Southampton icon Jose Fonte could follow Tonda Eckert’s lead at Sunderland

Tonda Eckert was once an unknown name in the managerial world.

When he was first handed the temporary reins after Will Still's sacking, Southampton fans wouldn't have been too clued up on the novice manager, having only been at the Saints in an U21 coaching capacity.

They definitely know what he's about, now, with 34 wins picked up in total as Southampton boss, from 57 matches.

Sometimes, appointing an in-house option works wonders, and that has proved to be the case with the 33-year-old, who is a perfect fit for the promotion chasers, after the awful short-lived stint of the Belgian.

Rumours are circulating that Sunderland could be tempted to bump up Jose Fonte to the main manager role, as they begin to grow restless with Regis Le Bris at the Stadium of Light helm...

As per journalist Alan Nixon, Fonte is in the running to replace Le Bris, with club chiefs holding the Saints legend in high regard.

The Frenchman has just masterminded a 1-0 win over Chelsea, but the Black Cats remain in the bottom three picture in the Premier League, with Fonte on the list of potential candidates who could replace the ex-Lorient manager if the plug is pulled.

Le Bris is under this amount of pressure as he guided Sunderland to a terrific Europa League finish last season, only to now have just two top-flight wins next to his name from ten games this season.

It would be a hell of a first job for Fonte, who only hung up his boots for good earlier in the year.

He would look to follow in Eckert's lead if Nixon's report is true and he is on standby to replace Le Bris, as the German has succeeded with flying colours in his first ever high stakes managerial role.

Eckert is arguably one of the finest managers in the entire Championship.

His reputation did take beating when the Spygate scandal came to light, but he is still viewed as a superb operator from the sidelines, and not solely a manager who grabbed certain wins due to dark arts being at play.

Instead, he has managed to get the best out of a team that were down on its knees under Still, with the South Coast side in an atrocious 21st spot in the division when he was unsurprisingly dismissed.

Sunderland find themselves in a similar dire position in 18th in the Premier League, as they try to fight back against the notion of a sophomore slump, with a fresh manager in the dug-out perhaps what is needed to bring about change.

it worked unbelievably well for Southampton when they gambled on Eckert, with that 1-0 defeat to Preston North End on Saturday only his tenth loss in charge.

Fonte had a long and successful career at the very top of the English game, so he is a well respected figure, especially in St. Mary's quarters.

He was often viewed as a leader on the pitch, donning Saints red and white, and it would be great for him if he could stick out as a bright, young head coach, like Eckert, if he were to succeed Le Bris.

For the time being, this is all just speculative talk.

But, it's amazing to see so many Southampton legends in and around managerial jobs, with Adam Lallana - who played alongside Fonte countless times on the South Coast - an up-and-coming tactician in his own right, as he currently oversees the Saints U21s, just like Eckert once did.