Tonda Eckert

[LGTL]

Didn’t take him long to start gaslighting, did it?

[tdmickey3]

4 minutes ago, LGTL said:

Didn’t take him long to start gaslighting, did it?

He's a club puppet, nothing more.

He has zero tactical know-how. 

Never changes the only way he has been instructed to use

Might as well have Ankerson as head coach

[Willo of Whiteley]

He’s a yes-man.

That is literally it.

[HKsaint]

Everything starts from he getting the permanent job. Is this just a coincidence?

[Mboto Gorge]

2 hours ago, Crab Lungs said:

We have another fucking Selles on our hands.

Yep, exactly what I said a few days ago. The similarities are becoming more apparent with each game. The rigid unadaptable style, clueless in game management, refusal to change style or shape, or formation, and bland like for like substitutions that do little to help us improve during the match. Add to this his seemingly being content with performances way below what this squad should be giving, and he’s really no better than Selles. 

[Fabrice29]

1 minute ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Yep, exactly what I said a few days ago. The similarities are becoming more apparent with each game. The rigid unadaptable style, clueless in game management, refusal to change style or shape, or formation, and bland like for like substitutions that do little to help us improve during the match. Add to this his seemingly being content with performances way below what this squad should be giving, and he’s really no better than Selles. 

Apart from tonight obviously.

[Osvaldorama]

8 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Apart from tonight obviously.

Yeah credit tonight, his changes made a difference for once. But that’s probably because he left our best player on the bench for no reason 

[Willo of Whiteley]

I think the problem is we could do so much better but there is a reluctance either from him or the club to change.

I’d rather we played four at the back in a 4-2-3-1 and lost having played well, then limped to a defeat.

Last night he was very fortunate.

[benali-shorts]

28 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I think the problem is we could do so much better but there is a reluctance either from him or the club to change.

I’d rather we played four at the back in a 4-2-3-1 and lost having played well, then limped to a defeat.

Last night he was very fortunate.

we won't play well with 4 at the back with this squad and keeper. Terrible footballers and weak personalities. 

[Fabrice29]

45 minutes ago, Osvaldorama said:

Yeah credit tonight, his changes made a difference for once. But that’s probably because he left our best player on the bench for no reason 

He was the least effective sub to be fair and it’s obviously not for no reason. 

[tdmickey3]

3 minutes ago, benali-shorts said:

we won't play well with 4 at the back with this squad and keeper. Terrible footballers and weak personalities. 

We don’t play well with 3 at the back, so what is the answer?

[Osvaldorama]

1 hour ago, tdmickey3 said:

We don’t play well with 3 at the back, so what is the answer?

Pray for a miraculous January window 

[lambtiss]

15 hours ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Yep, exactly what I said a few days ago. The similarities are becoming more apparent with each game. The rigid unadaptable style, clueless in game management, refusal to change style or shape, or formation, and bland like for like substitutions that do little to help us improve during the match. Add to this his seemingly being content with performances way below what this squad should be giving, and he’s really no better than Selles. 

 

15 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

Apart from tonight obviously.

I don't think last nights substitutuons were examples of technical magement wizardry. To me it was desperate substitution bingo at the end. The substitutions were like for like, there was no magical change in formation. Archer has come on on numerous occasions and offered nothing (as he did before and after scoring last night). As soon as we got the equaliser, we went back to boilerplate, crab football which Birmingham were very comfortable defending.

The goal put an unmerited varnish on another awful performance, the like of which we have seen again and again this season. We had hoped Tonda had broken this tactical monotony but that didn't last long. 

One point away to Norwich, Oxford and Birmingham is a dreadful return with no excuses.

Edited 30 December, 2025 by lambtiss

[Harry_SFC]

6 minutes ago, lambtiss said:

 

I don't think last nights substitutuons were examples of technical magement wizardry. To me it was desperate substitution bingo at the end. The substitutions were like for like, there was no magical change in formation. Archer has come on on numerous occasions and offered nothing (as he did before and after scoring last night). As soon as we got the equaliser, we went back to boilerplate, crab football which Birmingham were very comfortable defending.

The goal put an unmerited varnish on another awful performance, the like of which we have seen again and again this season. We had hoped Tonda had broken this tactical monotony but that didn't last long. 

One point away to Norwich, Oxford and Birmingham is a dreadful return with no excuses.

And he was really happy with the performance. I mean come on. Fair enough you don't want drop the players in it but don't pull the wool over our eyes. That first half was atrocious at best. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

And he was really happy with the performance. I mean come on. Fair enough you don't want drop the players in it but don't pull the wool over our eyes. That first half was atrocious at best. 

There's a growing number of our games, where I'd not mind someone pulling wool over my eyes, so I'd not have to watch.

[Willo of Whiteley]

I’m not planning on going for a while, I’ll listen on the radio and watch on TV if I can, but I’m not spending £30 to watch a game which won’t excite me.

It’s desperately hard to watch now, and there is more to life than watching Saints.

[benali-shorts]

9 hours ago, tdmickey3 said:

We don’t play well with 3 at the back, so what is the answer?

Await SR buying a new and good defensive line, or the end of the world - whichever comes sooner. Obvs all money on the latter. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

There's a growing number of our games, where I'd not mind someone pulling wool over my eyes, so I'd not have to watch.

Or the other Sky Sports Channels, or indeed Amazon Prime, Netflix, Paramount, ITV X etc etc.

Even better, the local pub with no live sport on and when the evenings get lighter a nice walk in the countryside. Farm shops are a good Saints alternative for the Saturday games with far more variety than watching THB pass slowly to Wood, to Stephens, to Manning, to Bazanu, back to THB and repeat. Occasionally bringing the right back if it’s someone the other squad members talk to.

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I’m not planning on going for a while, I’ll listen on the radio and watch on TV if I can, but I’m not spending £30 to watch a game which won’t excite me.

It’s desperately hard to watch now, and there is more to life than watching Saints.

That’s the spirit, Southampton till I die….

[notnowcato]

21 hours ago, Fabrice29 said:

He was the least effective sub to be fair and it’s obviously not for no reason. 

Tonda eluded to Brum being fast and strong starters at home before the game. So no surprise it was seen as an opportunity to give Leo a bit of a rest. 

[saintant]

High time Tonda proved he is not a one trick pony. Let's at least try something different using a flat back four. I think he is worried about taking out a centre back because we are such a small team lacking physicality. I get that but let's start with two because we can always bring one off the bench if needed.

Edited 31 December, 2025 by saintant