New Manager Debate

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 hour ago, HnycS said:

This makes way too much sense, I fear you maybe on the wrong forum 😃. But I kind of agree, Eckert has made a few good decisions such as starting Robinson against QPR. Saints need incremental improvement, six points in two games is more than incremental, he can only play the fixtures he gets. I would actually say give him until the end of the season, with a if it goes to shit, get out clause, and see if the incremental improvement continues. It is difficult to see him making things worse.

No one, but no one is going to get this team into the direct promotion spots. If they did it would be flushed so quick Derby would be the only happy team.

 

Ninety-three points to play for. This team should be aiming for the autos. It’s not over by any means.

SR’s next managerial appointment will show whether they are serious about promotion or not.

[Strangely Brown]

15 hours ago, Dearky said:

Read a few articles suggesting Rodgers might go the Middle East as his next move. Big money to be made there...

Makes sense those teeth take a lot of maintaining  😁

Edited 21 hours ago by Strangely Brown

[benjii]

My friend just delivered a set of "ZZ" monogrammed shirts and dressing gowns to a house near Romsey.

[CB Fry]

Zinedine Zidane is from Marseille which, if you look at a map properly, is comfortably inside the normal catchment area where Saints can attract supporters from.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

4 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Zinedine Zidane is from Marseille which, if you look at a map properly, is comfortably inside the normal catchment area where Saints can attract supporters from.

Aim for the stars and get Rose.......um....Carrick......or..............Eckhart!

[goodymatt]

All very quiet, looks like we won’t be getting anyone in nice and early during this break to give them the maximum bedding in time.

[Wade Garrett]

Nick Illingsworth on the Ugly site reckons something could be happening as Dragan is over here.

[Dr Who?]

Was talking to a bookie friend yesterday and he was saying that there is very little interest in the new manager outside of Southampton. This was confirmed when I was talking to a Sunderland fan at work who did not even know we had sacked Still until I told him. 

Of course it is huge to us and would have been bigger news in the premier league, but we are pretty much in our own bubble with this, even though we think it is huge, and of course we do. I suppose if other clubs similar side, Derby County, Leicester, Stoke City and the like were looking for a new manager, we would not really care! 

[tdmickey3]

17 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

All very quiet, looks like we won’t be getting anyone in nice and early during this break to give them the maximum bedding in time.

Yep, dithering...

 

Tick tock Mr Spors, sorry Ankerson

 

[LeBizzier69]

1 minute ago, tdmickey3 said:

Yep, dithering...

 

Tick tock Mr Spors, sorry Ankerson

 

Some might say dithering, others might say trying to get this one right (a first) and not rushing into anything.

Personally i'd rather they take their time and get it right than get in another flop to appease the fans.

[Football Special]

[Scummer]

10 minutes ago, Dr Who? said:

 This was confirmed when I was talking to a Sunderland fan at work who did not even know we had sacked Still until I told him. 

My dad is a season ticket holder and he didn't even know until about Thursday 😂

[tdmickey3]

Just now, LeBizzier69 said:

Some might say dithering, others might say trying to get this one right (a first) and not rushing into anything.

Personally i'd rather they take their time and get it right than get in another flop to appease the fans.

Well,  they have only got flops in up to now.

This club is always slow in making the decision, surely they would have been considering that Still was not up to the job a lot earlier than after the Preston game?

[LeBizzier69]

9 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Well,  they have only got flops in up to now.

This club is always slow in making the decision, surely they would have been considering that Still was not up to the job a lot earlier than after the Preston game?

Even if they were, who's to say that their first choice is available or interested or both? 

Would you rather they try and get it right this time, or appoint someone immediately to quieten down and appease the saintsweb community?

[goodymatt]

I’m all for taking a little bit longer to ensure we get the best candidate but I’m not really getting that vibe from the trusted journalists, more that Eckert is is being considered and more likely than not will take the Charlton game at least. Why sack Still if we have nobody in mind? Still’s underlying data was pretty strong is the main (think expected points and xG were top 3 or 4 during his time here), just wasn’t getting much luck which after a while that starts to be a weak excuse and I do think replacing him is the correct call. I’m not having that Eckert has proved he is the man from those 2 games personally. Wednesday is the easiest fixture possible and QPR were better than us. 31 shots on our goal and 2 keeper errors. If anything our players just tried a bit harder now they’ve got rid of a manager they didn’t want. 

