Tonda Eckert

[Give it to Ron]

7 hours ago, LegalEagle said:

Ok having an opinion Alex. But it’s not a good opinion as you’re wrong.

My money is on trolling for reactions 

Edited 17 hours ago by Give it to Ron

[Give it to Ron]

5 hours ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

As much as I’m not always a fan of Alex’s opinions I think that’s a pretty fair and accurate summary above.

Our tactics is pass sideways, across the back, hope that Harwood-Bellis can play a low whipped ball to the CM who can then play it off wide, who can then play it down the centre. It’s too easy.

Yes he’s done ok and we’ve picked up points, but it was a low bar after Will Still.

There is no excuse for not being top two with the squad we have, and that’s the biggest frustration. 
We sacrifice an additional attacking player in either midfield or up front for the sake of one additional five yard pass across the defence or between the goalkeeper and defence; it can’t be surprising that we get to the opposition penalty area and there is no other Saints player there?

I think Saints will be looking for a new manager next season.

We were rock bottom last season and persisted with a back five. Talk about going down with no fight whatsoever.

We’re now in a league we should dominate and our tactics are to defend first, which we can’t, and attack second.

It’s incredibly naive, and IF it’s a Sport Republic thing of playing a back five then they should hang their heads in shame.

I’m not against Tonda Eckhart after our upturn in form, but if he is serious he has to try something new and have a plan B.

Well by your own admission you didn’t see the game - those were not the tactics solely at all.

If you had seen we were play both wings when Fellows came on - first half we were unbalanced with Wellington facing wrong way receiving and going nowhere.

If anyone like Alex thinks we are playing like Still team they are not watching-the second half we played some good stuff - watch the move that ended with Fellows sliced effort that was nothing like you described!

Azaz through ball to Armstrong scuffed wide that wasn’t how you think is one way of playing either.

We continued with 5 at the back because we didn’t have a big striker on the bench and the 3 centre halves were a threat from corners. THB was playing as an inverted wing back not defence and we had brought in Archer to go up top and Azaz went deeper like he does for Ireland how anyone cannot see that’s a change in shape baffles me!

The above isn’t just aimed at you it’s just lazy fans that just decide things without actually watching or understanding what’s happening on the pitch to go with their opinion.

Edited 17 hours ago by Give it to Ron

[AlexLaw76]

3 hours ago, Give it to Ron said:

Well by your own admission you didn’t see the game - those were not the tactics solely at all.

If you had seen we were play both wings when Fellows came on - first half we were unbalanced with Wellington facing wrong way receiving and going nowhere.

If anyone like Alex thinks we are playing like Still team they are not watching-the second half we played some good stuff - watch the move that ended with Fellows sliced effort that was nothing like you described!

Azaz through ball to Armstrong scuffed wide that wasn’t how you think is one way of playing either.

We continued with 5 at the back because we didn’t have a big striker on the bench and the 3 centre halves were a threat from corners. THB was playing as an inverted wing back not defence and we had brought in Archer to go up top and Azaz went deeper like he does for Ireland how anyone cannot see that’s a change in shape baffles me!

The above isn’t just aimed at you it’s just lazy fans that just decide things without actually watching or understanding what’s happening on the pitch to go with their opinion.

Remind us, how may games in did you want Will Still to be replaced?

[Give it to Ron]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Remind us, how may games in did you want Will Still to be replaced?

Find a post where I did you will probably find way later than you

Edited 12 hours ago by Give it to Ron

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, Give it to Ron said:

Find a post where I did you will probably find way later than you

But you did, just after a relatively small number of games.

Patience, eh

[Give it to Ron]

Just now, AlexLaw76 said:

But you did, just after a relatively small number of games.

Patience, eh

Where?

[AlexLaw76]

7 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Where?

At first look in my phone….You voted to “sack” Still on the SWF poll on 25 October

 

[Give it to Ron]

1 minute ago, AlexLaw76 said:

At first look in my phone….You voted to “sack” Still on the SWF poll on 25 October

 

6 months after he took over where you are calling for Tonda after 9 games!!!

[AlexLaw76]

5 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

6 months after he took over where you are calling for Tonda after 9 games!!!

That was 12 league games into Still’s tenure. We lost 2-1 away to Blackburn. You wanted him Sacked!!!

