vectraman

Tonda’s actions brought the club into disrepute, drew negative media coverage across the world onto Southampton FC and cost them potentially ~£120 million in revenue by not contesting the playoff final. Any other big business in the world would have fired him for gross misconduct and moved on. New manager, new start, media pressure goes away, team can get on with the new season. For whatever reason we didn’t fire him, he still may get banned, so we‘d have to replace him anyway, but mid season, where the new manager can’t change personnel. Personally I think it is a seriously flawed decision, and we will struggle to shake off the negative stigma he brings until he does leave. We will never know what really was going on, but my suspicion is we had been ‘spying’ on a lot more teams than the three we owned up to. I believe if we had said yes, we monitored these 17 teams, of which we had won 12 games, the points deduction would have been massive and almost certainly relegated us. My personal opinion based on no facts. We are where we are, Tonda needs to sort the on field problems out (slow plodding football), whilst the recruitment team sort the player recruitment out. Big season, remain very unconvinced Solak made the right call not firing Tonda. We shall see….

Just got back from the game - a nice and unexpected 3 points as the game looked to be ending in a 1-1 draw. Performance wise, pretty poor in all honesty. First 10 minutes up to Cyle’s well taken goal were decent. Rest of the first half and most of the second were quite honestly awful. Really turgid, slow, boring football. Nobody seemed to want to run, awful slow passing out from the back going nowhere, no one could make a decisive pass either. It really was boring sat watching it. For me Matsuki and Fellows were decent, at least looked like they were trying to make things happen. Stephens was okay and solid, Woods looks like a mechanical toy, everything is so slow and methodical with him. Maybe lack of match practice and his thinking and touch will speed up a bit. Scienza was a million miles off the game and seemed a shadow of his self. Last 7 minutes were obviously very good! Mubama looked sharp, quick, and took his chance nicely. Well done him - more of the same please. Dobbin also injected some pace, I believe he will also become important for us this season. Credit to Tonda for the subs, won us the 3 points. Downes was very good again, but he needs a proper DM partner in midfield with him. Hopefully Jander isn’t too far away - we so need him back. Azaz was looking to make through passes (eg for Cyles goal) but so little movement ahead of him. Players all seemed sluggish and lethargic to me. Not sure what happened with their goal, we seemed to have enough bodies back but they appeared unmarked in the middle of the box ( no replay shown at the ground for their goal). So great result, about 17 minutes of excitement and 70 odd minutes of pedestrian, boring crap. Tonda has got to get them moving the ball forward quicker, making runs into space to stretch the opposition. We will need to be much better v Millwall next week, Stoke were pretty limited and came close to nicking a point, which shows how much we need to improve. Anyway, onwards and upwards 🤞🤞

Nah. This what influences things. 💰 Who pays the most.

We hadn’t lost to Watford for years, we did. We haven’t beaten Stoke at home for years. We shall 🤞🤞🤞

Why take Larin off?

We beat Wrexham first game last season….

That is school boy level football - go to the man with the ball. Not our Jack though…

Dirty Southernish bastards.

However bad you may think our away shirt is, this monstrosity that Sunderland have created is truly hideous…

You say that, but I reckon this elephant can play football better… https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17xPg8p1hK/?mibextid=wwXIfr Albeit with a honey badger not a ball…

Surely how standards have risen?! Tier 5 teams are a lot better now than 30 years ago 😉😁😁

Bye bye Norway - you’ve been fun… e8e0039e-67cd-4f25-ad1a-00d3c47d5804.mov

They’ve gone for Haaland and Sorloth up front together. I hope our defence is ready to be bombarded with long balls into the box, and can deal with two 6’5” big men in the air….😬🤞🤞🤞🤞

People who walk up to a bar and say “could I get a pint of Thatchers etc etc”. No you can’t get a pint of Thatchers, you aren’t going around and pouring it yourself are you? Must be a modern expression - my sons say this and I correct them every time (to no avail..)! Probably 50 odd year old me not being hip and trendy, not that I ever was anyway.

I feel the Croats were robbed. With offside, I don’t understand why it isn’t defenders/attackers feet that deem offside or not. After all it is football, wtf has your shoulder or arm got to do with it? Easier for VAR officials too - just look at the feet, job done.

Thank God for the Harry Kane get out of jail free card 🥵

Come on England 🎶

Inject some urgency you planks. We are pissing about like we are 4-0 up and we are a wank 1-0 down and looking clueless. Fucking Russball. Shit.

Injured

The most frustrating aspect for me is the lack of any urgency.

That was a pen. Keeper took his leg

This is like watching Saints under Will Still.

Where were the CBs? Spencer had to come inside to cover and left the right completely free 🤦‍♂️. Pickford doing a Baz.

And Madueke. Not been impressed with him at all. Mind you Saka hasn’t impressed much over the last few months after his injury either. If only Cole Palmer had been in the squad…. Could have had Palmer instead of Gordon or Madueke. But hey ho, is what it is - hopefully we have enough to stumble past DR Congo and onto a ‘proper’ game in Mexico 🇲🇽 where our counter attacking play has a chance to work…🤞