New Manager Thread

[Themotherfunky]

2 minutes 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.

It's like having the choice between stepping in dog shit, and stepping in cow shit. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

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

That’s probably the fair answer 😂

In which SR needs to give up and sell the club. Or appoint an experienced and independent manager.

[Badger]

Just now, 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.

Agree Gloucester, but you have to ask if SR actually want one ? 
 

Do they want someone to challenge the template, and say no, I want to mix it up, go long, whatever ? Big question for me is why we have regressed in this style over recent weeks. 
 

I read on here a comment referencing Nathan Jones outburst about being compromised etc. That may be nothing , and some (I’m sure you can predict who) will dismiss it as conspiracy bollocks, but food for thought perhaps. 

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Badger said:

Agree Gloucester, but you have to ask if SR actually want one ? 
 

Do they want someone to challenge the template, and say no, I want to mix it up, go long, whatever ? Big question for me is why we have regressed in this style over recent weeks. 
 

I read on here a comment referencing Nathan Jones outburst about being compromised etc. That may be nothing , and some (I’m sure you can predict who) will dismiss it as conspiracy bollocks, but food for thought perhaps. 

I agree Badger, Ankerson has been interfering throughout. Spors is supposed to report direct to Dragan but I bet that 🐍 ensured that didn’t happen in the background.

We’ve all worked with ‘big picture’ arseholes like him who can’t deliver a pint of milk or run a bath, but are constantly politicking in the background. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Sport Republic strike me as people that want to be clever and do things on the cheap.

They could be safe but no they’d rather follow data and statistics rather than good old fashioned scouting of watching a player.

Data means fuck all if a players heart isn’t in it.

They tried to build something two years ago and arguably did very well under Wilcox and Martin, JW then left and recruitment was cheap and tatty that summer.

It has been a colossal catalogue of errors ever since.
It is beyond shameful.

[Badger]

7 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

 

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

We have to agree to differ on that then Willo. 
 

But I’d question your belief that Martin’s teams kept going. Fair point that they did get last gasp winners at Hull, Millwall for example, but often I recall they just fizzled out and passed it around aimlessly towards the end of matches with no idea or initiative on display. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

Just now, Badger said:

We have to agree to differ on that then Willo. 
 

But I’d question your belief that Martin’s teams kept going. Fair point that they did get last gasp winners at Hull, Millwall for example, but often I recall they just fizzled out and passed it around aimlessly towards the end of matches with no idea or initiative on display. 

Agreed! One thing I do recall is when the game was crying out for pace and a change he waiting until the last ten minutes, by which point the game tempo had generally died off (if we were chasing the game).

[Badger]

3 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Sport Republic strike me as people that want to be clever and do things on the cheap.

They could be safe but no they’d rather follow data and statistics rather than good old fashioned scouting of watching a player.

Data means fuck all if a players heart isn’t in it.

They tried to build something two years ago and arguably did very well under Wilcox and Martin, JW then left and recruitment was cheap and tatty that summer.

It has been a colossal catalogue of errors ever since.
It is beyond shameful.

Despite our differences on the Tonda or Lego issue, I do agree with what you’ve written here. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

It’s not difficult to build a squad, shifting players on I get is different but they’ve wasted a lot of time and money

[S-Clarke]

5 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

Sport Republic strike me as people that want to be clever and do things on the cheap.

They could be safe but no they’d rather follow data and statistics rather than good old fashioned scouting of watching a player.

Data means fuck all if a players heart isn’t in it.

They tried to build something two years ago and arguably did very well under Wilcox and Martin, JW then left and recruitment was cheap and tatty that summer.

It has been a colossal catalogue of errors ever since.
It is beyond shameful.

But their insistence to try and do things 'clever', has actually cost them multi-multi millions in attempts to correct the course. Spending £30-40m on a striker in 2022 for example would have saved them so much money longer term, but they don't seem to plan longer term. They live in this 'current' bubble.

