Why Tonda Eckert’s contract extension matters more than any January recruit at Southampton
Tonda Eckert is very secure in his Southampton job right now.
Indeed, while other clubs up and down the EFL will be contemplating pulling the plug, with Burnley sticking out as one obvious example as Nicky Hayen has the recently relegated Clarets in the relegation zone in the Championship, Eckert is in zero danger of being kicked out of the St Mary's dug-out.
Ealrier in the season, the German would have been concerned that he could be removed from his dug-out, due to a possible banning order coming his way for Spygate.
But, now, he has no such concerns, with an excellent 27 wins in the Championship, from 47 overall matches, allowed to do the talking once more.
There are surely higher up clubs who will be tempted to snap up Eckert, with his contract up in the summer, with Crystal Palace ready to get rid of Pierre Sage in the Premier League.
Eckert will be on the radar of a lot of teams
The TEAMTalk report going into Sage's precarious future at Palace doesn't explicitly mention Eckert's name as being on the Eagles' radar.
But, alongside Scott Parker and Rob Edwards being mentioned, surely there is room for the 33-year-old to be on the list of potential candidates, as he is deserving of a Premier League chance, having turned around the Saints from being down in the dumps until Will Still, to promotion material.
The Saints remain confident, though, that the Berlin-born boss will decide to sign a new St. Mary's deal, over relocating, with it being a real kick in the teeth if Eckert were to uproot, considering how loyal everyone has been on the South Coast with the controversial manager during Spygate.
Keeping a firm grip on Eckert and tying him down to an extension will be more satisfying than any January recruit could ever be, as the up-and-coming tactician has been a breath of fresh air from the dug-out, when the Saints' other managerial choices in recent times have been horrific.
A new contract will be better than any January recruit
Indeed, the worry would be that the wheels would come off Southampton's promotion charge if Eckert were to leave suddenly.
Before the German transformed proceedings, the previously mentioned Still couldn't buy a Championship win for love nor money.
Moreover, the options out there who would come to Southampton, in the wake of his sad exit, don't exactly breed immediate confidence, with Parker and Edwards, who are linked with the Palace vacancy, rather dull options, next to the swashbuckling approach of Eckert.
January recruits would be nice at St. Mary's, with a clear gap in the team in the striker position, as Cyle Larin battles with recurring injury problems.
But, right now at the time of writing, Eckert has this group in the promotion places, without any additions, with the removal of the German far more damaging, than not making any mid-season purchases.
It would be sickening to see the much-loved 33-year-old walk away, so a new contract must be a priority in the coming weeks.
In an ideal reality, Eckert stays, and then the January signings can whir into motion.
But, if you had to pick between the two, it's a no-brainer that keeping the promotion-chasing manager is a bigger priority, with the Saints surely preparing a new and improved deal for the German behind the scenes.
