Was it right to give Tonda the job?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

7 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Tonda played 3-4-2-1 (which let's be honest regrets to a 5-2-2-1) with the u21s. Its mandated throughout the club.

Seems most likely that Still (who wanted to play 4-2-3-1 but didn't) and tonda were instructed to play the same way with the first and B teams by the club when all things are considered. It's that or a previously successful manager (in Still) openly wanted to play a formation that he had the players for, but inexplicably didn't... Whilst the new "succession planning u21 coach" just happened to play the same formation that Still was reluctantly playing...

Ralph was hardcore advocate of his 4-2-2-2 for pretty much his entire career until SR arrived at saints... then in they came and all of a sudden we changed to 5 at the back, and so it has largely continued. Selles did briefly try to revert back to the traditional 4-2-2-2 Ralph formation but to no avail.

Jones was a 3-5-2 mananger.

Juric core formation was also 3-4-2-1.

Simon rusk played a 3-4-2-1 primarily, or a 5-4-1.

The only real exception really was when Wilcox was here and appointed Martin, who was seemingly left alone to play "his way", and for all his flaws (of which there were many), the period playing 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 under martin was the only successful period under SR. Obviously then Wilcox left and Martin started adopting more 3-5-2 variants over last year's absolute car crash season 🤔..

Could all be pure fluke and coincidence, but it's a shite formation and we seem to be seeing an awful lot of it under SR.

 

 

Agreed. SR don't have to get involved in insisting on day to day things, necessarily.

They have decided, through their data, on a style of play. Their recruitment process insists on incoming personnel adapting to that system. 

It's the same, and increasingly, the case with player recruitment. SR merged the scouting depts of their clubs into more of a data driven model. And using the database of recruits they've bought into accessing. Those recruits are to fit the SR model of player trading, and their preferred system. Now we have a head coach reliant on what recruitment tell him. 

Previous managers have had to deal with whatever SR ended up with at the end of a window - Downs, Orsic, Groenback. That extends to where they want to recruit. The Baz project, keeping with Stewart's return.

Some of it has been impacted by them getting it wrong right from the first window they had. But they've happily reinforced their errors of judgement.

[Ted Bates Statue]

13 hours ago, AlexLaw76 said:

It'll be Rob Edwards as manager come next season. You wait.

Would it be that bad? He's turned two midtable sides into strong contenders for promotion. Got better results out of Boro than Rasmus' previous favourite manager Carrick

[AlexLaw76]

9 minutes ago, Ted Bates Statue said:

Would it be that bad? He's turned two midtable sides into strong contenders for promotion. Got better results out of Boro than Rasmus' previous favourite manager Carrick

Did he play 3 CBs at Boro?

[Lord Duckhunter]

16 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

It’s very easy to say that we should have gone for a more experienced option but Tonda had experience of this squad and got some cracking results out of them. The momentum was very much with him and we don’t know how any of the other possible candidates would have done. We could be sat here now, no better off and saying, "why didn’t we give the bloke who won four out of five a proper go FFS!"

Agreed. There’s a lot of rewriting history going on lately.  I’d have preferred someone else but once results, and more importantly performance ,were dso good h, he deserved the job. Overall the points total is probably about par, and I’m not sure anyone else would have more from those games, but the issue is the downward trajectory. Spells like this are when experience is vital ,so not having any is defo a worry,. I’m a bit on the fence at the moment, we probably could have done  better, but we could have done a lot worse and still be grubbing around the bottom of the league.  Once results were so good the club were in a difficult situation, his results pretty much made it inevitable he’d get the gig, 

 

One thing for sure, is there’s a lot more saying they never wanted him now, than there was after those victories 

Edited Friday at 12:55 by Lord Duckhunter

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

No. Absutely not. 

I've got nothing against the guy but you need a manager with experience at this level. If he's part of the long-term plan then Tonda should've been made assistant manager but to give him the job made no more sense than giving it to Will Still. 

[Oh no Mick Mills]

100% yes....when we win.

100% no. When we lose.

[vectraman]

What Tonda can’t do is rip into the lazy useless players after insipid performances, and tell them how it is.
He doesn’t have the gravitas, football experience or life experience to do it. Most of our problems are the players reverting to lazy, non running tippy tappy shitball again. No wonder they “liked him and wanted him as manager”. Easy life. 
An experienced manager wouldn’t come in and work under Sport Republics interfering demands with formations and style required, hence we get work experience managers with no experience at all.
Happy days. Not. 

