When Tonda Eckert took over as Southampton manager on an interim basis, if you had said then that he would win his first four games and only lose a fifth with a 97th injury time winner, most would have been delighted and now he looks set to continue, at least for the short term.
There are some Saints fans who are still not sure about appointing Tonda Eckert on a permanent basis, although he has won 4 out of his 5 games so far in charge, for them it is about in what order where those games won and lost, if the German had had that loss in the first game or in the middle of the spell, they would perhaps have been happy, but as it was in the final game of the 5 so far, they see it as the bubble has now burst and Sport Republic should act fast and get in an experienced replacement.
But the problem that Johannes Spors has, is that at this moment in time, suitable candidates for the job are thin on the ground, or at least those that are likely to accept the job if offered.
There are still some experienced names without a job, on paper they all look good, but the question is whether many of them would be prepared to drop down to the Championship.
Even if they where the other question would be whether they would be able to get us out of that division and back into the Premier League and for those who like a good question a third would be whether they could keep us there.
The issue for Southampton is two fold someone who could win us promotion and then whether they could keep us there, two seasons ago, Russell Martin took us up in what was a dramatic climax to the season at Wembley in the play offs, he had achieved his first aim, but he then showed he was woefully inadequate to keep us there.
So Johannes Spors has to consider whether he is looking at one man to do two jobs or two men.
That being the case none of those in the list of potential candidates look to tick all boxes, so much so that even Russell Martin is still a leading favourite and Brendon Rodgers not far behind.
So in the meantime Tonda Eckert looks set to continue, but there is one man who could perhaps be on the Southampton radar, that man is Thomas Frank, currently at Tottenham Hotspur, but according to football365.com is on borrowed time as Spurs slump to a string of defeats.
Frank of course has connections to Sport Republic, the man who oversaw his appointment at Brentford in December 2016 as assistant coach to the then manager was none other than Rasmus Ankersen of Sport Republic.
He took over as head coach in October 2018 and the rest as they say is history as he led Brentford to promotion to the Premier League in 2021 and then kept them there before departing in the summer for Spurs, the two boxes that Southampton would like to tick in a manager.
But was that the right place for him, a big club with different expectations than at Brentford and since former Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino's 5 year stint ended in 2021, Frank is the 4th appointment to the hot spot, tenures stretched between the several months of Nuno Espirito Santo & the two seasons of Ange Postecoglou.
The rumour mill is now turning on and saying Frank could well be on his way with Spurs winning just 2 of their last 9 Premier League games and sitting 12th in the League, with a trip to Newcastle looming at the weekend to play the club only below them on goal difference, defeat could see Spurs press the panic button and the reports say Spurs have already identified their man ready to act if things continue.
He would be perhaps the only manager who ticks both boxes for Saints, getting a club promoted and keeping them there, Tonda Eckert is well rated at St Mary's and it seems Saints are willing to hedge their bets, hence that haven't jumped in to appoint him on a permanent basis after some good initial results, if Eckert keeps winning then it is a win win situation, Eckert takes a step nearer the job and Frank's position at Spurs will become clearer in the next few weeks.
For Frank it could be a perfect job, the chance to repeat his success at Brentford in a club a step up from the Bee's in size, in Southampton where he would not have the pressure that is on an Tottenham manager.
In many respects it could have be a potential dream team ending, Frank is sacked by Spurs and links up with Rasmus Ankersen again under Sport Republic and Eckert continues his learning curve under Frank as his assistant.
of course this is Southampton FC nothing is this simple, but it is a scenario that could well play out in the next few weeks.