Southampton

"I don't want to get carried away with managers because I've seen that it can change very quickly and all of a sudden you can have someone different through the door.

"But I'm fully behind Tonda now in the last couple of days."

BBC Radio Solent's Jono Holmes is joined by The Daily Echo's senior Southampton reporter Alfie House to discuss a close call against West Bromwich Albion that gave new boss Tonda Eckert a sixth win in seven games.

They are also joined by BBC Norfolk Sport's Rob Butler to fill them in on what to expect from a struggling Norwich City on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Listen to the full episode of Saints Social and more Southampton content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton midfielder Cameron Bragg has extended his contract until the summer of 2027.

The 20-year-old Scotland Under-21 international broke into Saints' first team earlier this season and has made four Championship appearances, including two starts.

The academy graduate, who has been at St Mary's since he was eight, has also played twice in the Carabao Cup this season.

"The extension to Cameron's contract and his emergence into the first team is great testament to everything he commits to his ongoing development," Southampton's director of group talent strategy Andy Goldie told the club website., external

"He is the ultimate professional and a fantastic role model for the young talent coming through at Staplewood.

"It has made it that little bit sweeter, being a lifelong Saints fan himself, to see his trajectory in recent weeks, and I'm sure he'll continue to grab the opportunities that come his way over the next 18 months."

"It's embarrassing, they should not be getting games [abandoned] when no other games are getting cancelled.

"I think the fact that they were leading both [matches] compounds what is already a really bad situation."

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by Peterborough Sports boss Phil Brown to discuss troubling pitch problems for Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and Southampton making it official with boss Tonda Eckert handing him a contract until 2027.

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Coventry City boss Frank Lampard, Birmingham's Chris Davies, Tonda Eckert of Southampton and Derby head coach John Eustace have been nominated for the Championship's manager of the month award for November.

The Sky Blues continue to lead the way at the top of the table and took a maximum 15 points from their five games last month, scoring 14 goals along the way, and Lampard will be looking to take the award for the second successive month.

In fact, Coventry will be hoping to make it a double once again with striker Ellis Simms among the nominees for the player of the month with team-mate Brandon Thomas-Asante having won it in October.

Birmingham managed 10 points under Davies while Eckert's four-match winning streak went a long way to helping him secure the Southampton job on a permanent basis.

Derby followed their strong finish to October by winning four of their games in November to earn Eustace his nomination.

Elsewhere in the player of the month category, there is recognition for strikers Carlton Morris (Derby) and Joe Gelhardt (Hull City), while Birmingham full-back Alex Cochrane is also in the running. The winners will be announced on Friday, 12 December.

"The system, the tactics, the way the players are behaving on the pitch - it's working."

BBC Radio Solent's Adam Blackmore and former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem discuss six wins out of seven games for Southampton under new boss Tonda Eckert after holding out against a feisty comeback from West Bromwich Albion.

Listen to the full episode of Goin' Home and more Southampton content on BBC Sounds.

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Southampton manager Tonda Eckert thanked the Saints fans for helping them get over the line in their 3-2 win over West Brom.

Southampton were cruising 3-0 up at half-time thanks to goals from Leo Scienza and an Adam Armstrong double before the Baggies fought back and Eckert felt the home support was key.

Eckert told BBC Radio Solent: "I think the second half showed what an energy St Mary's can create for us and I take that as a positive.

"I'm trying to look at the result more positive as it's the Championship and there are no easy games.

"Both goals came from dead-ball situations and we need to defend them better, but we won the game and take three points.

"The first half was excellent and we came out strong. In the second half the game became more difficult when they scored and we just had to bring the game over the line, which we did."

Image source, Getty Images

The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Image source, Opta

Southampton will continue their push for the Championship play-off places when struggling West Bromwich Albion visit St Mary's on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Saturday's 3-1 home win over Birmingham was a fifth in six matches under Tonda Eckert, a run during which they have scored 18 goals, and took Saints up to 11th, just three points behind sixth-placed Stoke.

The Baggies are two points and five places below them after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at QPR which was a sixth straight away defeat for Ryan Mason's men.

• Southampton have won six of their past seven league games against West Brom, with the exception being a 3-0 loss at the Hawthorns in the Premier League in April 2021.