You'd have thought their first window in 2022 when we signed all those kids, and it failed, would have been lesson learnt - but they've just doubled down on it harder, and wasted millions and millions more.

[Willo of Whiteley]

5 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

But their insistence to try and do things 'clever', has actually cost them multi-multi millions in attempts to correct the course. Spending £30-40m on a striker in 2022 for example would have saved them so much money longer term, but they don't seem to plan longer term. They live in this 'current' bubble.

You'd have thought their first window in 2022 when we signed all those kids, and it failed, would have been lesson learnt - but they've just doubled down on it harder, and wasted millions and millions more.

This entirely.

Unfortunately you can’t cure people of stupidity or being cocky etc

[Football Special]

5 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

But their insistence to try and do things 'clever', has actually cost them multi-multi millions in attempts to correct the course. Spending £30-40m on a striker in 2022 for example would have saved them so much money longer term, but they don't seem to plan longer term. They live in this 'current' bubble.

You'd have thought their first window in 2022 when we signed all those kids, and it failed, would have been lesson learnt - but they've just doubled down on it harder, and wasted millions and millions more.

They have learnt absolutely nothing

solak still advised by Rasmus 

management appointments and transfer signings with no long term strategy 

clueless 

[Harry_SFC]

42 minutes ago, Badger said:

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

Probably - but he's got better credentials than Tonda. 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

Probably - but he's got better credentials than Tonda. 

In common with 99.99999% of others. No reason to want that dreadful slow shitball continuing. 

[Mboto Gorge]

14 minutes ago, Football Special said:

They have learnt absolutely nothing

solak still advised by Rasmus 

management appointments and transfer signings with no long term strategy 

clueless 

That’s the key for me, I lost all hope when I heard dragan was still being advised by Rasmus , after what’s been presided over in the last 3 and a half years. There’s no helping this level of incompetence. They all need to fuck off 

[Willo of Whiteley]

When Rasmus goes things will get better. Sadly, he won’t.

[Ex Lion Tamer]

4 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

But their insistence to try and do things 'clever', has actually cost them multi-multi millions in attempts to correct the course. Spending £30-40m on a striker in 2022 for example would have saved them so much money longer term, but they don't seem to plan longer term. They live in this 'current' bubble.

You'd have thought their first window in 2022 when we signed all those kids, and it failed, would have been lesson learnt - but they've just doubled down on it harder, and wasted millions and millions more.

We tried to sign Gakpo for big money that summer and he wouldn't come. While I broadly agree that we should have spent more on strikers over the last few years, it's not that easy to bring in £40m calibre players. And even if they do come there's no guarantee they won't flop, meaning even more money is wasted

Edited Friday at 00:05 by Ex Lion Tamer

[SambaMaverick]

This interim to sacked pipeline/scenario has now literally played out three times... Incredible. Do they roll the dice again?

[Willo of Whiteley]

If they sacked Tonda it’ll be the assistant coach that was announced today.

#TheSportRepublicWay

[Master Bates]

On 01/01/2026 at 23:58, Willo of Whiteley said:

When Rasmus goes things will get better. Sadly, he won’t.

 

[die Mannyschaft]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

If they sacked Tonda it’ll be the assistant coach that was announced today.

#TheSportRepublicWay

Sack him also!

[James]

1 hour ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

If they sacked Tonda it’ll be the assistant coach that was announced today.

#TheSportRepublicWay

Appointing some random from some airy fairy academy as assistant manager basically guarantees Tonda will be here until the end of the season which also surely guarantees this season will be wasted. 

Edited Sunday at 18:03 by James

[Gloucester Saint]

24 minutes ago, Master Bates said:

 

He’s a vile fucking cunt. In addition to being a fraud.

Edited Sunday at 18:05 by Gloucester Saint

[Mboto Gorge]

1 minute ago, James said:

Appointing some random from some airy fairy academy as assistant manager basically guarantees Tonda will be here until the end of the season which also surely guarantees this season will be wasted. 

