Southampton

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Southampton manager Tonda Eckert has been speaking to the media before their trip to West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

Here are the main talking points:

• On the team receiving lots of plaudits for their FA Cup win at Fulham: "It was nice to get appreciation for the work that we and the boys have put in on the day, but since then it's all been about getting well prepared for West Brom."

• Eckert says he "doesn't see" any complacency creeping in after their cup heroics: "They are fully focused, and if they drop a couple of per cent, I'll look to raise it again. Its always nice to win games, but we are still so far away at the moment."

• The 33-year-old German acknowledges there is no time to let up with West Brom the first of four matches in 11 days. "We come from a good moment, and we need to carry on. You need to work so hard to get in a good position, and then you need to work so hard to maintain it".

• Eckert will be up against newly-installed West Brom interim boss James Morrison. "They deserved the point against Sheffield United. They were very dangerous on the counter-attack, they defend very well as a team, and they have two strikers who are not very easy to handle, especially in your box".

• Eckert says "all the players are looking good" for the West Brom trip. "As I said before, Jack (Stephens) and Shea (Charles) are going to be back in, so nothing new since Fulham". Both were rested for the cup tie as two of four changes.

• For Saints winger Tom Fellowes, Wednesday will be a return to his former club: "I think that Tom was very good against Fulham. I don't think there are many players who have that output, who can cover ground as quick as he does."

Listen to more from Tonda Eckert and all things Southampton on BBC Sounds.

Lewis Coombes
BBC South Today sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

When nearly five thousand Southampton fans belted out Que Sera, Sera from the terraces at Craven Cottage after dispatching of Premier League opposition, it was a nod to tradition rather than conviction.

News then came about the potential chance of drawing League One Port Vale in the quarter finals to make it to Wembley in the final four.

They couldn't, could they? In the club's 50th anniversary of winning the world's oldest cup competition, what a story that would be...

As I am sure Vale fans were also doing, supporters tuned into the draw with anticipation of luck hopefully being on their side and being pulled out alongside the only other EFL representative left in the hat.

First ball out – number one.. Southampton… home tie – tick!

Second ball out – number five… Arsenal… yellow and blue commemorative balloon – popped!

The current Premier League and Champions league leaders, still on course for the quadruple was not in the script of following in the footsteps of 1976.

But, here is the thing. The initial "oh, well that's that then" has already subsided into a statistic that points out Saints have won three of their last four cup ties against the Gunners.

Optimism that Mikel Arteta's side are fighting on four fronts may see him ring the changes, two 16 year-olds started in the last round.

We will ignore the fact that even the C-team will be worth more than St Mary's Stadium.

Ultimately in a knockout competition there is always hope and that is the true magic of the cup.

On the day you never know what could happen, and in a data-driven world of stats and probabilities, it's the unknown that keeps you dreaming.

With Leicester City playing on Tuesday night, West Bromwich Albion could find themselves back in the Championship relegation zone when they host Southampton on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

The Baggies have not won a league game since 29 December and host a Southampton side who upset Premier League Fulham in the FA Cup at the weekend and have won five successive Championship matches.

• West Brom have lost three of their past four home league games against Southampton (W1), more than they had in their previous 16 (W8 D6 L2).

• Southampton have won eight of their past 10 league games against West Brom (L2), as many as they had in their previous 22 (D8 L6).

• West Brom are winless in their five home league games so far in 2026 (D2 L3), last having a longer run without a home win from the start of a calendar year in 2003 (first 9).

• Southampton have won six of their past eight league games (D2), as many as they had in their previous 19 (D5 L8).

• Southampton are looking to score two or more goals in four consecutive away league games for the first time since December/January in the 2019-20 Premier League campaign.

Watch Southampton boss Tonda Eckert and striker Ross Stewart give their take on knocking Fulham out the FA Cup and progressing to the quarter finals.

Stewart scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot for what was his sixth of the season across all competitions.

