gio1saints

Cmon Saints. C’mon Tonda.

Never drop Leo if he is fit. The defensive stuff is somebody else’s job. Nobody in our squad can attack the way he does. The team should be set up to allow him as much of the ball as possible. And that includes knowing he will lose possession at times in dodgy areas or not track back as diligently as a JWP or a FD. But that’s why we have those sort of players in the team. - to enable Leo to be Leo. Wishing for a different Leo you may as well put on any shit attacker who likes a tackle. Honestly, the criticism of Leo reminds me of the exact same criticisms of MLT. Cannot recognise we have genuinely best in class wing/attacker quality up front and want him to defend a bit better. Tondas pre match chat should be to gather everyone except Leo in a circle and tell them “ give ball to Leo”. That’s it. Goals and assists and wins he will make happen .

Scienza Dobbin Azaz Jander JWP Matsuki Manning Stephens Schlotter Bree. Peretz. Subs : Larin. I’d say Downes rested. iF we are winning expect run outs for Sam and Divine at 60mins. Maybe Tom gets a run out also…cam to replace Jander at 74mins.

You actually prove my point quite well. Piroe was Golden Boot winner and named in the PFA championship team of the year whilst at Leeds for 24-25. He’s now a substitute in the same league he bossed only recently for WHU. He does not start much - he comes on late. What’s happened ? Hayden Hackney been a bit injured but supposedly best player in our league last year not trusted by Moyes….like our lad… If Shea Charles is Fulham’s best player I’d say he’s the exception rather than the rule. No pipes required fir that!

Some of Our highly regarded and probably best players of recent years don’t really play all that much once they leave to join a EpL club. Nor collect medals or international caps. They certainly get more wages. No secret. Matty Fernandes, Tyler Dibling , KWP, JWP and THB - none of them have set the EPL on fire. Even our kid in Serie A is hardly smashing down doors. Same with other top rated former players from the championship- piroe does not play, Hackney rarely on. It’s like Saints can sell the sizzle but rarely is the player up to it. Who knows if Leo is going to join that list if he gets poached by a Tottenham?

The JWP part of the clip is yet another compelling example of why JWP will be a future Club Manager. He very rarely misspeaks, listens intelligently to questions, has good control of his facial/body language on camera, has a impish SOH, unusually for a footballer is articulate (and coherent), is photogenically camera friendly and has just enough credibility in the game for most pros to listen to what he has to say. If he ever beats Beckhams record he will automatically be a bona fide legend if not that already due to that issue which sone still hold against him but pragmatists do not- especially after performances like he is now delivering every week for us. Hopefully he will manage one day at Saints and hopefully that’s in the EPL. Would not be surprised if his first chance at nanagement were lower league and down the road either - 🐟but I’d hope not! Oh, in case anybody wondering “what about Adam Lallana “ -he is also a predestined Club Manager, IMO, and way ahead of JWP on the fast track to management scheme - obviously. Both will be good I reckon but my gut says James is gonna be better.

Worthington was a rare breed of old school skill player. He would flip the ball over his head and volley it in warm ups at the Dell. For a little one while I used to do same in my pre match warm ups Sunday mornings on Hackney Marshes playing against the most notorious thugs you could imagine ever in fear of your life. Never went down well with the opposition or the three supporters and a dog watching for the opposition! Ah thems the days!!!🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣

I meant the starting back four that’s generally regarded as doing the most to get those clean sheets - Bree, Stephen’s, Schlotter and Manning. There’s a case for Wellington but otherwise it’s clear ( to me anyway!) that should be starters- IF FIT.

Is 100% right way to think about it. Bragg to start with JWP is the way to go. Jander to come on- if necessary. Downes should not be in the squad for obvious reasons also. if fit, Azaz and Leo start - and I think they are fit - but not inconceivable Dobbin replaces Finn at 60’ and Sam replaces Leo same. In similar vein Matsuki to start but Fellowes to get a runout late on. A back four that keeps two clean sheets in a row and that’s fit does not get messed around with.

@Holmes_and_WatsonI realise now that what to my ( let’s just say “different” ) mind appeared a piece of objective analysis may have alternative explanation and landed badly amongst the readership, especially those new to my scribbling. That quickly knocked out piece of analysis on Tondas’ tenure obviously appeared unsettling to some. But I’m sure SR are fully aware (😎) of the likelihood of what I’ve written being accurate and are not that unsettled - but getting prepared. Or do I give them too much credit? Is the heir apparent winning 6-5 away at 15th tier The Swan Arms really a good marker ? Is well groomed Adam up to it basically? He may be the stalking horse for another wunderkid from overseas I reckon. Normal service will not be resumed any time soon.

