New Manager Thread

[ant]

On 26/12/2025 at 23:44, woodsaint1 said:

As for Brooks, he is a quality player but he did very little for us on loan.

This daftness stood out. 

2 goals and 5 assists in 17 appearances (only 9 of which he played more than an hour).

A cameo role, but a key one.

[Wade Garrett]

On 27/12/2025 at 10:02, Miltonaggro said:

It would be really, really super if the board could try something left-field and appoint an articulate middle-aged manager without an inferiority complex / narcissistic personality disorder who has played and managed in the English game at a decent level with a degree of relative success / credibility. Allow them to oversee a clear out and rebuild of playing staff without inteferance, and set up formation however they see fucking fit. Maybe try this just the once…

I’m pretty sure this was the advice that Solak got from outside the club.

He appointed a manager younger than Still who never played the game….

[Fabrice29]

47 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I’m pretty sure this was the advice that Solak got from outside the club.

He appointed a manager younger than Still who never played the game….

Back to the washing up fella

[Ted Bates Statue]

On 27/12/2025 at 08:39, Sheaf Saint said:

If the level of toxicity inside SMS reaches the same point it did against Still in the Preston game, I have no doubt they will shit the bed again and make another knee-jerk sacking to try and save face.

 

Thankfully, we only have one game against a side in the bottom three in January. So I have full confidence that we'll be absolutely fine.

[Mr X]

On 26/12/2025 at 19:28, JohnnyShearer2.0 said:

Good point, he's not being helped with the coaching behind him. That can't be good.

Some media are suggesting why not bring in Steve McLaren in as an experienced assistant

[Miltonaggro]

1 minute ago, Mr X said:

Some media are suggesting why not bring in Steve McLaren in as an experienced assistant

I’ve had a horrible feeling last few games that this will be the likely route the cretins take from here. To them its the ‘middle way’ keeping Tonka in place without admitting they’ve fucked up again’. Fully expecting the backroom staff to be overpaid, unemployable elsewhere and underwhelming. Maybe the German equivalent of Ian Branfoot - sure these cunts can find him. 

[Wade Garrett]

13 minutes ago, Mr X said:

Some media are suggesting why not bring in Steve McLaren in as an experienced assistant

Some media can fuck right off.

[Gloucester Saint]

13 minutes ago, Miltonaggro said:

I’ve had a horrible feeling last few games that this will be the likely route the cretins take from here. To them its the ‘middle way’ keeping Tonka in place without admitting they’ve fucked up again’. Fully expecting the backroom staff to be overpaid, unemployable elsewhere and underwhelming. Maybe the German equivalent of Ian Branfoot - sure these cunts can find him. 

Surely a German Nathan Jones eg ‘I could’ve become a PE teacher and settled down with a lovely Rhine Valley girl…’

[Suhari]

7 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Surely a German Nathan Jones eg ‘I could’ve become a PE teacher and settled down with a lovely Rhine Valley girl…’

Romeo fertig.

[Miltonaggro]

14 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Surely a German Nathan Jones eg ‘I could’ve become a PE teacher and settled down with a lovely Rhine Valley girl…’

Possible, with Sport Republic Russian roulette. 

[tdmickey3]

Ask Alan Pardew out of retirement 

[Saint NL]

That twerp Jesse Marsch was on the Athletic podcast talking about getting fired from Leeds. He reckons he challenged the players to stand up and he counted rather than the board take the easy route and fire the manager.

He talks a lot of shit, but this time he was probably right. Exactly the same thing needs to happen at Saints, we can fire yet another coach but at some point the players need to take a look at themselves.

In summary, can we fire the manager AND the players? 

[woodsaint1]

5 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

“The same? What a load of old pony.