We are 7 points from the playoffs with 31 games to play. Plenty to fight for with more resources than most. We must appoint an experienced manager to deliver the promotion push we all expect. Not the time to gamble on a rookie. 

[tdmickey3]

1 minute ago, LeBizzier69 said:

Even if they were, who's to say that their first choice is available or interested or both? 

Would you rather they try and get it right this time, or appoint someone immediately to quieten down and appease the saintsweb community?

The position we are at must have been in their thinking as time went on, if not its negligent and unprofessional, so we should be a long way down the line by now don't you agree?

Wasting the available preparation time during this international break is daft.

I have little faith in them getting the appointment right after their track record of failure TBH.

We are never decisive and move quickly 

[LeBizzier69]

3 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

The position we are at must have been in their thinking as time went on, if not its negligent and unprofessional, so we should be a long way down the line by now don't you agree?

Wasting the available preparation time during this international break is daft.

I have little faith in them getting the appointment right after their track record of failure TBH.

We are never decisive and move quickly 

A long way down the line.....how long is that exactly? How long do you give a manager to get a team playing their way, and i'm talking about all clubs, not just us. 

Maybe they could have thought about it earlier, but you can't expect that any business can sack such an important part of it and replace it immediately unless they're lucky enough that the ideal replacement is sat on his/her arse doing nothing.

They need to get it right, that's far more important than having the wrong person just for the international break.

[Wade Garrett]

Just now, LeBizzier69 said:

A long way down the line.....how long is that exactly? How long do you give a manager to get a team playing their way, and i'm talking about all clubs, not just us. 

Maybe they could have thought about it earlier, but you can't expect that any business can sack such an important part of it and replace it immediately unless they're lucky enough that the ideal replacement is sat on his/her arse doing nothing.

They need to get it right, that's far more important than having the wrong person just for the international break.

They need to get it right and have the person in for the international break.

That’s what they’re paid big money to do.

[austsaint]

6 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

I’m all for taking a little bit longer to ensure we get the best candidate but I’m not really getting that vibe from the trusted journalists, more that Eckert is is being considered and more likely than not will take the Charlton game at least. Why sack Still if we have nobody in mind? Still’s underlying data was pretty strong is the main (think expected points and xG were top 3 or 4 during his time here), just wasn’t getting much luck which after a while that starts to be a weak excuse and I do think replacing him is the correct call. I’m not having that Eckert has proved he is the man from those 2 games personally. Wednesday is the easiest fixture possible and QPR were better than us. 31 shots on our goal and 2 keeper errors. If anything our players just tried a bit harder now they’ve got rid of a manager they didn’t want. 

We are 7 points from the playoffs with 31 games to play. Plenty to fight for with more resources than most. We must appoint an experienced manager to deliver the promotion push we all expect. Not the time to gamble on a rookie. 

Please send your astute post to Mr Solak.    He needs to know the folly of appointing TE.   There is still plenty to play for this season, and Eckert is not the safe pair of hands we need.   Just about any of the remaining coaching staff could have conjured results against an abject Wednesday and a mediocre QPR who looked the better team for most of the night at Loftus Road.    Eckert may be the best candidate in seasons to come, but he is not what the Club needs now.  SR, pull your finger out and make the right appointment.  Soonish.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Well it’s the international break now, so I think we’ve established that that isn’t going to happen.

It’ll be Tonda Eckhart. He’ll be given assistant managers and coaches from the SR playbook rather than anyone he’s worked with before.

[Toussaint]

15 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

I’m all for taking a little bit longer to ensure we get the best candidate but I’m not really getting that vibe from the trusted journalists, more that Eckert is is being considered and more likely than not will take the Charlton game at least. Why sack Still if we have nobody in mind? Still’s underlying data was pretty strong is the main (think expected points and xG were top 3 or 4 during his time here), just wasn’t getting much luck which after a while that starts to be a weak excuse and I do think replacing him is the correct call. I’m not having that Eckert has proved he is the man from those 2 games personally. Wednesday is the easiest fixture possible and QPR were better than us. 31 shots on our goal and 2 keeper errors. If anything our players just tried a bit harder now they’ve got rid of a manager they didn’t want. 

