S-Clarke

The goal of Sports Republic is player trading. Buy low, sell high, make profits, develop players across the portfolio. It's not a goal that will ever equal a competitive football team across multiple seasons. We are simply owned by a player trading company and that is how they deem success.

Not sure, haven't seen that. Wouldn't surprise me, as any player he plays with only ever praises him.

Fonte would be a great influence, I'm sure the club have had discussions with him over the last couple of years. He'd add a lot, and would make a mockery of the supposed 'Stephens' role.

Hmm, I'd feel iffy with that one. The former 'skate' element skews it massively for me, he'll always have that on his back and he'd have very little leeway if/when things started going wrong. It would be similar to when Leicester appointed Steve Cooper, given their rivalry with Forest. He was up against it from day 1 and it never worked out.

It's the standards thing which is so important, they've slipped so far and I think he'll be taken aback by how far we've regressed. JWP set similar standards of professionalism, but we were left with Flynn Downes - it's no wonder really. I don't expect him to be as he was in 2020-2022, but the reading of the game never goes and his physicality will still be more than we have today. We don't have anyone who can fly into a tackle at the moment, they all prance around it. I remember reading an article about Lamine Yamal and he actually namechecked Romeu as being such a good standard in the dressing room, as he was making his breakthrough seasons. Can't find it now, but I always thought that said a lot.

Or they do the opposite, and appease them by bringing back their boyfriend.

There is genuinely something in the JWP links by the way, loan deal for January. Not 100% sure how I feel about that one, but it's something that is 100% on the table. Just need to see if the finances work, as we'd need WHU to subsidise a hell of a lot.

Maybe he's our new number 9. He'll be a better shout than Downs tbf.

I haven't seen that before, but some personal highlights: They did all of that to Ralph, causing us relegation then. Now they've gone and done it to you, sending us spiralling down once again! No one will save us this time, as you are no longer here. Once again, the loudest people have won. We are sorry that minority let you down. If our real fans could have had their own way, it would be them we would boot out of town! What a pair of idiots.

32 apps for Girona last year. 37 apps for Barca the season before that

Absolutely bang on the money and what we need in CM. and have done since he was cast aside. Cheerio Downes.

This is scary, and I've seen similar fan views on social media as well. We came 4th in a 3 horse race. Our squad under Martin with Stu, Adams, Brooks, KWP, Bednarek was absolute nonsense for this level. There is no way a team with that quality should have been losing to Leicester and Sunderland by 5 odd goals. The season was built on fragility, getting over the line in the last min - and with the players we had, we should have dominated the league much more than we did. How we played throughput that season cast doubt in many peoples minds about his ability to adapt in the PL, and low and behold that is exactly what happened. He was a key, key figure in the recruitment in that summer and lumbered us with Archer, BBD, Taylor, Fraser, Downes, Lallana - I mean come on. He persisted with the same approach against PL sides and the outcome was inevitable. Watching him struggle at Rangers in exactly the same way wasn't a surprise. Reluctant to change principles, chirping about the same things - it was like watching groundhog day. Him coming back here now, with ultimately a much lesser quality of player and a club at the rock bottom, would not work - anyone can see that, surely. If the choice is between Eckert and Martin, it would have to be Eckert - but both would likely lead to relegation struggles.

Which is just as bad. Why we'd even consider him is beyond me, unless the club see it as a mistake that they sacked him - which let me point out to them, it wasn't a mistake. It's one of the few calls they got right.

This is exactly right, no one is saying Eckert is shit - he may be excellent, but he's never managed professional men's football and given our plight this is not the time to start playing again. If we were established and had a really good core of players, we'd lost our manager to a PL club, it may be more of a suitable time for someone like him to take the reigns with the foundation let behind - but we have no foundation. It's way too big of a risk. In many ways, we need a manager who can help rebuild this club from the bottom and that isn't a 31 year old.

This is an interesting shout and something which crossed my mind when I looked at Ekerts history. Viera is exactly the type of stature and reputation who'd command respect and call out the nonsense. He wasn't 'too bad' at Palace, nor Nice before that. We could do 100x worse and I feel his sort of experience and stature is what we need to pull these saps into line. I actually called for him back in 2023 before we got Martin, as I felt we needed some 'gravitas' and someone with stature. I could be totally wrong but he's the sort of guy who could shake it up.

The fans who are open to him returning really concern me.

I personally think there are a core of players who haven't been happy ever since their boyfriend was sacked. Evidence shows that with Downes throwing his toys out of the pram in January. There are a group of guys, I'd say Stephens, Downes, THB, Manning who have been anti anything Russ-Ball and I can see them as the sorts who'd make it difficult for anyone else. I felt sorry for Juric, he wanted to use Downes but he simply made himself unavailable. This is also why I feel the new guys have found it hard to fit in, they look like odd ones out as I genuinely think there is a toxic clique not making it easy for them to bed in. I may be totally wrong here, but it feels like that to me. My priority if I was involved at the club would be to rip that clique out, but it seems as if there is a genuine thought that we should appease them by bringing back their boyfriend. I'd be flabbergasted and it would trump anything that SR have done before, which takes some doing.

There's no way Martin is being considered, I just can't see it. He absolutely screwed us over and is a key reason as to why we are sat where we are today. We need some sense back at the helm, not more ego-driven possession for possession sake nonsense. I'm sure his multiple boyfriends still at the club would love him back, as they miss their days off - but the clubs priority should be shifting his boyfriends out of the club, not bringing him back to appease a toxic group.

There's a number 9 and a new GK in there somewhere.

The more I read the statement the more I think that is the plan. Usually you see the line 'Work is now underway to appoint a successor, news will be communicated in due course'' - but that line doesn't exist. That line exists on every manager sacking statement in the world, unless they hope the Interim gets it. I think it's nailed that he gets it if he gets 4/6 points. And I feel sorry for Tonda as he'll be scapegoated immediately, but the true anger needs to be at the ownership.

IF Tonda is seriously being considered then Rasmus hands are all over this. He'll be pointing to the time he brought Thomas Frank in from their 'B Team' coach to replace Dean Smith. Does he realise the entirely different contexts though? Dean Smith had built a strong Brentford, they had momentum and a good core - it was something a relatively inexperienced manager could adopt and grow with. If Tonda is put in place here it will end up as it did with Selles, there is no structure and nothing for an inexperienced manager to pickup and run with. He wouldn't have the nous to build it himself. This is a huge job and it needs experience and a proven head. It's similar to when Pards came in, we needed someone who knew English football and could call out shit. That's the only sensible appointment at this stage - experience and knowledge of Enlgish football, someone who will gain respect of the players and the fans. And that aint Tonda, he might be talented - but there's a time and a place for these sorts of ridiculous gambles, and it isn't now.

It's because Tonda is being lined up to take over full time, this is his showcase game - much in the same way as Chelsea away was for Selles.

Never been a manager in his life, until we appointed him U21 manager. He has history as Assistant at Geona, under Viera (could be one to watch) and Barnsley in the Championship. Other than that just analyst and coach roles for kids teams.

I do feel quite sad because Still is a decent bloke, we've just fucked him over by putting him in an absolute boiling pot. The recruitment didn't help him either. We'll see where he goes next, but the sacking of him shows up our ownership more than it does him. I have no ills against him.

Those sorts of managers are well out of our league now. We need to know our place in the chain now.