Manning pretty much plays every week now, as would a fit Charles. We’ve got nowhere near a striker of Stewart’s standard on the bench now. I’d have Rothwell & Bree over Airbo & Wellington every day of the week, and is Robinson any better than Edozie or Suly, there’s not much in it. Don’t forget Dibling didn’t get anywhere that side as well. Anyone who thinks the squads are comparable is deluded or a Lego fan boy. We’ve got absolutely nothing coming off the bench now, Robinson aside and Che Adam’s, Janny B & KWP are far far better than we have now, anyone who thinks Wood is a better player than Bednerak needs to give their head a wobble. To cap it all, injury meant that side were stronger in nets come the end of the season as well. 

And who started ahead of Charles in the playoff final, your mate Aribo and Will Smallbone 😂. Top quality there.

No 'lego fan boy' whatever that is, but RMs tenure is going to look much better come the end of the season when we dont even make the playoffs 

[sockeye]

1 hour ago, Saint NL said:

In summary, can we fire the manager AND the players?

Can we just start again entirely? Would love to watch the Amazon prime doc of St Marys Soccerball Squadron FC tearing up the non league

[woodsaint1]

5 hours ago, ant said:

This daftness stood out. 

2 goals and 5 assists in 17 appearances (only 9 of which he played more than an hour).

A cameo role, but a key one.

Fair enough, didnt realise his numbers were that high. But thats still less than the numbers that Azaz has put up, and about the same as Scienza (who again only plays about an hour)

[Holmes_and_Watson]

3 hours ago, Saint NL said:

That twerp Jesse Marsch was on the Athletic podcast talking about getting fired from Leeds. He reckons he challenged the players to stand up and he counted rather than the board take the easy route and fire the manager.

He talks a lot of shit, but this time he was probably right. Exactly the same thing needs to happen at Saints, we can fire yet another coach but at some point the players need to take a look at themselves.

In summary, can we fire the manager AND the players? 

Even Marsch didn't want to join us, questioning the lack of agreement at other levels in the club, and their preferred approach.

[Andy Hill]

We have accumulated (with one exception) a squad of mediocre Championship Players who are also mentally fragile. Who in their right mind would join us ??

[Miltonaggro]

13 hours ago, Andy Hill said:

We have accumulated (with one exception) a squad of mediocre Championship Players who are also mentally fragile. Who in their right mind would join us ??

This is the crux with Sport Republic, they get the timing completely wrong, every fucking time, whilst the majority of fans call it. 
 

Sacking Hassenhutl for Jones (even though the likes of Dyche were interviewed), sacking Jones post transfer window and appointing Selles when there was a realistic chance of recovery. Appointing Martin with the nucleus of an established premier league club (when we were attractive to capable managers), then retaining Martin after an unconvincing  promotion. Sacking Martin too late in the Premier League with much damage done and replacing him with a temp. Appointing Still when club stock was high (ie attractive to a number of decent managers, say Cooper). Sacking Still too late and replacing with an even less experienced coach. Player recruitment has followed the same sporadic and disorganised pattern. 
 

Every decision that requires strategic timing is a failure for this group. It appears endemic and terminal. 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

On 27/12/2025 at 10:02, Miltonaggro said:

It would be really, really super if the board could try something left-field and appoint an articulate middle-aged manager without an inferiority complex / narcissistic personality disorder who has played and managed in the English game at a decent level with a degree of relative success / credibility. Allow them to oversee a clear out and rebuild of playing staff without inteferance, and set up formation however they see fucking fit. Maybe try this just the once…

Gary O'Neil?

[Willo of Whiteley]

I imagine this thread will come back to life and three and a half hours time 😂

[Britannia]

54 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I imagine this thread will come back to life and three and a half hours time 😂

That long?

[Saint NL]

Didn't people here hope that we got Rosenior here to replace Still? Didn't think he was on Chelsea's "level"

 

 

[S-Clarke]

19 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Didn't people here hope that we got Rosenior here to replace Still? Didn't think he was on Chelsea's "level"

 

 

Strasbourg are part of the 'BlueCo' group, so Rosenior is effectively already paid for by Chelsea's owners - they'd just move him around the group at no cost. I don't see that happening as he's not at the level they need, it's probably Fabrizo putting 2+2 together and coming up with 50.