[Saint86]

2 hours ago, vectraman said:

What Tonda can’t do is rip into the lazy useless players after insipid performances, and tell them how it is.
He doesn’t have the gravitas, football experience or life experience to do it. Most of our problems are the players reverting to lazy, non running tippy tappy shitball again. No wonder they “liked him and wanted him as manager”. Easy life. 
An experienced manager wouldn’t come in and work under Sport Republics interfering demands with formations and style required, hence we get work experience managers with no experience at all.
Happy days. Not. 

I think this isn't far wide of the mark. By all accounts the players wanted rid of still (or at least a significant set of players did). I would say it now looks like they've played to get a young manager the players like the job... and are now reverting to type under a manager that basically has no real authority over them. Its long been rumoured that we have a rotten dressing room, and sadly the same core group of players have never been moved on... 

[LGTL]

It’s already well documented, but we’d be well rid of about half the starting 11. It’s a horrendous dressing room and they aren’t stupid. It’s been known all season that Spors wanted his lover in charge and the players latched on to this and fancied the easy ride he is giving them. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 minutes ago, LGTL said:

It’s been known all season that Spors wanted his lover in charge and the players latched on to this and fancied the easy ride he is giving them. 

If that’s true, why did he bother with Still? Why not just appoint his “lover” from day one. Unless of course it was all a cunning plan, get someone in he thought would fail, putting promotion and his position in doubt, for his “lover” to come along and rescue us. For this cunning plan to work, the players needed to put in 4 or 5 brilliant performances until The Lover got the job. 
 

Of course the alternative take, is he got Tonda in because he thinks eventually he’ll be a top coach, who could run the youngsters before eventually stepping up to replace Still. a combination of Still’s shitty spell & Tonda’s first few results as an interim changed that and he thought results deserved him a shot.
 

 

[Dr Who?]

In hindsight no, at the time yes, we were flying. Should have kept him caretaker until the end of the season then not take him on, rather than sacking him at the end of the season. 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 hours ago, Saint86 said:

I think this isn't far wide of the mark. By all accounts the players wanted rid of still (or at least a significant set of players did). I would say it now looks like they've played to get a young manager the players like the job... and are now reverting to type under a manager that basically has no real authority over them. Its long been rumoured that we have a rotten dressing room, and sadly the same core group of players have never been moved on... 

Possible, but he should have given them some in the interviews after yesterday and Oxford, but if true, bottled it. Shouldn’t be in post regardless of age - the lad at Brighton wouldn’t shirk doing it and doesn’t. Better still, drop the troublemakers and bomb them out this month. The squad is big enough to do so. 

Edited Friday at 19:50 by Gloucester Saint

[The Kraken]

1 hour ago, Dr Who? said:

In hindsight no, at the time yes, we were flying. Should have kept him caretaker until the end of the season then not take him on, rather than sacking him at the end of the season. 

I know that it seems easy to say it like that but if you think about it, it isn’t. Eckert went from having a secure gig with the youngsters to being put as head honcho (temporarily) into a Championship job. A “caretaker” is most often a short term thing until a new manager is brought in. Caretaker until the end of the season is a long time, and if he had done that it’s harder to see how he would just pick up his old job with us again. Ergo, he’d be agreeing to a likely dismissal in a few months time.  Also, players are a notoriously fickle and delicate bunch who want long term security themselves by having a manager they think will stay around. I think the club probably made the best of it at that time given they had decided on Eckert and not a recognised manager: give him a contract so it looks a bit secure, then if they bin him at the end of the season he gets a year in compensation.

[pimpin4rizeal]

On 01/01/2026 at 20:33, saintant said:

Wow, it's our fault 🙂

Whether it’s fault or not is another discussion . But if everyone is happy that’s he’s being appointed it’s pretty lame to moan about it a few games later with opinion changing like the wind every couple of games .. 

the evidence that he had no experience was clear as day  sr wanted to appoint him chose to give him a trial the results and all the fans jumoing on board would only make their life easier

[Sheaf Saint]

42 minutes ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

Whether it’s fault or not is another discussion . But if everyone is happy that’s he’s being appointed it’s pretty lame to moan about it a few games later with opinion changing like the wind every couple of games .. 

the evidence that he had no experience was clear as day  sr wanted to appoint him chose to give him a trial the results and all the fans jumoing on board would only make their life easier

Not everybody was happy about it though. Plenty of us were dubious (to say the least), and many had a reluctant acceptance based on the run of games while he was interim. But to say everyone was happy is rewriting history somewhat.

[swannymere]

 They can't win can they, if memory serves me correctly the vast majority of posts on here after the appontment were very positive.

