26 May 2026 07:39:03
{Ed's Note - Sly_C has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool's System: Who Benefits and Who Regresses?
1.) 26 May 2026
26 May 2026 09:35:01
Hi Guys,
There are many posts on this site stating the team gained positive results by spying which is cheating. It is not an offence to observe a team in training up to 72 hours before the game. The Saints analysts have confessed to 3 occasions of breaching the above rule, Oxford December Ipswich April and Boro May. I am sure they would have quoted other occasions when pressed by the EFL whilst technically under caution and personal sanctions.
If all reported so far is true Tonda wanted to know any new formation of the newly appointed Oxford manager, fitness of the Ipswich players and the fitness of Hayden Hackney.
If that is correct and there is nothing else to be confessed or found out then he may well stay Saints manager. I don't believe the teams results since Tonda was manager were achieved purely by cheating. Saints had the best squad, on paper, in the championship and but for Will Stills total disorganised tactics the team would have gained automatic promotion.
As previously posted, I would like Tonda to stay if there are no other skeletons in the closet so let's hope that is indeed the case.
Any more proven breaches of EFL rules could well be punished by the FA and more worryingly the PFA.
2.) 26 May 2026
26 May 2026 11:36:10
I was waiting for your opinion
Sanity. finally!!
Excellent post
3.) 26 May 2026
26 May 2026 15:36:08
Very good post, well balanced.
Careful on the WS comments .
4.) 26 May 2026
26 May 2026 21:35:30
After the anger subsides and the World Cup starts, I suspect more will get on the Tonda train. If he even wants or is allowed to stay.
We were playing great football, beating Prem sides and marching up the table. He made a rookie error thinking the punishment would be low. Given his age. I can forgive it, just.
Keeping him would be divisive but so would risking SR pick another manager!
5.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 08:26:29
Guys, as you know I am well and truly in the keep Tonda camp, he is highly rated in Europe with a number of clubs not worried about a guy behind a tree with an iPhone.
The minute we make the mistake of getting rid of him he is going to be snapped up.
This is going to be our loss. From the fans posts I have been reading on various sites it looks like there is a growing surge in the keep Tonda camp.
6.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 09:09:12
Agreed Chopper20.
What other manager getting Bundesliga and Serie A interest, who has beaten Arsenal and gone on a 21 game unbeaten championship run is going to come to us?
Of course, depends on whether the key players can forgive him and most of the fans.
Next year will be a competitive season with big sides like West Ham and Wolves down and big money behind Birmingham and Wrexham.
Bookies have us 8th for now. With Tonda, I say 2nd to 5th if keep half our best players.
7.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 10:41:29
So true Saint, we have to remember we would not have been anywhere near the playoffs if it wasn't for him. He turned a dismal season into an exciting one.
On a different subject, our defence was turned from an unorganised rabble into a decent one. Was that down to Tonda or the change of goalkeeper?
8.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 12:49:43
Chopper/SaintKick,
You're not addressing the elephant in the room every time you state your reasons for keeping him is because of the performances we had under him.
You're expecting him to carry on like he did, even in the best case scenario that's unlikely.
He won't be able to observe teams the way he was, which undoubtedly influenced his match preparation. Also, like I've been saying all season, the team that was never his, is going to be ripped apart. So not only will he now have to work with a weaker team he will have to establish a team the way Will Still did and any played he does identify will now be in two minds wether they want to be part of a club/staff with this could over its head.
This is the irrational views of fans that I've mentioned. We presume next season will be like the last one because of how well we did - however we never consider the variables behind that run and what the future will be without those variables and or a whole set of new ones.
I'm not saying there's not a chance he's capable of replicating it, as I agree he should be given the chance to see. But you have to close the book on the reasons from last season as they're all subjective.
For me its looking unlikely he can't recreate what he did, but it's more unlikely our board will find a suitable replacement, so he stays, we go again and see.
I think the most ugly thing though will be from our fans, if Tonda stays and result are bad, how quickly they will turn to anger for seeing spying was last seasons reason. Hopefully not.