[bpsaint]

1 hour ago, Saint NL said:

Didn't people here hope that we got Rosenior here to replace Still? Didn't think he was on Chelsea's "level"

 

 

The fact that Rosenoir is even being mentioned as Chelsea manager shows how much modern football has changed. It’s not about being a big “name” manager for some clubs anymore, they literally want someone stood on the sidelines that follows what the D of F tells them to do, and will be the fall guy when it all goes tits up.

They’re a long way from the club they were under Abramovich that’s for sure.

[tdmickey3]

3 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

The fact that Rosenoir is even being mentioned as Chelsea manager shows how much modern football has changed. It’s not about being a big “name” manager for some clubs anymore, they literally want someone stood on the sidelines that follows what the D of F tells them to do, and will be the fall guy when it all goes tits up.

They’re a long way from the club they were under Abramovich that’s for sure.

Why can’t they employ RM?

[Willo of Whiteley]

Literally anyone.

[James]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Literally anyone.

If SR can’t identify a better option for manager than a 32 year old with nil experience then I really don’t know where we go from here…

[tdmickey3]

Pardew

[tdmickey3]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Literally anyone.

We just done that twice, 3rd time lucky ??

[AlexLaw76]

Gary O’Neill?

[Harry_SFC]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Gary O’Neill?

I would've had him before we appointed Tonda and still would. 

[danjosaint]

3 hours ago, bpsaint said:

The fact that Rosenoir is even being mentioned as Chelsea manager shows how much modern football has changed. It’s not about being a big “name” manager for some clubs anymore, they literally want someone stood on the sidelines that follows what the D of F tells them to do, and will be the fall guy when it all goes tits up.

They’re a long way from the club they were under Abramovich that’s for sure.

And the fact that Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by same management company So effectively interal promotion 

[skintsaint]

36 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

Gary O’Neill?

I'd take Martin...

[Roo1976]

4 hours ago, Saint NL said:

Didn't people here hope that we got Rosenior here to replace Still? Didn't think he was on Chelsea's "level"

 

 

he wont be...................lets face it the quality that Chelsea's players have, me or you could pick the team,but we cant because of coaching badges etc...but what im trying to say is the players do all the decision making movements on the pitch,they dont need a manager per say ,but only to pick the starting 11.  We suffer at the hands of our current owners and their in ability to make the right appointments. We are stuck with what we have unfortunately ,since the permanent appointment we have regressed into boring predictable football. Take the throw in by stephens in i think 78 min ,took an absolute age to bring it back into play lost the return pass which lead to us nearly loosing but for Bazunu to be in the right place,were just too slow,wasnt till injury time when fellows picked the pace of the game up did we even look like we might snatch an undeserved win,astounding isnt it. And yet  this is how the rest of our season seems to be heading ,the important decision makers at this club seem UN-sackable and ruin any real chance of meaningful change,and as per they are well paid for this............................

[Willo of Whiteley]

Russell Martin was brilliant compared to this guy.

Yea it was dull at times but you knew we’d control the game, create chances and have players that would have a go until the end.

[Gloucester Saint]

Despite the pay, football clubs have become basket cases to work for https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13489078/enzo-maresca-chelsea-head-coach-leaves-stamford-bridge-with-replacement-set-to-be-announced-imminently

[S-Clarke]

I think we all know it's beyond appointing new managers now, it doesn't matter what we do. They will always make a worse decision.

7 managers in 4 years is just unbelievable really, yet they keep doing the same thing over and over again. Inexperienced and left field choices trying to look clever. Giving Ruben Selles the job when we still had a sniff of staying in the PL was bad, then doing it again with Tonda when we had a sniff of getting into the PL is beyond bad.

The ownership need to go, how we do that though is the question.

[Harry_SFC]

16 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I think we all know it's beyond appointing new managers now, it doesn't matter what we do. They will always make a worse decision.

7 managers in 4 years is just unbelievable really, yet they keep doing the same thing over and over again. Inexperienced and left field choices trying to look clever. Giving Ruben Selles the job when we still had a sniff of staying in the PL was bad, then doing it again with Tonda when we had a sniff of getting into the PL is beyond bad.

