Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterSouthampton sold Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Aston Villa on transfer deadline day but their former defender created the emblem that will follow them around for the rest of the season.The Harwood-Bellis binoculars will be adopted at grounds up and down the Championship, a gleeful reminder that Southampton sought an unfair advantage last term and ended up knocking themselves out of the play-offs instead.Saints chairman Dragan Solak showed an extraordinary degree of faith in manager Tonda Eckert. His team lost their shot at promotion and were docked four points for 2026-27 but Eckert remains in his post and Southampton have a plan.Eckerts Southampton are playing on the front foot and outscoring Championship rivalsThere were times last season when Southampton in the Premier League seemed extremely unlikely. Eckert turned those fortunes around and has been given the courtesy of a chance to prove where their results did and didnt come from.Not all ownership groups would have responded in the same way. Its up to Eckert to show that he warrants the backing. You may like Bromley vs Leicester and 10 more things to look forward to in the EFL this season Bournemouth have waved goodbye to Andoni Iraola, but will they continue to build upon the fine work he laid down? - Bournemouth 2026-27 season preview Here's why Ipswich Town can avoid becoming a yo-yo club Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 ListIts goals that are his weapon of choice in the wake of Spygate and Southampton are delivering.Saints 1-1 entertaining draw at Birmingham City might look at first glance like a quieter night at the office. Viewed from a certain angle, though, its evidence that a high-scoring team can go away to the divisions toughest grounds and eke out results.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Eckerts team have scored 10 goals in their four Championship matches. Only Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to a Konstantinos Mavrapanos own goal have scored more. Southamptons expected goals (xG) value is the highest in the second tier, 1.5 goals higher than Wolves.Theyve outscored their xG even so, and the player most responsible for putting away those chances is striker Cyle Larin, who scored twice against Millwall in the win that took Southampton into positive points and off the foot of the table.The Canadian had two very presentable chances at St Andrews but failed to hit the target with either. Eckert was unmoved when asked about his number nine, saying that hes put everything away so far. What to read next Ipswich Town have returned to the Premier League as fast as they fell from it in 2025, but will they be better prepared for survival this time around? Ipswich Town 2026-27 season preview Coventry City fought valiantly to make it back to the Premier League, but will surviving the drop prove to be an even greater task? - Coventry City 2026-27 season preview Hull City are playing Premier League Monopoly - it can only go extremely well or catastrophically On a night when it was their opponents who had the majority of the games big chances, Southamptons goal came from another source. Defender Keven Schlotterbeck thumped them into the lead with a header from a corner in first-half stoppage time before August Priske equalised 10 minutes into the second half.The visitors returned to the south coast with one point rather than three but moved up one more rung on the long ladder back, and Eckert can take encouragement from a set piece goal and the return of former captain James Ward-Prowse, whose free kicks at Birmingham drew a good save from James Beadle and led to a disallowed Kuryu Matsuki goal.Ward-Prowses golf-club supply adds to the more fluid influence of Finn Azaz. The 25-year-old remains a crucial component in Eckerts supply line, playing line-breaking passes from deep and creating at closer quarters higher up the pitch.All these cogs and more are turning in the name of goals and firepower could be the essence of Eckerts second promotion quest. Southampton will make mistakes at the back, will concede goals; they did both against Birmingham.With Larin firing, set pieces producing, Ward-Prowse pitching and wedging, and Azazs artistry packing a punch, opposition managers will know that their first job is to keep Southampton out.The ability of Eckerts team to keep making chances and taking them at a clinical rate will be key if theyre to bounce back after the brutal heartbreak of a unique and self-inflicted setback at the end of last season.TOPICSChampionshipChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
