James Beattie, who scored 76 goals in 235 appearances for Southampton, has urged the club's hierarchy to move swiftly on a new contract for head coach Tonda Eckert, saying the matter should be "very high on the agenda if not sorted already".

The call comes in the immediate aftermath of Wednesday's Football Association ruling that handed Eckert a suspended six-week ban and a £28,000 fine for his part in the Spygate scandal. With the suspension deferred, Eckert is free to continue in the dugout, removing the cloud of uncertainty that had hung over St Mary's since the FA opened its investigation in May.

That investigation took more than four months to conclude. Southampton chief executive Phil Parsons had said publicly, before the international break, that he expected clarity on Eckert's situation before the club's next Championship fixture. The verdict arrived the day before Eckert's scheduled pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's South Coast derby against Portsmouth (kick-off 12:00 BST), which Beattie believes is well-timed for the dressing room.

"I think this news will be a little shot in the arm for them before the derby," Beattie told BBC Radio Solent. "As a player you think that's one less thing to worry about and it frees you up to focus on the game. The lads are human at the end of the day and it would have been playing on their minds a little bit."

A record that merits security

The contract question is pressing. Eckert, 33, is operating on a deal that runs only until the end of the current season. He was promoted from his role as Under-21s coach to head coach in November 2025 and the numbers since then are difficult to argue with: 30 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats across all competitive games.

Those figures are all the more notable given the context. Saints began this Championship campaign on minus four points, the EFL's initial punishment after the club admitted spying on training sessions run by Oxford United, Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough ahead of last season's play-off semi-finals. Southampton were also expelled from those play-offs entirely. Starting a season four points in the red and still climbing to 13th in the table after eight matches is, by any reasonable measure, an achievement.

Former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem, speaking on the same BBC Radio Solent programme, made the point plainly: "Dragan [Solak, owner] has made a good gamble in keeping him. Nothing will now be upset at the club before the derby on Sunday." Tessem also noted that, in his view, the club had already paid a heavy enough price. "The punishment has already been given to the club and the city when they were kicked out from the play-offs."

Beattie's faith in the boardroom

Beattie was careful not to suggest the club has been negligent. "I know the club are run very professionally behind the scenes and I'm sure lots of things are in process there before we get to know about it," he said. That reads, charitably, as confidence in Parsons and owner Solak. Less charitably, it reads as the kind of reassurance supporters tend to offer each other when they cannot quite be sure what is happening at boardroom level.

What is clear is that Eckert's position has value the club cannot afford to leave unprotected. A head coach working in the final months of his contract is a head coach with leverage to walk and, equally, a target for approaches from elsewhere. Southampton have already absorbed considerable disruption this season. Tying Eckert down would be a statement of intent before the January window opens and the promotion race sharpens.

Sunday's derby, whatever its outcome, will not settle the contract question. But a win at St Mary's would make the conversation considerably easier to have.

Frequently asked

When does Tonda Eckert's Southampton contract expire?
Eckert's current contract runs until the end of the 2025-26 season, meaning Southampton need to act soon if they want to secure him beyond this campaign.
What punishment did Eckert receive from the FA for Spygate?
The FA handed Eckert a suspended six-week ban and a fine of £28,000 for his role in the Spygate scandal. Because the ban is suspended, he is free to continue as Southampton's head coach.
How have Southampton performed under Tonda Eckert?
Since taking charge in November 2025, Eckert has recorded 30 wins, 11 draws and nine defeats, and has guided the club to 13th in the Championship table despite starting the season on minus four points.