Should Saints sack Tonda?

[Cabrone]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

He’ll get a good job in Europe. Let’s remember what he’s got in trouble for is only a crime in the championship. I suspect a lot of European clubs are looking at us now thinking how ridiculous it is

Absolutely, there will be a lot of European clubs tracking this saga with an eye to approaching him.

If Tonda goes he will be fine, we on the other hand will get another 3rd rate dodgy experiment courtesy of the brains in SR.

[sfc4prem]

3 minutes ago, Forester said:

Still think this will be taken out of our hands.  It won’t just be a touch line ban.

Why do you think it will be that much harsher than Bielsa back in the day?

[LaptopSaint]

I don’t see anyone arguing we keep him if he is subject to a long ban, but that isn’t a foregone conclusion. 

We’ve got much better lawyers in place now who are playing hardball with all parties. 
It was an absolute dereliction of duty that they weren’t in place when we needed them (Thanks Mr Parsons, the P45 is in the envelope on the table) but we have them now.
 

Let’s see what happens next.  

[RedArmy]

56 minutes ago, Saint Marky said:

I want the best chance for promotion, Tonda without doubt is that

As much as I’m in the ‘keep Tonda if we can’ camp, I’m not sure that’s strictly true when Scott Parker is available* 

 

*not for long if West Ham get him. 
 

 

[Saint_clark]

46 minutes ago, trousers said:

Is this one of those "I know it to be true but can't divulge my source so I'll ask it as a question instead" posts...?

Is THIS one of those "I know it to be true but can't divulge my source so I'll ask it as a question instead" posts...?

[trousers]

43 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’d say more like swimming in the Ganges, personally.

Spiritual...?

[BERMUDASAINT]

46 minutes ago, trousers said:

If, at last week's player / management/ ownership summit, if the players had a near unanimously 'vote of no confidence' in Tonda then surely Sport Republic would have axes him there and then...? No point waiting for the FA enquiry to conclude in that scenario, surely?

So, if the firing didnt occur, should we assume the players are behind him? Seem a reasonable assumption. 

Majority of fans want to keep him, from the poll stats.

Has Dragon decided we are sticking with the coach and it was a mistake we can recover from?

I understand keeping quiet, the rest of the world had moved on. Those that wanted sever punishment got it and have moved on. The few outsiders still carrying on because they feel the punishment does not fit the crime are now being heard as the media freakshow subsides.

Why antgonise the FA, they know we feel harshly done by. Let the noise die down, emotions die out, level heads and all that. Our poll show a little time to digest our feelings and take emotion out of it, we are voting to keep Tonda.

[CSA96]

39 minutes ago, samhammond said:

Interesting...

His account is followed by Kuryu Matsuki, but none of the other players in the squad. So the logical assumption is that Kuryu is the regular first teamer that still backs Eckert

(either that or he just wanted to see what the fans think but didn't want to press Out in order to see the results )

[Disco Stu]

38 minutes ago, Graffito said:

The Mostyn KC article. Worth a read. He calls the tribunal decision a travesty of justice.
 

https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2026/05/26/op-ed-sir-nicholas-mostyn-kc-soutampton-fc-admiral-byng-is-shot-again/

Is he suggesting we could take the EFL to the high court?

[Hopper]

The further we get from what happened the more I'm coming round to the idea he might stay. The sticking point for me is whether he has the players backing. If he has, and he is able to make a statement, hold his hands up and draw a line under eveything, it might just give us the seige mentallity we need to take into next season.

Pressuring an Intern is the only part of what happened that I find completely indefensible and he should be sanctioned for it.

If he does get banned it's out of our hands anyway.

One thing is for sure the club need to say something... anything.

Edited 4 hours ago by Hopper

[John B]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

He’ll get a good job in Europe. Let’s remember what he’s got in trouble for is only a crime in the championship. I suspect a lot of European clubs are looking at us now thinking how ridiculous it is

You may think it is ridiculous but it was rule we should have respected we did not so we have to accept the consequences.

