gio1saints

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)

VeryGood professional. Good guy and popular with squad. Excellent left foot cross and free kick delivery. The more important set pieces become the greater esteem he’ll be held. Not the paciest full back ever to help him track back quick or recover so his on field positioning and concentration at all times needs be extra good- which because he’s human, it is not. That’s Only area I’d be trying to install some better habits if I was Tonda. At any rate : He is a Very very Good Championship player - certainly top six starting standard. Not going to ever be an amazing EPL player being realistic but would not disgrace himself in a well managed four at the back competitiveEPL team ie if Tonda was there.

He did it once with SFC a few years ago I recall. Gave them there all time unbeaten record and got them promoted via the playoffs after an iffy start. It’s all been a disaster thereafter . He’s got his iffy start with Foxes. He’s probably got 5 matches to go unbeaten and pick up say 10 points or I reckon even the absentee and broke bosses of LCFC will further augment his retirement pension fund very nicely thank you. I hope he does it. The more vilified he is the more I want him to do well. Go Russell!!

He has Mark Wright vibes for me. Think he’s gonna be a good ‘un.

Statement victory in many ways: 1. That West Ham result is def. behind us. 2. If we can score 5 against the meanest defence so far in this league we can probably score versus anyone. 3. Newbies Schmitt and JWP played and the standard did not drop - it was at least same and got better the longer game went on. Both look comfortable first teamers. No long wait to see if they are able. They are able no doubt so our squad has been notably strengthened. 4. Leo is back! Best player in this League imo. Every other Championship ( and a fair few EPL teams! ) would want him put it that way. 5. Cyle scored best MLT type goal I’ve seen for many years. Well done - at last a proper #9 - and he’s gonna score many more this season. 6. Finn Azaz has a deceptively laconic but effective style of play but no doubt he is a high quality difference maker- like Leo. 7. Tonda totally bossed the in game management and tactics. First fifteen aside that is.Made a good Millwall side ultimately look hapless and bereft of ideas. Well done Southampton FC!

There is no doubt he is still an excellent dead ball specialist. Manning has become extremely important in that regard particularly swinging in dangerous corners into the six yard box from the right hand side - but now having a right footer of - imo- superior quality we have got same for left sided corners and free kicks at the very least. Larin and Schlotterbeck will get great service. That, and he runs all day and rarely gives away possession means we have got ourselves a bargain. Welcome back JWP!

If Bragg or Downes get injured we’re in trouble. Makes the point that if Jander leaves and Shea already gone we are CM lite.

One way of looking at who is the most important player he have is by appearances. Last season was, objectively, overall, a good season apart from that fuck up at the end. Our most appearances on the pitch player last year was….yeah THB. Any accountants arguments to sell him better be damn good. I don’t want him sold. I think pay him more extend a year give him ability to leave us if we doing bad and or not gone up. But sell him now at very start of season? Our key CB? Not a good idea for me. If we short of cash sell someone else not that key defender and team leader. Strong defences win leagues.

What’s THB on anyway? Can we guess at £25k own or is it much more? Benfica might pay £35 not £50k pw my guess. Saints cannot afford an extra £520k a year salary for THB and would rather sell him at a loss and jeopardise everything? The cost to change THB is what we should be looking at. And yes - we don’t go up he can leave. Hell if we are bottom half at Xmas he can leave too. Deal? 🤓

Ah you are at it again ( technically it’s called a straw man argument - one in which you defeat an invented opponent) But what if, say, Manu Ytd came along and offered him 4x his salary CL football plus 2m air miles and unlimited smoke salmon sandwiches with his father in law at the TOD? He’d be mad to refuse and why should he- you’re right!!!

Now now. That’s not what I said. What I very CLEARLY said and which you cleverly misread was , and I quote : ” I propose to pay THB extra £25 per hour to be our assistant chief training session spy PLUS he gets a reserve seat for lunch at Staplewood with extra chips and free good coffee on alternate Fridays plus free tickets to Take That next time they play SMS “ IMO THATS as a significant gesture of support for the fact his father in law used to be a Man Utd player. And he’s fairly decent player for us. I think would do the trick.

I know! Do not sell THB. Extend his contract a year, up his basic and promotion bonus. It’s MUCH cheaper than the alternative! Him leaving MAY open up a potential domino effect for others -psychologically speaking - because if the most demonstrative/vocal leader we have on the pitch leaves before the fight really begins it is a fairly blunt vote of no confidence in our season prospects.I think thats more relevant/ important than many might think in the team psyche for this year. Remember it’s mostly about money for players but I believe for THB it’s also about honour - about restitution for the horribleness of last year - fir the binoculars gesture he made and showing he IS good enough - no cheating required. Also : A fast start is always a good thing. Spiking our defence by taking out a totemic player like him start of season makes attaining that fast start harder. We all know that it will be NW and the Captain at CB until Xmas or injury intervene - because any new replacement will, in my experience, not been thrown in at CB starting league matches wether he’s fit unfit acclimatised settled whatever for many weeks. And that’s if he’s good and not injured !! And what about our existing giant CB Quarsie? He’s going to be unhappy his “ chance” has gone if THB leaves and some other geezer turns up and he’s not given a chance to stake his claim. So a loan beckons for him if THB leaves is a possible! It’s horrible. Extend THB pay him more!!!!!

