Eckert won't allow complacency at Southampton ahead of West Brom | Daily Echo

SAINTS head coach Tonda Eckert outlined that “humility” is the backbone of their success, and insisted he will not allow room for complacency.

Saints, unbeaten in their last 10 games, head to relegation-threatened West Brom on Wednesday, following a 1-0 win over Premier League Fulham in the FA Cup.

Eckert said he will ensure his players remain humble and will up the intensity if required, as they gun for a place in the Championship play-offs.

His side currently sit four points adrift of sixth-place Wrexham ahead of a busy period which will see them play four games in 11 days.

“I think that we are in a good moment and we need to carry on,” Eckert said on Tuesday. “You need to work so hard to get in that position, and then work so hard to maintain that.

"We have enough quality high up the pitch to hurt every single team. We take all of the positives, but at the same time, I keep repeating: head down, keep working.

“We need to stay humble, we need to do our homework, we need to defend well. That's been the biggest thing over the last weeks.

“If I ever should have the feeling that we are dropping a couple of per cent, I'll make sure that we raise that again.

“But the basis will always be the humility to work against the ball, and if we get that right, then I'm very positive looking into the next four games.”

West Brom are winless in the Championship in 2026, last securing three points against QPR on December 29, but Eckert still expects a tough physical battle.

The Baggies have big man Daryl Dike up front, who Eckert worked with at Barnsley, and are among the teams that cover the most distance in the division.

Back under the stewardship of interim James Morrison, West Brom earned a valuable point against Sheffield United with a 1-1 draw.

“I think they deserved their last point against Sheffield United. I think they've played a very good game. They were very dangerous on the counter," he explained.

“They defended very well as a team, and then they have two strikers up there that are not easy to handle, especially if you have them get into your box.

“We just need to make sure that we don't allow too many balls going into that box because it's a quality team. They were very well prepared for what came up in the last game.

“It will be a physical challenge for us tomorrow, and we need to make sure that we are spot-on.”