[lhammondo]

On 02/01/2026 at 02:02, pimpin4rizeal said:

Our fan base in general was as naive as the board. Well too late now you got what you wanted 

This

[Sheaf Saint]

3 hours ago, swannymere said:

 They can't win can they, if memory serves me correctly the vast majority of posts on here after the appontment were very positive.

Cautiously optimistic, yes. But 'very positive' is pushing it.

[pimpin4rizeal]

11 hours ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Not everybody was happy about it though. Plenty of us were dubious (to say the least), and many had a reluctant acceptance based on the run of games while he was interim. But to say everyone was happy is rewriting history somewhat.

Granted a few of us remained cautious  ,my opinion has been stable throughout there’s nothing to me that would suggest picking tonda over Carrick for example not saying he would have been my pick but he’s done it at this level has got the best out of the likes of archer and azaz would get huge respect from the players 

[Gloucester Saint]

4 hours ago, swannymere said:

 They can't win can they, if memory serves me correctly the vast majority of posts on here after the appontment were very positive.

They can win by not enforcing this dreadful formation regardless of the opposition, the horrific crab football and sorting out key positions but SR choose not to. That’s 100% on them and their choice. Their penalty is falling attendances, hostility and people like me and thousands of others turning their back after 40 plus years.

They can change it whenever they want but instead stubbornly stick two fingers up at everyone associated with the club for challenging the validity of their lunatic experiments led by Rasmus.

Edited Saturday at 10:50 by Gloucester Saint

[Willo of Whiteley]

The fact that so many people have voted yes is a little alarming, yet they don’t comment or explain a reason why.

It’s like those people that voted Brexit, or for the Tories or now Reform - I’ve never met one.

(Maybe it shows I walk among better social circles). 😂

Edited Saturday at 11:08 by Willo of Whiteley

[trousers]

Is there anyone on here from the 'Fan Advisory Board' who can advise why there are no minutes from the meeting they had with Spors on 4th November up on their webpage: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/meeting-minutes ?

The meeting where Spors was giving an update on his search for a new manager at the time...

Transparency....? 

Edited Saturday at 11:23 by trousers

[trousers]

5 hours ago, swannymere said:

 They can't win can they, if memory serves me correctly the vast majority of posts on here after the appontment were very positive.

Perhaps people were happy with the dynamic 'go for it' version of Tonda we had prior to his permanent appointment but are not so happy with the subdued risk-averse version we have now...? It's not inconsistent to adjust one's viewpoint on a person if said person changes their behaviour....

[saintant]

4 minutes ago, trousers said:

Perhaps people were happy with the dynamic 'go for it' version of Tonda we had prior to his permanent appointment but are not so happy with the subdued risk-averse version we have now...? It's not inconsistent to adjust one's viewpoint on a person if said person changes their behaviour....

Exactly this - people were basing their approval of his appointment on the six wins from seven games and the football played which was on a level we haven't seen in a long time. It would be unrealistic to think those exact same levels could be maintained but it's the massive drop off in results and playing style that leads people to now say his appointment was a mistake. In addition he shows zero ability to make tweaks or changes that correct the slide which rings more alarm bells. He is not helping the team and he is not helping himself.

[S-Clarke]

31 minutes ago, trousers said:

Is there anyone on here from the 'Fan Advisory Board' who can advise why there are no minutes from the meeting they had with Spors on 4th November up on their webpage: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/meeting-minutes ?

The meeting where Spors was giving an update on his search for a new manager at the time...

Transparency....? 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't someone from the 'Fan Advisory Board' - or at least someone who knew someone on it - proclaim that Spors reiterated in person to their faces that we wouldn't be moving Tonda from interim.

[Miltonaggro]

5 hours ago, swannymere said:

 They can't win can they, if memory serves me correctly the vast majority of posts on here after the appontment were very positive.

I think that a majority of fans were surprised and upbeat after the run of good results, but following Still’s sacking would have preferred a football manager rather than yet another work experience project. The reason why Sport Republic can’t win is because they don’t learn. 

[Willo of Whiteley]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't someone from the 'Fan Advisory Board' - or at least someone who knew someone on it - proclaim that Spors reiterated in person to their faces that we wouldn't be moving Tonda from interim.

That is correct.

Something else we can add to the list of SR screw ups.

[S-Clarke]

Just now, Willo of Whiteley said:

That is correct.

Something else we can add to the list of SR screw ups.

I guess that's why the minutes of that meeting haven't been published then.

#coverup 

Maybe Alfie can get another meeting with Spors in a few weeks to confirm the situation? Although the club will likely refuse entry because it's not all rainbows and Unicorns anymore.