Tonda has had 9 or 10 league games

 

Edited 12 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[Give it to Ron]

17 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

That was 12 league games into Still’s tenure. We lost 2-1 away to Blackburn. You wanted him Sacked!!!

Tonda has had 9 or 10 league games

 

Do you really think we are playing the same football? Tonda won 6 out of 9 how many did Still win?

If you cannot see the difference in the team squad or club you are not looking compared to how we were under Still

Edited 11 hours ago by Give it to Ron

[AlexLaw76]

1 minute ago, Give it to Ron said:

Do you really think we are playing the same football? Tonda won 6 out of 9 how many did Still win?

I don’t think I have suggested we are playing the same football.

 

[Give it to Ron]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I don’t think I have suggested we are playing the same football.

 

So I waited 6 months of drab football, poor tactics, terrible subs , Stephens for Leo in that Blackburn game I then joined the poll . You want him out after winning 6 out of 9?

[AlexLaw76]

8 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

So I waited 6 months of drab football, poor tactics, terrible subs , Stephens for Leo in that Blackburn game I then joined the poll . You want him out after winning 6 out of 9?

12 league games mate. Well done 

I don’t want Tonda out. Where have I said that?

Edited 11 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[VectisSaint]

On 21/12/2025 at 06:18, Wade Garrett said:

Lost a bit of faith in Eckert today.  Leaving 3 centre/backs on against 10 men was ridiculous, as was taking Jander off and then just dropping Azaz back in his position.  Lots of pointless square and backwards passing as well.

Looks like another manager wedded to a single system.

But they weren't (all) playing as CBs. it wasn't a system. Two of them at least were as likely to score as anyone else. The only mistake made yeaterday was taking Jander off, not many seem to notice but he is key to much of our attacking play. Leo (rightly) gets the paudits for his exciting play, but Jander makes it all tick. Would have been better taking Downes off rather than Jander, all Downes knows how to do is pass back and pick up yellow cards (in my opinion), looking forward to Charles being fit again and partnering Jander , they should complement each other well. 

[Tamesaint]

15 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

12 league games mate. Well done 

I don’t want Tonda out. Where have I said that?

But you think his is a stupid appointment. You seem rather confused..

[Give it to Ron]

15 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

12 league games mate. Well done 

I don’t want Tonda out. Where have I said that?

6 months and it clearly wasn’t working how many games after I did that did SR think the same ?

[AlexLaw76]

13 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

6 months and it clearly wasn’t working how many games after I did that did SR think the same ?

Well done for counting June and July in your “giving it time” methodology.

Looking back, you said that Still had “lost you” after the Bristol City defeat - 11 games in!!!

now being picky, you could argue that it was then Still was to be replaced in your mind. 11 games!!

Either way, looks like I will give Tonda far more slack than your afforded Will Still.

 

Edited 11 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[Give it to Ron]

28 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

12 league games mate. Well done 

I don’t want Tonda out. Where have I said that?

So you don’t want Tonda out after 9 games but a stupid appointment? Hardly a glowing reference?

AlexLaw76

Posted Saturday at 21:05

Another stupid appointment from SR.

but, that’s what they do

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

So you don’t want Tonda out after 9 games but a stupid appointment? Hardly a glowing reference?

 

AlexLaw76

Posted Saturday at 21:05

Another stupid appointment from SR.

but, that’s what they do

I do think it is stupid, but don’t want him sacked. 
 

what I will do is follow your example and wait for another 2 games before passing judgement. 

Edited 11 hours ago by AlexLaw76

[Tamesaint]

4 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I do think it is stupid, but don’t want him sacked. 
 

what I will do is follow your example and wait for another 2 games before passing judgement. 

So what has he to do to gain your approval? Or to be sacked? 

[Give it to Ron]

29 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

I do think it is stupid, but don’t want him sacked. 
 

what I will do is follow your example and wait for another 2 games before passing judgement. 

So the club sacked him after 1 more game so I was right then?

He has won 6 games how many did Still win? Are you saying you didn’t want Still sacked then?  

[Wade Garrett]

58 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

But they weren't (all) playing as CBs. it wasn't a system. Two of them at least were as likely to score as anyone else. The only mistake made yeaterday was taking Jander off, not many seem to notice but he is key to much of our attacking play. Leo (rightly) gets the paudits for his exciting play, but Jander makes it all tick. Would have been better taking Downes off rather than Jander, all Downes knows how to do is pass back and pick up yellow cards (in my opinion), looking forward to Charles being fit again and partnering Jander , they should complement each other well. 