We are 7 points from the playoffs with 31 games to play. Plenty to fight for with more resources than most. We must appoint an experienced manager to deliver the promotion push we all expect. Not the time to gamble on a rookie. 

In response to your point, “why sack Still”, I think they have been vindicated in that decision, we were hovering just above relegation, in terminal decline and there is no guarantee or way of knowing that still would have won those last two games,despite the widely held belief he would have done. Things must have been broken beyond repair behind the scenes. 

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, LeBizzier69 said:

A long way down the line.....how long is that exactly? How long do you give a manager to get a team playing their way, and i'm talking about all clubs, not just us. 

Maybe they could have thought about it earlier, but you can't expect that any business can sack such an important part of it and replace it immediately unless they're lucky enough that the ideal replacement is sat on his/her arse doing nothing.

They need to get it right, that's far more important than having the wrong person just for the international break.

It isn't immediately though is it ?

Maybe the delay is the candidate being told what he has to do and not given a free hand so declines?

This would rule out many options so will will end up with a manager with little experience when experience is exactly what we need

[Toussaint]

Is it a delay, are they taking too long? I don’t think it is. It was probably a late decision to sack Still. Then the process begins, sound out targets, receive applications from others, people decline interviews, people don’t interview well, people interview well but decide it’s not for them for any number of reasons. The main players are divided on who they would like… the permutations are endless. I think we are in reasonably capped hands with our interim manager and if it takes time to get the right man, so be it. 

[LeBizzier69]

7 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

It isn't immediately though is it ?

Maybe the delay is the candidate being told what he has to do and not given a free hand so declines?

This would rule out many options so will will end up with a manager with little experience when experience is exactly what we need

Or maybe a million other things....like the person they want is employed, on a notice period with significant compensation, wants time to consider his options, talk to family about moving area, wants a PL move, doesn't like red and white shirts....

[LeBizzier69]

17 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

They need to get it right and have the person in for the international break.

That’s what they’re paid big money to do.

Maybe we're not attractive to the candidate they want. Being paid big money doesn't make them miracle workers.

[Wade Garrett]

Just now, LeBizzier69 said:

Maybe we're not attractive to the candidate they want. Being paid big money doesn't make them miracle workers.

If their candidate isn’t interested move to the next.  It’s not rocket science.

Regardless, my opinion is that it will be done within the next couple of days.

[Wurzel]

1 hour ago, Dr Who? said:

Was talking to a bookie friend yesterday and he was saying that there is very little interest in the new manager outside of Southampton. This was confirmed when I was talking to a Sunderland fan at work who did not even know we had sacked Still until I told him. 

Of course it is huge to us and would have been bigger news in the premier league, but we are pretty much in our own bubble with this, even though we think it is huge, and of course we do. I suppose if other clubs similar side, Derby County, Leicester, Stoke City and the like were looking for a new manager, we would not really care! 

That's why I can never understand it when our fans refer to our club as a laughing stock amongst other fans. Why? There are 92 clubs. Fans of most of them are too worried about their own clubs to care about ours. I would hazard a guess if you pick 100 random fans if other clubs around tge country many if not most wouldn't know what division we are currently in let alone position/points/performance level. Are we currently laughing at Wolves, or Fulham, or even Pompey? Are any of us searching out odds for the next Norwich or Boro manager?  

We are in our own little bubble, it's important to us but the rest of the football world just get on with their own thing...as they should. 

[goodymatt]

4 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If their candidate isn’t interested move to the next.  It’s not rocket science.

Regardless, my opinion is that it will be done within the next couple of days.

Hoping this is right.

[DT]

3 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If their candidate isn’t interested move to the next.  It’s not rocket science.

Regardless, my opinion is that it will be done within the next couple of days.

