Tonda Eckert clears biggest Kuryu Matsuki doubt Southampton fans had

Tonda Eckert has cleared the biggest doubt about Kuryu Matsuki’s physicality which Southampton fans had all along.

Kuryu Matsuki’s debut Southampton season has been quite unpredictable so far. Back in August, he curled home a stunner against Norwich City in the 3-0 Carabao Cup third round win. Apart from it, he showed he was good enough as a squad player in those early Carabao Cup rounds.

But former Saints boss Will Still never really trusted Matsuki in the Championship. Watching Matsuki warm the bench day in day out, it was clear that Southampton missed a trick not sending out Matsuki on a fresh loan during the 2025 summer transfer window.

He had impressed on loan at sister club Goztepe before. Hence, another loan could have handed the Japanese attacking midfielder more first-team exposure than what he was getting at Saints. Tonda Eckert came later, but the situation didn’t improve overnight.

Instead, it took a mid-December slump for Tonda to keep trying out different players like Kuryu Matsuki and James Bree. Thankfully, it worked for Matsuki. 4 out of the 22-year-old’s 5 Southampton goals have come since January, with the other being an early Norwich City stunner.

Regardless, Southampton fans have always had one doubt about Kuryu Matsuki. That’s his physicality. Matsuki is among the most skinny players in the Southampton squad. That is a bit of a disadvantage in the physical Championship division where there is no VAR to look out for close fouls as well.

Tonda Eckert clears biggest Kuryu Matsuki doubt

Coming to Tonda Eckert, he doesn’t feel a lack of physicality is a problem for Kuryu Matsuki. He referenced the 0-0 Millwall draw at the St. Mary’s from two months ago, who are generally considered the most aggressive and physically dominating side in the Championship.

In his own words, the Daily Echo quoted Tonda Eckert saying: “I’ve seen him up against Jake Cooper when we played Millwall, and he didn’t manage to push him off the ball. Strength is not one of his problems.”

With that Tonda has assured Matsuki can be viewed as a good asset at Championship level. He covers two positions basically, central attacking midfielder and a right winger who can run down the channels. That versatility provides more freedom to Tonda Eckert to manage Finn Azaz and Tom Fellows’ workload during a busy schedule.

Should Southampton keep or loan Kuryu Matsuki?

The 2025/26 season is about to be over. From here, Southampton can either gain promotion to the Premier League and complete a stunning turnaround under Tonda Eckert or gain a lot of takeaways for another campaign in the second tier.

But what about Kuryu Matsuki? Should Southampton keep him or loan him beyond the 2026 summer? Starting from the Championship scenario, it would be best for both Matsuki and the club if the Japanese playmaker stays and adopts a more prominent first-team role.

A further year in the Championship will be the perfect step for him to level up in his career. Premier League football will be too soon for Matsuki, who was never quite in the frame to start in the Championship until January.

Southampton can try repeating a Shea Charles loan case with Matsuki instead. When the Saints went up to the top-flight in 23/24, they loaned out Charles to Sheffield Wednesday to continue his development as an all-round midfielder in the Championship.

Giving Matsuki to a mid-table or a Premier League promotion eyeing side will make a lot of sense. The Japanese talent can show his skills in a familiar environment, without stressing much about fighting relegation and getting dropped every now and then.