Southampton given clear Preston message by Tonda Eckert after West Brom draw

Southampton have one more Championship fixture left to go before another international break disrupts the second tier campaign briefly.

Indeed, after Saturday's clash with Preston North End, the Saints have a gap in league games that runs until the 21st of November, when Derby County come to St. Mary's.

It would be great if Tonda Eckert's men could sign off for the break with a convincing victory, having had to make do with a 1-1 draw away at West Bromwich Albion last time out, in a game that was very back-and-forth.

Eckert was very clear with what he wants when the Lilywhites come to the South Coast, when speaking to the media after the frustrating draw at the Hawthorns...

It hasn't felt that long since the first break of the season occurred.

Southampton didn't play in the Championship for nearly a month between the 19th of September and 11th of October, as international action took centre stage.

Amazingly, Eckert and Co. haven't lost since the action recommenced on the 11th, with wins against Portsmouth, Norwich City, West Ham United, and Queens Park Rangers, meaning they're right in the thick of the automatic promotion hunt.

Draws against Bolton Wanderers and West Brom haven't been disaster results, either, with 14 points taken from a possible 18.

It would be a body blow to lose to Preston on the weekend, though, after managing such a glowing run of results, with Eckert stating, rather coldly, that "we need to win on Saturday" when asked about the showdown with Graham Alexander's relegation-threatened side.

The South Coast hosts will be expected to wipe the floor with the league's basement team, but sometimes football doesn't play out like that...

The Bolton 0-0 stalemate is proof that promotion-chasing teams can have an off-day, even when they're playing against an opponent they're expected to comfortably overcome.

The Saints have scored 20 home goals this season, yet couldn't find the back of the net a single time against a defence that has an error-prone Gavin Bazunu in-between the sticks.

They will just need to guard against complacency, as losing to Preston would be a sickening end to such a positive string of matches.

If Southampton are at their very best, which has seen them put four past a QPR team recently who are also in the promotion conversation, they will easily beat Alexander's challengers, and fulfil Eckert's wish of a straightforward victory, with Preston already on a dire 11 losses for the season, from only 14 games.

Conceding 30 goals along the way, too, the Lancashire outfit already look destined for the drop.

It's a perfect match, in a way, to try and end this run of fixtures on a bang, with the Saints also having the additional ammunition that they lost 2-0 to Preston last season on home soil, which cost Will Still his job.

But, a win in the Championship is never a given, even when you're facing an opponent in a horrendous slump.

Eckert will likely have to make do without Cyle Larin for this banana skin contest, as well, as he remains out of the side through injury.

Sam Edozie stepped up at the Hawthorns to score an equaliser, in the Canadian's absence, as the German expects whatever team he puts together for the game on Saturday will come away from the encounter three points richer.