Disagree completely.  I would rather attackers were attacking, not defenders.  When they had the ball, we had our 3 centre backs in a line with just Sims up front for them.

I also think Downes has been very good since coming back in the team.  The mistake was not taking a centre-back off.  We couldn’t work it out, and, respectfully, don’t see your point of view on this.

[StrangelyBrown]

This thread is all getting very tedious...

Tonda strikes me as a lucky manager (which is no bad thing) - things seemed to click for him very quickly without much of a change. For instance the Coventry game was lucky - without the red card I think Coventry would have won. We've played some awful football (particularly in the second half) and have managed to scrape some wins again riding our luck.

But... Tonda is also a young manager learning his trade. He will make mistakes. The big question for me is whether he can learn from them? So far the jury is out.

[Hodgey]

I think we need to give him a big striker who can hold the ball up. He is a one trick pony, but that trick could be good enough with the talent he has. Where it has fallen apart is when teams press our creative players forcing us to go long to Armstrong who will always lose it. pressure then mounts and we defend deeper and deeper.

So whilst a better gk is important, having a striker who can hold the ball up is much more important. Now everyone can see this, and I’ve heard it’s Tondas big ask so let’s see if our board geniuses will give Tonda what they didn’t give (despite them wanting it) Ralph and Still, to maximise what he has.
 

[Give it to Ron]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

Disagree completely.  I would rather attackers were attacking, not defenders.  When they had the ball, we had our 3 centre backs in a line with just Sims up front for them.

I also think Downes has been very good since coming back in the team.  The mistake was not taking a centre-back off.  We couldn’t work it out, and, respectfully, don’t see your point of view on this.

Of all those on the bench who would have been a threat from corners and set pieces? Aribo? Robinson or Fraser? 
Remember it was Wood who equalised and maybe not on the pitch if you had your way as Quarshie covers Manning.

I don’t agree 3 in a line maybe from goal kicks but THB was playing as inverted wing back.

Of the subs Aribo has been poor, Robinson is young and not impacting much recently and Fraser wasn’t needed wide.

I think we will have to disagree on our tactics this week as without a Stewart or Downs height we didn’t have many options up front. Archer was already on for a while as well as Arma.

Need an option in January 

 

 

[saintant]

Lots of theories put out there regarding playing 3 centre backs. I'll add another into the mix. We are a team of mainly dwarfs so if we removed one of the centre backs we'd struggle to cope with high balls into the box - and yeah, I know we already do with 3 centre backs but that's another story 🙂

[Willo of Whiteley]

I don’t think you can have a lazy opinion solely by not being at the game, radio commentators paint a pretty good picture; and the example I used was having listened to Total Saints Podcast - I would say those guys are pretty level headed and not reactionary fans.

They can articulate the game pretty well, and I believe that based on the games I have been to and then hearing their analysis. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Give it to Ron]

7 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

At first look in my phone….You voted to “sack” Still on the SWF poll on 25 October

 

So nearly a month after you then not very good at this if you have a posting history like yours time for another name change

AlexLaw76

Posted September 20

We have been wide open all season. The manager does have a fucking clue how to do it in this league. He is a terrible tactician, who simply throws attackers on in the final 3rd of the game.

We are getting schooled by shithouse strikers, against teams that cost about the same as Azaz alone to assemble.

Fucking woeful manager, and we should know we have seen plenty. 
 

the season can easily be salvaged if we make a change soonest and get someone who knows what they are doing.

Edited September 20 by AlexLaw76

[Tommy Mulgrew]

4 hours ago, Hodgey said:

having a striker who can hold the ball up is much more important … and I’ve heard it’s Tondas big ask

I’m curious how you know that, @Hodgey.  Please tell us what you know about the probable activity in the January transfer period.  Thank you in advance.

[die Mannyschaft]

2 hours ago, Tommy Mulgrew said:

I’m curious how you know that, @Hodgey.  Please tell us what you know about the probable activity in the January transfer period.  Thank you in advance.

Not may forwards can hold the ball up and be competent in passing back let alone sideways. I can almost guarantee if we get a forward it will be someone who is not playing in first 11. Someone on bench, recovering, gaining fitness in Bundesliga 3