Maybe the plan is now to be so bad, that we end up just being relieved to stay up which they can then try to spin as a positive feeling ultimately. Masterstroke 

[die Mannyschaft]

2 minutes ago, Mboto Gorge said:

Maybe the plan is now to be so bad, that we end up just being relieved to stay up which they can then try to spin as a positive feeling ultimately. Masterstroke 

I can see that, Preston away draw sees Tonda get Saints to 4th button to avoid relegation on goal difference. 

[Roo1976]

we should go for Advil................gets to the root of the pain quickly.

[die Mannyschaft]

Man U manager available,  I would give him a call. 

[saintant]

7 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

Man U manager available,  I would give him a call. 

No thanks - he's another 3 at the back merchant. Willcocks has really made a difference to Utd 🙂 Another charlatan.

[Wade Garrett]

Good day to sack a manager.  Will go right under the radar with the Man U situation.

Not advocating they should though.

[S-Clarke]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

Good day to sack a manager.  Will go right under the radar with the Man U situation.

Not advocating they should though.

Not that there's much point, as we'll be back here in Feb looking for them to sack the manager again anyway.

There's only one element which needs to be sacked, but you can't sack ownership sadly.

[Nordic Saint]

53 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Good day to sack a manager.  Will go right under the radar with the Man U situation.

Not advocating they should though.

We've had 7 different managers under Sport Republic already. Meanwhile, the squad continues to get weaker. Before, we used to think we only needed a new goalkeeper, centre half and centre forward; now, we need 2 new full-backs as well. What Sport Republic have done to our team reminds me of that song, Three Wheels on my Wagon. Who will be the manager in charge when all the wheels have fallen off?

[Dusic]

Was on the final shortlist last time and continues to do very well at Verl so imagine Tobi Strobl would be next in line if we do make a change.

[Wade Garrett]

2 minutes ago, Dusic said:

Was on the final shortlist last time and continues to do very well at Verl so imagine Tobi Strobl would be next in line if we do make a change.

Only if he’s a former analyst and not a former player.

[saintant]

16 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

Only if he’s a former analyst and not a former player.

And only if he plays with 3 centre backs.

[tdmickey3]

Only if he is clueless

[Lymington Saint]

We will limp on with Eckhart until the summer.  Expect lower mid-table mediocrity and a miserable end to the season.  Rinse and repeat in the summer when another random assortment of players arrive and others depart.  And another inexperienced manager is appointed.  The whole strategy is broken but until Solak realises that and bins SR then we are stuffed.

[Midfield_General]

Utterly pathetic as their display was yesterday, I'm actually not entirely surprised that the players clearly don't give a fuck anymore. 

Since Ralph went, they've seen a relentless succession of nobodies walk through the door.

Selles, Jones, Martin, Rusk, Still, Eckert. Not one man who has achieved anything of any note whatsoever in the game, either as a player or a manager. Some of them haven't even played the game at any decent level. They're absolute non-entities. 

The only one who really had anything vaguely of note on their CV was Juric, from managing a club the size of Roma, but even then he had failed there pretty much completely. He also took over a squad that was utterly broken at the time and beyond saving. 

Obviously Martin got a tune out of them for a season, but even then he didn't have much by way of a CV when he came in. 29 appearances in six years for an appalling Scotland side who didn't qualify for a single tournament, whoop de fuckin do.

If you were in your well-paid, high-profile job, and every 6 - 12 months you were informed that your latest manager had gone because they were shit, and then they were replaced by yet another new person who basically also had zero track record or credibility for the level you and your company was apparently meant to be aspiring to, how would you react? Some of these players have had that up to six times now. 

It in no way excuses it, but I can see why they must be getting as jaded as we are at the endless parade of losers and nobodies who are brought in to 'lead' them. Part of me understands why they might just go 'well the club clearly don't care about delivering success, so why should we?', and just sit back and trouser their £40k a week for the next 4 years or whatever deal they're on.