God, I do hope so, although doubt it. I think our board will fanny around, with Rasmus bleating about this or that person who will break all the rules of football and isn't he clever. Again. There will be a lot of churn in the coming days, with Farke likely gone, and even Eddie Howe coming under pressure, amazingly. Then there's Gareth Southgate popping into discussions again (perhaps a return to Middlesborough, although I think he would have been great to instil a complete culture change at Saints), Martin (to Norwich - got 5-1 on this) and all the rest, including Gary 'not very good really' O'Neil. SR will probably then throw their hands up and say they wanted Eckhert after all. And we will end up just escaping relegation.

[Wade Garrett]

1 minute ago, DT said:

God, I do hope so, although doubt it. I think our board will fanny around, with Rasmus bleating about this or that person who will break all the rules of football and isn't he clever. Again. There will be a lot of churn in the coming days, with Farke likely gone, and even Eddie Howe coming under pressure, amazingly. Then there's Gareth Southgate popping into discussions again (perhaps a return to Middlesborough, although I think he would have been great to instil a complete culture change at Saints), Martin (to Norwich - got 5-1 on this) and all the rest, including Gary 'not very good really' O'Neil. SR will probably then throw their hands up and say they wanted Eckhert after all. And we will end up just escaping relegation.

Please give The Samaritans a call my friend.

[Miltonaggro]

2 hours ago, benjii said:

My friend just delivered a set of "ZZ" monogrammed shirts and dressing gowns to a house near Romsey.

This is bollocks, nothing to do with Zidane. The two lads from ZZ Top live in Romsey. 

[OldNick]

45 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Well it’s the international break now, so I think we’ve established that that isn’t going to happen.

It’ll be Tonda Eckhart. He’ll be given assistant managers and coaches from the SR playbook rather than anyone he’s worked with before.

May as well leave Eckhart as interim for a few more games, hes hardly going to be poached if he does well, and if it deteriorates then push on elsewhere. The gene pool is not that great of who is around and so while the squad seem to be happy and we carry on doing ok, I dont see why not keep it as it is. Of ocurse if there is somebody who really fits the bill then do it now.

[lumuah]

48 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If their candidate isn’t interested move to the next.  It’s not rocket science.

Regardless, my opinion is that it will be done within the next couple of days.

I suspect we probably had someone lined up, and the board were happy with their man. Until the crowd started singing at the weekend anyway, and then the search started again when they realised GO'N wasn't a good idea.

[tdmickey3]

50 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If their candidate isn’t interested move to the next.  It’s not rocket science.

Regardless, my opinion is that it will be done within the next couple of days.

Hope so

[Charlie Wayman]

3 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Ninety-three points to play for. This team should be aiming for the autos. It’s not over by any means.

SR’s next managerial appointment will show whether they are serious about promotion or not.

While admiring your optimism, it isn't quite as simple as 93 points to play for and how we perform from now on. It's less about how many points we gain and more about how many points the front runners are likely to throw away.

There is already a huge points gap to the top two with no sign of them faltering. Other strong clubs like Ipswich are beginning to close in so I'd say it's nigh on impossible for Saints to recover enough to be in the hunt for the autos this season.

[Saint_lambden]

1 minute ago, Charlie Wayman said:

While admiring your optimism, it isn't quite as simple as 93 points to play for and how we perform from now on. It's less about how many points we gain and more about how many points the front runners are likely to throw away.

There is already a huge points gap to the top two with no sign of them faltering. Other strong clubs like Ipswich are beginning to close in so I'd say it's nigh on impossible for Saints to recover enough to be in the hunt for the autos this season.

Realistically yes. If you assume we'd need 90 ish points for 2nd, that's 72 more points from 31 games so well over 2 points per match. 

Low 70s would get play-offs which is still very possible. 

[SaintLondon]

10 minutes ago, OldNick said:

May as well leave Eckhart as interim for a few more games, hes hardly going to be poached if he does well, and if it deteriorates then push on elsewhere. The gene pool is not that great of who is around and so while the squad seem to be happy and we carry on doing ok, I dont see why not keep it as it is. Of ocurse if there is somebody who really fits the bill then do it now.

