknowledged the need for greater structure without possession — but the prevailing feeling has changed from uncertainty to purpose.
And in Finn Azaz, Southampton have discovered both the main beneficiary of that shift and the embodiment of it.
A player once drifting on the periphery now operates where matches are won. In many ways, Southampton are doing the same.
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