Tonda Eckert's contract ends in 2027, so why are Saints in no rush?
Tonda Eckert's contract has one season left, and Johannes Spors is content to take it step by step.
Spors said last week that talks over a new deal were "in discussion", according to The72's report. He talks to Eckert every day, he added, and he is confident a deal will get done.
He also made clear the club are not rushing. For a head coach whose side is sixth despite a four-point deduction, that is a very calm message.
Spors and the step-by-step plan
Southampton have reasons to feel unhurried. Owner Dragan Solak backed Eckert throughout the Spygate case, and the FA outcome on the 7th October left him on the touchline with a suspended six-week ban, a £28,000 fine and a reprimand.
He had admitted three FA misconduct charges, and the club's own report that day said Southampton welcomed the outcome.
His record stood at 31 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats from 51 games when The72 wrote. A win at West Ham followed the next day.
Saints Marching reported in October that talkSPORT had Southampton planning to meet Eckert about an extension. A week later Saints Marching argued that a new deal mattered more than any January signing, citing reported interest elsewhere.
James Ward-Prowse spoke about the dressing room after the West Ham win. He said Eckert had instilled belief in the squad, and that the message at the start of the week was that Southampton would win the game.
Spors has described the relationship with Eckert and his agents as strong. Nobody at the club is suggesting a problem.
The cost of waiting
The calendar is about to get busy. Tuesday night at West Brom on the 3rd of November comes hot on the heels of a home match against QPR, then an away match against Preston four days later.
Patience has a price, though. If Southampton keep climbing the table, Eckert's next contract will be negotiated from a stronger position.
Southampton would already be second without the deduction. A club that close to the top two pays more than one on the fringes of the play-offs.
So why the calm? Probably because the club believe they hold the stronger hand. They have a coach who is backed publicly by his owner, who works day to day with Spors, and who has just turned a scandal into a promotion push.
There is nothing wrong with that approach until promotion looks likely. After that the sensible move is to sign Eckert before somebody else starts enquiring.
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