Southampton

Wrexham have registered interest in Southampton striker Adam Armstrong, 28, with Saints wanting £15m for the Englishman. (Alan Nixon - requires subscription), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

Watch BBC Radio Solent's Southampton commentator Adam Blackmore and former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem dissect the south coast derby.

Tonda Eckert's side drew 1-1 at Fratton Park with Leo Scienza scoring for the visitors.

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Image source, Rex Features

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert said that his side "deserved more" from their draw with Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Saints went a goal up after Leo Scienza ran through on goal and slotted home, but late in the second half they conceded from a set-piece as Ebou Adams headed Pompey level.

Eckert said after the game that his side could have come away with all three points.

"I think that the chances were quite clearly on our side, especially in the first half," he said.

"And then when we do go up in the second half, we just need to make sure that we bring the game over the line. I think we deserved more.

"The 15 minutes after the first goal, we were clearly on top and you need to use those moments to score a second goal, and if you don't, you need to make sure you see a game out.

"It's a good corner, a scramble in the middle, and we need to just deal better with those situations.

"It's a non-negotiable that we have to leave everything on the pitch and we did this to a 100%."

Adam Blackmore
BBC Radio Solent sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

Despite Wednesday's win against Sheffield United, the Saints fanbase is still very much 'jury out' on Tonda Eckert and technical director Johannes Spors.

They have also already decided - with some justification - that owners Sport Republic aren't doing a good job at the helm of their club.

So this derby has a lot hinging on it for everyone at Saints at all levels, from fans to players to manager and to boardroom.

The lack of faith supporters already have will only deepen if they lose at Pompey, especially if they have one of those spells where they fold like a pack of cards.

They did that in the recent second halves at Middlesbrough and Doncaster.

If there is any game where the pressure on them might see them crumble, it's this one - an early Pompey goal and it could be a long lunchtime!

The good news is that Saints have good players in their squad, a number of whom think they should or could be in the Premier League.

So if they play to their ability, wrestle control of the of the game and the tempo off Pompey, then they might use their undoubted talent to win the game comfortably.

But it's the "wrestling" bit I worry about, the resolve to overcome any adversity, that is likely to be the deciding factor in this game.

Image source, EFL

A new initiative highlighting the work of football club charities has been launched by the English Football League (EFL).

'Scan to Smile' will be rolled out in stadiums across the EFL from Friday until the end of January, with supporters invited to scan QR codes on posters displayed around grounds.

Each scan will unlock a short, uplifting story from a person whose life has been positively impacted by the support of their local club charity.

The subjects tackled include mental health support, combating loneliness, improving physical wellbeing, employability and confidence.

The EFL said it hoped the initiative would use "the reach and influence of football to offer fans a moment of positivity on matchday".

Trevor Birch, chief executive at the EFL, said: "Behind every club are people whose lives have been positively changed through the work and dedication of their local EFL club charity.

"This initiative gives supporters the chance to see that impact first-hand and reminds us that football truly is a force for good."

Southampton are facing a battle to hold on to defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis with Burnley interested in re-signing the 23-year-old who spent a season-long loan with the Clarets from Manchester City for the 2022-23 campaign. (Four-Four-Two), external

Read all the latest EFL transfer rumours in Friday's gossip column here.

The South Coast derby is back and it's Portsmouth's time to host as they welcome Southampton to Fratton Park on Sunday (12:00 GMT).

September's clash between the two sides ended in a goalless stalemate but both sides now find themselves in a situation that will require more than just a wish for bragging rights.

The Saints' hopes of play-offs are dwindling with seven points worth of ground to make up, while Pompey are just one point above the relegation line as it stands and firmly in the mix for a return to League One.

• This will be the first time that Portsmouth have hosted Southampton at Fratton Park in league action since a 1-1 draw in December 2011. Overall, Pompey are unbeaten across their last four on home soil against the Saints (W2 D2).

