Willo of Whiteley

Pellè, Mané, Steven Davis, Jose Fonte - memories 🥲

Guido Carillo was like Pele compared to Damion Downs. He was that poor and ineffective. A very low bar. #TheSportRepublicWay

Newcastle one of the most unlikeable teams going, but I would love to see our players pick the ball up, turn and run like that at the opposition.

Saying Gavin Bazunu is the best keeper we have really is a low bar. Baffling those that still defend him. "If nothing else works, a total pig-headed unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through."

I have a feeling he’ll go relatively full strength. Irony would be he does and Scienza plays 80 minutes before picking up a hamstring injury. I think we’ll have too much for them but I bet it will be tedious and a depressing watch. A 2-1 win to us. I wouldn’t be annoyed to see us lose, weirdly.

Nothing screams ambition like being linked with a guy that’s been playing in League 2.

The refereeing was excellent there. Lena rightly sent off for what is classed in the laws as violent conduct. Grealish sent off for gobbing off twice towards the referee. This is where there should be a lot of apologies from Everton. Their players were rattled and their fans abusive towards the officials there. No need for it.

Michael Keane getting sent off for Everton for pulling a Wolves players hair. He’s absolutely rattled.

Jesus Christ give you head a wobble. A footballer that can use his feet? Next you’ll be demanding for a goalkeeper that can use his hands! 🤣

I’d argue that that was this summer. The technical director in before the previous season had ended. The new manager appointed before the season had ended. Enough time to build a strong back room team. An entire summer of sound bites about us getting back to the Premier League. Little to no transfer activity until the end of the window. Key signings for key positions either ignored or completely messed up. And that is before the start of September! They’ve royally screwed up.

Fight, fight, fight…. 😂 Russell Martin wouldn’t sort this lot out. I think until there’s a thorough clear out things will stay relatively the same for a few years. I think the mentality of the players so is fragile and it doesn’t help with playing a formation that doesn’t play to the squads strengths. That combination is always going to end up in mid-table mediocrity, at which point the noises of discontent become louder.

Another player that’s been poorly advised by his agent. All that said his bank balance will be good!

Just for context so I can understand some of these responses a bit more; and these are genuine questions for @Fabrice29: What are your current thoughts on the playing squad? What are your views on Tonda Eckhart, his tactics and formation? What would you suggest are realistic and alternative options for the manager role if it were available? How do you think we played over the Christmas period or since the West Brom game? What are your thoughts for the rest of the season? What are you thoughts about the board, club set up, hierarchy etc?

Not to go full MLG but, he’s a journalist, not a “content creator”.

Let’s be brutally honest we were excellent in the first half against West Brom. The second half we invited all pressure, took our feet off the gas and did nothing to attack or press them. The games that followed we began passing more and more across the back. So much wasted time, no attacking flare. It’s been that way since the West Brom game. There is no excuse. He has constantly chopped and changed players, subbed players off early to “rest them for the next game” before the current game had even been won. The festive period has been pissed up the wall.

Agreed with @Fabrice29 first post this evening (there’s no evidence to suggest anything behind the scenes) absolute fair comment. But then the second one to say Adam Blackmore and Alfie House make shit up to fuel their own narratives for their podcast 🤣🤪 Firstly, they don’t do one together Adam and Jo do the BBC Sounds one and Alfie is a regular on Total Saints Podcasts. I would argue that everything they have said and discussed in recent times is beyond accurate and on par with exactly what 99% of Saints fans are thinking. I.e. the players aren’t good enough, they aren’t playing at their best, Tonda is starting to look out of place, Tonda hasn’t got a plan B, three CBs hasn’t and does not work, the hierarchy have got a lot to answer for etc. What is incorrect about what they have said above? They’re basic discussions that everyone is having at the moment. Not “fuelling a narrative”. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Almost like he doesn’t like confrontation. How difficult can it be for him or anyone to say “Ryan (Manning), I’m dropping you for this reason. Please let me show you exhibit A, B, C……. S, and T. Do you understand?”

I think it’s very speculative and absurd bollocks. Alfie House is a journo, yes, but I wouldn’t put him in the “puppet” class for Southampton Football Club’s hierarchy. He’s always been very to the point on Total Saints Podcast, and it’s actually quite refreshing to here him call out certain individuals. I’m just surprised he tweeted so much today, but what he said there he’s been saying for ages.

Concede ground (literally), shirk responsibility, hide in the shadows.

There’s a lot of gobby twats in the Northam. I stopped standing in there after the guy decided the right thing to do was call the ref a “f***** bald c***” every thirty seconds, that was whether he made a decision in our favour or not.

He’ll be sacked I. Just over 18 months. Super pay off though. Taking the Chelsea job is like taking the Watford job. It’s fast becoming the “you’re never more than ten feet away from someone” scenario.

Oh absolutely. Do I want him back - no. Would I take him over Tonda Eckhart - yes, because he’d play a back four and actually get more of a tune out of these players. Sport Republic have never struck me as pragmatic. They’ve struck me as cocky the more and more they’ve been around. This air of arrogance around the in who the sporting director is, the manager, the style of play, the wasteful and recklessness around transfers. I have no faith in them.

I’d take Russell Martin back over Tonda Eckhart. One took us to promotion, the other is proving to be woefully out of his depth.

Can we go one better? ”Jack Stephens” ”He’s not my captain” etc etc 😂

That’s a fair and really accurate summary