Saint86

We've been outplayed by most of the teams we've faced under Eckert, with the exception of Wednesday (who are a car crash), and injury ravaged Charlton (former league 1 side), and Leicester (who i suspect would have been right in that game without 10men). So yes, as it stands, we are bad enough to be looking over our shoulder. At his worst, this guy is another Southgate - his tactics are to hit it to a couple of dribblers / fast players to try and run at the opposition side on the counter, and then to try and park the bus and try to sit deep and defend whatever he's got. Originally i was saying he failed his only real challenge (Millwall) and wasn't convincing vs the likes of Brum and WBA etc... but actually its so bad now that you can look at it objectively and say the likes of Oxford and Norwich were relatively untroubled by us. If we keep him much longer and something doesn't radically change, we could certainly slide right back into the mire. We're lucky perhaps that Sheffield Wednesday are taking one of the three spots for certain this year. Form wise, we are comfortably a bottom 3 side at the moment - and that includes losses to Norwich and oxford - and we're certainly a long way off promotion contention playing like this. Worth noting, that our lucky stint of wins under eckert included WBA, and then before he got the job we also lost to Blackburn and failed to beat portsmouth or swansea (3 of those were home games vs sides below us - will we get better results away? or worse?). Next 3 matches are Hull (h), Sheffield Utd (h), skates (a) and stoke (a)... a promotion side would be looking at those targeting no losses and a minimum of 2 wins... who is confident we'll get more than 3-4 points playing as we are? As bad as we are, you'd still think we should be fine.... but....

Its a tad harsh on the promotion side to label them as "constant failure". But i support the general sentiment 😄🤣

Background says it all i'm afraid. This guy may think he's a genius who can reinvent football, but the reality is that all he's doing is using the SR group to destroy Southampton football club. And if Solak can't see that, he'll soon lose all his investment as well.

We didn't. We performed well vs a makeshift Charlton (for 1 half), the worst team in the championship in the midst of a financial implosion with barely enoguh players for a matchday squad, and 10man Leicester. QPR outplayed us, we were lucky to beat WBA and brum, Millwall deservedly beat us. The warning signs were there and were raised by a fair few of us. Its utterly mental that we gave him a contract beyond the end of the season.

Spot on. We are heading to League 1, administration, potentially the loss of the training ground or stadium etc. They are completely and utterly destroying the club, its a slow death by a thousand cuts. They need to sell asap.

I think the style of football is entirely dictated by Rasmus tbh.

A bad day at the office today for sure.

Also thought this. Clueless clueless manager, completely out of his depth - and this has been obvious for weeks.

This post highlights the extent of the gaslighting that's gone on under SR. They wanted Rohl in the summer but wouldn't deal with Chansiri. They decided to keep Still when things were getting shaky. Rohl then joined rangers despite being linked to saints at the time and with all the links of unrest at saints hitting the papers... then just a few weeks later, things started to get really toxic towards the owners - and at this point they decided to spontaneously just sack the manager. As has happened every single time our weak owners have come under any serious pressure i should point out. That in itself is a massive klaxon. But having sacked still, it was very evident that it was spontaneous because despite weeks of pressure and having now missed out on Rohl, they had no plan in place for who the next manager would be. O'Neil was then the result of a hasty / panicked recruitment rush, and a badly thought through - thankfully they again caved to fan pressure (😆) re him as he would have been a disaster regardless. But they are a car crash when it comes to dealing with fan pressure, and for making footballing decisions.

No, its not. He's another 5 at the back yes man for rasmus "smartest man in football" wankerson - the only reason we dodged him is because the fans kicked up a fuss. The next manager that we hire needs to play 4 at the back - thats an absolute minimum for me.

Even if he is sacked - SR will just appoint another fucking yes man "5 at the back" specialist, and the rot will continue. The fans have to turn on SR now - they are the issue, and the club has no serious future whilst they're here.

Hate to say it, but Saints need to let a couple more in here, might actually get rid of this dead rubber manager. Its grim, but thats where we are - we are going nowhere fast under him, and that in itself is severely damaging for the club's future. Eckert and the players have to refund the fans for this one - absolutely no excuses.

How's the results working out for you? I wonder, are you still standing by Eckert and attacking any saints fans who dared to raise any concerns with the standard of the performances? 🤔

The fans have to turn on them surely? We can't keep blaming the managers and give SR and easy out. They are atrocious owners. Totally out of their depth and clueless when it comes to football - they've spent millions and yet take the club backwards at almost every turn, and not just backwards, but presided over 2 absolutely horrific premier league relegations and the embarrassment of last season - we went a calendar year with only 1 league win ffs.. As for this seemingly nonsense enforcement of 5 at the back, it has got to end. No more of this. They've also gutted the scouting, academy, and coaching setups, the club's lost its identify and reputation, financially they've set the club back years.. and seemingly there is no way to escape their ownership bar administration and the risk of losing key infrastructure like the training ground or stadium etc. I fear Dark dark days are ahead. But after this, there can be no more excuses for SR. They are a cancer that is killing the club.

The issue is 5 at the back. 5 at the back is seemingly a mandate from SR (and i suspect Rasmus). SR have to go...

Too deep (again) and inviting pressure, then we go to sleep... i mean the state of our defending... 5 at the back... and this is what we do... like ffs...

Malanda having a great game at the back for boro.

Exactly this... As it stands, we're halfway through the season and our loanee Bereton Diaz is scoring for a team above us in the table. Anyone sat here trying to say that our squad is so bad that we should be below (or frankly anywhere near) Derby and Bereton Diaz in the table, needs to take a few minutes and realise the position they're arguing is absolute nonsense.

Well said Hypo.

I'm watching via the club website with blackmore's commentary. Honestly, he's an awful commentator. Misses obvious things, adds his nonsense takes and opinions like a blathering idiot, and frankly knows very very little about football. I didn't realise just how bad he is as a commentator until i started watching to his commentary. Its bad, really bad. The times where Tessem just choses not to say anything (to avoid making this obvious) do make me chuckle though 😄. Even basic stuff, like saying something is a foul or a dive when its not, lamenting players and being overly negative for not shooting or crossing etc., when actually they've done about as well as could be expected. If you listen to games via his commentary, you need to be aware that you're sadly getting his partisan and rather poorly informed take of the game's events.

Okay, this is much better - we're attacking and pushing up with the wing backs. This is the only way this formation works.

Azaz seems up for this at least.

Its both a crying shame and a good job that boro are shit

How deep can we go.... this is worse than Southgate for england ffs, i want to give him a chance but he uses every opportunity to come across as utterly tactically illiterate.

Well brace yourself, because we're going to win this and the cup game 😆