Southampton technical director Johannes Spors has said the club are still targeting immediate promotion back to the Premier League following Tonda Eckert’s impressive start to life in the dugout.
Eckert’s run of six wins from his seven games in charge has turned Saints’ season around following their disappointing start under Will Still has delivered a fresh sense of confidence and optimism within St Mary’s.
In a wide-ranging BBC interview, Spors has revealed he had interviewed more than 10 candidates to succeed Still before appointing Eckert on a permanent basis but he always believed he would succeed in the job.
“He’s definitely a top expert in his tactical knowledge and everything you need on the pitch, but he’s also very good in his empathy but also clarity in communicating to the players,” Spors told BBC South Today.
“I think this combination is what what makes him being so so good in his job.”
Still was sacked at the start of November after just five months in the role with Saints 21st in the Championship table, having taken just 12 points from 13 games.
Under-21 head coach Eckert, who only arrived at the club in July, took over on an interim basis and made an instant impact, winning his first four matches.