 

That said Tonda will get a decent job somewhere else and I will follow his career with interest

 

A number of sportsmen have been banned and returned successfully

[Harry_SFC]

Maybe the players (like the fans) were initially fuming but now the heat of the moment has passed are coming round to keeping him and making a go of it next season. Who knows. 

The big personalities are likely to be gone anyway (THB, Scienza, Peretz etc) 

[trousers]

54 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

What's the good news? They've cracked the flux capacitor and Dragan is off in his Delorean to burst all the tyres on William Salts vehicle before he sets off to Middlesbrough? Other than that there isn't really any good news that could resolve this.

Well, yes, of course... But "good news" and "resolving what's happened" aren't necessarily mutually exclusive events.... 

Potential 'good news' examples that won't resolve what's happened*...

- refunds for play off semi finals

- Sport Republic decide to sell up

- the majority of players decide they're staying on to right the wrongs next season

- half price season ticket renewals

- Dragan to treble his investment in the club to almost guarantee us auto promotion next season

- Monkey chicken dolphin petting zoo finally granted  planning permission 

(*No I don't think any of these will actually happen, it's just unhinged "mental gymnastics" FFS... )

Edited 4 hours ago by trousers

[saint michael]

48 minutes ago, Graffito said:

The Mostyn KC article. Worth a read. He calls the tribunal decision a travesty of justice.
 

https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2026/05/26/op-ed-sir-nicholas-mostyn-kc-soutampton-fc-admiral-byng-is-shot-again/

Yes very interesting read. Suggests that evidence was not used to spell out in the judgement for it reasons for the punishment. 
 

also suggests that the public nature of the sub jud gave an unfair view and possible bias to the outcome. 

Edited 4 hours ago by saint michael

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

12 minutes ago, BERMUDASAINT said:

So, if the firing didnt occur, should we assume the players are behind him? Seem a reasonable assumption.

Yes, my original take was to ask the players to get their views on staying/Tonda etc, but not firing him might more be because of who else is implicated.

[trousers]

27 minutes ago, Forester said:

Gonna say this slowly as it doesn’t seem to be sinking in with the “don’t sack Tonda” brigade…….

WHAT………..IF……..HE…….IS……BANNED……FOR……MONTHS…….?

Still think this will be taken out of our hands.  It won’t just be a touch line ban.

I would imagine that most people voting to stick with Tonda will be mindful that it's caveated on the outcome of the FA enquiry....

[Pengi]

1 hour ago, trousers said:

Is this one of those "I know it to be true but can't divulge my source so I'll ask it as a question instead" posts...?

I seem to remember a post where Tonda was meeting the players. Also a post where Spors briefed the players following the Expulsion - no mention of Tonda being present. Just putting two and two together and probably  making nothing.

[trousers]

18 minutes ago, BERMUDASAINT said:

Those that wanted sever punishment got it

Blimey... I hadn't realised the punishment was that harsh...

[Disco Stu]

37 minutes ago, Forester said:

Gonna say this slowly as it doesn’t seem to be sinking in with the “don’t sack Tonda” brigade…….

WHAT………..IF……..HE…….IS……BANNED……FOR……MONTHS…….?

Still think this will be taken out of our hands.  It won’t just be a touch line ban.

That's just stating the obvious. The question is should he stay if the decision isn't taken out of our hands.

[hypochondriac]

42 minutes ago, Forester said:

Gonna say this slowly as it doesn’t seem to be sinking in with the “don’t sack Tonda” brigade…….

WHAT………..IF……..HE…….IS……BANNED……FOR……MONTHS…….?

Still think this will be taken out of our hands.  It won’t just be a touch line ban.

are you under the impression that anyone on here thinks that isn't a possibility?

[hypochondriac]

10 minutes ago, trousers said:

I would imagine that most people voting to stick with Tonda will be mindful that it's caveated on the outcome of the FA enquiry....

