Tonda Eckert praises support from Southampton surrounding 'Spygate' ahead of South Coast derby
Tonda Eckert praises Southampton's support during the 'Spygate' affair before the South Coast derby
This is a pre-match interview with Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert after the Spygate uncertainty was resolved, followed by pundit discussion. The takeaway is that the clarity lifts a cloud and brings fresh energy, but the Portsmouth derby will require a balance between emotion and composure. Eckert's record is presented as justification for the club's backing.
- Getting clarity after more than four months is long overdue, and the team must now focus on performing. — The situation dragged on for more than four months; now it is time to play.
- He made a mistake and should not complain about the consequences; he must put it aside because there is a job to do. — Responsibility is his, but the team still has matches to prepare for and perform in.
- The club's support meant everything, and many clubs would have made a different decision in the summer. — He received backing from supporters, the board, the owner, Johannes and Phil.
- The derby needs fire but also cool heads; Southampton must balance emotion with playing their football. — Derbies can be flat or overemotional, and at St Mary's they need technical quality to come through.
- They want to start strongly and score first, but should take the game as it comes and react. — St Mary's games have varied, with Southampton both coming from behind and leading at half-time.
- The timing of the clarity was important; if it had dragged on longer, it would really have affected match preparation. — Southampton now have enough time to prepare for this game.
- The uncertainty was a big cloud over Southampton and English football; at some point everyone must draw a line under it and move on. — Two processes have now been completed, and there are different views across the game.
- The resolution has created new belief and energy because uncertainty had been a handbrake on progress; it could not have come at a better time before this derby. — People around the club feel a new energy now that the cloud has lifted.
- Tonda Eckert has had a serious impact and the club were right to stand by him. — He has had 50 games in charge, 30 wins, averages over two goals and two points per game, and is on course for 93 points.
- Eckert has done a great job, and this derby is a great occasion to put the negative news and energy to bed. — His record shows he can win matches, and the derby is a big occasion.
► Subscribe to Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWFootballYT Tonder Eckert says he is relieved the FA's investigation into last season's spying controversy has concluded. The manager admits his mistakes, is eager to move on, and is delighted to be back in the dugout for the South Coast derby. The panel also discusses his numbers at Southampton ahead of the South Coast Derby against Portsmouth. Championship Southampton Portsmouth ► EFL highlights: https://bit.ly/EFLHighlights2627 ► EFL Cup highlights: https://bit.ly/CarabaoCupHL ► SPFL highlights: https://bit.ly/SPFLHighlights2627 ► Bundesliga highlights: https://bit.ly/BundesligaHighlights2627 ► Buy this season’s shirts: https://bit.ly/SkySportsShop More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkySportsFootball ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skysportsfootball ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsfootball / https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportswsl ► X: https://x.com/SkyFootball / https://x.com/SkySportsWSL ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage
Transcript
Thank you for spending a few moments with us before the game. We we appreciate it. We were just discussing what's been a very eventful few days for you and the football club. And we started the week not even sure if we'd be standing speaking to you on match day here today. How pleased are you to be here leading your team today? >> Yeah, very much. I think it's uh it's been a long time coming for us to to get clarity on a situation that has been dragging on for more than 4 months and um now it's time for us to perform. >> Tell me about that time because it is a long time. you started the season. Two months into the season, you finally found out the outcome. I can imagine that might kind of have been easy to deal with personally. Has it been tough? >> Yeah, I mean, I've made a mistake, so it's not for me to complain about the consequences, but obviously you need to push it to to the side because we have a job to do and um I think that we've had a decent start into the season, but there's levels to go to. We know that and um we need to make sure that we kick off right today. And >> just a final word before we move [music] on to the football, you had the club support throughout. How much did that mean to you? Yeah, means everything. Um, from the supporters, from from the board, from the owner, from Johannes and Phil. Uh, I think that there's many football clubs that would have taken a different decision in the summer. And, um, rightly so. So, I'm very grateful for for the support. >> And as now you look to move on, I wonder if this game, a South Coast