Tonda Eckert

[malcolm waldron]

4 hours ago, Doctoroncall said:

I think Archer will play on Saturday, perhaps if he was a bit sharper from more match time the first minute chance would have been scored. 
 

With two CFs unable to last a game at the moment the third choice needs to be better than what Archer showed in the first half. Hoping with this current good feeling in the squad he does improve and can play in a way that helps the team go forward. Certainly Tonda is trying to make him feel he can do it with his comments post match. 

Agree with your comments - and I'm still frustrated that for a team with the ambition of getting back to the Premier League, we've ended up with two strikers who can work in the preferred formation but by the look of it can't be relied upon to play much (Larin may prove that wrong but he looked pretty unfit on Saturday) and one that can't and who has no confidence. 

How did we end up in this mess?

[Disco Stu]

Archer looked even less match fit last night. The cup game this weekend is the time to give him minutes. While I'm not suggesting we should be changing a winning formula, I stand by the opinion he can only be an effective striker with a supporting centre forward in a front two as evidenced from his time at previous clubs.

Edited Wednesday at 15:51 by Disco Stu

[Harry_SFC]

3 hours ago, saintant said:

Unfortunately Archer doesn't fit our style of play. He's better playing on the shoulder of a big man. In fact, he's far less effective than Arma was as a centre forward playing through the middle.

I'd be starting Larin on Saturday for sure. If he can't play 45-60 mins against a terrible and most likely rotated Leicester side in the cup, then you have to question why we signed him. 

[coalman]

1 hour ago, Disco Stu said:

Archer looked even less match fit last night. The cup game this weekend is the time to give him minutes. While I'm not suggesting we should be changing a winning formula, I stand by the opinion he can only be an effective striker with a supporting centre forward in a front two as evidenced from his time at previous clubs.

And this is Tonda's genius. After that first half there's no way Leicester will be expecting to line up against Archer on Saturday.

[pimpin4rizeal]

18 hours ago, washsaint said:

You can clearly see Tonda is going to be an excellent manager.  Will he continue to make mistakes?  Absolutely, he's still learning his trade.

It's clear the players love him and, for me, it's definitely no co-incidence we have played with a different mindset since the Hull debacle and he was in the dressing room for an hour afterwards.  It wasn't just going to 4 at the back since that game but he clearly gave them all a rocket up their arse (and same tonight).

I love how he (as any manager would do) did not throw Archer to the wolves despite his abject performance.

Hoping Bragg and the young striker start on Saturday.

We have to be patient with Tonda and give him 2-3 years minimum.  We can't continually be changing managers (we've seen where that gets us) and his win percentage is insane: bearing in mind we had a 7 game run without a win (but 4 draws in there).

 

 

Is it ?  To me he comes across very shy and sheepish. Not the type that would really command respect from the players . Every one seems to be making the comparison that just cos he’s doing better then will still must be good then . But we have a awesome squad for the championship with a squad like this Damn right we should be doing well I think it’s a lot more the players then tonda though 

[BERMUDASAINT]

6 hours ago, saintant said:

I take your point but Eckert more or less admitted in after match interviews that the players more or less sorted things out between themselves at half time.

What you on about?

Did archer, Casper and Jan take themselves off at half time? Ross, Mats and Charley told them to go do one? Hated manning said enough shite Welly i can do better, go have a cuppa i got this? Larin batteries are finnaly charged and tells little Leo to samba to the bench? 

Fuck me people look for anything to keep their negative narative going.

I constantly hear a famous Fergie story (in his book) from a manure fan. They played shite first half.  Fergie was pissed off, never entered the changing room. They sorted themselves out, and as they left the chaging room he was in the hallway and said "right, now that you all know what to do, get out there and @$%% do it!

Sometimes a great manager gets out of the way, and lets the players sort it out. The coaching has been done, the players need to execute.

Well done Tonda and team and away traveling fans!! You all did it together!!!

