The St Mary’s side have been accused of placing too high an emphasis on young talent in the transfer market during Sport Republic’s stewardship.
Saints signed five players 22 years old or younger last summer, while seven of their signings in 2024 fell into that age bracket, as well as six in 2022.
But during the January window, which was led by technical director Johannes Spors but Eckert’s first as boss, they targeted seasoned professionals.
Daniel Peretz, 25, joined from German giants Bayern Munich, while Cyle Larin arrived with more than 250 club appearances and 87 Canada caps.
Whether Eckert had any say in the identification and acquisitions of the pair is unknown, but his principles on the composition of his squad are clear.
“I believe in that, especially if you lack continuity and stability as a group. It’s different if someone is coming in who has three kids at home,” he said.
“Or who has seen six different countries, speaks a couple of languages, and settles right in. That doesn’t mean you only need those kinds of players.
“You need a good mix. That is important. That’s why I tried to say that you can start to sign players, but I prefer to sign fewer players – the right ones.
“It’s not just about the football profile but even more about the character and the background, and I think that it’s important for us as a group.
“James Bree is a different example, obviously a very different background, but more than 250 championship games, so that gives you a certain stability.
“Every game has moments that you need to overcome, and I think that’s helped us a lot over the last few weeks in some of the games played.”
Eckert has also placed trust in the academy, whose under-21s he managed last year, with debuts for Barnaby Williams and Sufianu Sillah Dibaga.
Saints are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions since a dismal home defeat to Hull City in January, with six wins and four clean sheets in that time.
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