[Badger]

55 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

The fact that so many people have voted yes is a little alarming, yet they don’t comment or explain a reason why.

It’s like those people that voted Brexit, or for the Tories or now Reform - I’ve never met one.

(Maybe it shows I walk among better social circles). 😂

Can’t speak for anyone else but I’ve explained my reasoning in a couple of posts higher up the thread. 
 

You have to accept there are differing opinions, and it could equally be argued that some of the ‘no’ voters are  trying to be smartarses, wise after the event.

Unable to comment on the social circles you move in, but as I understand Whitely is in a PO postcode it might be best not to shout about it. 
 

(Last comment only said in jest). 

[RedArmy]

20 hours ago, Saint86 said:

I think this isn't far wide of the mark. By all accounts the players wanted rid of still (or at least a significant set of players did). I would say it now looks like they've played to get a young manager the players like the job... and are now reverting to type under a manager that basically has no real authority over them. Its long been rumoured that we have a rotten dressing room, and sadly the same core group of players have never been moved on... 

the exact same scenario as Selles. Played hard and got a good result at Chelsea, celebrated on the pitch with him making out like he was the man to keep us up. As soon as he got the job they turned it in annd only tried to play well against teams they thought they could get a move to and then most of them fucked off in the summer. 
 

Rotten to the core and it starts with the captain. 
 

I think it was Walcott that has come out and said since that most of the players were sat on their phones at half time that season. Mental. 

Edited Saturday at 12:20 by RedArmy

[LGTL]

1 hour ago, S-Clarke said:

I guess that's why the minutes of that meeting haven't been published then.

#coverup 

Maybe Alfie can get another meeting with Spors in a few weeks to confirm the situation? Although the club will likely refuse entry because it's not all rainbows and Unicorns anymore.

Funny thing is, Eckert had already been offered the job full time at that point 😂 Yet that Yasmin on the FAB lapped it up.

We were never getting anyone else at any point. 

Edited Saturday at 13:23 by LGTL

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, RedArmy said:

Rotten to the core and it starts with the captain. 
 

I think it was Walcott that has come out and said since that most of the players were sat on their phones at half time that season. Mental. 

So JWP was to blame for that then, he was captain when Walcott played that season. Or is it only when Jack Stephen’s is captain, that it “starts with the captain”?

[Midfield_General]

It will be interesting to see how long they give him if this current slump continues. While we won’t go down, we’re currently one defeat and goal difference away from being 18th. If we start slipping back down towards the relegation places, lose away at the skates and keep playing this shite football then the crowd could easily turn toxic again, and we all know how this board of cowards and idiots reacts to deflect attention from their own failures when that happens. 

Edited Saturday at 14:02 by Midfield_General

[Willo of Whiteley]

1 hour ago, Badger said:

Can’t speak for anyone else but I’ve explained my reasoning in a couple of posts higher up the thread. 
 

You have to accept there are differing opinions, and it could equally be argued that some of the ‘no’ voters are  trying to be smartarses, wise after the event.

Unable to comment on the social circles you move in, but as I understand Whitely is in a PO postcode it might be best not to shout about it. 
 

(Last comment only said in jest). 

That did tickle me 😂

Apologies, I didn’t actually see your post initially 😀

I was a yes to him, now I’m firmly a no, he’s just showing he is out of his depth now. To add insult to injury this poor form makes you think about Spors comments about how Tonda Eckhart wasn’t being considered for the job when he met with the fan advisory board in November.

[trousers]

...

Edited Saturday at 14:25 by trousers

[coalman]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

Can’t speak for anyone else but I’ve explained my reasoning in a couple of posts higher up the thread. 
 

You have to accept there are differing opinions, and it could equally be argued that some of the ‘no’ voters are  trying to be smartarses, wise after the event.

Unable to comment on the social circles you move in, but as I understand Whitely is in a PO postcode it might be best not to shout about it. 
 

(Last comment only said in jest). 

I was a yes after his start but he's changed my mind with the last few performances. But, on the basis of the first 5 or 6 games he earned a shot at getting us promoted. I'm still hopeful he'll see how teams are setting up against us and adapt.

[saintant]

9 minutes ago, coalman said:

I was a yes after his start but he's changed my mind with the last few performances. But, on the basis of the first 5 or 6 games he earned a shot at getting us promoted. I'm still hopeful he'll see how teams are setting up against us and adapt.

Not convinced. Everything about him screams one trick pony.