9.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 14:10:36
Hi Lesleee, I doubt any of us have illusions of repeating last season, I certainly don't. Our chance of promotion has gone I afraid. I take your point that it will be interesting to see how he could perform with a weakened squad. But that applies with any new manager. Whatever way you look at it we are mid table at best.
10.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 20:53:39
May I say politely Lesleeee that your obsession that 'cheating' played a considerable part in the teams success, plus was behind our playing style
Is wrong
2408 posted a very level opinion and as usual, with much knowledge of events.
Basically it's the only league in the world that has a spy on your opponents rule, and the added rider within 72 hours.
So would you be happy if Tonda agreed that he spied on 30 teams but 27 were 80 hours before the game and 3 were within 72.
He is a great manager, tactically a genius, best of all he has us playing entertaining football.
You want him to stay too, so let's big up Tonda!
I actually think the players are having little chats among themselves, to their families, saying. we love it here, we love the Manager, we love the way we are playing.
Let's go show the world we can do it all again.
I think the goalkeeper might stay
The only one is scienza who was never going to stay anyway.
COYR
11.) 27 May 2026
27 May 2026 23:20:16
To say Tonda is a tactical footballing genius is a stretch and some.
RM had an impressive run too and there's no way he could be described as a genius.
I've thought about the many comments and opinions on this forum and I haven't changed my mind - he should be sacked. I don't buy into this boyhood over enthusiasm as mitigation for damaging the reputation and standing of our club.
He got caught - plain and simple. Did his pathetic attempts to gain an advantage work - no, I don't think so. But we are bang to rights.
Even if he gets through this, he will be sacked some day, as all managers are.
Please remember too, on that run we rode our luck well, and we came from a low starting point. So measured praise is due, but let's turn it down a bit - if he's a genius, what on earth is Pep, or even Frank Lampard come to that.
I admire your loyalty, but the club has not earned your forgiveness yet.
How difficult was it to explain to my 6 year old grandson that we were no longer going to Wembley - he had already had the GK kit for his birthday ready to wear on the big day out. Replicate that thousands of times over for all our fans and families and you will appreciate the impact this had.
Forgiveness has to be earned and that won't come easy for the schmoozers in the suits.
12.) 28 May 2026
28 May 2026 06:56:02
A lof of excellent comments on this thread, from people I respect to the utmost.
Fans are right to be angry, especially those taking kids and who came a long way. Taking away all that hope and smearing our good name hurts. I felt with 5 smart additions we could have reached 10th-15th in the PL and now anything could happen.
Tonda had us top on form since he took over and playing exciting football. Will it be that easy with strong teams around us, a weaker squad, a point deduction and without spying. No it won't. My gut says 2nd to 5th vs 1st but that could be optimistic. Bookies have us 8th.
He needs to grovel and rebuild relationships and our reputation with players and fans. If he was a 50 year old Brit I would say out the door but given his background, youth and potential, I am open to a redemption arc.
Missing piece is what the players feel. If we keep half of THB vs Peretz, Shea vs Jander, Azaz vs Leo and Stewart vs Larin, I'd take it.
13.) 28 May 2026
28 May 2026 08:20:08
Hi guys, miller I get you and your grandson were gutted missing the final, my son and grandson were also gutted but like you I believe they were at the Man City match and that is a day they will never forget, they played out of there skin and so nearly won.
And who got us there. I urge all posters to read the ugly inside article titled ' A thank you to Tonda Eckert ' they are my sentiments exactly.
14.) 28 May 2026
28 May 2026 19:10:38
Tonda has to stay imo. We aren't getting any better manager or coach in the near future. But I'll guarantee the players or majority of them want and will play for him. A winning manager is a winning manager and winners will gravitate that way. Anyone who wants him gone has to grow up and realise that everybody is cheating in one way or another, it's business.
Anyway, I'm hoping Tonda stays, less players than the doomongers think will leave and we'll get some winners in because they want to win and Tonda is blatantly a winning manager.
15.) 29 May 2026
29 May 2026 19:21:03
I wanted Tonda to stay, buI think I think to really "move on" - he just can't be the face of any rebuild to reputation