The price offered for THB is not unreasonable looking objectively at what a Championship CB should go for. Thing is, THB is probably one of the few players we have that’s worth MORE To Saints than whatever the Open Market valuation might be. THB, CL, LS, DP,Jander and Ryan Manning are worth more to the club this season than supposed transfer fee - IMO. This squad has several Moneyball players. Let them play and deliver SR!

I know the stats from last season as well. I think a good season is if we make playoffs. And IF we do that I’d imagine we’d be favourites. In other words 3rd best.Very Good chance we will but not a guarantee imo. However , to start from the basis that because if the end of last season performance we will roll over opponents this year , is NOT the team talk or fan talk that I think will add to our chances. Treating Watford away like they stole our chance to EPL is a good tool because we will get nothing strolling into matches with a superiority complex. Colchester were not easy and we could have conceded several times. In the championship we cannot give two goals start to every team…

Complacency. Saints were not good enough for automatic last year and start on minus four this year with much stronger new competitor opponents in wolves and West Ham especially. My expectation is another tough long season in which we struggle but make play offs. Then we should be favourites. The sense of injustice that we hope may inspire the players every match is going to be useful but most of all at the end of the season in crunch matches. Inbetween I reckon many teams will use the result v us as a benchmark - and raise their game - they know we could have been in EPL instead of Hull. Not one easy game this year starting with Colchester.

Agreed. It’s an important move, but a good one, for Jay. Being a sub for most of this season in the championship is not as good as playing at San Siro etc versus CL type defenders and of course the many tough Italian defences he might face. He scores and assists there then his value rises a lot more than same in the championship.

I think the main issue Saints may have with their RS offer is that maybe it is fully pricing in that he plays <50% of the time largely coming off the bench . Maybe even as little as 30% if he comes on with 30mins to go for Larin. RS and his advisors want to / do believe he is a 100% player. A championship starter. And priced his contract accordingly. Other Championship clubs may / will know of this discrepancy and the offers he is getting may not be mush better but simply add an extra year to the contract and goal bonuses.

Good tactical adjustments and well spotted. Are you an analyst? This second half adjustment is starting to look like an “ automism “ - but it absolutely benefits from a target man centre forward type in Larins absence. The Championship defences we face may have big CB’s or they may have fast Mobile CB’s - but they rarely have both so if Plan A is not working it’s essential to have Plan B, C etc. With the players we have we have variety- except without Larin that is…

Agree totally. Looking at one of our more predictable patterns of play in the latter part of last season perhaps gives a clue: Whenever we engage in that stupid keep ball game in our own penalty area and the opposition had gone full press and it was getting dicey Tonda used the default option of either Peretz hits ut long central (or lobg diagonal ) OR full back hits it long into the wide channels. In the latter nippy wingers are required. For the former it needs ability to compete aerially and physically for the ball. Latin is the only player we have, currently competent for that role. In his absence, currently, we are constrained to hit it wide from wherever we are. This has even lower chance of success than any of the hitting it long expedients in the scenarios outlined. This suggests to me in absence of Larin Tonda will put either Damian on ( but god please are we really down to this?) or buy another robust CF who can handle himself aerially and physically hold ball up and pass it to one of ours and, oh, can score as well. That’s what we need. Not another small forward.

I’ve a hunch Shea may go to Newcastle now they’ve got rid of another MF. If so I expect a healthy fee seeing as they have unloaded bothGuimares and Tonali for big wheelbarrows of cash. Can’t be shortchanging saints when we know how you price your own MF players…and I’d guess we want £25m plus easy add ons making it £30m in total.

Even though what I’m about to say will trigger the usual hate mail and even though I want Tonda as our Manager and even though I hate everybody dissing him like hypocrites theres one thing has always worried me about this case. Tonda claims he did not know it was not allowed. That’s the bottom line. And he’s stuck to that story. Is Tonda fucking thick as shit ? Or simply normal intelligence but being disingenuous? Which is more likely? Occam’s razor and the fact he is a professional in this area suggests it’s more likely he’s making it up. I’d say at least 90% + of the posters on here knew there’s something off about spying on opponents - at very least double check the rules - and know that, surely, Tonda must also know that. To claim otherwise is either blind loyalty or I’ve also got some magic beans for sale I can see you know your magic beans…. I wish he’d of just fessed up, not have me believe a lie. Damn it though I’m as bad as everyone else. I’m going to suspend my disbelief and sing his name anyway. What has this game got to. Integrity and respect my arse.