Tonda Eckert refuses to discuss Southampton post after Sheffield Wednesday win

Southampton caretaker manager Tonda Eckert refused to entertain questions about his future after beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-1.

Under-21 boss Eckert has secured back-to-back victories – Saints’ first since April 2024 – after taking temporary charge following Will Still’s dismissal last Sunday.

Casper Jander, Finn Azaz and Adam Armstrong all got on the scoresheet for Southampton’s second home league win of the season.

Former Barnsley and Genoa assistant Eckert might have done enough to get the job full-time but he shied away from talking about his future.

He said: “It has been a very busy and intense week, and it couldn’t have ended any better with two wins.

“The only thing I can say is that I have enjoyed every single day at the football club, whether that that is with the Under-21s or the first-team.”

Eckert added about the morale-boosting week, having also beaten QPR on Wednesday: “I think the win was deserved but there are still moments in the game we can do better.

“I just said to the boys in the changing room, don’t underestimate what we have done this week. It’s not just two wins, it’s more than that.

“I think it was a very hard one for every single one and what we tried to do from the very first day.

“This comes down to every single person at Staplewood who is in touch with the boys to just get all of the energy that we can possibly find and inject that into the boys.”

Summer signings Jander and Azaz bagged their first goals for Southampton within the opening 17 minutes.

Jander had heavily controlled a cross but as he slid to try and regain possession, Liam Palmer kicked against him to put the ball on course for the back of the net.

Azaz then doubled Saints’ lead when he received the ball from Tom Fellows before stroking into the bottom corner.

Manchester United loanee Harry Amass hit back for Wednesday, but Armstrong made sure of the three points with a fine solo goal a minute into the second half, having been put through by Taylor Harwood-Belis.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen, whose side are bottom and winless in nine, said: “There is a fantastic spirit in the team but I sit here feeling there was more in the game.

“We gave ourselves a difficult beginning but we came back into the game well.

“We lost to a stronger team but we have to be proud of the effort. You can see from the players and the fans that there is a lot of good energy, belief and hope for the future.

“We compete defensively and they are starting to be more dominant on the ball. If we take the big picture over the last month, so much has happened to this team.

“I only have the biggest respect for how the players are working. We are all heading in the right direction.”