Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterThere are people within football who think Tonda Eckert was dealt with too leniently by the FA independent regulatory commission that ruled on his involvement in Southamptons Spygate scandal.Eckert received a �28,000 fine and a six-week suspended ban. With Southampton owner Dragan Solak already voicing his unwavering support for his manager, the decision not to hand down an immediate ban effectively ensured that Eckerts job was safe.Southampton, says Solak, have been punished enough. Its in the interest of the EFL, the Championship and football at large to draw a line under it too. Eckerts position is secure and Southampton spied themselves out of the play-offs. The time has come to move forward.Flynn Downes leads the way at the heart of Southamptons renewed normalThe commission was peopled by masters of timing. As the top two divisions emerged from an extended international break, Eckert and Southampton were able to breathe a sigh of relief in the middle of their preparations for Sundays Hampshire derby against hated rivals Portsmouth.Saints and Pompey are on the opposite sides of one of English footballs truly great derbies and certainly one of its most underappreciated. Away from the south coast, its easy to overlook the sheer enmity and deep social history between two neighbouring cities. You may like Tonda Eckerts Spygate 'punishment' could BOOST Southampton Southampton want to show the entertaining side of Tonda Eckert in Championship promotion chase Watch Southampton vs Portsmouth for FREE: Live Streams Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 ListEckerts Saints only needed one goal to send Portsmouth packing. Finn Azaz made it and James Bree finished it.He became the first Southampton scorer in a home derby in the league since 2012 on the day Billy Sharp, who scored both of their goals in a 2-2 draw that afternoon, announced his retirement from football.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.Brees goal gave Eckerts team something to defend after the first-half dismissal of Hampshire-born youngster Cam Bragg. The 21-year-old midfielder left the pitch distraught after an instinctive shirt pull earned him a second yellow card. The performance of Flynn Downes after the break spared his heartbreak.Downes, now 27, was magnificent in the first match of the new-ish era. He won and protected the ball in midfield, pressed with striker Cyle Larin, and put his body on the line in his own penalty area.Azazs passing and a good stand-in shift on the right helped to win the game. Bree scored the goal after a terrific run in behind. Jack Stephens, Keven Schlotterbeck and Ryan Manning gave everything they had at the back. But Downes led the resistance by example. What to read next Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac could soon face their toughest Wrexham decision to date but don't write Phil Parkinson off just yet Bromley vs Leicester and 10 more things to look forward to in the EFL this season Wolverhampton Wanderers dragged light from darkness but frailties were exposed on Rauls return Eckert needs to take Southampton back to the Premier LeagueEckerts post-reprieve Southampton will be played with 11 men but needed a player to stand up and be counted in an unexpected moment of adversity at its outset. Bree was the player who finished the game in a head bandage but it was Downes who fulfilled every other aspect of the heroic stereotype when leadership was called for.Southampton, free of the shadow of Spygate, can parlay this fiery derby victory into their renewed normal. Eckert and Solak have both acknowledged, through gritted teeth or otherwise, that Saints were in the wrong. Theyve been punished, and they have a genuine chance for redemption.The clubs directly impacted by the scandal might not agree that he should still be in his job, but Eckert is now locked in at St Marys and fully backed in the stands and the boardroom. Spygate cast a shadow over Eckerts improvement of Southamptons fortunes on the pitch but something that was abundantly clear in both halves in Hampshire on Sunday is that he has a much better team than the one that drew 0-0 in the same fixture last season.Stephens, Downes, Azaz and Manning were the only players who started both matches. They were arguably Southamptons four best players this time around but theyre now the core of an Eckert team who must now repay the backing of their supporters.Eckert in particular must deliver promotion, ideally this season. Its a ludicrously high bar but its one that Southampton set themselves by exploding their own chances when it was within reach in 2025/26.Beating Portsmouth took Southampton to five wins from their first nine matches. Now unencumbered by uncertainty and on the back of a positive return to action, surefootedness can take over.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.
