Southampton boss Tonda Eckert makes intriguing south-coast derby admission ahead of Portsmouth
Pompey and Southampton face off at Fratton Park in the Championship on Sunday.
Tonda Eckert has described Sunday’s south-coast derby as ‘the most beautiful game’ of the year ahead of their trip to Fratton Park.
And the Southampton boss is confident his ‘unbelievable’ side will come away from PO4 victorious as they vie for south-coast supremacy.
The Blues welcome their fierce rivals this weekend for the first meeting at Fratton since September 2019 and the first in the league since December 2011.
Of course, their meeting at the beginning of the campaign failed to live up to the hype, with a goalless draw played out at St Mary’s.
It’s expected to be a much-more thrilling affair at PO4 on Sunday with excitement building amongst supporters to turn Fratton into a fortress once again.
Southampton boss’ intriguing admission ahead of Pompey
And ahead of his first south-coast derby in the Southampton hot-seat, Eckert has branded the fixture as ‘the most beautiful’ of the campaign as his side prepare to face their rivals.
He said in his pre-match press conference: ’Of course, it's the most beautiful game of the year, the most beautiful and the most important one. We need to dig very deep.
‘Hopefully, there will be some moments where we manage to keep the ball on the ground and bring the talent that we have on the pitch.
‘I'm very positive that we come away with a good result.
‘We will do everything, absolutely everything. In the end, the truth is always on the pitch. No matter what I say now, it doesn't make a difference.
‘I am fully confident that we have an unbelievable group of players who are in the middle of a process, and a process where we are moving forward.
‘We know how big the game is on Sunday, but no matter what I say now, it doesn't matter. All that matters is what we put on the pitch on Sunday.
‘We say cool heads and hot hearts. It's a balance. Obviously, we need to take the emotion of the game, because it's not a game like any other.
‘At the same time, there are some moments where we need a clear idea and clear mind. That is going to be the balance for us to find for Sunday.’
What derby means to Southampton boss
And the head coach has revealed what the derby means to supporters - and called for huge backing at Fratton.
‘It means everything. I've been in this club for six months. I've been at the stadium here when we played them at home. It means everything.
‘You can feel this when you walk to the stadium, in the days coming up. When you come to those games, it's a different feeling. It just feels different.
‘We need to use that energy and fuel to transfer it to the pitch. First of all, I'm expecting a great away support. It's a tight stadium.
‘As long as it's even, obviously it's a special game for both sides, and we need to make sure that we bring our quality on the pitch at some moments.
‘If we manage to do this, then we have good chances to come on top.’