[Miltonaggro]

1 hour ago, Midfield_General said:

It will be interesting to see how long they give him if this current slump continues. While we won’t go down, we’re currently one defeat and goal difference away from being 18th. If we start slipping back down towards the relegation places, lose away at the skates and keep playing this shite football then the crowd could easily turn toxic again, and we all know how this board of cowards and idiots reacts to deflect attention from their own failures when that happens. 

Would be right on brand if he was sacked on February 1st. 

[BarberSaint]

Tonda's at the wheel and we're heading for the wall.

[The Kraken]

I just watched the Old Firm Derby, Rangers came back from 1-0 down at half time to win 3-1 at Celtic. The ex a Celtic pundit afterwards was lamenting that the new manager instantly brought in a 3 CB system and it just isn’t working. And despite being 2 goals down and chasing the game, he changed nothing. Danny Röhl meanwhile made a tactical change at half time and the difference was night and day. The difference between a flexible manager, and one wedded to a system. Sounds familiar.

[tdmickey3]

A song for SFC 

Down, Down, Deeper and Down

[Midfield_General]

12 minutes ago, The Kraken said:

I just watched the Old Firm Derby, Rangers came back from 1-0 down at half time to win 3-1 at Celtic. The ex a Celtic pundit afterwards was lamenting that the new manager instantly brought in a 3 CB system and it just isn’t working. And despite being 2 goals down and chasing the game, he changed nothing. Danny Röhl meanwhile made a tactical change at half time and the difference was night and day. The difference between a flexible manager, and one wedded to a system. Sounds familiar.

As discussed on the 'non-Saints games' thread: 

Nancy took over a team who’d won 7 out of 8, changed the system and formation to fit his 'philosophy', and has now lost 6 in 8, with the same players. 

Rohl took over a team 8th in a 12-team league who'd only won 1 out of 7 league games, changed it away from Martin's 'philosophy' which was utterly failing, and now has them 3 points off the top and with a very real chance of winning the title, with the same players. 

But apparently managers and formations aren’t important, according to some on here 🤣

Edited Saturday at 15:20 by Midfield_General

[saintant]

10 minutes ago, Midfield_General said:

As discussed on the 'non-Saints games' thread: 

Nancy took over a team who’d won 7 out of 8, changed the system and formation to fit his 'philosophy', and has now lost 6 in 8, with the same players. 

Rohl took over a team 8th in a 12-team league who'd only won 1 out of 7 league games, changed it away from Martin's 'philosophy' which was utterly failing, and now has them 3 points off the top and with a very real chance of winning the title, with the same players. 

But apparently managers and formations aren’t important, according to some on here 🤣

Quality 🙂

[danjosaint]

A bit like Amorim, 1st time in  18mths played a 4231 against Newcastle, got the 3 points, then prompty changed back to 3/5 the following game and were awful and held 1v1 by Wolves as they didnt control the midfield 

Edited Saturday at 16:22 by danjosaint

[Andy Hill]

If he keeps us up then yes….based on the fact that the squad is mediocre with no decent striker available for most of the season. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

11 minutes ago, Andy Hill said:

If he keeps us up then yes….based on the fact that the squad is mediocre with no decent striker available for most of the season. 

Keeps us up, or gets us up? 

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

57 minutes ago, Andy Hill said:

If he keeps us up then yes….based on the fact that the squad is mediocre with no decent striker available for most of the season. 

I still dont get how people think we have a mediocre squad! 

[Midfield_General]

2 hours ago, Andy Hill said:

If he keeps us up then yes….based on the fact that the squad is mediocre with no decent striker available for most of the season. 

You think that in the second tier, with £55m+ spent, a squad full of internationals and under-21 internationals, probably the best player in the division, and the league's current top goalscorer, he will have achieved success if he doesn't relegate us? 

This place is priceless

Edited Saturday at 20:54 by Midfield_General

[Badger]

6 hours ago, BarberSaint said:

Tonda's at the wheel and we're heading for the wall.

At the wheel, but with ‘L’ plates on still it seems 

[Wade Garrett]

On 02/01/2026 at 13:33, vectraman said:

What Tonda can’t do is rip into the lazy useless players after insipid performances, and tell them how it is.
He doesn’t have the gravitas, football experience or life experience to do it. Most of our problems are the players reverting to lazy, non running tippy tappy shitball again. No wonder they “liked him and wanted him as manager”. Easy life. 
An experienced manager wouldn’t come in and work under Sport Republics interfering demands with formations and style required, hence we get work experience managers with no experience at all.
Happy days. Not. 

This just about sums it up for me.  Perfect analysis.