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Who Could Be the Next Manager

Discussion in 'Southampton' started by SteveO 74, Nov 2, 2025.

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Should Tonda Eckert be given a permanent contract?

  1. Yes, immediately

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  2. Yes, if we beat Leicester

    5 vote(s)
    10.2%
  3. Yes, if we beat Leicester and Millwall

    14 vote(s)
    28.6%
  4. Yes, if we are unbeaten until January

    7 vote(s)
    14.3%
  5. No, we need an experienced manager

    3 vote(s)
    6.1%
  6. Until the end of the season, then re-assess

    20 vote(s)
    40.8%
  1. shoot_spiderman

    shoot_spiderman Power to the People

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    Or lose, or draw
     
    #1201
  2. shoot_spiderman

    shoot_spiderman Power to the People

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    I still want another option, we shouldn’t jump sooner than we need to so 1 or 2 wins or otherwise shouldn’t lead us to choose, if we don’t need to, and unbeaten to January is potentially better than we would expect from any manager so a loss or two shouldn’t stop us if we are still heading up the table

    Bearing in mind I still think it’s a massive risk if we got promoted via the playoffs this season and I really can’t believe we’ll be top 2. Next season after some more consolidation would seem ideal to me

    (Although I bloody love the Championship)
     
    #1202
  3. thereisonlyoneno7

    thereisonlyoneno7 Well-Known Member

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    It is such a strange one.

    Keep winning and we have to appoint him surely as if say he does 5 or even 6 wins on the trot, there is no way you could ignore it.

    Ah but how does he act to a bad run? We may never find out until it is too late. If he loses the next 3, he may react well and show signs of improvement (but still not win), but we will go for someone else then.

    If he never loses we will never know, if he loses we will never find out....
     
    #1203
  4. ChilcoSaint

    ChilcoSaint What a disgrace
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    If we had appointed a big name as manager, and the team responded by winning the first 3 games, we would have no doubts about his ability at all.

    Russell Martin had 25 games unbeaten in his first season with us but we lost faith pretty quickly following promotion.

    Personally I agree with Glen de La Cour who thinks Tonda will be confirmed if we win tomorrow night, and then we’ll just have to see what happens next.
     
    #1204
  5. st_brendy

    st_brendy Well-Known Member
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    I agree that winning five or six in a row wouldn't be something to ignore. But I would still say it's too early. It just isn't necessary to rush into appointing him. Whether it's eight games, or ten games, or 12 games; we have time to see how things develop.

    If he's still caretaker come Xmas, then great, because it would very likely that we've continued to accumulate a healthy amount of points.
     
    #1205
  6. Deserana

    Deserana Well-Known Member

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    I always felt the unbeaten streak made us look far far better than we were. I think that whole season made us look far better than we were, which is why everyone turned so quickly because the short comings were always there. We always looked vulnerable at the back and passed it side to side and around the back. Teams just weren't going at us but when they did they tore right through us. I never ever liked RMs football and style.

    But I still feel that way now to be honest. If a team sets up to attack us then we will fold like a house if cards. Luckily we've hit a bit of a streak at the moment but that will be the biggest test for Tonda.
     
    #1206
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
  7. ChilcoSaint

    ChilcoSaint What a disgrace
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    Yes I agree. We smashed through Charlton by playing to our strengths, but then gave them a goal back by not defending a corner. Defence is the area Tonda needs to get sorted out next, he’s already got us attacking very effectively.
     
    #1207
  8. Lovelocum

    Lovelocum Well-Known Member

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    Why do we need to rush? Is someone likely to poach him in the next 4 weeks?

    Putting this another way would we be trying to steal away an inexperienced manager from another club because they won 3 games in the championship?
     
    #1208
    Toss saints, garysfc and CowtownKiwi like this.
  9. thereisonlyoneno7

    thereisonlyoneno7 Well-Known Member

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    lol we would.
     
    #1209
  10. hotbovril

    hotbovril Well-Known Member

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    The vast majority of interview candidates for any role, anywhere, do not get the opportunity to be judged on actually performing the role itself. Yet there cannot be a better barometer for likely success. I don't think it's wrong to point to his first two wins being a bit streaky but that is precisely what grinding out results over weaker opposition sometimes looks like and we are one of the big dogs in the division, regardless of how we started. The win against Charlton was magnificent. The players are clearly on board as will us fans be if that style, panache and swagger become a staple. If he beats one of the other big dogs in Leicester, I'd pull the trigger and give him the gig.
     
    #1210

  11. Archers Road

    Archers Road Urban Spaceman

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    If we beat Leicester 9-0, give him the keys of the city <ok>
     
    #1211
  12. Ronnie Hotdog (MLsfc)

    Ronnie Hotdog (MLsfc) Well-Known Member

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    I agree with all of this other than giving him the job if he beats Leicester. As you say, we have the rare opportunity to trial run a manager so we may as well make that period as long as possible. I'd wait until Milwall at the earliest.
     
    #1212
  13. Lovelocum

    Lovelocum Well-Known Member

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    This is true, but the confounding variable is that will still was there and now he is not.
     
    #1213
  14. Lemons and Oranges

    Lemons and Oranges Well-Known Member

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    I'm not being greedy, but it needs to be 10-0, so that we win on aggregate (unless away goals count double)
     
    #1214
  15. shoot_spiderman

    shoot_spiderman Power to the People

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    I agree that we shouldn’t rush, but 3 wins here is a much better reference than 3 with another club, another team and different circumstances

    Right man, right place, right time are important

    E.G. Look at Moyes at Everton v Moyes at ManU (who they just beat)
     
    #1215
    lewebster likes this.
  16. RSS

    RSS Well-Known Member

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    The game against them last season was pretty much where any remaining hope died for me at least.
     
    #1216
  17. TheRealSaints

    TheRealSaints Well-Known Member

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    I voted to give him until the end of the season and then assess. I personally don't see the point of bringing someone new in now. There was clearly not a stand-out candidate and I can't see that changing this season. Even if, as is being reported, Leeds are close to sacking Farke, I don't see him as being massively better than what we have now, even if he did agree to come here which he may not. Tonda is (so far) doing a great job and it seems the players are playing for him so, for once I would stick rather than twist and see where we are at the end of the season.

    The only negative I see is that giving him a full contract (on full wages) might make him slightly less motivated so maybe offer him a massive bonus if he gets us promoted. That way, if we're not promoted and we change manager we're not in the postion, yet again, where we have to pay off a contract.
     
    #1217
  18. Puck

    Puck Well-Known Member

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    In a funny way I'm actually more interested in our results against weaker opposition. The bigger teams will generally be happy to attack us and we saw at the weekend that when teams play aggressively against us we have attacking players with the pace and skill to get in behind them and score goals, although we're prone to defensive lapses.

    The question for me is what Tonda will do when teams decide that because we're one of the big dogs in the division they're going to sit deep against us and make sure there's no space behind their defence for Scienza and co to run into. That's where we may need the big target man we don't currently have.
     
    #1218
  19. tomw24

    tomw24 Well-Known Member
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    You say that but I can definitely see Leicester sitting deep and hitting us on the counter attack tonight.
     
    #1219
  20. Puck

    Puck Well-Known Member

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    True but they're not in great form. My main point is I'm interested to see how Tonda and the team react when the opposition don't allow us to do what we did against Charlton.
     
    #1220

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