The draw for the sixth round is on Monday night at 19:00 GMT.

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Southampton defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis said that the team were driven by their travelling support in their FA Cup win over Fulham.

Just under 5,000 fans made the journey to west London and celebrated wildly when Ross Stewart slotted home a late penalty to send them into the sixth round.

Tonda Eckert's side frustrated their Premier League opponents and left Craven Cottage with a clean sheet, something Harwood-Bellis contributed to alongside fellow defender Nathan Wood.

"With the run we're on winning breeds winning," Harwood-Bellis told BBC Radio Solent, with Saints now unbeaten in their last 10 games, in all competitions.

"The manager made it clear before the game how many fans were coming and how much it means to them.

"He said it had to mean the same to us and I think it showed how much it did, we have to be focused on winning as many games we can and that's the mood we're in and what we're doing."

This game was the second time Southampton faced Premier League opposition this season after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool in September.

With the upturn in form and hopes of returning to the Premier League looking much more achievable, Harwood-Bellis reflected on his personal progress and the steps Saints have made since their relegation last campaign.

"The maturity in the group has grown over the last year and there's been loads of learning," he added.

"Even for myself personally there's a maturity to my game that I'm still working on and there were loads of naïve moments last year that I'm first to point out.

"With the mood we're in we want to get as many games in as possible, I love playing football and we want to be in as many competitions as we can."

Pundits Ellen White and Glenn Murray join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday and Sunday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Port Vale 1-0 Sunderland

• Fulham 0-1 Southampton

• Leeds 3-0 Norwich

• Wrexham 2-3 Chelsea

• Newcastle 1-3 Man City

• Mansfield Town 1-2 Arsenal

• Wolves 1-3 Liverpool

There are three fifth-round ties in the FA Cup on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Fulham v Southampton (12:00) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 & BBC Radio Solent

• Port Vale v Sunderland (13:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Stoke & BBC Radio Newcastle

• Leeds v Norwich (16:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Leeds & BBC Radio Norfolk

Kick-off times GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Southampton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Norwich", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

How to follow the FA Cup fifth round on the BBC

Southampton have won six of their past seven games in the Championship but I fancy Fulham here.

They are at home and are going to be fine in the Premier League this season, so I don't see Marco Silva making too many changes.

It would be great to see Fulham having a real run in the FA Cup. They've never won it, reaching the final in 1975 is their best attempt yet, but I wouldn't rule out their chances of making it to Wembley this year.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Earlier we asked what you make of the news that, from next season, the Championship play-offs will be expanded to include the teams finishing seventh and eighth?

It was announced on Thursday morning that EFL clubs voted in favour of expanding the play-offs from four to six teams.

Here's a selection of your comments...

Josh, Derby: I don't believe this is necessary. I do think that the play-off format should be aligned throughout the top five leagues, but expanding isn't needed. Better distribution of the monies involved and establishing a clear matchday structure to balance various men's and women's leagues would be a better use of everyone's time. This strikes me undue American influence.

Callum, Dartford: I think it's a good thing so teams can push for promotion that thought they wouldn't get near the play-offs.

Cato, Sheffield: If we adopted it to this season, it means that eighth-placed Derby (on 51 points) have about as much a chance of going up as third-placed Millwall (on 63 points). Plus, to accommodate the extra games, would they extend the season into June? I don't like the idea of it at all, and I hope it's short-lived.

Steve, London: Another example of football being ruined, week by week. Don't you dare think about implementing VAR too.

Mark, Stafford: As a Stoke fan, I think it's good news. The season has come to a grinding halt due to being decimated by injuries. Add to that, the quality of what is coming down from the Premier League, it would mean upsets can happen and still allow teams in that mid-table race to dream of greater heights!

