Tonda Eckert

[Oisin]

3 hours ago, Harry_SFC said:

Miraculous is pushing it, let's be totally honest.

He's now doing a very good job, but it's taken me a while to get over how he stupidly persisted with 5 at the back.

 

2 hours ago, Toadhall Saint said:

He learnt - you can ask no more and yes we have one of the best squads but it takes a decent coach to get them playing in tune.

I’m really not convinced the decision to play a back 3/5 was his to be honest. In fact I’m reasonably certain it wasn’t. 

Since the powers behind the scenes did their job in providing a keeper and number 9 and left him alone to do his job unhindered, without tactical interference, he’s done an amazing job. 
 

The run will end at some point but however the rest of this season pans out he deserves to be leading us next season. If the season ends in failure (as it probably still will) it’ll be down to bad decisions by SR in the summer and right through until he was allowed to do what he thought best after Hull. If it somehow ends in success he deserves the vast majority of the credit.

[Toadhall Saint]

4 minutes ago, Oisin said:

 

I’m really not convinced the decision to play a back 3/5 was his to be honest. In fact I’m reasonably certain it wasn’t. 

Since the powers behind the scenes did their job in providing a keeper and number 9 and left him alone to do his job unhindered, without tactical interference, he’s done an amazing job. 
 

The run will end at some point but however the rest of this season pans out he deserves to be leading us next season. If the season ends in failure (as it probably still will) it’ll be down to bad decisions by SR in the summer and right through until he was allowed to do what he thought best after Hull. If it somehow ends in success he deserves the vast majority of the credit.

Seen this before - proof is what is required. 

[Dark Munster]

4 hours ago, skintsaint said:

Well he is being a bit too positive after this game I feel 😅

 

Pah! Three games at Wembley? That means he's given up on the autos.

[SouthWalesSaints]

5 minutes ago, Oisin said:

 

I’m really not convinced the decision to play a back 3/5 was his to be honest. In fact I’m reasonably certain it wasn’t. 

Since the powers behind the scenes did their job in providing a keeper and number 9 and left him alone to do his job unhindered, without tactical interference, he’s done an amazing job. 
 

The run will end at some point but however the rest of this season pans out he deserves to be leading us next season. If the season ends in failure (as it probably still will) it’ll be down to bad decisions by SR in the summer and right through until he was allowed to do what he thought best after Hull. If it somehow ends in success he deserves the vast majority of the credit.

Of course it was his. If you genuinely believe that a manager wouldn’t pick his own side then you’re miles off it. 
 

The sole reason he played a back 3 was a lack of physicality…. Jelert and Armstrong come out of the side he’s added Bree who defends well and has size in duels and Stewart/Larin come in up top and we are able to play a 4 that can physically play with the demands of the division. 

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

10 minutes ago, Dark Munster said:

Pah! Three games at Wembley? That means he's given up on the autos.

Ignore - senior moment

Edited Sunday at 18:56 by Golac's Cunning Stunts

[SaintTex]

it's entirely possible as an interim manager he hadn't been given any authority to manage the team as he saw fit

entirely possible a back 5 formation was the ethos dictated from the top; to be executed at every level of the club, down to the Academy (continuity and all)

but i am speculating.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Has got the players playing for him, no doubt about that. Yes we’ve got a decent squad, but he’s got them all playing at their best (except maybe Fellows). 
 

Unless we shit the bed the next couple of months, he’s probably got the job for next season regardless of whether we make play offs. Few can say he doesn’t deserve that opportunity. 

Edited Sunday at 19:16 by Lord Duckhunter

[Nordic Saint]

I don't think we've ever had a manager as ruthless and relentless as Eckert. He will do exactly what it takes to win games, no more, no less, always bearing in mind that he wants to win the next game and the ones after that as well.

“We don’t get satisfied after winning one game, we have to win the next one, the next one, the next one."

Southampton go ten games unbeaten after FA Cup win, and it’s all down to one man

[Willo of Whiteley]

16 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Has got the players playing for him, no doubt about that. Yes we’ve got a decent squad, but he’s got them all playing at their best (except maybe Fellows). 
 

Unless we shit the bed the next couple of months, he’s probably got the job for next season regardless of whether we make play offs. Few can say he doesn’t deserve that opportunity. 

I think Fellows has hit his ceiling.

He’s such an average player.

[goodymatt]

 

[Ted Bates Statue]

"Closely monitoring..." In January he was in danger of getting sacked before the end of the season.

[Britannia]

SR hire bad manager = sacked

SR hire good manager = sold

[Toadhall Saint]

2 hours ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

"Closely monitoring..." In January he was in danger of getting sacked before the end of the season.

Was he?

[Weston Super Saint]

3 hours ago, Britannia said:

SR hire bad manager = sacked

SR hire good manager = sold

Manager trading club

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Next batch of games are key for me.