It must be pretty difficult to be motivated when most of the people who are brought in to manage you have a lower standing in the game than you and half the players around you. 

Edited Monday at 14:37 by Midfield_General

[S-Clarke]

7 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

Utterly pathetic as their display was yesterday, I'm actually not entirely surprised that the players clearly don't give a fuck anymore. 

Since Ralph went, they've seen a relentless succession of nobodies walk through the door.

Selles, Jones, Martin, Rusk, Still, Eckert. Not one man who has achieved anything of any note whatsoever in the game, either as a player or a manager. Some of them haven't even played the game at any decent level. They're absolute non-entities. 

The only one who really had anything vaguely of note on their CV was Juric, from managing a club the size of Roma, but even then he had failed there pretty much completely. He also took over a squad that was utterly broken at the time and beyond saving. 

Obviously Martin got a tune out of them for a season, but even then he didn't have much by way of a CV when he came in. 

If you were in your well-paid, high-profile job, and every 6 - 12 months you were informed that your latest manager had gone because they were shit, and then they were replaced by yet another new person who basically also had zero track record or credibility for the level you and your company was apparently meant to be operating at, how would you react? Some of these players have had that six times now. 

It in no way excuses it, but I can see why they must be getting as sick as we are of the endless parade of losers and nobodies who are brought in to 'lead' them. Part of me understands why they might just go 'well the club clearly don't care about delivering success, so why should we?', and just sit back and trouser their £40k a week for the next 4 years or whatever deal they're on. 

I don't give the players any slack to be honest.

If you go way back to the Selles/Jones era, who is still here?

Gavin Bazunu, Jack Stephens, Joe Aribo, Edozie, Armstrong - that's it. The rest have arrived during Martin, during Still etc. And including Aribo and Edozie is even stretching it a bit as they don't play anymore, so we've got like 3 first team players who have been here from the Jones/Selles days, the rest aren't nearly as 'impacted' by all the managers.

I can't let the players off lightly because the moment someone really challenged their professionalism and was strict (Juric) they absolutely spat their dummies out and went crying, seemingly similar happened with Still as I'm sure that article was about us.

They want an easy life, they want a mate coaching them - or someone who isn't going to really challenge them. None of this lot are leaders, none of them have high standards, they're all happy to settle for mediocrity, take the pay cheque and ponce around for 90mins every week - so I'm sure they're more than happy with weak people like Selles/Eckert in the building as they can walk all over them. I think we have a really, really toxic group that needs removing - that's another pat of the problem. We didn't go far enough in the summer.

[Midfield_General]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't give the players any slack to be honest.

If you go way back to the Selles/Jones era, who is still here?

Gavin Bazunu, Jack Stephens, Joe Aribo, Edozie, Armstrong - that's it. The rest have arrived during Martin, during Still etc. And including Aribo and Edozie is even stretching it a bit as they don't play anymore, so we've got like 3 first team players who have been here from the Jones/Selles days, the rest aren't nearly as 'impacted' by all the managers.

I can't let the players off lightly because the moment someone really challenged their professionalism and was strict (Juric) they absolutely spat their dummies out and went crying, seemingly similar happened with Still as I'm sure that article was about us.

They want an easy life, they want a mate coaching them - or someone who isn't going to really challenge them. None of this lot are leaders, none of them have high standards, they're all happy to settle for mediocrity, take the pay cheque and ponce around for 90mins every week - so I'm sure they're more than happy with weak people like Selles/Eckert in the building as they can walk all over them. I think we have a really, really toxic group that needs removing - that's another pat of the problem. We didn't go far enough in the summer.

Three of whom have still been regular starters this season, so will be likely to 'set the tone' for the dressing room, and there's also McCarthy as well. 

I don't disagree with you, and I don't condone it, I'm just saying I can see how the toxicity might spread when it's a relentless parade of nobody after nobody coming into the pivotal role from which the leadership tone is set. 