derby against your biggest rivals after a long international break, is almost the ideal fixture to start with. Yeah, it's uh I think it's good for us that we play on a Sunday because we had a couple of boys coming back late from from the international duties and um so that gave us a day more to to prepare and >> yeah, I think those are the games that you that you play for, those are games that you live for as a player, as a manager. So today isn't up to us to perform. >> T just on the game today, [music] it's very very important. We know it's a big derby to get that balance between seeing the the fire in the belly. I did the game here last season and it was a little bit flat actually a little bit disappointed. [music] So that mixture of of making sure you're at it but also play with your head and not get too carried away so you can play the football that we've seen you play here at St. Mary's. Yeah, I agree. And that's what we've been talking about over the last days because I think there's always the mix, you know, I mean, you've played a couple of derbies yourself, it's um obviously if you have technical quality on the pitch, you need to make sure you get that out, but at the same time, make sure that you live the emotions of of the game and I think that will be the balance for us today. >> Um, obviously you said I've played in these derbies. Do you think the first goal will be important today? Um, if you can get a good start, is is that a plan to try and put pressure on Portsmouth early on? Yeah, I think it always has been for the home games, but at the same time, I think uh you just need to take the game as it comes. Um I think that we've had many different games at St. Mary's. We've gone down and came back into the game. We've had some where we were two up at halftime. And as much as we're going to try to start strong, we need to take the game as it comes and then react to it. Um but yeah, obviously the plan is to start strong, make sure we get the first one in. And just a final word on a couple of the players. There were some doubts after internationals, I guess, as a manager, yours, holding your breath, waiting to see who comes back fit. Laren, your top scorer, Perz, your goalkeeper. There were question marks. Both start this derby. How big is that for you? >> Yeah, well, to be fair, we had clarity very early on in the week, so we knew that uh Kyle just needed to get some treatment. He's had some good training sessions. It's been the same thing for Daniel. It was uh precautionary. Then also, he had some treatment at the beginning of the week, but they were never in doubt. >> Thank you for your time. We appreciate we must let you go and carry on your preparations, but we wish you all the best today. Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Yeah, leave out there. Thank you, T. Trek, the Southampton head coach, very kindly joining us uh live before what is a big game for him, big game for his club. Of course, a lot of talk about his position at the club. He now knows it is secure and he can focus fully on this huge derby game. And you know, we were just chatting before he arrived about events of the last few days, Joby. And you know, it has taken the best part of of 5 months to to resolve itself. [music] How much do you think that uncertainty will have affected the players and now when they look to the touch line and they see that he is there? How significant is that for them? >> Well, I think in terms of this game finding out at the time that they did, they've had enough time to be able to prepare. I think if it dragged on a few more days, it starts probably really affecting that match prep. And listen, it would have been a factor, Jules. There's no two ways about it's been a big cloud hanging, not just over Southampton, but over English football. [music] So, I think that clarity, no matter what we think about it, and you know, I've had my views on it. You know, I think there's a load of different views across the game. They've been through two processes [music] now and we have to at some point go, "Right, draw a line under it. Let's move on." I think everybody here today, you're getting that feeling walking. There's a there's a new belief. There's a kind of like new energy around the place because there was a little bit of a handbrake on anything that could be done moving forward. So, it could not have come at a better time for Tanderea or Southampton ahead of a game of this magnitude. And if we take a look at the impact that EK's had since he came into the club uh back in November, of course, initially as the as the interim boss, 50 games in charge, 30 wins in that time, he's averaging over two goals and two points per game, which has them on track to hit 93 points across the season. Billy, I mean, he's had a serious impact. You can see why the club were were so keen to stand by their man. >> Yeah, he's done a great job. um the stats show you there that he's a he's a manager that can get um wins in football matches and he'll be looking forward to this one today cuz I think it's a great occasion to to try and put some of that, you know, that negative news, negative energy to bed. And uh yeah, it's a great great game. I've been lucky enough to play in it a few uh once before.