The ownership need to go, how we do that though is the question.

Could've just appointed Clement. Has Norwich playing well. Experienced manager with a decent win rate. No thrills, just a good, solid manager. That's all we needed.

[Mboto Gorge]

1 minute ago, Harry_SFC said:

Could've just appointed Clement. Has Norwich playing well. Experienced manager with a decent win rate. No thrills, just a good, solid manager. That's all we needed.

Yep. Another side who will no doubt come to our place later this season and take at least a point while their manager schools our little boy on the touchline 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Harry_SFC said:

I would've had him before we appointed Tonda and still would. 

Think you’d be in a minority, if others are honest about it. 

[Football Special]

The longer SR get to evidence how clueless they are about Association Football the harder it will become to appoint a proper manager, who would want to work for them? 
 

remember the laughable quote before little Tonda got the job that the club hadn’t been impressed with other candidates they had spoken to ! 

[Willo of Whiteley]

I’d take Russell Martin back in a heartbeat.

Beggars can’t be choosers, at least you know what we’ll get with him.

[Badger]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I’d take Russell Martin back in a heartbeat.

Beggars can’t be choosers, at least you know what we’ll get with him.

 Only if it were a direct choice between the two surviving candidates after a nuclear strike leaving him and Wayne Rooney in contention.

Otherwise, not in a million years. 
 

 

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 minute ago, Badger said:

 Only if it were a direct choice between the two surviving candidates after a nuclear strike leaving him and Wayne Rooney in contention.

Otherwise, not in a million years. 
 

 

And between Tonda Eckhart and Russell Martin?

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Russell Martin was brilliant compared to this guy.

Yea it was dull at times but you knew we’d control the game, create chances and have players that would have a go until the end.

I lost count of how many times Smallbone put a crunching tackle in whilst playing under Lego. Most would have a go at passing it sideways and back to the CB’s. Let’s not rewrite history, results may have been better but the football was often dire. 

[Badger]

2 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

And between Tonda Eckhart and Russell Martin?

Tonda on the grounds he’s not an egotistical bellend. 

[Gloucester Saint]

10 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I’d take Russell Martin back in a heartbeat.

Beggars can’t be choosers, at least you know what we’ll get with him.

Why are people so brainwashed about playing that dire, slow, boring style of football?

How about appointing a manager who doesn’t deploy that? Plenty exist.

[Willo of Whiteley]

Just now, Badger said:

I lost count of how many times Smallbone put a crunching tackle in whilst playing under Lego. Most would have a go at passing it sideways and back to the CB’s. Let’s not rewrite history, results may have been better but the football was often dire. 

 

1 minute ago, Badger said:

Tonda on the grounds he’s not an egotistical bellend. 

So if you had to choose between Russell Martin and Tonda Eckhart right now you’d pick the latter?

I find that incredible.

I’m not a RM fan by any means but I’d take a manager that’s got us promotion over one that’s managed a handful of games.

You could argue that Tonda is being too “proud” of his tried and tested hybrid 3-4-3 defensive tactic and is too naive or stubborn to change.

Ag least with RM teams they kept going right the way to the end, we’d actually set up to win.

[Willo of Whiteley]

2 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

Why are people so brainwashed about playing that dire, slow, boring style of football?

How about appointing a manager who doesn’t deploy that? Plenty exist.

Because Sports Republic haven’t done that in seven attempts.

That’s probably the fair answer 😂

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

 

So if you had to choose between Russell Martin and Tonda Eckhart right now you’d pick the latter?

I find that incredible.

I’m not a RM fan by any means but I’d take a manager that’s got us promotion over one that’s managed a handful of games.

You could argue that Tonda is being too “proud” of his tried and tested hybrid 3-4-3 defensive tactic and is too naive or stubborn to change.

Ag least with RM teams they kept going right the way to the end, we’d actually set up to win.

Why are you backing yourself into a Martin v Eckert corner?

Dozens of decent managers out there who might be interested and don’t play that abysmal anti-football.