Expert: FA is expected to adopt a ‘lenient’ approach towards Tonda Eckert as Southampton’s ban is disclosed.

Tonda Eckert could avoid a lengthy suspension when the Football Association hears the Southampton manager’s case on Thursday, according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Wyness expects the FA to adopt what he describes as a relatively lenient approach towards the 33-year-old German, despite Eckert’s involvement in Southampton’s Spygate controversy during last season’s play-off campaign.

Eckert is due to appear before an FA disciplinary panel following the investigation into Southampton’s surveillance activities. The Saints were found to have gathered information on Middlesbrough, Oxford United and Ipswich.

Wyness believes the punishment handed to Eckert personally could amount to between two and four matches away from the touchline, together with a substantial financial penalty.

If the FA imposes the maximum four-match suspension suggested by Wyness, Eckert would miss Southampton’s eagerly anticipated meeting with local rivals Portsmouth following the international break. The derby would provide an immediate test of the punishment ahead of a major local fixture for both clubs.

Nevertheless, Wyness believes a four-game suspension would represent a manageable outcome for Southampton, particularly when compared with the possibility of a considerably harsher sanction.

Wyness expects FA to consider Southampton’s previous punishment

Wyness, who was Everton’s chief executive between 2004 and 2009 and now operates a football consultancy advising clubs, believes the FA could take Southampton’s previous punishment into consideration.

Southampton were expelled from last season’s Championship play-offs after the spying controversy emerged. Wyness regards that decision as an exceptionally severe punishment, describing it as one of the harshest sanctions he has witnessed in modern sport.

During the latest episode of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, he argued that the club has already suffered significant consequences and suggested that this could influence the FA’s decision over Eckert.

“I think what’s going to happen is he’s going to get somewhere between a two and a four-game ban and a fine,” Wyness said.

He explained that the financial punishment could reflect Eckert’s knowledge of, and involvement in, the surveillance operation, while suggesting that the suspension itself would probably remain at the lower end of the possible scale.

“I think the mitigating factor for the fine will be the way that he knew about this and directed it to a degree as well. I think this will come out on the lenient side of the number of games.”

Wyness also raised the possibility that the FA could be conscious of the timing of Southampton’s upcoming fixtures. With Portsmouth scheduled to visit during the period in which Eckert could potentially be suspended, the former Everton executive believes the governing body may consider the attention surrounding the South Coast derby.

He suggested that a ban covering the fixture could create significant headlines, while maintaining that Southampton have already received a substantial sporting punishment.

“I think the FA might rely on the fact that they’ve got Portsmouth coming up, which of course is the big local derby on the South Coast,” Wyness said.

“I’m really firmly in the camp that I think the club have been penalised too much already. It was a huge penalty. One of the biggest penalties I’ve seen in modern sport, never mind football.”

Wyness ultimately believes a two-to-four-match suspension would allow the matter to move towards a conclusion without creating another major disruption for Southampton.

“I think that if it is two to four games, then everybody can live with that. He won’t lose his job, things will carry on, and I want this swept under the carpet once and for all. Let’s move on.”

Aaron Ramsdale expected to leave Southampton

Away from Eckert’s disciplinary case, Southampton could also face an important decision involving goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale when the January transfer window opens.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown previously told Football Insider that Ramsdale’s departure from St Mary’s is “inevitable”, despite the goalkeeper remaining highly regarded within football.

The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Newcastle and has yet to make a competitive appearance for Southampton during the current campaign. His lack of first-team football has increased speculation that he could seek another move when clubs are permitted to conduct transfers in January.

Brown believes Ramsdale’s reputation remains strong and expects the former Arsenal goalkeeper to attract interest from Premier League clubs.

Ramsdale’s most recent competitive appearance came in April, before he eventually lost his place in Newcastle’s team during the closing stages of the previous season.

That lack of regular action means his immediate future remains uncertain, but his previous experience at Premier League level could still make him an attractive option for clubs searching for an established goalkeeper.

For Southampton, the coming months could therefore bring two separate developments: an FA decision that could determine how long Eckert is absent from the touchline, and a possible January exit for Ramsdale.