Teenager Jay Robinson’s deflected strike put the visitors ahead early in the second half and Leo Scienza’s brilliant goal doubled their lead.

Rumarn Burrell pulled a goal back but Rangers were unable to find an equaliser, slumping to a third consecutive defeat to lift the Saints spirits.

Saints had lost their previous three matches, with Saturday’s home defeat by Preston resulting in Still losing his job, and were without a win in five.

Saints secured a much-needed confidence boost (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC)

Here are the biggest Saints talking points from the match…

Sport Republic put on united front after sacking

The club’s owners and board of directors used the trip to QPR to make a show of solidarity, following the sacking of manager Still after last week.

A report from France criticised Sport Republic as having “a disastrous way of operating”, and Southampton’s results have painted a similar picture.

But it was a full house of Saints bigwigs at Loftus Road, with lead investor Dragan Solak presenting alongside all of his bishops, rooks and knights.

Sport Republic’s Rasmus Ankersen, Technical director Johannes Spors, CEO Phil Parsons, director of operations Mark Bitcon, director of group talent strategy Andy Goldie, and even Saints legend Matt Le Tissier sat together.

Sources suggest Solak has demanded a united front at the home game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday too, amid difficult results.

There was a ‘Sport Republic Out’ banner in the away end, but no chanting. Oriol Romeu’s re-signing seems to have won the board some favour.

Dragan Solak was here to watch that win. #SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/WLmmzBHSFI

— George Rees-Julian (@rees_julian) November 5, 2025

Scienza deposits credit into the Bank of Spors

Spors, who leads all aspects of the recruitment and squad building at St Mary’s, has come in for criticism following the summer transfer window.

His failure to identify a striker to make an immediate impact in the Championship was one of the principal reasons that Still’s reign was so short.

But praise should be as forthcoming as criticism, and his capture of Leo Scienza, who had offers from other countries, could be season-defining.

The 27 year old Brazilian is a talent unlike anything else in the squad, and his stunning solo goal to seal all three points typified what he is about.

Scienza, now with two goals in the last three Championship matches, is a fan favourite and someone who can win a game for Saints in a moment.

Leo Scienza scored a stunner at QPR (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC)

Tonda time extended at least for the weekend

All the noise coming out of the club and sources close to it suggests that interim boss Tonda Eckert is a genuine contender for the full-time role.

The 32 year old German has never managed a senior team before, but has worked in dugouts at Serie A Genoa and at Championship Barnsley.

He was seen as a coup when appointed to the under-21s, and after winning his first match for Saints he is set to take Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

We have a two-week international break after that, in which Saints are heavy favourites against a team with only one win and eight defeats this season.

The expectation will be on Saints to win, and if they do, where does that leave Eckert? Could he be appointed permanently off the back of that result?

Tonda Eckert is in the running for the job (Image: Matt Watson/Southampton)

The level of goalkeeper competition is a problem

We correctly predicted that Eckert would make a bold decision in brining Gavin Bazunu back into the goal net ahead of Alex McCarthy this week.

It was a decision based on the fact that Bazunu had performed well for his under-21s, and that Eckert likes his teams to be able to play out the back.

Saints won the game, but Bazunu was less than convincing in the process. It was his error for the R’s goal, and he had that time wasting incident.

Eckert even quipped after the game that the Irishman would be dropped altogether if he was punished for timewasting deep in added time again.

Saints have the lowest save percentage in the league and even McCarthy had let a couple of suspect ones in, in recent weeks. It is a problem area.

Eckert’s call to bring in Jay Robinson paid off with a goal, and Jack Stephens was stern at the back to help record the first win since September.

Gavin Bazunu stands alongside his teammates (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC)

A win’s a win but it’s only a step in the right direction

Speaking after the match, Stephens recognised the importance of putting three points on the board as a step in the right direction for Saints.

It takes them to 19th in the Championship table on 15 points, still eight points off of Charlton Athletic in the top six after 14 matches played.

It was not particularly convincing, and had QPR had even a shred of quality in the final third, Saints might well have gone home pointless again.

Eckert’s side had 29 per cent possession in the second half, despite scoring twice, while QPR dominated with 11 shots and a total of nine corners.

But Nathan Wood and Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed everything away, and you need to dig in and win ugly at times. Hopefully, this breeds confidence.

Can Saints use this to go on a good run? (Image: Matt Watson / Southampton FC)