November 5, 2025<\/a>\n <\/p>\n Scienza deposits credit into the Bank of Spors<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n But praise should be as forthcoming as criticism, and his capture of Leo Scienza, who had offers from other countries, could be season-defining.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
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Leo Scienza scored a stunner at QPR (Image: Matt Watson \/ Southampton FC)\n<\/p>\n
Tonda time extended at least for the weekend<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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?\n<\/p>\n
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Tonda Eckert is in the running for the job (Image: Matt Watson\/Southampton)\n<\/p>\n
The level of goalkeeper competition is a problem<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n Eckert even quipped after the game that the Irishman would be dropped altogether if he was punished for timewasting deep in added time again.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
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Gavin Bazunu stands alongside his teammates (Image: Matt Watson \/ Southampton FC)\n<\/p>\n
A win’s a win but it’s only a step in the right direction<\/p>\n
\n Speaking after the match, Stephens recognised the importance of putting three points on the board as a step in the right direction for Saints.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
\n 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.\n<\/p>\n
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Can Saints use this to go on a good run? (Image: Matt Watson \/ Southampton FC)\n<\/p>\n