Saints boss Tonda Eckert sends warning ahead of Middlesbrough play-off

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has warned his players that their incredible 19-game unbeaten run will mean nothing if they don’t ‘take the last step’.

Southampton will meet Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-finals, with the first leg at the Riverside next Saturday. And while Boro take a little heart into the clash after ending the season with a four-game unbeaten run, it’s fair to say they’re playing the in-form side of the division.

Southampton have lost only one game since January 17 when they were beaten by Hull City. That came against Manchester City at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, with Eckert’s side otherwise enjoying an incredibly consistent run in the league.

But ahead of the two-legged clash with Boro, the head coach’s message was clear about the significance of that run, if they don’t end up going all the way in the play-offs and sealing promotion back to the Premier League.

Speaking after the win over Preston North End on the final day, Eckert said: “I don’t care, it doesn’t make a difference. No one cares in the end if we make it all the way and you don’t make the last step. We need to make the last step.

“The players are playing at their best that they have played all season so we are OK. It is very important [to keep up standards]. It’s not easy to play a game like we did today, especially if you have seen our schedule.

“The performance was excellent in every regard possible. The boys were fantastic today. I think that we can suffer in moments and it sometimes helps in away games that you can go a little bit deeper and then break into space. I think you can rate that performance at the end of today.”

In winning on the final day, Southampton leapfrogged Boro in the table to finish fourth. That’s potentially significant because it hands the Saints home advantage in the decisive second leg.

History suggests that is an advantage, with only one of the last ten play-off finalists not finishing in the top four of the league. Typically, that was Coventry City when they beat Boro in 2023.

But asked about the advantage, Eckert said: “For me it doesn’t make a difference. It might be a small advantage but it doesn’t matter. It was just important to win the game today.”