Edited Wednesday at 19:23 by BERMUDASAINT

[Miltonaggro]

2 hours ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

Is it ?  To me he comes across very shy and sheepish. Not the type that would really command respect from the players . Every one seems to be making the comparison that just cos he’s doing better then will still must be good then . But we have a awesome squad for the championship with a squad like this Damn right we should be doing well I think it’s a lot more the players then tonda though 

Rumour is Tonda is the life and soul of the party when he's had a drink, but does tend to get a bit punchy near closing time.

[saintant]

3 hours ago, BERMUDASAINT said:

What you on about?

Did archer, Casper and Jan take themselves off at half time? Ross, Mats and Charley told them to go do one? Hated manning said enough shite Welly i can do better, go have a cuppa i got this? Larin batteries are finnaly charged and tells little Leo to samba to the bench? 

Fuck me people look for anything to keep their negative narative going.

I constantly hear a famous Fergie story (in his book) from a manure fan. They played shite first half.  Fergie was pissed off, never entered the changing room. They sorted themselves out, and as they left the chaging room he was in the hallway and said "right, now that you all know what to do, get out there and @$%% do it!

Sometimes a great manager gets out of the way, and lets the players sort it out. The coaching has been done, the players need to execute.

Well done Tonda and team and away traveling fans!! You all did it together!!!

Calm down. I'm merely quoting what Eckert said himself and not in a critical way so not sure why you are spitting such bile 🙂 

[Whitey Grandad]

On 10/02/2026 at 18:43, AlexLaw76 said:

Got himself out of a Cameron Archer shaped hole tonight...

I'm not exactly clear how Archer alone is responsible for conceding three goals. 

[Maggie May]

Hungry Eyes impresses me more and more as the games go on. His post-match interviews with Adam Blackmore are really insightful. He knows the score and his players.  Night and day compared to Will Still who, unfortunately, left his players confused and unsure of their roles, IMO.  It’s a shame because he was my choice to replace Juric.  I think we have a gem in Eckert. 

[Nordic Saint]

Like most fans, I wasn't happy with the team selection when it was announced, but we won again, and that's 6 matches without defeat now. Eckert is an ice-cold, ruthless manager. He makes unpopular decisions, but he does what it takes to win games, like no manager we've ever had before. 

We haven't had a manager with a win rate this good in our entire Football League history, and he's already managed more games than most of our recent managers:

List of Southampton F.C. managers - Wikipedia

 

[sfc4prem]

5 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Like most fans, I wasn't happy with the team selection when it was announced, but we won again, and that's 6 matches without defeat now. Eckert is an ice-cold, ruthless manager. He makes unpopular decisions, but he does what it takes to win games, like no manager we've ever had before. 

We haven't had a manager with a win rate this good in our entire Football League history, and he's already managed more games than most of our recent managers:

List of Southampton F.C. managers - Wikipedia

 

Got a long way to go to even be worthy of cleaning Adkins' boots.

[BARCELONASAINT]

2 minutes ago, sfc4prem said:

Got a long way to go to even be worthy of cleaning Adkins' boots.

And even further to be considered in the same standing as Lawrie Mac!

[StrangelyBrown]

38 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

Like most fans, I wasn't happy with the team selection when it was announced, but we won again, and that's 6 matches without defeat now. Eckert is an ice-cold, ruthless manager. He makes unpopular decisions, but he does what it takes to win games, like no manager we've ever had before. 

We haven't had a manager with a win rate this good in our entire Football League history, and he's already managed more games than most of our recent managers:

List of Southampton F.C. managers - Wikipedia

 

The fact that we've only had 2 managers who've managed more than 50 games since Claude Puel is pretty damning. Yes he's doing well so far, but the comparison is against a whole load of dross.

[Badger]

16 hours ago, Maggie May said:

Hungry Eyes impresses me more and more as the games go on. His post-match interviews with Adam Blackmore are really insightful. He knows the score and his players.  Night and day compared to Will Still who, unfortunately, left his players confused and unsure of their roles, IMO.  It’s a shame because he was my choice to replace Juric.  I think we have a gem in Eckert. 

Not sure I’d go as far as describing them as insightful as too often he (and many managers/head coaches) seem to be ‘on message’ and trotting out some of the script from above. Not a criticism of Tonda, but that’s the way it often seems.