New contract or no new contract, promoted or not promoted, Tonda will not be our Manager next season. Why do I think that? He’s not staying another year in the Championship if we fail to go up. He is too good for that. It would be illogical. He needs to be performing at his highest level - that’s not a rinse and repeat third season in the second tier of English football. So I foresee we will get a nice transfer fee for him - and start again. His loyalty to the club for not sacking him is him signing a new deal so we get a tasty fee when he inevitably departs. IF we go up he will be poached for sure. It will be a Hollywood fairytale getting promoted with our backstory. Germany will want him, Italy will want him maybe even a daring ( bigger than Saints) EPL club will want him. His days of Lincoln away will be long gone. And we will still get a tasty fee when he signs up for the reason previously stated. The higher his new contract deal the more compensation we will receive when he’s poached. So it’s going to be a biggie! So let’s enjoy him while we can!

Squad strength is an underrated attribute. Swansea first team are doing well but they have shallow squad depth. A few injuries and they will go backwards. Whereas WH and Saints are much stronger in depth despite not getting as many points so far. The Boro squad not as good as ours but they have 4 points head start and a star striker in form ( if he gets injured though…) My final placing best guess is 1. WH 2. Boro or Saints. The league matches v Boro will be virtually Play Off Finals in which case.

Have to say loved THB attitude and was great for Saints - BUT - Shlotterbeck is a fantastic value replacement. Pound for pound he’s better imo. He is certainly a better defender and certainly brings greater composure to the defence. He is also capable, like THB to be fair, of a vertical defence splitting pass and is an obvious asset again like THB, at corners both attacking and defending. His presence, imo, has improved NW/JS mental resilience and the entire team in a four at the back formation is defensively more solid . Ok his OG numbers are worse but he has never shirked putting his body in the way of a shot wearing our shirt. Top recruitment and makes the sale of THB - one of our most reliable 7/10 every match players of last season , almost go unnoticed except for the nice fee we got! A couple more goals would be nice that’s all.

Ridiculously sensible post for this forum. He may well be another DD ( whose claim to fame was a few goals in Germany and taking a penalty for the USA) and he may well be a loan flop. BUT at least he IS A LOAN. willing to cone to be second fiddle at Saints ( no small ask for and ego driven ambitious forwards) PLUS already scored enough goals at this RL Eng championship level - and for a not as good team. And gets picked and plays for a decent England U21 team with Lankshear as his competition. PLUS have we already forgotten his excellent assist for Azaz match before last? So, yeah, remember the context and my opinion is lgive him a proper chance before he is written him off. End of season even.

I totally agree. It’s simply nastiness. As a general rule most users understand that the veracity - or otherwise - of anything posted on this forum has always ( and probably will always) be conditional. Opinions are personal. Respect them or don’t respect them but attacking the individual for daring to express them? I think that’s not Saintly. It’s also commonly accepted that announcements on the OFFICIAL SFC SITE is the ultimate truth test. Until then all SFC related posts here on this chat forum are opinions suppositions and, quite often thankfully, light hearted entertainment. Even the posts abusing other posters can be regarded by some as, apparently, “ entertainment “ - unless you are the one being abused that is. It’s distasteful entertainment but there’s always an audience for it. So- MB do write whatever you like. My view on the veracity is secondary frankly. You are a content creator here.

If Gavin won’t play because wars kill people then, unless he is being very subjective about who he feels is allowed to be killed and in what country and thus worthy of his abstaining gesture the list of International matches available in future for him is considerably shorter. No Turkey, no Iran, no USA, no Ukraine, no Russia, no EU countries supporting Ukraine basically, no Canada, fuck much of Africa is in some kind of war. Let alone Israel and, for the sake of honesty, Palestine itself. He may as well retire from International football now.

Just wonder what the punishment multiplier for denying everything and then after 4 years of legal cases being found guilty all along would be. If Tonda is given a massive ban ( for me that’s anything over 3months ) plus say a £2m fine it begs the question what would he / SFC get for denying everything, would he be banned for a year/ two years and a fine of £10m? Just an interesting angle on it ( for me anyway!)