• Southampton are winless across their last four league meetings with Portsmouth (D3 L1), never before have they gone five without win against their South-coast rivals in the Football League.

• Portsmouth have won three of their last five home games (D1 L1), and are looking to win consecutively at Fratton Park for the first time since February/March last year (a run of three).

• After winning their first two away league games under Tonda Eckert, Southampton are now winless in their last five on the road (D1 L4).

• Southampton have conceded in each of their last 24 away league games, their longest run without a clean sheet since a run of 50 between March 1962 and September 1964.

Dan George
BBC Sport, South of England

Image source, Rex Features

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has said that the south coast derby "means everything" to the football club.

Saints and Portsmouth meet for the second instalment of the bitter rivalry this season on Sunday (12:00 GMT) and both will hope to be able to find a breakthrough this time after September's goalless draw at St Mary's.

Despite being permanent Saints head coach for less than two months, Eckert has been around the club since July last year as head coach of the under-21 side.

The German was in attendance at the home fixture against Portsmouth and got a taste for the hatred between the two rivals.

"It means everything," Eckert told BBC Sport. "I was here for the game earlier in the season and you can feel this as you walk through the stadium.

"You can feel it leading up to the game and these games just feel different. We will need to use this energy and fuel and transfer it to the pitch."

Southampton go into the encounter having ended a winless run of seven Championship games by beating Sheffield United 1-0 on Wednesday.

They currently sit 15th in the table but in a congested and competitive area, seven points off the top six.

Portsmouth have struggled this season and are 21st in the division but have picked up some better form recently, winning 12 points from their past seven league matches.

"It's a special game for both sides and we have to make sure we bring our quality," Eckert added.

"The derby is the most beautiful and important game of the year and there will be moments where we need to dig very deep.

"There will also hopefully be some moments where we can keep the ball on the ground and bring the talent we have on the pitch, and I'm very positive that we can come away with a good result."

Image source, Getty Images

Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was full of praise for his side after they beat Sheffield United at St Mary's to bring a run of seven league games without a win to an end.

Leo Scienza scored a deflected goal for his fourth of the season in the first half for the game's only goal.

Saints then hung on throughout the second to pick up a rare clean sheet and take all three points.

"After a long spell (of not winning) the first win is always the hardest," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"We had to dig very deep and in the end it was just pure desire to win that game of football.

"It comes from so deep inside to grind out games and credit to the boys because they put so much into every minute of the game, today we were much more direct and we got the ball forward a bit quicker."

Saints are next in action on Sunday when they travel to Fratton Park for the second installment of the south coast derby this season.

Image source, Shutterstock

All English Football League games across a four-day period in February will begin one minute late to raise awareness for the Every Minute Matters campaign.

The initiative will be in place for 36 matches across the Championship, League One and League Two between 5 and 9 February.

EFL sponsor Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) have been working together since May 2024 to highlight the importance of speed when it comes to performing live-saving CPR.

Later kick-off times will serve as "a stark reminder that every minute matters", the EFL said.

Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer collapsed while playing for Luton Town eight minutes into the Championship play-off final against Coventry in May 2023.

Lockyer then suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven months later during a Premier League game at Bournemouth.

"What happened to me can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time," said Lockyer, who is now a BHF ambassador.

"Every year, more than 40,000 people in the UK suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and most of them never make it home.

"I'm here today because of the transformative power of CPR as every minute matters when it comes to saving a life.

"This February, we want everyone to get behind this life-saving initiative, learn the skills and be ready to step in because your actions could give someone else the chance I was given."

Throughout February, the Every Minute Matters campaign will call on fans to learn CPR using the BHF's online RevivR, external tool.

"Each minute without CPR reduces a person's chance of survival, so we're urging fans to learn the skills now, before you ever need them," said Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the BHF.

EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch added: "The one minute kick-off adjustment is a simple, powerful reminder that swift CPR can be the difference between life and death."