But, agree with you that he interviews well, and comes across as quite enthusiastic for his role and the club despite inevitable nervousness at his age, and of course speaking in a second language. I like him (although still concerned this is too early in his career).  
 

He’s light years ahead of Still in communications, and a great improvement on hearing Martin smarming his way through interviews when doing well, or getting prickly when he wasn’t. 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, BARCELONASAINT said:

And even further to be considered in the same standing as Lawrie Mac!

Wait till he’s holding the FA Cup above his head in May! 

[Lord Duckhunter]

He’s done better than a man of his age and experience should do, that’s for sure. Had Chris Wilder or Steve Cooper come in and got the same results, everyone (including me) would be saying “that’s what we needed an experienced championship manager”. We could have found a gem, although equally, it could be a flash in the pan, a bloke who got lucky & came in at the right time. The juries still out for me, but I thought I’d have my pitch fork out by now. 

[tdmickey3]

2 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

Like most fans, I wasn't happy with the team selection when it was announced, but we won again, and that's 6 matches without defeat now. Eckert is an ice-cold, ruthless manager. He makes unpopular decisions, but he does what it takes to win games, like no manager we've ever had before. 

We haven't had a manager with a win rate this good in our entire Football League history, and he's already managed more games than most of our recent managers:

List of Southampton F.C. managers - Wikipedia

 

Ruthless 🤣

Persisting far to long with Bazunu,Manning, the 3 cab fiasco and now playing Archer shows he is far from ruthless 

[Give it to Ron]

4 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

Ruthless 🤣

Persisting far to long with Bazunu,Manning, the 3 cab fiasco and now playing Archer shows he is far from ruthless 

Who would you have played then - he has explained it couldn’t have been Stewart - he played Larin as well he brought on young forward ? 
we don’t have anyone else - as fans shouldn’t we support our players not boo them when going through tough times loss of form?

He got us out of trouble at Brum not so long ago.

[HKsaint]

Archer will be a new Baz 

[tdmickey3]

3 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Who would you have played then - he has explained it couldn’t have been Stewart - he played Larin as well he brought on young forward ? 
we don’t have anyone else - as fans shouldn’t we support our players not boo them when going through tough times loss of form?

He got us out of trouble at Brum not so long ago.

I don’t agree with booing either but he hasn’t lost form, he never had any from the moment he joined.

He should have played one of the youngsters he brought on and given them the chance instead. 
 

Archer is done here, should let him go to Rangers

[tdmickey3]

2 minutes ago, HKsaint said:

Archer will be a new Baz 

He is just as bad albeit in a different position 

[pimpin4rizeal]

3 hours ago, Nordic Saint said:

Like most fans, I wasn't happy with the team selection when it was announced, but we won again, and that's 6 matches without defeat now. Eckert is an ice-cold, ruthless manager. He makes unpopular decisions, but he does what it takes to win games, like no manager we've ever had before. 

We haven't had a manager with a win rate this good in our entire Football League history, and he's already managed more games than most of our recent managers:

List of Southampton F.C. managers - Wikipedia

 

It’s nonsense comparing him to our previous managers as the vast majority where not in the same league or we where a total mess (poortvileet etc) I mean Russell Martin had us unbeaten for 25 games in this league but didn’t mean he was a good manager. It’s all good winning games where you have better players then most of the league  Personally I think he would get destroyed in the premier league 

Edited Sunday at 13:09 by pimpin4rizeal

[Give it to Ron]

12 minutes ago, tdmickey3 said:

I don’t agree with booing either but he hasn’t lost form, he never had any from the moment he joined.

He should have played one of the youngsters he brought on and given them the chance instead. 
 

Archer is done here, should let him go to Rangers

Because he was never really played in right role he isn’t a centre forward.

I think he can be decent but like Armstrong needs to move away the problem again is recruitment inability last few years.

I loved his goal at Emirates

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Despaired at the level of respect he's shown to the FA Cup. I don't buy in to this 10 people needed to be rested for the next league game in a week's time. And when someone like Edozie plays well and looks like he's going to cause more trouble to Leicester, he gets hooked off. As a Leicester fan said: Leicester can't even beat a team trying to lose".

