Eckert: Crucial equaliser will "boost" Edozie
Tonda Eckert was full of praise for Samuel Edozie after the winger repaid the head coach’s faith by earning Southampton a point from an absorbing Sky Bet Championship contest at West Brom.
Edozie was making only his second start of the season, replacing the injured Leo Scienza at The Hawthorns, and once again contributed to an important result on the road.
After his tireless wide play helped create Kuryu Matsuki’s winner at Norwich three weeks ago, Edozie was in the right place to finish off Matsuki’s knockdown to equalise against the Baggies with his first Saints goal since February 2024.
“He’s always been so diligent with some great moments going forward when he came on, and I think he was excellent against Norwich as well – a big, big factor for the goal that we scored there,” Eckert said of Edozie.
“It’s very pleasant for him [to score], he’s been working very hard – especially over the last weeks.
“I think it’s two years now, a little bit more than two years since he scored his last goal for the club, and I think that’s only going to give him another boost.”
Edozie’s equaliser made him the 15th different player to score a goal for Saints this season, including 14 unique scorers in 14 league games.
Saturday’s trip to Preston will be Saints’ last outing prior to the November international break, leaving Eckert with one eye on the demanding fixture schedule that will follow, and the need for the whole squad to contribute to a collective effort.
“It’s a long block from November to March, so we know how important it is to make sure that our players stay fit,” he added.
“The medical department, performance department is doing everything, and we’re going to need the whole squad to go for big goals this season.”