I just don't buy this logic. Yes, he’s two from two, but the underlying numbers suggest that stronger opposition would have punished us. Even if they didn’t, it remains a gamble - and gambles should be informed by track record, not two senior games.

If the stakes are as high as suggested - i.e., we’re in a difficult financial position if we don’t go up - why would we risk the season on a coach with virtually no senior résumé? I like TE; he speaks well and carries himself impressively. But we’ve done the hopeful punt before. Rúben Sellés looked a revelation after Chelsea away and it didn’t sustain. That’s a case study we should learn from, not repeat.

There’s a better blueprint: decide early, appoint experience, and build momentum over multiple windows.

Look at Coventry City. They made the hard call on 7 November 2024, sitting 17th on 15 points, and brought in Frank Lampard.. Performances stabilised, results improved, and they used the following window to add smartly. They fell short that first season, yes but crucially they turned a bounce into a culture. This year they’ve continued the trajectory: recruitment aligned, belief embedded, and a squad that’s been living in a positive atmosphere for the best part of 18 months. That’s how you enter the Premier League with tailwinds rather than turbulence. That is what Southampton are crying out for.

Timing matters. We’re not in August; we don’t have the luxury of “a few games to see where we are.” The sensible route is to hire an experienced head coach now, keep TE in a clearly defined supporting role, and make a serious push for the play-offs while laying foundations for the summer. Give the dressing room somebody proven - systems, standards, substitutions and let TE learn under that framework rather than carry it on his back.

As for Sport Republic, history doesn’t inspire confidence. It looked like they were pushing Gary O’Neil despite the Pompey problem until the backlash made it untenable, which likely explains slience. And here we are - again - staring at a late decision with no clear plan. If they surprise us with a heavyweight (say Brendan Rodgers or Marco Rose), I’ll happily eat my words. But the fear is we end up with TE or a left-field swing like Johnny Heitinga, and we’re back in the cycle of hope, drift, and reset.

Bottom line: if promotion genuinely matters to the club’s financial health, don’t stake it on romance and short samples. Appoint experience, codify the culture, and let momentum do what it did for Coventry.

 

[goodymatt]

17 minutes ago, SaintLondon said:

I just don't buy this logic. Yes, he’s two from two, but the underlying numbers suggest that stronger opposition would have punished us. Even if they didn’t, it remains a gamble - and gambles should be informed by track record, not two senior games.

If the stakes are as high as suggested - i.e., we’re in a difficult financial position if we don’t go up - why would we risk the season on a coach with virtually no senior résumé? I like TE; he speaks well and carries himself impressively. But we’ve done the hopeful punt before. Rúben Sellés looked a revelation after Chelsea away and it didn’t sustain. That’s a case study we should learn from, not repeat.

There’s a better blueprint: decide early, appoint experience, and build momentum over multiple windows.

Look at Coventry City. They made the hard call on 7 November 2024, sitting 17th on 15 points, and brought in Frank Lampard.. Performances stabilised, results improved, and they used the following window to add smartly. They fell short that first season, yes but crucially they turned a bounce into a culture. This year they’ve continued the trajectory: recruitment aligned, belief embedded, and a squad that’s been living in a positive atmosphere for the best part of 18 months. That’s how you enter the Premier League with tailwinds rather than turbulence. That is what Southampton are crying out for.

Timing matters. We’re not in August; we don’t have the luxury of “a few games to see where we are.” The sensible route is to hire an experienced head coach now, keep TE in a clearly defined supporting role, and make a serious push for the play-offs while laying foundations for the summer. Give the dressing room somebody proven - systems, standards, substitutions and let TE learn under that framework rather than carry it on his back.

As for Sport Republic, history doesn’t inspire confidence. It looked like they were pushing Gary O’Neil despite the Pompey problem until the backlash made it untenable, which likely explains slience. And here we are - again - staring at a late decision with no clear plan. If they surprise us with a heavyweight (say Brendan Rodgers or Marco Rose), I’ll happily eat my words. But the fear is we end up with TE or a left-field swing like Johnny Heitinga, and we’re back in the cycle of hope, drift, and reset.

Bottom line: if promotion genuinely matters to the club’s financial health, don’t stake it on romance and short samples. Appoint experience, codify the culture, and let momentum do what it did for Coventry.

