Tonda Eckert felt that Southampton produced “a proper team performance” in their 3-2 win at West Ham.
Kuryu Matsuki and James Bree fired Eckert’s Saints into a two-goal lead inside the opening 11 minutes, before Lewis Dobbin netted a 34th-minute winner either side of the Hammers’ consolatory goals through their ex defender – Kyle Walker-Peters and Tomas Soucek.
The result lifted Southampton up to sixth in the Championship table and left West Ham down in third, after Middlesbrough had gone top on Friday (23 October) evening.
“It’s not easy to come here. It’s a big football club, some big players that we came up against today,” reflected Eckert to Southampton’s club website post match as he spoke of the work done on their starts amidst improved clinical finishing and defending.
“I think it was important for us to start the game strong. We’ve been working all week to make sure we get a foot into the game early on, and I think we played a very good 20, 25 minutes. I think we deserved to go up, clinical today with the chances.
“When the game throws some challenges your way you need to make sure you defend in some moments, and I think we’ve done that very well. We needed to be brave on the ball in the second half to make sure that we had enough spells.
“Like always, some moments in the game that we need to improve, but it was a proper team performance today. Very, very proud of the boys, and of the support – the support was excellent today from the travelling fans.”
Eckert also had praise for his goalkeeper, Daniel Peretz as he spoke of the team’s bravery and need for a goalkeeper like the Israel international to be counted upon when needed to keep West Ham out.
“I think it’s important that we come here and play to win the game. You never know what you get in the end, but the mindset needs to be that – that we come here to win,” continued Eckert.
“If you want to do that, you need to be brave. You need to be brave on the ball and then obviously they give you challenges against the ball where you need to suffer, that is just what it is. I think we’ve done that very well today.
“We had a good goalkeeper in the second half and I think that’s what you need if you come here. You can try to defend as much as you can as a team, but there are some moments where you need a goalkeeper and Daniel was excellent today.”
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