Have you ever joined a new company, walked in through the door and realised that the team you've joined are all utterly demoralised and have basically given up? Even if you're new and keen, it knocks any motivation out of you pretty quickly and it doesn't take long to be sucked into a toxic culture. Which yes, usually stems from the bitter old-timers who have been there the longest and drag everyone down with them. 

I agree that they need to take responsibility, but with a bunch of spoilt, self-centred twats like we've got, it's starting to feel like a big 'name' who they at least respect the professional career of might be the only way to shake them up. 

I'm probably wrong of course, I'm just clutching at straws because the whole thing is so utterly demoralising and depressing and I really don't know where we go from here. 

Edited Monday at 15:58 by Midfield_General

[S-Clarke]

4 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

I don't disagree with you, and I don't condone it, I'm just saying I can see how the toxicity might spread when it's a relentless parade of nobody after nobody coming into the pivotal role from which the leadership tone is set. 

Have you ever joined a new company, walked in through the door and realised that the team you've joined are all utterly demoralised and have basically given up? Even if you're new and keen, it knocks any motivation out of you pretty quickly and it doesn't take long to be sucked it into a toxic culture. Which yes, usually stems from the bitter old-timers who have been there the longest and drag everyone down with them. 

I agree that they need to take responsibility, but with a bunch of spoilt, self-centred twats like we've got, it's starting to feel like a big 'name' who they at least respect the  professional career of might be the only way to shake them up. 

I'm probably wrong of course, I'm just clutching at straws because the whole thing is so utterly demoralising and depressing and I really don't know where we go from here. 

Oh yeah 100%, I do get where you're coming from - I know exactly what you mean and I've walked into exactly the same company you talk of, eventually you're sucked into the culture if you don't move/or if it doesn't change soon enough. Apathy is the word I'd give it.

But I think as a professional you have to have more about yourself, certainly in a profession like this, to challenge the standards and challenge the narrative - I don't think we have anyone who has that in their makeup in any way, they all wait to be led, wait to be told - but there's no one to lead them. What this often leads to are lots of little toxic cliques forming in different area's, where they 'lead' themselves and resent anyone else questioning them.

If you don't have 'leaders' on the pitch, then you at least get leaders in the coaching and management setup to garner respect and set standards - but we don't do that either, we just appoint kids to coach misguided kids. It's a really toxic setup curated by a flawed organisation, who is allowed to continue unchecked to make the same 'decisions' over and over like it's groundhog day. In any other walk of life this organisation would have been abolished by now as a 'failed' start-up, of which there have been many.

[Midfield_General]

3 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Oh yeah 100%, I do get where you're coming from - I know exactly what you mean and I've walked into exactly the same company you talk of, eventually you're sucked into the culture if you don't move/or if it doesn't change soon enough. Apathy is the word I'd give it.

But I think as a professional you have to have more about yourself, certainly in a profession like this, to challenge the standards and challenge the narrative - I don't think we have anyone who has that in their makeup in any way, they all wait to be led, wait to be told - but there's no one to lead them. What this often leads to are lots of little toxic cliques forming in different area's, where they 'lead' themselves and resent anyone else questioning them.

If you don't have 'leaders' on the pitch, then you at least get leaders in the coaching and management setup to garner respect and set standards - but we don't do that either, we just appoint kids to coach misguided kids. It's a really toxic setup curated by a flawed organisation, who is allowed to continue unchecked to make the same 'decisions' over and over like it's groundhog day. In any other walk of life this organisation would have been abolished by now as a 'failed' start-up, of which there have been many.

Agree, 100%. 

Still, I expect the appointment of Ben Garner as Tonda's assistant, from Ghana's Right to Dream Academy and most recently in England sacked by Colchester in 2023, will really bring the steady senior hand and professional gravitas that this group so badly needs. 

At last, the experts at Sport Republic have finally understood the level of quality needed for success at this level, and are stopping at nothing to bring in people like Ben who will really make an impact with players and fans alike.