 

Great post and fully agree. Well said, Sir.

[tdmickey3]

25 minutes ago, SaintLondon said:

I just don't buy this logic. Yes, he’s two from two, but the underlying numbers suggest that stronger opposition would have punished us. Even if they didn’t, it remains a gamble - and gambles should be informed by track record, not two senior games.

If the stakes are as high as suggested - i.e., we’re in a difficult financial position if we don’t go up - why would we risk the season on a coach with virtually no senior résumé? I like TE; he speaks well and carries himself impressively. But we’ve done the hopeful punt before. Rúben Sellés looked a revelation after Chelsea away and it didn’t sustain. That’s a case study we should learn from, not repeat.

There’s a better blueprint: decide early, appoint experience, and build momentum over multiple windows.

Look at Coventry City. They made the hard call on 7 November 2024, sitting 17th on 15 points, and brought in Frank Lampard.. Performances stabilised, results improved, and they used the following window to add smartly. They fell short that first season, yes but crucially they turned a bounce into a culture. This year they’ve continued the trajectory: recruitment aligned, belief embedded, and a squad that’s been living in a positive atmosphere for the best part of 18 months. That’s how you enter the Premier League with tailwinds rather than turbulence. That is what Southampton are crying out for.

Timing matters. We’re not in August; we don’t have the luxury of “a few games to see where we are.” The sensible route is to hire an experienced head coach now, keep TE in a clearly defined supporting role, and make a serious push for the play-offs while laying foundations for the summer. Give the dressing room somebody proven - systems, standards, substitutions and let TE learn under that framework rather than carry it on his back.

As for Sport Republic, history doesn’t inspire confidence. It looked like they were pushing Gary O’Neil despite the Pompey problem until the backlash made it untenable, which likely explains slience. And here we are - again - staring at a late decision with no clear plan. If they surprise us with a heavyweight (say Brendan Rodgers or Marco Rose), I’ll happily eat my words. But the fear is we end up with TE or a left-field swing like Johnny Heitinga, and we’re back in the cycle of hope, drift, and reset.

Bottom line: if promotion genuinely matters to the club’s financial health, don’t stake it on romance and short samples. Appoint experience, codify the culture, and let momentum do what it did for Coventry.

 

Absolutely spot on and very well written

[SaintN14]

20 minutes ago, SaintLondon said:

I just don't buy this logic. Yes, he’s two from two, but the underlying numbers suggest that stronger opposition would have punished us. Even if they didn’t, it remains a gamble - and gambles should be informed by track record, not two senior games.

If the stakes are as high as suggested - i.e., we’re in a difficult financial position if we don’t go up - why would we risk the season on a coach with virtually no senior résumé? I like TE; he speaks well and carries himself impressively. But we’ve done the hopeful punt before. Rúben Sellés looked a revelation after Chelsea away and it didn’t sustain. That’s a case study we should learn from, not repeat.

There’s a better blueprint: decide early, appoint experience, and build momentum over multiple windows.

Look at Coventry City. They made the hard call on 7 November 2024, sitting 17th on 15 points, and brought in Frank Lampard.. Performances stabilised, results improved, and they used the following window to add smartly. They fell short that first season, yes but crucially they turned a bounce into a culture. This year they’ve continued the trajectory: recruitment aligned, belief embedded, and a squad that’s been living in a positive atmosphere for the best part of 18 months. That’s how you enter the Premier League with tailwinds rather than turbulence. That is what Southampton are crying out for.

Timing matters. We’re not in August; we don’t have the luxury of “a few games to see where we are.” The sensible route is to hire an experienced head coach now, keep TE in a clearly defined supporting role, and make a serious push for the play-offs while laying foundations for the summer. Give the dressing room somebody proven - systems, standards, substitutions and let TE learn under that framework rather than carry it on his back.

As for Sport Republic, history doesn’t inspire confidence. It looked like they were pushing Gary O’Neil despite the Pompey problem until the backlash made it untenable, which likely explains slience. And here we are - again - staring at a late decision with no clear plan. If they surprise us with a heavyweight (say Brendan Rodgers or Marco Rose), I’ll happily eat my words. But the fear is we end up with TE or a left-field swing like Johnny Heitinga, and we’re back in the cycle of hope, drift, and reset.

