Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was impressed by Sheffield Wednesday’s supporters at Hillsborough on Saturday afternoon.
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert believes the level of support Sheffield Wednesday’s fans offered against his team at Hillsborough on Saturday “speaks for the gravity” of the club, backing them to overcome their current struggles.
Wednesday were condemned to their 26th Championship defeat of the season against the play-off chasing Saints, losing 3-1, to stretch their winless run in all competitions to 30 matches.
Goals from James Bree, Ryan Manning and Taylor Harwood-Bellis got the job done for the Saints, meaning Wednesday have now equalled the longest winless home run ever recorded in a single Championship campaign (18 matches).
However, Wednesday’s supporters would have made you struggle to believe that on Saturday, creating a brilliant atmosphere inside Hillsborough. Inspired by those in the North Stand’s T1 block, Hillsborough was the loudest it had been for quite some time, leading to widespread social media videos and plenty of admiration considering the Owls have already been relegated to League One.
Wednesdayites have continued to turn out in their numbers this season, backing Henrik Pedersen’s team both at Hillsborough and on the road. The club has experienced a nightmare campaign because of former chairman Dejphon Chansiri, but Pedersen has tried to remain as positive and as upbeat as possible.
Eckert praises Wednesday supporters
“I would like to give a huge compliment not just to him [Pedersen] but also to the football club,” Eckert told The Star.
“I think in this situation obviously it’s not easy for nobody, but to see the support that the team has today, to see the support that the team had in midweek against Norwich, I think just speaks for the gravity of Sheffield Wednesday.
“I’m sure that this club will come back up.”