Southampton will have to get used to being barracked as they travel the Championship this autumn, the Spygate team are set to be everyone’s favourite boo-boys in the second tier. Certainly that was the case in Hertfordshire, with Watford fans and players alike beside themselves after a hard-fought victory, decided by two memorable first-half goals.
Watford paid tribute to Kenny Jackett before the match, the one-club legend and local boy hailed with two minutes of applause. As everyone clapped, the cameras remained stubbornly focussed on Tonda Eckert in the dugout. The Southampton manager has the potential to become a pantomime villain as this season unspools. Remaining under investigation by the FA for his part in the Spygate affair, and with the prospect of a potentially heavy sanction to follow, Eckert’s fate has cast uncertainty over his side’s prospects this season and given opponents added motivation.
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