He lost a lot of winnable games over Christmas and his substitutions made the team worse. He realised he had to change something and stumbled across a four at the back set up - which most of this forum has been asking for for ages. And now, having a presence in midfield and Stewart playing again, we look more balanced. He's just done the obvious.

So the jury is out for me too.

[Lord Duckhunter]

3 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Despaired at the level of respect he's shown to the FA Cup

Whereas, Poch Koeman and others took it so seriously… He’s like 95% of others managers, couldn’t give a shite about the cup regardless of what they say. You can’t use that as a stick to beat him with…

[saintwbu]

3 hours ago, OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint said:

Despaired at the level of respect he's shown to the FA Cup. I don't buy in to this 10 people needed to be rested for the next league game in a week's time. And when someone like Edozie plays well and looks like he's going to cause more trouble to Leicester, he gets hooked off. As a Leicester fan said: Leicester can't even beat a team trying to lose".

He lost a lot of winnable games over Christmas and his substitutions made the team worse. He realised he had to change something and stumbled across a four at the back set up - which most of this forum has been asking for for ages. And now, having a presence in midfield and Stewart playing again, we look more balanced. He's just done the obvious.

So the jury is out for me too.

The only academy player he started was Bragg, who’s already started first team games already this season. He was able to field a complete second 11 of senior players, that’s how big our squad is. He’s gotten through in the cup whilst giving our entire starting 11 a complete rest, and giving a host of academy lads the opportunity to come on and win the game for us. To me, yesterday was brilliant management. Some people will never give him any credit whatsoever because they didn’t know who he was a few months ago.

[ecuk268]

19 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Whereas, Poch Koeman and others took it so seriously… He’s like 95% of others managers, couldn’t give a shite about the cup regardless of what they say. You can’t use that as a stick to beat him with…

The reality is that eventually we'll come up against Arsenal or Man City or Liverpool so you can understand why the cup is of lesser importance.

Since 2000 only 4 clubs that weren't one of the "big" sides have won the cup.

[John B]

55 minutes ago, ecuk268 said:

The reality is that eventually we'll come up against Arsenal or Man City or Liverpool so you can understand why the cup is of lesser importance.

Since 2000 only 4 clubs that weren't one of the "big" sides have won the cup.

And it is nearly fifty years ago that we won the FA Cup - One of the best Days of my Life

[Badger]

6 hours ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

It’s nonsense comparing him to our previous managers as the vast majority where not in the same league or we where a total mess (poortvileet etc) I mean Russell Martin had us unbeaten for 25 games in this league but didn’t mean he was a good manager. It’s all good winning games where you have better players then most of the league  Personally I think he would get destroyed in the premier league 

Should we get up, then that opens up a new and different debate.

Like Martin, IF we go up then he'll have deserved the opportunity to manage at the top level, although everyone knows it is an almighty leap, and even with resources and getting our recruitment right it is a tall order. Unlike Martin perhaps he'll be a bit more adaptable. But we could be going through the same pain of 'looking for a change' by the end of September if results don't stack up.

[John B]

17 hours ago, Badger said:

Should we get up, then that opens up a new and different debate.

Like Martin, IF we go up then he'll have deserved the opportunity to manage at the top level, although everyone knows it is an almighty leap, and even with resources and getting our recruitment right it is a tall order. Unlike Martin perhaps he'll be a bit more adaptable. But we could be going through the same pain of 'looking for a change' by the end of September if results don't stack up.

Lets hope we do not go up because we are more than likely to struggle

[Osvaldorama]

Great to see him giving the young players a run out in the cup. 
 

tbh I don’t mind all the changes. I like seeing thr youngsters given a go at this point. We won’t win the cup anyway so why not give them a chance to see what they can do. 
 

Better than the last few years of ignoring them altogether 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

23 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Whereas, Poch Koeman and others took it (FA Cup) so seriously… He’s like 95% of others managers, couldn’t give a shite about the cup regardless of what they say. You can’t use that as a stick to beat him with…

Yep, fell out of love with Poch after he put out that team against Sunderland in the Cup. I appreciate I'm a bit of a dinosaur, but I still remember the days when the FA Cup was taken seriously and it practically occupied a whole day's TV - so I still want a cup run.

