Football Daily | Southampton find a ‘super-talented’ reason to stick with Tonda Eckert

. UK edition

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert looks directly at the camera with a serious expression
‘We meet again, Mr Bond.’ Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

In today’s Football Daily: Tonda Eckert says sorry

TOMORROW NEVER SPIES

Southampton don’t have an official club motto. But at the start of next season, as they try to leave behind the spying scandal that devastated their 2025-26 campaign, they could borrow a phrase from the poetry of Alexander Pope: to err is human; to forgive, divine. The club’s owner Dragan Solak has confirmed that their German head coach, Tonda Eckert, will not be sacked for his part in the fiasco that led to Southampton being kicked out of the playoff final. “I think he deserves a second chance and I would give it to him,” soothed Solak. “My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager.”

While Football Daily agrees wholeheartedly with giving human beings a second chance – even the pieces of work on social media disgraces who think Eckert should get the Wicker Man treatment – the last part of Solak’s comment feels the most important. Football is one big marriage of convenience, so Southampton were always likely to stick with a manager as talented as Eckert – just as Leeds did with Marcelo Bielsa after a not-dissimilar binoculars-based fiasco in the 2018-19 season. Leeds were promoted to the Premier League the following season.

Bielsa was loved by most neutrals, never mind Leeds fans, and did not receive anywhere near as much opprobrium as Eckert. Perhaps there is a simple reason for the contrasting reactions. Eckert has a face similar to that of a brilliant Hollywood villain – just look at the main image. The Saints boss took full responsibility for the mess in an eight-minute video released by Southampton today. “For everything that has happened I want to apologise,” he cooed. “I hold my hands up because as a head coach I am responsible. I am devastated that … the season has come to an end, an end that couldn’t have left us in a worse place than we are in right now. I am a young coach, I have made a mistake, and I take full responsibility.”

Eckert, who says he had no idea he was breaking any rules, will spend the summer ingesting the EFL handbook. “I told him: ‘You almost broke my heart,’” said Solak. “‘You do it again, you’ll kill me. The next time I see you in July, if you don’t know the EFL book of rules by heart, you can’t work for me. Because, we can’t have another mistake.’ I truly hope that he will learn from this experience and he will achieve an incredible career.” Whatever happens, all eyes will be on Southampton in August.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“People do treat players like meat. As soon as you get a bit stale, they start getting rid of you” – Michail Antonio talks to Jacob Steinberg about West Ham’s decline, the benefits of therapy and always being asked about his car crash. 

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Don’t worry about your version of the Tim Payne tune, Andy Korman (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). If he heard it, he’d probably know the song was about him. He is probably walking into the dressing room like he was walking on to a yacht, with all this attention. The Phoenix kit could conceivably be called Apricot. Oh god, I’ll stop” – Jon Millard (and no other AOR enthusiasts).

Ben Fisher reckons Andoni Iraola can ‘bring the swagger back to Arsenal’ (yesterday’s Still Want Mores, full email edition). Well, yes, but maybe that’s just a little too on-the-nose for Liverpool fans hoping for a resurgence at Anfield” – Mark Rae (and 1,056 others)

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Rollover. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.

RECOMMENDED LOOKING

It’s David Squires on … Arsenal staying positive after their penalty pain against PSG.

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

Jill Scott joins the Women’s Football Weekly pod crew as they discuss Manchester City’s double delight and England’s crunch World Cup qualifier against Spain.