After ups and downs, Southampton have picked their form back up under Tonda Eckert and are looking like promotion contenders again.
The 2025-26 Championship season has been a true roller coaster ride for Saints fans. Following relegation from the Premier League last year with a whopping 30 losses and just 12 points, they were among the favourites to go straight back up – especially as a parachute team.
However, the current campaign started giving off 2017-18 Sunderland vibes. They did deserve better luck under Will Still, but it just didn’t work and the board sacked him early in November.
Tonda Eckert stepped up while they looked for a new permanent manager but turned things around to such an extent that he got the job himself. And then the Saints had yet another drop-off – which was the scenario when Squawka last did a deep dive on them.
It was right after a 1-2 home loss to Hull City and the seventh straight game without a win in the league. However, they have gone unbeaten in eight matches since then, picking up impressive wins against Sheffield United (1-0), Stoke City (0-2), Leicester City (4-3) and Queens Park Rangers (5-0).
What has changed for Southampton recently?
Tactical adjustments
Immediately after the Hull loss, Eckert went from his preferred 3-4-3 to a 4-2-3-1 – and has kept it ever since.
He also adjusted the lineup accordingly, replacing Ryan Manning with Welington to form a full Brazilian left-hand side alongside Leo Scienza. But Welington’s injury has given Manning an opportunity back in the starting XI and the Irishman has taken it – more on that later.
Southampton once led the Championship in possession, but have seen their numbers drop while the results pick up.
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To start the current unbeaten run, they averaged 48% for the first four games – having more than 50% just once. The difference in their approach is clear. They don’t value possession as much and have been going long way more often.
For the season, just 10.7% of the Saints’ passes have been long – the second lowest percentage of the division. In the recent stretch, however, it has gone up to 13.3% (18.5% in the first four games to get rid of the bad run).
But even when they faced opponents who sit deep in low blocks, Southampton managed to break them down. It was the case against Charlton (1-1), QPR (5-0) and Sheffield Wednesday (3-1). They also used possession as a way to defend in those games.
Defenders pitching in
It’s hard to talk about their current run of results without mentioning the impact defenders have had going forward.
Six of their last 12 league goals have been scored by defenders: Ryan Manning (2), James Bree (2), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (1) and Jack Stephens (1).
The Saints also boast a Championship-high 16 goals from defenders. Millwall rank second with 11, for perspective.
They are also joint-third in set-piece goals this season. It’s an incredibly valuable weapon to have in any circumstance, but especially thinking about the play-offs later on.
Centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis leads all players in set-piece goals as well (5).
The Ross Stewart revival
When Wolverhampton Wonderers came knocking with an offer for Adam Armstrong, many may have thought that Southampton would struggle to score. The striker did end his stint at St. Mary’s on a 10-game goal drought, but he had scored 11 in the Championship up until that point.
The Saints did sign Canadian international Cyle Larin on loan from Mallorca, but as an unproven player in English football. They took a gamble on that one.
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Despite scoring on his debut and finding the net twice in his first three games across all competitions, Larin has had a hard time in front of goal. He missed two big chances last time around against Sheffield Wednesday and is just underperforming his expected goals tally according to Opta data (1 goal from 1.03 xG).
Luckily for them, Ross Stewart is starting to find his feet again. The Scottish striker has been in and out of the squad in recent years due to injuries. But when fit, at Championship level, there are few better goalscorers than the Loch Ness Drogba.
He has scored three goals and dished out two assists in his last eight league games – despite starting just four of them. It’s an average of one goal/assist every 47 minutes. Before that, he had just two goals in nine games all season.
Play-off suited football
Overall, Southampton have been leaning towards a style that is better suited to the tense play-off environment. Taking fewer risks and looking for advantages on the margins are a safer way of competing even though it might not make for the best product.
It’s what leaves teams alive until the end despite a lack of creativity going forward. For that, they have good individual skill with the likes of Leo Scienza and Finn Azaz.
And when you have set piece prowess like they do, with goalscoring defenders and a specialist in Ryan Manning, gives them even more of an edge over opponents.
Wrexham have been closing the door on fellow play-off contenders. But at the same time, Hull City look to have run out of the luck that pushed them high up the table early on.
And the teams chasing Southampton are clearly levels below them. Derby County, Bristol City, Watford and Birmingham City have nothing on them. Sheffield United would be the closest but their poor start seems to have doomed their season.
There are still 11 games for them to play and they are currently out of the play-off picture. But it looks more likely than not that the Saints end up in the top-six come the end of the season.