CamberwellSaint

Well that's not a bad shout, but I'd go so far as to say might be the most impactful and influential since Keegan from Hamburg.

The more time goes by the more I think he should stay: - Obvious rule breaking by the EFL in the process [playoff final to be contested by semi final winners, and 14 day response window for clubs who have been sanctioned were both ignored in the rush to get rid of us] - Obviously partisan pro-Boro 'independent' panel making the sanction decision [1 ex player, 1 ex lawyer] - Obvious stupidity at our board level [amateurish approach to Gibson ahead of 1st leg, poor media management] - we aren't going to get a technically better coach than Tonda - at least some of the players [if rumour is to be believed] want him to stay. I think we should play legal hardball with the EFL [it won't change the outcome but will make life as embarrassing and awkward for them and Boro as possible if their process-abuse is highlighted], and take a screw-you-too approach to anyone who complains about Tonda. [Bielsa retained National-Treasure status and spied far worse]. This might also influence the FA as they dawdle over their investigation- if its clear we will fight any ban aggressively, the suits there may not want to start a legal ruck that they're not certain to win. Citeh, ManUre etc etc don't get their way because they're right, they get it because the authorities are too scared of the consequences of challenging them. I think we would do well to be a less likeable, agreeable club.

This is brilliantly written, thank you. The point about the Premier League [through what route?] having warned Russell that his approach would have to change is shocking [insofar as the club was blandly willing to let him continue without either a back-up tactical plan or 5 new high quality players]. The fact that the Board didn't think it necessary to replace Jason Wilcox speaks volumes. I disagree that Tonda has to go, but the quality of decision making certainly has to improve dramatically, and those hiring need to get much better at Bullshit Bingo.

hi Saints fans, long time reader, occasional poster here. [last match I was at was the 0-2 vs PNE in Still's last game, so maybe I'm a sign of brighter days to come.. ] We broke the rules, and under pressure from Gibson and football's frothing moralisers, we got penalised very harshly. Our hapless board failed abjectly to either play hardball [deny, deflect, delay] or game the disciplinary process smartly [get a reptilian reputational management consultancy and KC Pannick on board early doors]. The EFL are quietly ignoring their own rules in punishing us ['the play off final will be contested by the winners of the semi finals']. All those clutching their pearls about the sanctity of the competition and the sacred rules of the game can get f*cked, unless their clubs routinely offer to forfeit points every time a dive wins their club a game changing penalty. As others have said: If the players [or any that are likely to be here next season] are with him, Eckert should stay. Spying on oppo training is a stupid thing to do- not primarily because its against the rules, but because you don't find out anything that you can't from video analysis of the oppo results and the first 5 minutes of the game. As long as TE doesn't do it again, he's likely better than anyone else we're going to get, and perhaps this club need to embrace being disliked for a while. The screw-you to the rest of the division and the EFL might actually bring the club and fans together. Anyone trust this board to appoint a new manager who's likely to mastermind 21-game unbeaten runs? Answers on a postcard..

In our case surely better if the U21s have no idea what happens in first team training, and and zero understanding of match roles as currently being played?

Good point. Was the 3-0 win the final game Theo Walcott played for us? If so I was at that. If you are Tonda Eckhart what would you do? I'd go 4-1-4-1 with, Fellowes, Scienza, Azaz, Arma ahead of Downes [who can be told to work harder] and Downs up front who can be told he'll get crosses and passes fired at him all game. If he can't put 3 shots on target at least then he's off the the U21s for the season. Am I mad?

Lord preserve us. I think there's a reason he's never been a manager. The last thing we need is to be very public proof he shouldn't.

Who do we think Juric would pick if he was wanting a team from our lot who has the fitness and aggression to press? [or at least try to] Ramsdale Walker-Peters Harwood-Bellis Wood Manning/Sugawara Downes Ugochukwu Dibling Lallana Fernandes Archer I'm an optimist: Fulham 1-2 Saints [Archer and Fernandes]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/20/southampton-ivan-juric-head-coach-russell-martin

You couldn't post a link to this could you? I've searched and only religious stuff and old TSPs are coming up. Thanks!