The Speed at which one confesses guilt is an interesting side-quest for this thread. Im not sure how many years it will be before we hear a “ yes we cheated “ from Man City and the rest of the EPL cheat-teams but it took Parsons - and therefore Saints - about 45 seconds when face to face with Gibson. And immediately when asked by relevant authorities. Many have said “ dumbass” or “ legal amateur hour” as Saints could have been having legal battles for years - like the rest of the cheats - all whilst in the Premier League collecting £Millions. Instead we are in the Championship, no millions, reviled. My question is : Does It pay to fess up- and do you get it worse eventually if you don’t? If the authorities give a massive ban to our Manager the argument that it “ pays” to fess up will have been shown as false. At least in this case. The football authorities, if they have any sense of long vision, might do well to consider going less harshly on Saints - to “ encourage the others”. There must be a financial limit to how many appeals and legal battles they can maintain if everybody plays it like Man City did/do….

I’m not excusing the fraud that took place - sorry that IS taking place everywhere you look in football- starting with on the pitch cheating every single match and moving onto the brown envelops department of sports agents and even to the head - Infantino trying to sell the fucking thing like it was London Bridge! Even down to the turnstile operators letting you in for cash at Wembley. It’s fucked. Everywhere. I think those grasping for their pearls about this particular manifestation of corruption in football are about thirty years too late. Arguments about the industrial scale of the cheating and poor hard done by other 91 clubs fans and all the rest don’t impress me much. Man City got caught. Juventus caught caught in Calciopoly. Real Madrid should be non existent but instead have a lovely collection of CL trophies. They are all at it in one way or another. The loudest complainers probably the worst ones not caught yet. Also, fun fact : Watch fir the big clubs who say nought. They are the real big time swindlers!

I think owners ought to be able to spend whatever the hell they like on their team. If the owners of Man city want it to win medals and trophies - and were willing to pay the best players to get them - then they should be allowed. Has what they did in not so clandestine fashion ruined “the beautiful game”? Has it fuck. It’s already ruined, open your eyes! But it’s also been entertaining and generated £Billions in revenues for the sport. Think the Picture of Dorian Gray. Sky TV makes it look beautiful but underneath it’s been rotted, corrupt and despoiled for quite some time. Dare I mention Portsmouth buying the FA Cup or Abramovich buying well whatever Cups he wanted - Real Madrid basically supported by the Spanish National Government , Italian teams of the eighties all blood doped and even MLT having his stupid little bets on first throw in? The list is almost endless. A lot of the outrage being expressed right now at Man City owners is virtue signalling hypocritical bollox. Just like with what’s happening / happened with Saints.

I like his energy. I think he’s starting to look better than Charlie Alcaraz to me. Not really a winger more of an Inside forward on the right or central but he’s always busy and has got goals in him. End season he will be a £30m player carries on as he is.

Do we know if an official complaint alleging bullying was made by the staff member re. Tonda? If yes, do we know if an in-house investigation into the bullying allegation has taken place? And to what outcome? If no internal investigation has taken place that may be telling in itself. But IF the matter was investigated internally then the outcome would certainly be confidential - not made public basically. The fact that (1) Tonda remains in post and (2) The employee not only remains but has been confirmed as a permanent employee, tends to suggest that, internally, its not regarded as an issue of substantive additional process need ie an internal disciplinary ( although this MAY have happened already to Tonda and the outcome kept confidential ). If that is the context I think the argument that the whole issue is about bullying rather than circumventing footballing rules is weaker than you suggest.

I agree. The extended play off qualification also encourages more matches of significance towards the end of season so less foregone conclusion flip flops and sunscreen packed matches…..more competitive more points sharing. There are also more teams with exoected strong HOME form than I expected. Teams like Lincoln, Brum, Wrexham away will not be easy for any team. Add in teams like Wolves West Ham Boro even poor starting Burnley that’s already 7 Away matches which most if not every other team would be ok taking a point. That list does not even include top of the league WBA, ex TOTL Swansea, Millwall and even Watford! In other words, unless ( IMO ) Saints, Wolves and West Ham ( one or two of those) run away with automatic this is likely to be one of the closest Championship leagues ever.

I’m sure there’s an obvious answer to why Larin is not allowed to play 90 minutes but JWP or Bree or Downs can? Are the requirements on a #9 in Tonda team so onerous? It cannot be that Larin is not fit enough? Or is he carrying a secret injury? The minute he gets taken off I’m not expecting any more goals basically - and neither do the opposition basically. You need stamina - but surely he has enough? Is Tonda frightened when tired he is more likely to hurt himself - and we have no like for like - so takes him off early? But we kind of did last year with RS and was same story..

I agree that we do not seem to have a like for like replacement for Larin in order to rest him/ allow proper recovery for Injuries and suspensions. This is probably the most obvious omission - all things being equal - to this being a very good window. If there is no back up striker recruited it can only mean one thing: 1. We cannot find a target man suitable to come here. ( cheap, good, willing)