Southampton players’ character cannot be doubted – interim boss Tonda Eckert

Interim boss Tonda Eckert insisted the commitment of Southampton’s players cannot be questioned after their 2-1 win at QPR.

Eckert, the club’s under-21 head coach, stepped up to take charge of the team following the sacking of Will Still, who lost his job as manager after three consecutive defeats.

The players have faced criticism for their performances but the team were excellent at Loftus Road, where Jay Robinson’s deflected strike put them ahead and Leo Scienza’s brilliant goal doubled their lead.

Rumarn Burrell pulled a goal back but Rangers were unable to find an equaliser.

Eckert said: “For me there has never been a question over the character of the boys and I think they showed that they are up for the challenge and giving everything on the pitch.

“The dressing room is in a good place. They are all good boys. They are all good lads and they all want the best for Southampton Football Club.

“The first (win) is always the most difficult one and that’s what I said to the boys in the changing room. If we are able to bring these games over the line when it gets tough, I think that’s a big quality. If we continue down that road then we’re going to win a lot more games.”

Eckert made changes, bringing in teenager Robinson and recalling keeper Gavin Bazunu along with Jack Stephens.

The German said: “These decisions are not always so easy to explain. Sometimes you go off a gut feeling for what you feel is the right thing.

“Fair play to them, all three have had an excellent game. I’m very happy about the performance of all three of them.”

QPR’s defeat was their third in a row but head coach Julien Stephan believes they are making progress.

“I think it was probably our best performance since the start of the season,” Stephan said.

“We had a lot of chances to score. The performance is one thing, the result is another thing.

“I have to have a bigger-picture view and need to think about the performance because, for me, if we continue to play like this it is impossible we will not have good wins and many points in the future.

“I feel sorry for the players and also the fans. I think they deserved another thing today, with the quality of the performance.

“I think the fans saw that we gave everything and the players tried from the first minute until the last one to create and to play good football.

“But at the end we have to be clinical and that was not the case today. They scored two goals with only two shots on target and we probably shot 20 times.

“Big disappointment with the result, but as a manager I have to stay focused on the performance.”