And anyway, that's just the nail in the stick. Tonda's obsession with a back 5 was baffling (inspiring many conspiracy theories that orders came from above) and his substitutions have often been ill timed and weakened the team. With Stewart and Charles coming back, we've looked a lot better and we've had a couple of recent lucky breaks (Sheff Utd & Leicester in particular). It's not been down to any great genius by Eckert.

So my jury is still out but beat Coventry, Ipswich and Wrexham and the jury will make their verdict. 😀

[swedish dave]

On 11/02/2026 at 20:11, BERMUDASAINT said:

Fuck me people look for anything to keep their negative narrative going.

Sometimes a great manager gets out of the way, and lets the players sort it out. The coaching has been done, the players need to execute.  Well done Tonda and team and away traveling fans!! You all did it together!!!

Clearly the man is "a thinker more than a talker". Why is it that so many people will make a judgement based on

part of a short interview, when interviewers never take into account that ..(as in previous cases), when a person 

does not have English as first language, so many of the phrases / expressions used are " particularly English"

and do not appear in any course book I've ever seen. (40 years in Sweden and teaching English internationally).

 

I think Tonda has a fair understanding of English, but perhaps only within the framework of footballing jargon. 

Adapting his first language expressions into " acceptable English " dialogue isn't easy, particularly when being

grilled some footballing " hack"  who has seen it all before and is merely seeking a controversial headline.

 

Getting results depends on injuries / form / a good portion of luck, and occasionally - even the absence of VAR.

We've had 4 wins since the departure of Adam Armstrong  (no offence to him. He DAJFU for several seasons),

but our new line-up may prove to be a Godsend, if we continue with this latest successful run of games. 

Bermuda's point ABOVE..is well-made, in that players shouldn't need to be taught ABC  before every match

and if they are smart and know what to do, then we will win games.

Tonda's task is to encourage and support them during the game, and give an acceptable after-match interview. 

 

[Harry_SFC]

On 15/02/2026 at 17:43, saintwbu said:

The only academy player he started was Bragg, who’s already started first team games already this season. He was able to field a complete second 11 of senior players, that’s how big our squad is. He’s gotten through in the cup whilst giving our entire starting 11 a complete rest, and giving a host of academy lads the opportunity to come on and win the game for us. To me, yesterday was brilliant management. Some people will never give him any credit whatsoever because they didn’t know who he was a few months ago.

I've been one of his biggest critics but he played it spot on at the weekend. No complaints from me. 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

No one has scored more set piece goals this calendar year than Saints:

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

2 minutes ago, Ex Lion Tamer said:

No one has scored more set piece goals this calendar year than Saints:

Good about effing time Saints made use of set pieces.

[Holmes_and_Watson]

On 15/02/2026 at 09:56, sfc4prem said:

Got a long way to go to even be worthy of cleaning Adkins' boots.

 

On 15/02/2026 at 09:59, BARCELONASAINT said:

And even further to be considered in the same standing as Lawrie Mac!

And it will be ages before he can master Bates...hang on, that doesn't look right...

[SNSUN]

5 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

I've been one of his biggest critics but he played it spot on at the weekend. No complaints from me. 

To be fair, if it were legal, we could have kept bringing Academy kids on until the whole team was full of them and we'd have probably still won that game. Leicester are in real trouble. (Yes I appreciate it was our two experienced full backs that combined for the winner, it was hyperbole).

I'm was a doubter about Tonda and I'm still slightly apprehensive, but to be fair, he changed a losing formation, our defence has improved and we are scoring goals. He's also blooding youth. I think he's partly been helped by the signings of Peretz (a competent GK), Bree (post-loan, a competent RB) and Larin (an experienced line leader), and partly by the return of Edozie, but he seems to have the team playing with fight and desire, which is to be applauded. 

I can't see us going on a bad run again, we may lose the odd game but not as a run - as long as he doesn't get clever and change things too much. Archer starting the midweek Leicester game could have cost us but thankfully we have the bench to help out.