If he keeps the team results on par with the last several games, think we'll carry on till the end of season.

[SaintsBarry74]

I think the biggest difference has been that we got rid of Baz. Its like our last promotion all over.

[ecuk268]

Bit of background on Tonda:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/07/tonda-eckert-southampton-championship-fulham-fa-cup-fifth-round?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

[sadoldgit]

Given the lack of enthusiasm about him in some quarters at various stages of his tenure so far, how does the forum feel about the possibility of him being poached in the summer?

[Nordic Saint]

36 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

Given the lack of enthusiasm about him in some quarters at various stages of his tenure so far, how does the forum feel about the possibility of him being poached in the summer?

A big club will come in for him, but if we could keep him here for 2 more years, we have our best chance of winning another trophy. Losing him this summer would be terrible.

[allsa001]

I don't think that during this season or next season we will be able to get anyone better, and potentially for the next few seasons after that.

So, I would offer a 3 year extension, and then offer all we can next season to help him get the players which will suit his tactics.

Try and keep certain players we have now by emphasing that this is a long term project.

[UpweySaint]

48 minutes ago, sadoldgit said:

Given the lack of enthusiasm about him in some quarters at various stages of his tenure so far, how does the forum feel about the possibility of him being poached in the summer?

I think it’s fair that many didn’t warm to the Tonda appointment early doors. His appointment was a pretty big risk but, so far, it looks to have paid off. I’m a big advocate for continuity - especially in senior positions at the club - and would want to see Tonda stay for the foreseeable unless there is a clear reason to dismiss him if he does get poached I hope it’s because he’s got us back to the prem and given us a fighting chance to staying up.

[coalman]

2 hours ago, sadoldgit said:

Given the lack of enthusiasm about him in some quarters at various stages of his tenure so far, how does the forum feel about the possibility of him being poached in the summer?

It's more the lack of enthusiasm for anyone Sport Republic is likely to replace him with.

He hasn't turned my opinion (yet) but he's done some positive things like adapting when stuff obviously wasn't working. Then again he was slow to adapt to what everyone else could see. His next challenge with be teams like Charlton who come to park the bus and how our increasingly passive possession game against them falters. If (and it's a big if) he continues learning and adapting he'll be one of the good ones.

[The Kraken]

He’s doing a very good job so far. Done well to turn around a squad who weren’t playing for the previous disaster of a manager.

This sounds entitled but, given the summer spend and our squad quality, I expected Saints to be top 6 and pushing top 2 very closely. Today’s form takes us towards that. The business end of the league is coming and, under Eckert, we haven’t yet beat a side in the top six (played 5 lost 3 drawn 2). Hull took us apart twice in worrying fashion, albeit once was when Ginger was a dead man walking. I feel we’ve got a lot better since even the home game but we have yet to prove it against the best sides in the division. That will likely define for me how good Tonda Eckert is this season. Certainly better than what we had but that is no benchmark at all. Overall a par so far given who we have played.

Edited 3 hours ago by The Kraken

[CB Fry]

34 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

He’s doing a very good job so far. Done well to turn around a squad who weren’t playing for the previous disaster of a manager.

This sounds entitled but, given the summer spend and our squad quality, I expected Saints to be top 6 and pushing top 2 very closely. Today’s form takes us towards that. The business end of the league is coming and, under Eckert, we haven’t yet beat a side in the top six (played 5 lost 3 drawn 2). Hull took us apart twice in worrying fashion, albeit once was when Ginger was a dead man walking. I feel we’ve got a lot better since even the home game but we have yet to prove it against the best sides in the division. That will likely define for me how good Tonda Eckert is this season. Certainly better than what we had but that is no benchmark at all. Overall a par so far given who we have played.

Spot on analysis.

Fulham seemed to be a decent tactical/managerial performance but he's got to do it against the likes of Coventry if we are going to make the play offs.

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

56 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

He’s doing a very good job so far. Done well to turn around a squad who weren’t playing for the previous disaster of a manager.

This sounds entitled but, given the summer spend and our squad quality, I expected Saints to be top 6 and pushing top 2 very closely. Today’s form takes us towards that. The business end of the league is coming and, under Eckert, we haven’t yet beat a side in the top six (played 5 lost 3 drawn 2). Hull took us apart twice in worrying fashion, albeit once was when Ginger was a dead man walking. I feel we’ve got a lot better since even the home game but we have yet to prove it against the best sides in the division. That will likely define for me how good Tonda Eckert is this season. Certainly better than what we had but that is no benchmark at all. Overall a par so far given who we have played.

Yep agreed.

I know peeps are saying under Tonda our form is great but it has to be done against the sides above us.

A loss / draw against Millwall. Loss against Hull. A draw with Coventry being a  player down for a chunk of the match. Its not great.

As CB said if he gets the team playing like they did against and show the attitude from the Leicester comeback it could be a fun few weeks.

Just hope the team isn't too flat today.