Added to an elite backroom staff comprising of legends of the game Jeremy Newton, Ben Reeves, Ryan Flood and analyst Albert Jones, it's brought a real wave of renewed optimism and a feel-good factor that should stand us in great stead as we look to roar back to the Premier League. 

They've really pinpointed the issue and stopped the rot. Well done lads. Well done. 

Edited Monday at 18:16 by Midfield_General

[Saint NL]

Chelsea sacked their manager.

Man united sacked their manager.

Celtic sacked their manager (after 8 games).

Cmon Saints, join the fun

[Midfield_General]

3 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

Chelsea sacked their manager.

Man united sacked their manager.

Celtic sacked their manager (after 8 games).

Cmon Saints, join the fun

Watch SR sack Tonda and then go all out for Wilfried Nancy 

[skintsaint]

1 minute ago, Midfield_General said:

Watch SR sack Tonda and then go all out for Wilfried Nancy 

Was about to post the same, Wilfried loves a 3 centreback formation.

[VectisSaint]

Shame Celtic have acted, was quite pleased to be able to refer to Celtic as the Nancy Bhoys.

[Pengi]

By my reckoning, we have appointed 33 managers since 2000.

[saintant]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

Oh yeah 100%, I do get where you're coming from - I know exactly what you mean and I've walked into exactly the same company you talk of, eventually you're sucked into the culture if you don't move/or if it doesn't change soon enough. Apathy is the word I'd give it.

But I think as a professional you have to have more about yourself, certainly in a profession like this, to challenge the standards and challenge the narrative - I don't think we have anyone who has that in their makeup in any way, they all wait to be led, wait to be told - but there's no one to lead them. What this often leads to are lots of little toxic cliques forming in different area's, where they 'lead' themselves and resent anyone else questioning them.

If you don't have 'leaders' on the pitch, then you at least get leaders in the coaching and management setup to garner respect and set standards - but we don't do that either, we just appoint kids to coach misguided kids. It's a really toxic setup curated by a flawed organisation, who is allowed to continue unchecked to make the same 'decisions' over and over like it's groundhog day. In any other walk of life this organisation would have been abolished by now as a 'failed' start-up, of which there have been many.

I see what you did there 🙂

[Doctoroncall]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

Agree, 100%. 

Still, I expect the appointment of Ben Garner as Tonda's assistant, from Ghana's Right to Dream Academy and most recently in England sacked by Colchester in 2023, will really bring the steady senior hand and professional gravitas that this group so badly needs. 

At last, the experts at Sport Republic have finally understood the level of quality needed for success at this level, and are stopping at nothing to bring in people like Ben who will really make an impact with players and fans alike.

Added to an elite backroom staff comprising of legends of the game Jeremy Newton, Ben Reeves, Ryan Flood and analyst Albert Jones, it's brought a real wave of renewed optimism and a feel-good factor that should stand us in great stead as we look to roar back to the Premier League. 

They've really stopped the rot. Well done lads. Well done. 

The key element here is they will not be poached!

It then remains to be seen as to what year they are expecting us to return to the PL to earn that big fat performance bonus 🤣

spreadsheets at the ready….

[Gloucester Saint]

20 minutes ago, Pengi said:

By my reckoning, we have appointed 33 managers since 2000.

Shocking compared to postwar, although it’s probably not much better for a lot of medium to large clubs. Man U have had a similar ratio post-Fergie.

[Gloucester Saint]

2 hours ago, S-Clarke said:

I think we have a really, really toxic group that needs removing - that's another pat of the problem. We didn't go far enough in the summer.

Who do you reckon those are? Stephens obviously, Manning, Bazunu possibly? Or is it just capability with him?

Nathan Wood? THB? Downes? Archer? Possibly Damion Downs although he’s being shipped out already having been the club’s worst postwar outfield player in living memory. Even worse than Ali Dia and Lee Todd. 

Seems to be a Swansea/Martin core at work there.