I think the fact they haven't done it yet is either because they want to sack him off without a payout and so want to wait for the FA to do it (although you'd think he would be on gardening leave prior to that and maybe they'd have enough already to get rid regardless of what the FA do) or there must be at least a possibility that he stays and they are figuring out how they would be able to credibly do that. I think there is an argument that unless there is some sort of further punishment, if the players are behind him then they are just making us worse by sacking him. This could all be moot though if they come out to borrow with a announcement that he's gone and no one would be surprised.

[Wade Garrett]

I’ve had time to cool down over the situation.

Seems quite split if the poll is representative of the whole fan base.  The way I see it:

Tonda stays - some of the fans happy and renew, some pissed off and renew, some pissed off and don’t renew.

Tonda goes but we appoint a proven manager - I don’t think many wouldn’t renew that want Tonda to stay.  Those that want him out would renew.

Tonda goes and we make another clever bollocks appointment - you would be pissing off the entire fanbase and plenty wouldn’t renew.

If I was running the club, I would sack Tonda and appoint a decent manager.

The board are currently doing their normal thing of jack-shit at the moment.  Someone seriously needs to put a rocket up their arses.

[LeBizzier69]

2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

are you under the impression that anyone on here thinks that isn't a possibility?

I'd say it's a probability - but just imagine the absolute fury from everyone on opening day of the season, with 25000 saints fans singing "we've got Eckert..." - i mean, a proper siege mentality....we'd be hated by pretty much everyone.

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, LeBizzier69 said:

I'd say it's a probability - but just imagine the absolute fury from everyone on opening day of the season, with 25000 saints fans singing "we've got Eckert..." - i mean, a proper siege mentality....we'd be hated by pretty much everyone.

I'm well up for it. I wanted him out immediately but now he seemingly hasn't gone yet and I've calmed down, I think I'd feel worse if we get some new bloke in who is crap and Tonda goes to elsewhere and is great. Success on the pitch will heal everything. Like you say though fairly good chance it's taken out of our hands.

[LaptopSaint]

2 minutes ago, LeBizzier69 said:

I'd say it's a probability - but just imagine the absolute fury from everyone on opening day of the season, with 25000 saints fans singing "we've got Eckert..." - i mean, a proper siege mentality....we'd be hated by pretty much everyone.

We’ve got Eckert

Tonda Eckert 

I just don’t think you understand 

We’re doing really well

Fuck the EFL

We’ve got Tonda Eckert

[Morse]

Its Parsons who should be sacked. Completely fumbled the situation. 

[LaptopSaint]

1 minute ago, Morse said:

Its Parsons who should be sacked. Completely fumbled the situation. 

100%

[Starksj1995]

Tonda and parsons should be sacked tbh 

[Channons Windmill]

I’m pretty certain all on the management side at the club will have received very clear guidance to say nothing at all at this point - I know this was case in my corporate days when the shit really hits the fan. Hopefully they’ve started to look at this whole thing with a clear head and away from Gibson’s noise to understand the severity of the situation before making the next round of decisions. If the club failed to properly train Tonda (which appears to be suggested) then sacking him opens up another round of legal action. Having worked in regulated industries for most of my adult life, it is the Company’s responsibility to provide adequate training and to maintain levels of competence.

I also know the FA/PL/EFL will be extremely worried about the precedent this creates - if ‘cheating’ has such a severe penalty, then how long, for instance, before a team takes legal action after losing/drawing a game due to ‘cheating’? Where is the line drawn? A last minute dive for a penalty? A last minute professional foul? It could really ruin the game (even more)…

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Channons Windmill

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Channons Windmill said:

I’m pretty certain all on the management side at the club will have received very clear guidance to say nothing at all at this point - I know this was case in my corporate days when the shit really hits the fan. Hopefully they’ve started to look at this whole thing with a clear head and away from Gibson’s noise to understand the severity of the situation before making the next round of decisions. If the club failed to properly train Tonda (which appears to be suggested) then sacking him opens up another round of legal action. Having worked in regulated industries for most of my adult life, it is the Company’s responsibility to provide adequate training and to maintain levels of competence.