Bottom line: if promotion genuinely matters to the club’s financial health, don’t stake it on romance and short samples. Appoint experience, codify the culture, and let momentum do what it did for Coventry.

 

Great post.
 

I hadn’t considered the delay being indicative of how close we were to O’Neil but I think you might be correct. I find it unlikely we’re waiting for someone currently in a job to be sacked (I understand the norm with managers is to take a break post sacking, reset and don’t need to rush back into work as they get paid for 12 ish months of notice).
 

 

[tdmickey3]

Just now, SaintN14 said:

Great post.
 

I hadn’t considered the delay being indicative of how close we were to O’Neil but I think you might be correct. I find it unlikely we’re waiting for someone currently in a job to be sacked (I understand the norm with managers is to take a break post sacking, reset and don’t need to rush back into work as they get paid for 12 ish months of notice).
 

 

If they did actually think Gary O`Neil was the right choice it does highlight their ongoing stupidity and lack of understanding of the fan base

[SW11_Saint]

4 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Ninety-three points to play for. This team should be aiming for the autos. It’s not over by any means.

SR’s next managerial appointment will show whether they are serious about promotion or not.

Suspect we know the answer to that! 

[John B]

1 hour ago, OldNick said:

May as well leave Eckhart as interim for a few more games, hes hardly going to be poached if he does well, and if it deteriorates then push on elsewhere. The gene pool is not that great of who is around and so while the squad seem to be happy and we carry on doing ok, I dont see why not keep it as it is. Of ocurse if there is somebody who really fits the bill then do it now.

Very sensible post totally agree

[Dusic]

Any perceived delay has made no difference so far as we picked up maximum points since Still left.

Personally don't think we have any more liklihood of beating Charlton with a new manager than with Eckert still in charge - we should have a good chance of another 3 pts.

Overall we have wasted so much money hiring and firing coaches and they absolutely have to get this one right so no issues here over them taking time to get the right person, especially when so far we have won both games.

QPR was hard fought in the end after Bazunu's mistake but we held on and against SW in possession it was the best we have played this season and a few players had their best games of the season.

Eckert was assistant manager in the Champ under Struber when Barnsley did well and so knows whats needed in this league. On evidence so far he seems a safe pair of hands until the best candidate becomes available/clear and he has an obvious motivation to keep us winning...

Edited 16 hours ago by Dusic

[Roger]

1 hour ago, OldNick said:

May as well leave Eckhart as interim for a few more games, hes hardly going to be poached if he does well, and if it deteriorates then push on elsewhere. The gene pool is not that great of who is around and so while the squad seem to be happy and we carry on doing ok, I dont see why not keep it as it is. Of ocurse if there is somebody who really fits the bill then do it now.

Absolute rubbish 

[saintant]

2 hours ago, Toussaint said:

In response to your point, “why sack Still”, I think they have been vindicated in that decision, we were hovering just above relegation, in terminal decline and there is no guarantee or way of knowing that still would have won those last two games,despite the widely held belief he would have done. Things must have been broken beyond repair behind the scenes. 

Some of the senior players need to take a good long look at themselves for the shabby way they treated Will Still. There was an evident lack of giving 100% and the captain Adam Armstrong even admitted the fact. If they'd put 100% in and carried out his instructions I believe we'd have got the same 6 points against a poor QPR away and an even worse Sheff Wed at home. He didn't get a fair crack of the whip because some of the big billy bollocks players thought he was beneath them.

[SW11_Saint]

2 hours ago, SaintLondon said:

I just don't buy this logic. Yes, he’s two from two, but the underlying numbers suggest that stronger opposition would have punished us. Even if they didn’t, it remains a gamble - and gambles should be informed by track record, not two senior games.

If the stakes are as high as suggested - i.e., we’re in a difficult financial position if we don’t go up - why would we risk the season on a coach with virtually no senior résumé? I like TE; he speaks well and carries himself impressively. But we’ve done the hopeful punt before. Rúben Sellés looked a revelation after Chelsea away and it didn’t sustain. That’s a case study we should learn from, not repeat.