• West Brom have won just two of their past 25 away league games against Southampton (D8 L15), with both victories coming in the Premier League (3-0 in April 2013, 2-1 in December 2016).

• Southampton have won three of their four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Championship matches this season, losing the other 3-1 at Bristol City in October.

• West Brom have won just one of their past eight midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games (D2 L5), winning 1-0 at Norwich in October.

• In all competitions, Adam Armstrong has been involved in four goals in his four home games against West Bromwich Albion (3 goals, 1 assist), scoring twice in Southampton's 3-1 win in the Championship play-off semi-final in May 2024.

Rewatch BBC Radio Solent's live edition of Goin' Home With Adam And Jo after Southampton's big win over Birmingham City on Saturday.

Adam Blackmore and former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem discuss all the talking points after what was a stylish 3-1 victory for Tonda Eckert's side.

Click here for more Southampton FC content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

New Southampton boss Tonda Eckert said that he told his team to not "underestimate" their win over Birmingham City on Saturday.

Adam Armstrong scored twice and Finn Azaz netted as the Saints beat the Blues 3-1 at St Mary's to move up to 11th in the Championship table.

Eckert has now won five of his six games in charge since becoming interim first-team head coach, with Saturday's victory his first as permanent boss.

"I said to the boys to not underestimate this win today because it was not an easy one," he told the media after the game.

"We needed to defend well especially in a game like today, if we want to make the next step we need to get the clean sheet too which means we have some work to do.

(On the job) "I knew that I wanted to do everything that I can for this football club from the very first day, I will do my best to put this football club where it belongs."

Southampton are return to Championship action on Tuesday when they host West Bromwich Albion at St Mary's.

Can Southampton pick up their winning ways when they welcome Birmingham City to St Mary's on Saturday (15:00 GMT)?

The Saints saw their high-scoring four match winning streak come to an end with a dramatic 3-2 loss to Millwall, leaving them five points adrift of the top six.

While for the Blues, the play-off spots are in sight. Just one point separates them and sixth placed Bristol City but winning away from home has proven tricky.

The West Midlands side have only picked up eight of their 28 points on the road (W2 D2) and will need to sort out their away form if they want to continue the challenge for promotion.

• There have been 19 goals scored in the last four league meetings between Southampton and Birmingham at St Mary's Stadium, with Saints scoring 12 and conceding seven (W3 L1).

• Birmingham have won just one of their last nine away league games against Southampton (D2 L6), beating them 2-1 in the Championship in August 2008.

• Southampton have scored 15 goals in their last five league games, one more than they had in their previous 17 combined. Saints are looking to score 2+ goals in six consecutive league games for the first time since between April and August 2011.

• Just 29% of Birmingham's league points this season have been won in away games (8/28). Only Watford (25%) have won a lower share on the road than the Blues.

• Southampton have dropped more points from winning positions than any other side in the Championship this season (15), losing 3-2 against Millwall despite scoring first last time out.

"I think what is good about the defeat is that if they were going to appoint him [Tonda Eckert], you don't necessarily do it off the back of the defeat but you've now got a three-game week to see what he's made of."

BBC Radio Solent's Jono Holmes and Tom Murray are joined by former Southampton defender Dan Harding as they look at the Saints' upcoming games after a first loss for interim boss Tonda Eckert and whether it has impacted the German's chances of getting the job permanently.

Listen to the full episode of Saints Social and more Southampton content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Tonda Eckert refused to discuss his chances of becoming Southampton's permanent boss after suffering his first loss at Millwall.

Tristan Crama scored in the 97th minute to end his four-match winning run of his caretaker spell and the German would not be drawn on his prospects of taking over full-time.

Eckert told BBC Radio Solent: "It's not a topic for today. We just lost the game and we need to be strong for next Saturday.

"It's disappointing. We knew it would not be easy to come here. The way we came back, compliment to the boys, but we just needed to bring it over the line.

"Credit also to Millwall. The way they are set up, they are a very good team. It's not easy to find solutions against them.

"I didn't feel they would score when we went up 1-0, but then they equalised and in a sold-out stadium, it was not easy to manage the game and that's what we need to be better at."