COVENTRY were hoping to make it a club record seven wins on the bounce but Southampton manager Tonda Eckert had a trick up his sleeve and tinkered with the Saints’ formation.
Eckert explained, “Coventry have a heartbeat in their teams that you need to control. That was the idea, to play with one more midfielder today. Especially with (Carl) Rushworth, who often goes very long and then you need to pick up second balls.
“You always have an idea before the game, sometimes it works or sometimes it doesn’t. I think today it put the game in the right direction”.
Saints goalkeeper Daniel Peretz was almost faultless today and made an incredible save down to his left from a Liam Kitching header at 0-0 in the first-half.
The German was nothing but full of praise for the Israeli, “I think we had an excellent goalkeeper today who you need, in one or two situations to make sure the ball does not go in the back of the net”.
20-year-old Cameron Bragg started only his fifth match of the season and put in a clinic in midfield but it could have been viewed as a risky decision to put him in against the best team in the league.
But Eckert explained his decision to start him, ” I know Braggy (Bragg) for a long time now, there is no doubt on his quality and he is a winner and you need players that have that in them and it was an easy decision.
The Saints are now 12-matches unbeaten, “It shows the character we are building. But it should have been a clean sheet as well. As a club, I think we are moving in the right direction. But I keep repeating myself, we need to work hard“.
Eckert added, “Its not easy to come here they have lost only one game here all season, it was gonna be tough as it was the fourth away game in a row and its not easy if you keep traveling so happy to be back at St Mary’s now”.
