Following a really tough start to the campaign under Will Still, Tonda Eckert has transformed Southampton in recent weeks, and a side once staring towards the wrong end of the Championship table, has finally started to prove its worth at the top.
The Saints have shown flashes of brilliance throughout the season, but perhaps no more than they did in mid-week, as they put a dismal QPR team to the sword in a comprehensive 5-0 victory at St. Mary’s. It was a result that saw the Hampshire outfit close in on the play-off places, and supporters must surely be getting excited right now.
As a side relegated from the Premier League, there is perhaps an expectation that the 2023/24 Championship play-off winners would be fighting for promotion from the off, but it has taken time to recover from their dismal relegation and Eckert is starting to prove his managerial credentials.
However, there is another star who fans will already know plenty about, and a decision made in the summer by Southampton is surely being regretted after his recent performances.
Key Southampton player praised after Saints return
James Bree started the campaign off with Charlton Athletic after being let go on loan by ex-boss Will Still and he was excellent for the Addicks as they returned to the Championship in impressive fashion, with the 28-year-old playing a key role in their early rise up the table.
However, his form has continued with the Saints, and Football League World has asked their Southampton Fan Pundit, Martin Sanders, about how good he has been and if the club perhaps regret sending him on loan. He said: “He’s like a brand-new player. He’s been brilliant, absolutely brilliant. He scored a great goal against QPR, fantastically well taken. He came into the biggest game of the season at Fratton Park and was outstanding.
“I knew from that moment onwards he was going to be a massive asset. I would never have loaned him out in the first place. It’s quite incredible, isn’t it, that we spent money on Mads Roerslev when we had a perfectly adequate, really good right-back already.”
How important is James Bree’s contract situation at Southampton? Let us know below.
Martin continued: “Whoever deemed him not good enough, it’s quite incredible really, because he’s come back and he’s been one of the best players. So, credit to Tonda for getting him back, credit to Tonda for getting the best out of him, and credit to James Bree for showing massive, massive professionalism.
“He’s been really professional and really good. Yeah, I’ve already enjoyed watching him play and he was brilliant last night.”
Southampton must hand James Bree a new contract ASAP
After returning from his loan, Bree has lit up St. Mary’s and now there is a key decision that Eckert and the rest of his team have to make in the coming weeks and months – they must renew their full-back’s contract.
The ex-Aston Villa man’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season, having signed a three-and-a-half year contract when he joined the club in January 2023. While he has not always found it easy to earn a place in the team, this is his best run of form of his career and he should be rewarded.
Bree could be the difference between the play-offs and another season in the Championship for Southampton, and it is vital that they wrap this issue up immediately to avoid any potential issues.
Eckert has shown how much he trusts the Wakefield-born ace, and now he must be tied down on a new deal to ensure that he stays with the Saints past this summer.
Discussion about this post