EFL club ‘a mess’ after first game of the season as they stick by manager

Southampton's decision to keep Tonda Eckert in charge could come back to bite them, with the Spygate scandal still affecting his team.

That's the view of former Saints boss Alan Pardew, who has voiced his concerns over his old club after they began their Championship campaign with a difficult 2-1 defeat to Watford.

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In their first game since the Spygate scandal that saw them expelled from the play-offs in May, Eckert's side were given a taste of things to come as they were shown no mercy in their season opener.

First-half goals from Iker Bravo and Amin Nabizada fired the Hornets to victory, while Southampton's players were mocked by opponents and fans alike for their actions at the end of last term.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis was taunted by Watford's players after missing a late chance to equalise, having been a villain in the Spygate saga.

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The Saints' season ended in disgrace as they were caught spying on Championship play-off semi-final opponents Middlesbrough.

As well as being booted out of the play-offs, they began this season on negative points after being handed a four-point deduction.

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Defeat to Watford already leaves Southampton seven points off the Championship summit, and they sit bottom of the table having failed to make any headway in overturning their points deficit.

Eckert's FA charges

On top of Southampton's woes on the pitch, they are also awaiting the outcome of an FA investigation into head coach Eckert.

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The German was hit withthree FA charges after he took responsibility for his role in the Spygate scandal - as well as two further spying incidents - but has kept his job at St Mary's, as he prepares to learn his fate in an FA hearing expected in mid-September.

And former Southampton boss Pardew has now questioned the club's decision to keep Eckert in charge, as the controversy cast a shadow over their disappointing Championship opener.

Speaking on talkSPORT's Final Word, Pardew began: “Southampton - what a mess.

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"I don't quite understand what the club are doing, if I'm honest.

"They're sticking by this manager who has held his hands up to looking at opposition.”

Pardew suggested Eckert's ongoing presence at the club is continuing to have an impact on his team.

It remains to be seen what punishment the Saints boss will receive from his FA investigation, with the most severe potential sentence being banned from all football activity for a prolonged period - which would surely leave the club no choice but to sack him.

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Pardew continued: "What's going on there? We have an FA charge against him.

“I thought if the FA charge him, probably the owner will relinquish his duties and bring in a fresh start.

“All the players are under him. They're all like: ‘Did he let us down? Well, it was him, the manager, or was it me? Or did we know about it? And we didn't'.”

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Speaking from experience

Pardew understands Southampton's current situation better than most, having also experienced a points deduction during his tenure at St Mary's in the 2009/10 campaign.

The Saints were docked 10 points for breaching Football League insolvency regulations at the end of the 2008/09 campaign as they were relegated from the Championship.

This came into effect in their subsequent League One season, and cost Pardew's side a place in the play-offs - finishing seventh and seven points adrift of the top six.

He explained on talkSPORT: “I started at Southampton with minus ten points in League One.

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“And I remember trying to get those ten points was very, very difficult.

“It made it harder, actually. It was extra pressure. You needed to get it out of the way. And they probably felt that today.”