I know that belongs on the Gillingham thread- my point was- there are still players who need to go, and areas of the team where we're bare even now. Also that I'd trust Martin to know what the issues are, even if he doesn't get every decision/judgement call right. If he plays his on-paper best team he's basically setting himself up to have to do pre-season again on 1st September. So I think we should expect another balancing act against Norwich. I'd take a draw where we play well and come from behind.

just watched the Gillingham highlights and the Russell M interview afterward- It doesn't seem like you need to be Inspector Morse to work out that Djenepo, Adams, Onuachu, Perraud and Mara were the targets of Russell's "maybe think they're Premiership quality... not enough intensity, going off piste" remarks. Also: what on Earth is up with Bella-Kotchap, Sulemana that they can't even be worth some minutes in a change-the-whole-first-11 game like this? It was refreshing that Martin seemed to acknowledge his own mistakes and over-optimistic view of some of the players' attitude. That set-piece coach has got his work cut out!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jun/20/swansea-michael-duff-manager-russell-martin-southampton?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other The Grauniad’s football people seem confident it’s happening soon.

I see others have already noted this. There's nothing wrong per se about NJ doing this; I'm sure it was a laugh for all concerned at the match. Anyone serious about being a Premiership manager would not do this after being sacked. It screams small-time, small-town, local-league-level mentality. Do you remember Jeremy Corbyn going to a local constituency garden party fund raiser for learning-disabled homeless single parents, the day after he won the Labour leadership vote? Exact same problem. Nothing wrong with that as far as it goes. But when you've volunteered to go into bat against the big boys, you've got to leave this stuff behind. Corbyn never did, and NJ didn't either. Bit of politics there. My name's Ben Elton. Anyone wondering if the club did the right thing in jettisoning NJ [after Chelsea I'm sure there's not many], should have their minds put at rest by this.

Good point. We have been fed quotes from JWP/Diallo that kind-of say the players liked Jones, and also some unattributed stuff about "the players are behind NJ" from the Twitter bot-accounts etc etc. What we didn't ever see was the players acting or playing as if they like Jones. [training galleries with no smiles and no eye contact etc] I'm even more impressed with Selles managing to give Jones zero credit in public, and to do so very calmly and without drawing attention to the fact he's happy to see the back of him.

Interesting RS referenced 4-2-3-1 as Benitez' signature formation, obviously very influenced by Rafa. It shouldn't be difficult to get our best players in their best positions in that formation: GK [actually not sure who our best is] KWP DCC Salisu Perraud Lavia JWP Sulemana Alcaraz Orsic Onuachu Bench: ABK, Aribo, Diallo, S Armstrong, Edozie, Mara, Elyounoussi, AMN Squad, for use in emergencies only: Walcott, A Armstrong, B******k, Lyanco, Bree, Djenepo [on the assumption that Che is out injured]

That's very funny. People who interview well and turn out to be toxic are usually a bit brittle and shiny at interview, and don't respond well to unusual questions where they just need to be a human being to answer them. Selles sounds like he's got a very clear idea of what kind of human being he is [also v impressed that he could rattle off a list of coaches who's inspired him, and why].

If I was the board I'd be asking any prospective manager how they would handle having as capable and ambitious a guy as this already in the "village"...

Well that press conference was a breath of fresh air. Agree with plenty that's already been said: articulate, reflective, thoughtful, a dash of steeliness, some actual ambition of his own, emotionally literate, can express himself using actual ideas and actual examples, can clearly handle the media well enough without resorting to bullshit or defensiveness. It shouldn't be a lovely surprise that we have a manager [however temporary] who can do this, but it is- not just after the repetitive cliches and passive aggressive petulance of NJ, but also compared with Ralph's slightly distant, aloof style. If he's serious about wanting the job permanently, I can imagine him interviewing very well. I wonder what his metrics and Points Of Reference are like? Most importantly, if he can speak to the media like that, we can be hopeful that he can communicate with the players too.

For those with plenty of time on their hands today, here's a Jesse Marsch webinar. It's refreshing to have a manager who could even begin to talk engagingly about football in general. I think we're going to concede goals, and probably frustratingly easy ones sometimes, but there's a decent chance we'll have a team to be proud of.

Reasons to be positive- Marsch's approach has worked best against the better teams, who are all we really have left to play...

The usual cliches "would like to thank X for his work while at the club' or "would like to wish X the best for the future" are trotted out even when things haven't ended well. The fact that the club wouldn't even get these out through gritted teeth, speaks volumes about how divisive and unliked he made himself.

Absolutely this. I just watched his post match interview after Forest beat Leeds last week; he is unbelievably calm for a manager staring the sack in the face.

He talks clearly, positively, with a little charisma, a little humour. He's articulate, thoughtful, and you can hear and see he's thoughtful. He doesn't have to say "I'm a thoughtful manager" [as someone we know might do]. He knows how to talk to people without winding them up or sounding prickly. Given we are in 20th, 3 points adrift, 3rd manager of the season, divided board... there's no real world where we get someone better. I'm signed up.