BOSS Tonda Eckert insisted Saints must not dwell on Saturday’s shock win over Arsenal as they prepare to face play-off rivals Wrexham on Tuesday.
Eckert knows Saints must reset quickly after a euphoric 2-1 FA Cup victory over the Gunners if they are to beat sixth-place Wrexham at the Racecourse.
He believes Southampton’s process of “closing the book quickly” will help, along with a profound willingness to grind out results.
“What we’ve done well internally over the last couple of weeks is prepare for games, making sure we’re fully committed for the full 90 minutes,” Eckert explained.
“Then we close the book very quickly. Especially in the busy run of fixtures coming up, we could spend time reflecting and debriefing, but once the game is played, it’s done.
“It’s important that we move on as quickly as possible. Building a winning team is not easy.
“The way you win games can look different from time to time. Every match writes its own story – you have to be ready to win in different ways.
“To do that, there needs to be something profound within the players, a desire to suffer in moments of the game and grind it out.
“The players are on a mission in that regard, and it’s far from finished. We need to make sure we keep going.”
A win in North Wales would see Saints return to the play-off places after Wrexham edged ahead of them following their 2-2 draw with West Brom.
Eckert did not study Phil Parkinson’s side in depth until Sunday and admitted he is envious of managers who can prepare further in advance.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for us on Tuesday. They’re a good team with a clear identity. They know exactly what they do, and they do it well,” he added.
“It’s a very tough place to go. They’re well organised in their back three and defend excellently when given time to set up.
“They’re not easy to break down, and they’re quite good themselves once the pitch opens up; they have a lot of crosses.
“We will need to see which strikers they have available, but they’re dangerous once the ball goes into the box. They do create a good atmosphere for their home games.
“The stadium is quite different from others in the Championship, and it will be a real challenge for us away from home.”
Wrexham’s form has been inconsistent in recent weeks, with seven points from their last five games, but an ability to get a result on a bad day has kept them in contention.
Their 2-2 draw at West Brom on Friday saw them fight back from 2-0 down, and they also beat Sheffield United after trailing 1-0 before the international break.
Statistics suggest Phil Parkinson’s side are highly clinical with their chances, currently outperforming their expected goals by a significant margin (13).
The Red Dragons’ rise from the National League to the Championship has been marked by late goals – something Saints must remain wary of.
“I agree that some teams have that [ability to get a result on an off day], and it’s not something you can prepare for exclusively for that game,” Eckert insisted.
“The quality of a team to bring the game in their direction, even if they’re not clearly on top, is a process over weeks and months.
“Then it comes into effect in those moments when it gets hard in a game. It’s tough to make a point and say ‘we need to be switched on for the last moments of the game’.
“I hope that we are robust enough to come up against that with the work we have put in ourselves over the last few months.”
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