Southampton technical director Johannes Spors has said the club are still targeting immediate promotion back to the Premier League following Tonda Eckert's impressive start to life in the dugout.
Eckert's run of six wins from his seven games in charge has turned Saints' season around following their disappointing start under Will Still has delivered a fresh sense of confidence and optimism within St Mary's.
In a wide-ranging BBC interview, Spors has revealed he had interviewed more than 10 candidates to succeed Still before appointing Eckert on a permanent basis but he always believed he would succeed in the job.