There was a strange feeling ahead of this game, with Tonda Eckert now appointed as the permanent replacement for Will Still there was that feeling of impending doom that Saints fans seem to get too often these days, but we needn't have worried.

After the setback at Millwall last week it was important that we got back to winning ways against Birmingham City, defeat would have seen the sceptics out in full force on social media decrying Sport Republic for appointing such an inexperienced manager and it would have also seen us fall back further from the play off spots.

The team news saw no real surprises, back in came Flynn Downes & Leo Scienza so the hope was the flowing football that stuttered at the New Den would return.

We could not have got off to a better start when Finn Azaz scored his 6th goal of the season for Saints, all of them under Tonda Eckert's 6 games so far in charge, in the 6th minute of the game, firing home after a neat little run across the edge of the box.

Adam Armstrong doubled the lead on 24 minutes and gave Saints the impetus in the game.

The visitors had there moments but we were good value for money at the break.

We started the second half well, but it was Birmingham who scored the first goal of the half, again like at Millwall it was a screamer into the top corner leaving Bazunu no chance and you wondered whether we might lose our shape and collapse as we did last week.

That seemed to stir Saints back into life and when Leo Scienza saw his shot parried out by the keeper, Adam Armstrong pounced to show a true strikers instinct and fire home the rebound.

Birmingham kept going though as we had to ride our luck at times, but in the main we kept it tight and disciplined with Eckert bringing on fresh legs at the right time.

Once again Eckert showed that he thinks about the game, when he gets his sides in a winning position, he keeps the focus on staying in that position and keeping it won, he makes good substitutions and he made them with one eye on Tuesday's game against West Brom, resting key players such as Armstrong, Azaz, Fellows & Scienza, all who had put in good performances, to ensure they would be fresh for the next game, not only that but keeping those on the fringes of the team at the moment involved and giving them game time.

It was also good to see Oriol Romeu back on the St Mary's pitch in a Saints shirt, his experience helped us ensure that the final minutes were not anxious ones.

The crowd stayed behind the team and in the dying minutes Tonda Eckert endeared himself to the fans even more when he volleyed the ball after his came into his technical area, right into the stands, the yellow card was inevitable, but the cheers from the St Mary's faithful were rousing.

So there is not a lot that can be said that is negative about this performance, although as you might have seen yourself there are still some that find something to complain about.

But 5 wins out of 6 games from Eckert is beyond everyone's expectations and it has moves us back up the table and within 3 points of the final play off spot, hopefully we can take another big step on Tuesday and follow that up by a win at Norwich.

This has been an important week for Southampton FC, the mood in the fans has started to rocket, phrases like "We have our football back" are prevalent on social media and there is a real feeling that we can keep this good form up with the strong squad that we have.

But off the pitch we have shown leadership, Johannes Spors could have taken the easy option and placated the fans with a more household name experienced manager, but he stuck to his guns and made the appointment he saw as the right one.

There is now hope in the fanbase that Spors & Sport Republic can now start to get things back on track again.

So another enjoyable day out at St Mary's, a feeling that we had all forgotten over the last few years, but 3 straight home wins and 9 goals scored whilst doing so, have shown that we have a squad that can play attacking entertaining football, throughout the first part of the season, I believed that we have the best squad in the division and now I am being proved right.

It is a wonderful sight to see players such as Adam Armstrong, Tom Fellows, Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza, Caspar Jander, Gavin Bazunu & Ryan Manning, all of whom were under fire from some sections of the crowd in the early part of the season and in some cases looked shadows of the players they had been, start to flourish.

There will be days like at Millwall, but I think under Tonda Eckert we are very capable of achieving the aim of a swift return to the Premier League.

All Photos Via Reuters

Colburn added 01:15 - Dec 8 I hope Tonda will at some point tell them to stop letting the crosses in to the box. It is no wonder we can’t keep clean sheets when the defence has to deal with so many balls in to the box, as well as the other ways they are put under pressure. If you stop the crosses the opposition can only go from side to side. Another win against a decent well organised team. I am usually a fan of getting a 3 goal lead before taking the foot of the gas but as we quickly restored the 2 goal lead then we avoided a nervy second half. If we win the next 2 then we are right back in business.

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