I also know the FA/PL/EFL will be extremely worried about the precedent this creates - if ‘cheating’ has such a severe penalty, then how long, for instance, before a team takes legal action after losing/drawing a game due to ‘cheating’? Where is the line drawn? A last minute dive for a penalty? A last minute professional foul? It could really ruin the game (even more)…

 

 

I'm not sure that's correct. We were kicked out of the competition and deducted points for spying in a systemic manner, possibly aggravated by using lower paid interns who felt pressured into doing it. It's never going to be compared to something like a last-minute dive or foul. It's very clear what the difference is.

[Saint86]

2 hours ago, CSA96 said:

 

AC Milan could come and clean our house. Stranger things have happened.

[Channons Windmill]

8 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm not sure that's correct. We were kicked out of the competition and deducted points for spying in a systemic manner, possibly aggravated by using lower paid interns who felt pressured into doing it. It's never going to be compared to something like a last-minute dive or foul. It's very clear what the difference is.

But my point was about what constitutes cheating, and this open the doors to subsequent claims however spurious…. There is a real concern in football about this.

[Willo of Whiteley]

I think we’re in a good position to be promoted next season.

It might seem a bit ridiculous but we’re still an attractive prospect, big club, good facilities, playing squad etc.

Players might want to leave, but contracts are still valid, I think we’ll cash in on a couple but not as many as people think.

This summer will now show the owners business model. Whether they give a toss more about which league we’re in or player trading.

[Saint86]

2 hours ago, die Mannyschaft said:

I cant see any Saints players wanting to continue with Tonda. He has fucked up Saints as a ckub and the chance of players gettinv promoted v Hull which we had a good chance of winning.

Why would players want Tonda to continue? 

Peretz is on record as he loved playing for tonda, and that he wants a few days to sort out his thoughts. One way that can be read is, Peretz is waiting to see if tonda still has a job at saints in parallel to seeing what other options are open to him... 

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, Channons Windmill said:

But my point was about what constitutes cheating, and this open the doors to subsequent claims however spurious…. There is a real concern in football about this.

I don't understand your point. The judgement was about our spying and the systemic nature of it. We were handed a sporting sanction because of it and the aggravating factors. That doesn't open the door for being kicked out because someone dives to win a penalty. They aren't the same thing and no precedent has been set by the decision to punish us for something completely different.

[sockeye]

Wonder how long this FA investigation will rattle on for. Has to be well underway by now, surely?

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Willo of Whiteley said:

I think we’re in a good position to be promoted next season.

It might seem a bit ridiculous but we’re still an attractive prospect, big club, good facilities, playing squad etc.

Players might want to leave, but contracts are still valid, I think we’ll cash in on a couple but not as many as people think.

This summer will now show the owners business model. Whether they give a toss more about which league we’re in or player trading.

Losing THB, Charles, Jander and Scienza will make us weaker but hopefully we also wouldn't have the terrible start of last season. You'd think we'd be in a good place for the playoffs at least if we can get a handle on this. I think we should let those four go for good fees and then say that no one else (besides the obvious like bbd) will be leaving. Play a bit of hardball ffs.

[Oldandtired]

Let's put a hypothetical point here. People seem to be worried about what players would be wanting to play under  Eckert etc. after all the shenanigans. As far as I can see it wasn't a nailed on certainty that we were going to get promoted (Hull did beat us twice in the regular season)and I believe several players would have lwanted to leave anyway if we didn't achieve promotion. 
 

So perhaps there is a case to be made that in that scenario we won't be much worse off with regard to playing staff.
 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Oldandtired

[AlexLaw76]

Just now, hypochondriac said:

Losing THB, Charles, Jander and Scienza will make us weaker but hopefully we also wouldn't have the terrible start of last season. You'd think we'd be in a good place for the playoffs at least if we can get a handle on this. I think we should let those four go for good fees and then say that no one else (besides the obvious like bbd) will be leaving. Play a bit of hardball ffs.

What ever happens, we need to be normal for once about the permanent keeper we have. Just be normal.

 

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

What ever happens, we need to be normal for once about the permanent keeper we have. Just be normal.