There’s a better blueprint: decide early, appoint experience, and build momentum over multiple windows.

Look at Coventry City. They made the hard call on 7 November 2024, sitting 17th on 15 points, and brought in Frank Lampard.. Performances stabilised, results improved, and they used the following window to add smartly. They fell short that first season, yes but crucially they turned a bounce into a culture. This year they’ve continued the trajectory: recruitment aligned, belief embedded, and a squad that’s been living in a positive atmosphere for the best part of 18 months. That’s how you enter the Premier League with tailwinds rather than turbulence. That is what Southampton are crying out for.

Timing matters. We’re not in August; we don’t have the luxury of “a few games to see where we are.” The sensible route is to hire an experienced head coach now, keep TE in a clearly defined supporting role, and make a serious push for the play-offs while laying foundations for the summer. Give the dressing room somebody proven - systems, standards, substitutions and let TE learn under that framework rather than carry it on his back.

As for Sport Republic, history doesn’t inspire confidence. It looked like they were pushing Gary O’Neil despite the Pompey problem until the backlash made it untenable, which likely explains slience. And here we are - again - staring at a late decision with no clear plan. If they surprise us with a heavyweight (say Brendan Rodgers or Marco Rose), I’ll happily eat my words. But the fear is we end up with TE or a left-field swing like Johnny Heitinga, and we’re back in the cycle of hope, drift, and reset.

Bottom line: if promotion genuinely matters to the club’s financial health, don’t stake it on romance and short samples. Appoint experience, codify the culture, and let momentum do what it did for Coventry.

 

Spot on @SaintLondon🎯🎯🎯

Your point about ”entering the PL with tailwinds not turbulence” is so true. And we have nothing but turbulence! 

Edited 15 hours ago by SW11_Saint

[Doctoroncall]

12 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Any perceived delay has made no difference so far as we picked up maximum points since Still left.

Personally don't think we have any more liklihood of beating Charlton with a new manager than with Eckert still in charge - we should have a good chance of another 3 pts.

Overall we have wasted so much money hiring and firing coaches and they absolutely have to get this one right so no issues here over them taking time to get the right person, especially when so far we have won both games.

QPR was hard fought in the end after Bazunu's mistake but we held on and against SW in possession it was the best we have played this season and a few players had their best games of the season.

Eckert was assistant manager in the Champ under Struber when Barnsley did well and so knows whats needed in this league. On evidence so far he seems a safe pair of hands until the best candidate becomes available/clear and he has an obvious motivation to keep us winning...

May as well let the players decide what they have to do for each match if the coach has no or little influence.  it would save the effort and money of hiring and firing a manager/first team coach!

Cannot see Saints winning at Charlton based on the last two games and the way Charlton have been playing. Charlton are ninth and Saints haven’t beaten anyone in the top half of the table. 

[Nolan]

18 minutes ago, Doctoroncall said:

May as well let the players decide what they have to do for each match if the coach has no or little influence.  it would save the effort and money of hiring and firing a manager/first team coach!

Cannot see Saints winning at Charlton based on the last two games and the way Charlton have been playing. Charlton are ninth and Saints haven’t beaten anyone in the top half of the table. 

Agree ,cant see Saints winning with 10+ days to prepare, compared with 2 days for each of their previous matches...

[Willo of Whiteley]

2 hours ago, DT said:

God, I do hope so, although doubt it. I think our board will fanny around, with Rasmus bleating about this or that person who will break all the rules of football and isn't he clever. Again. There will be a lot of churn in the coming days, with Farke likely gone, and even Eddie Howe coming under pressure, amazingly. Then there's Gareth Southgate popping into discussions again (perhaps a return to Middlesborough, although I think he would have been great to instil a complete culture change at Saints), Martin (to Norwich - got 5-1 on this) and all the rest, including Gary 'not very good really' O'Neil. SR will probably then throw their hands up and say they wanted Eckhert after all. And we will end up just escaping relegation.

The most miserable person on SaintsWeb. 🤦🏻‍♂️😂