BOSS Tonda Eckert is delighted with the progress Saints have made with substitutions and feels opposition teams now dread when he makes changes.
Eckert feels a recent shift in player mindset has allowed Saints to maximise their superior depth, something they were not doing when he first arrived.
Substitutes have scored in four of the last seven games, including Ross Stewart’s strike from Welington’s cross at Wrexham on Tuesday.
Eckert, 33, made six changes to his lineup for that 5-1 win in North Wales, and may need to lean on that depth across Southampton’s last seven games.
“Now we have a way to open up games and to finish games. I do understand that for a player, you always have the desire to open up a game,” he explained.
“But sometimes that last half an hour is more important. It’s not so easy to get that message across because players want to be involved from the start.
“Sometimes when games come to a certain point, and it’s still even, it’s nice when the board goes up, and your name comes up. That’s been a big progression for us over the months.
“If I look back to November and December, to where we are now, I think the opponents are not so happy when they see the board going up. That’s a good sign for us.”
Elias Jelert, despite being fit, has not made the bench for Saints across the last six games, although Eckert insisted the Dane remains in his thoughts.
“You can ask everyone who sits here; leaving players out is the only decision that nobody enjoys if players are giving everything,” he explained.
“Jelert has been very good in training. It’s easier said than done; players just need to be ready because the chances come up quickly.
“James Bree looks very robust. We assess that game after game, but at the moment, I have no doubt that he is able to continue.”
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