Richard, Stansted: Absolutely ridiculous. What is the point of a league format if you are going to make it a bigger lottery to include even more teams at the end of the season? It also brings teams that are even less ready to actually be in the Premier League into scope. But mostly it's the undermining of the league format which makes no sense. I'm a Derby fan - and we look like we would have a chance of benefiting from this if it were in place this season.

Andy, Nuneaton: Anything that expands the opportunities for those outside of the parachute teams is a good thing. We need to get away from this elite view of the Premier League. If it was up to them, they'd stop automatic promotion and relegation and have a system like Rugby Union, where it's based on meeting certain criteria. The eighth-placed club in the Championship getting to the PL? Bring it on!

Ron, Hayling: Money, Money, Money. Players complain about the amount of games they play with the league games and cup competitions so the intention is to play even more at the end of the season. Owners will make some money but that's all that matters!

Barry, Dartford: Yes it's a fantastic for everyone, all the small teams as well as the big boys, to have something to play for. It will give the end of the season something to look forward to.

Benjamin, Poole: I'm a Charlton fan, so it's unlikely we'll come 8th in the Championship any time soon, however, this is ridiculous. More pandering to Americans to make it more likely they'll make money, which is the only thing they care about. Sporting integrity out of the window again. Shame as I felt the Championship was the last bastion of quality and integrity combined. Game has gone.

Broughton, Derby: Absolute ridiculous, put it back to the old days of three straight up, no play-offs. If you don't make top-three you don't deserve to go up.

Julian, London: The worst decision from a footballing point of view ever! The National League teams have been trying to change their system to be like the current EFL system so it seems a very strange decision for the EFL to take. You can finish 8th after 46 games and still get promoted - sporting integrity has been totally lost with this decision. Money over integrity every time!

Southampton manager Tonda Eckert was pleased with his side's first-half display in their 3-1 Championship win over Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

James Bree and Ryan Manning put Saints 2-0 up at the break and Taylor Harwood-Bellis made sure after Jerry Yates halved the deficit before the hour.

Eckert praised his side's reaction to conceding after taking control of the game early.

"I think we put in a very good first half, then if you do concede it's a moment you have to get over and we did, so I'm very happy," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"There are still things we need to improve, we know that, but important today to get the three points."

Southampton are one place outside the Championship play-offs after six wins and a draw in their past seven games and Eckert wants his team to keep pushing.

"It was a very good month, the first one on the road with a positive result, three more very important ones coming up and then two at home, so keep pushing until the next break," he added.

"We need to make sure we keep going."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Martin Sanders
Southampton fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

When Southampton appointed Tonda Eckert, there was a clear belief inside the club about the direction they wanted to go.

Placing such responsibility in the hands of a 31-year-old coach was a bold decision, but it was one made with conviction - and 21 games on from replacing Will Still, that faith is being repaid.

Across those 21 matches Saints have reshaped their season.

Only one side has taken more points in that period and no team has scored more goals.

This is not a short-term bounce - it is sustained, measurable progress built on clarity, structure and belief.

A seven-game unbeaten run, five wins and two draws, has carried Saints from 15th and 10 points outside the play-offs to seventh, now just four points off sixth place.

That turnaround has not happened by chance. It has been driven by consistency, renewed togetherness and the building of a genuine spine through the team.

January's recruitment played its part too.

Daniel Peretz arrived from Bayern Munich to strengthen the goalkeeping department, while Cyle Larin added presence and experience at the top end of the pitch.

James Bree returned from his loan at right-back, and the partnership of Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Jack Stephens has brought stability in defence.

In midfield, Flynn Downes looks back to his best, dictating games and providing control.

What I have enjoyed most is the spirit, something I felt was missing earlier in the season.

Now there is intensity, unity and a willingness to work for one another that is clear for all to see.

The press is coordinated, the defensive shape more assured, and when Saints score you see a group that truly believes.

Reverting to a back four in January was another pivotal call, since then the balance feels right.

Now come away tests at Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom and Coventry. Navigate them well and Saints will be the team nobody wants to see in the play-offs.

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