Tonda Eckert

[St Louis]

17 hours ago, Mr X said:

Tricky question would Tonda not achieving promotion with this team be seen as a failure? It wouldn't on my part but I think he knows how much potential he and the team has and would be bitterly disappointed and it's only going to get harder next year! 

I dont think its a tricky question, and the answer is No, it wouldn't/shouldn't be seen as failure (despite any disappointment). He can only make a difference in the part of the season he has managed, and we've scored more than anyone else and have more points than anyone else, and had a cup run to the semi-final (beating 2 Prem teams along the way... and nearly a 3rd).
So his achievement has been incredible, whether we lose out in the lottery of the playoffs or not. To even get us to the Playoffs was unthinkable when he took over the sinking ship.

Edited Friday at 12:48 by St Louis

[St Louis]

....

Edited Friday at 12:49 by St Louis
(oops, posted twice)

[Toadhall Saint]

1 hour ago, St Louis said:

I dont think its a tricky question, and the answer is No, it wouldn't/shouldn't be seen as failure (despite any disappointment). He can only make a difference in the part of the season he has managed, and we've scored more than anyone else and have more points than anyone else, and had a cup run to the semi-final (beating 2 Prem teams along the way... and nearly a 3rd).
So his achievement has been incredible, whether we lose out in the lottery of the playoffs or not. To even get us to the Playoffs was unthinkable when he took over the sinking ship.

I’m not sure I could even name a manager/head coach that has done better - certainly not a Saints one.

[LiberalCommunist]

Really like Tonda, and I'm looking forward to this relationship blossoming over the coming seasons.

But. Does anyone else remember mid Dec- mid Jan. 

There was some absolutely crap performances and results over that time. 

Weird how he took over and immediately won five out of six, then descended into this dreadful run.

Changing to a back four and employing a goalkeeper was crucial. But this season seems to be made up of four stages. 

1 Will Still

2 Temp

3 Honeymoon

4 Perertz

Hoping part five is just a continuation of four. 

[Patrick Bateman]

26 minutes ago, LiberalCommunist said:

Really like Tonda, and I'm looking forward to this relationship blossoming over the coming seasons.

But. Does anyone else remember mid Dec- mid Jan. 

There was some absolutely crap performances and results over that time. 

Weird how he took over and immediately won five out of six, then descended into this dreadful run.

Changing to a back four and employing a goalkeeper was crucial. But this season seems to be made up of four stages. 

1 Will Still

2 Temp

3 Honeymoon

4 Perertz

Hoping part five is just a continuation of four. 

I still think the camp wasn't happy, couple of 1st team players left after mid-Jan, plus we got Bree, Peretz and Larin in, HUGE difference in quality. I also think Peretz might be pretty vocal and influential in the dressing room and the pitch. 

So I see it as:

1. Still

2. Players want to play for new manager

3. Current cracks in squad getting on start to appear again

4. Cracks moved on, quality brought in

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

2 hours ago, LiberalCommunist said:

Really like Tonda, and I'm looking forward to this relationship blossoming over the coming seasons.

But. Does anyone else remember mid Dec- mid Jan. 

There was some absolutely crap performances and results over that time. 

Weird how he took over and immediately won five out of six, then descended into this dreadful run.

Changing to a back four and employing a goalkeeper was crucial. But this season seems to be made up of four stages. 

1 Will Still

2 Temp

3 Honeymoon

4 Perertz

Hoping part five is just a continuation of four. 

Yes, at the time it was crap and he got slated. Me being one to slate him. Which he rectified. 

However over 32 league games, Saints have won 19, drawn 8 and lost 5.

Pretty decent going. 

If Saints dont go up, we'll lose at least 3 to 4 players. I hope he stays and gives it another go.

[CB Fry]

Not just Wussell who can get us to fourth, then.

[Saint Fan CaM]

On 02/11/2025 at 19:35, sockeye said:

Interim manager for QPR.

32 years of age.

If he becomes permanent I'm going to go fucking apoplectic. 

Does this OP win the most stupid knee-jerk statement ever? 😉🤭🤣

[ant]

2.06 points per game.

[sockeye]

2 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Does this OP win the most stupid knee-jerk statement ever? 😉🤭🤣

I'll hold my hands up, but to be frank, we'd been there twice before with Rusk and Selles. And even an average manager would have struggled to take us from 21st to 4th comfortably. All the plaudits to Tonda

[Saint Fan CaM]

Just now, sockeye said:

I'll hold my hands up, but to be frank, we'd been there twice before with Rusk and Selles. And even an average manager would have struggled to take us from 21st to 4th comfortably. All the plaudits to Tonda

Fair play…we were pretty shocking at that point and had been for months.

[Sheaf Saint]

Hats off to him.

I was dubious that he was the right appointment at the time. I thought we got very lucky in that 4-game run when he was interim. That was followed up by some truly horrific performances - away at Oxford and Boro. I genuinely didn't think he would last til the end of January. He was looking destined to be yet another failed SR appointment who was thrown in the deep end and would never get another significant manager's job.

It's safe to say that he has surpassed all expectations. To get us from where we were in October and then again in Jan, to 4th place (only 4 points off second) and an FA cup semi final, is nothing short of miraculous.

Herzlichen glückwunsch, und danke Herr Eckert. Zehr gut! 

[Willo of Whiteley]

4 hours ago, sockeye said:

I'll hold my hands up, but to be frank, we'd been there twice before with Rusk and Selles. And even an average manager would have struggled to take us from 21st to 4th comfortably. All the plaudits to Tonda

You aren’t on your own, everyone was thinking it, I’d say 90% of the fanbase got it wrong there! 😂😀

[Polaroid Saint]

It's too early for a statue.

But, by jiggery, the boy's done good. 

[RedArmy]

5 hours ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Does this OP win the most stupid knee-jerk statement ever? 😉🤭🤣

Not really no. It was fully warranted at the time. 
 

We had just been one of the worst teams in PL history and appointed a computer game manager who was a complete fraud, things looked bleak and then in true (as it looked at the time) SR fashion they give it to a complete unknown entity because they couldn’t attract anyone worth a wank. 
 

Luckily for everyone he turned out to be a revelation and has made this one of the most enjoyable seasons in a long, long time but nobody has a crystal ball. 
 

I didn’t want him at the time and was livid he was even being considered, I wanted him gone in the new year too but I’m delighted he’s here now. 
 

Similarly, but in different circumstances I didn’t want Poch either and was pretty angry. He was an unknown to me and Adkins seemed to be turning things around. 

We can’t always be right. 
 

 

[hypochondriac]

38 minutes ago, RedArmy said:

Not really no. It was fully warranted at the time. 
 

We had just been one of the worst teams in PL history and appointed a computer game manager who was a complete fraud, things looked bleak and then in true (as it looked at the time) SR fashion they give it to a complete unknown entity because they couldn’t attract anyone worth a wank. 
 

Luckily for everyone he turned out to be a revelation and has made this one of the most enjoyable seasons in a long, long time but nobody has a crystal ball. 
 

I didn’t want him at the time and was livid he was even being considered, I wanted him gone in the new year too but I’m delighted he’s here now. 
 

Similarly, but in different circumstances I didn’t want Poch either and was pretty angry. He was an unknown to me and Adkins seemed to be turning things around. 

We can’t always be right. 
 

 

Indeed. Management have to earn trust and when he was appointed and in January the trust was zero. If a Tonda left in the summer and we made a left field appointment I'd expect the majority of the fans to give them a chance and see where it goes because the club have earnt that.