 

Agree with that. Just get a good solid keeper for this division. Nothing fancy just good enough and then we don't have to think about it again.

[Paul_B]

22 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I'm not sure that's correct. We were kicked out of the competition and deducted points for spying in a systemic manner, possibly aggravated by using lower paid interns who felt pressured into doing it. It's never going to be compared to something like a last-minute dive or foul. It's very clear what the difference is.

Correct. Cheating on the pitch is way worse.

[Nordic Saint]

11 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

What ever happens, we need to be normal for once about the permanent keeper we have. Just be normal.

 

If we can keep Tonda, Peretz will want to stay:

What Southampton's Daniel Peretz has said on Spygate saga amid new transfer hint

 

[hypochondriac]

5 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

Correct. Cheating on the pitch is way worse.

Boring now. We cheated, it was systemic and we were punished. We can argue as long as we like about how it was unfair, too harsh etc. It doesn't change anything. All we can do is take the punishment and try to mitigate the damage for next year.

[Saint Fan CaM]

43 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

I’ve had time to cool down over the situation.

Seems quite split if the poll is representative of the whole fan base.  The way I see it:

Tonda stays - some of the fans happy and renew, some pissed off and renew, some pissed off and don’t renew.

Tonda goes but we appoint a proven manager - I don’t think many wouldn’t renew that want Tonda to stay.  Those that want him out would renew.

Tonda goes and we make another clever bollocks appointment - you would be pissing off the entire fanbase and plenty wouldn’t renew.

If I was running the club, I would sack Tonda and appoint a decent manager.

The board are currently doing their normal thing of jack-shit at the moment.  Someone seriously needs to put a rocket up their arses.

To be fair you’ve got absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever - only that the club has not made another public announcement. That in all seriousness does not equate to doing nothing - I suspect Dragan and the Board are in ‘swan mode’ right now…act calmly with all the required work going on out of sight. Why give any competitor or the media an advantage? Stay ahead of the headlines…that’s where the smart money is.

[hypochondriac]

2 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

If we can keep Tonda, Peretz will want to stay:

What Southampton's Daniel Peretz has said on Spygate saga amid new transfer hint

 

Clickbait article. Says nothing of the kind.

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

To be fair you’ve got absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever - only that the club has not made another public announcement. That in all seriousness does not equate to doing nothing - I suspect Dragan and the Board are in ‘swan mode’ right now…act calmly with all the required work going on out of sight. Why give any competitor or the media an advantage? Stay ahead of the headlines…that’s where the smart money is.

I think that whatever you think about the club, that is the one thing they definitely have failed to do so far!

[Saint Fan CaM]

7 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Boring now. We cheated, it was systemic and we were punished. We can argue as long as we like about how it was unfair, too harsh etc. It doesn't change anything. All we can do is take the punishment and try to mitigate the damage for next year.

Take what punishment? We’ve already been severely punished by being removed from the play-off final, with the team we beat somehow replacing us. Yes, it’s happened and we move on. The club, the players and its fans have been punished enough - if the players want Eckhert and he escapes a ban for whatever reason, we should embrace managerial continuity. We’ve been crying out for that for a long, long time.

Edited 3 hours ago by Saint Fan CaM
Predictive text bollox

[Saint Fan CaM]

4 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I think that whatever you think about the club, that is the one thing they definitely have failed to do so far!

Pre-sanction - agreed. But that’s not where we are right now.

[Lord Duckhunter]

9 minutes ago, Nordic Saint said:

If we can keep Tonda, Peretz will want to stay:

No fucking chance 

[hypochondriac]

4 minutes ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Take what punishment? We’ve already been severely punished by being removed from the play-off final, with the team we beat somehow replacing us. Yes, it’s happened and we move on. The club, the players and its fans have been punished enough - if the players want Eckhert and he escapes a ban for whatever reason, we should embrace managerial continuity. We’ve been crying out for that for a long, long time.

I agree. The punishment I was referring to is the one that we have already received and the one that people are still arguing is a lesser crime than diving to win a penalty.