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03 Feb 2026 13:44:14
I'm not too worried about the loss of AA.
Yes he's immense in the championship but completely the opposite in the premier league and ultimately that's where we want to be.
Obviously keeping him to help get promoted would have been key but theirs an argument for getting the best value for him when he's showing the beat form he's capable of. With that in mind however I think we could have got double what we did for him, because in the right team/style your guaranteed championship goals from him .just not premier league ones. I hope wolves weren't hoping he'd save thier season.
Stewart is an instant fix, replacement and upgrade if you ask me .only if he stays fit though obviously.
Watched some videos on Larin and one thing he does seem to have is phsyciality about him. Something we haven't had in a while.
I was hoping Archer would be sent packing because unlike AA he can't even perform at this level, so hopefully Tonda won't be looking to rely on him.
Overall it's still looking like mid table.
I should start selling crystal balls.
1.) 03 Feb 2026 18:37:46
I don’t think we want to go back up this year. Even less experienced manager, scars of being battered every week, and knowing we’d have to spend a lot to have a chance at staying up. Recent yo-yo teams like West Brom, Norwich, Sheff Utd are all struggling, maybe a year out will do us good. Though it is absolutely no guarantee we go up next year.
We’ve got rid of some high earners, got some money in, and made a few low risk loan signings. In an ideal world we finish in the top 10 and look competitive.
I know it’s varied wildly in the last few weeks between going down, going up, play-offs and obscurity, but recent form of other teams and our lack of movement makes obscurity the likely result. 12 points ensures safety, and we have a kind run over the next month which I think ensures that.
We then hopefully have a strong base for summer. Get rid of McCarthy, THB, Stephens, Downes, Edozie, Downs, Archer, Bazunu, Brereton (total £60m? ) then it’s just a total reliance on the ability of the board to get good players in. Of which there is a slim chance.
21 Jan 2026 14:54:56
Adam Armstrong apparently considering moving on/wanting out this transfer window.
As a player this doesn't concern me and he's currently in the right league where we are able to get maximum value for him.
It's just selling him doesn't feel me with confidence like it should .by that I mean what do we even do with the money/player we bring in if the board/manager situation stays the same.
Ideally I'd want the money to go towards a new manager or board but I don't think things work that way.
30 Nov 2025 23:57:42
Might sound crazy but I'm actually glad for the loss at Millwall.
Let's be honest Tonda has to be up there in contention for the job BUT and this is the important part, the only thing that brought him into that contention was this recent run we were on.
Now I know I bang on about the managerial bounce but part of the reason I believe in it is because the guy who takes over gets to unshackle the team by going in and just letting them play a lot more free then we're.
This can only go on for so long though and eventually man management/tactics have to come back into play, otherwise anyone of us here could take charge.
I'm not saying that Tondas reign has all been the managerial affect, not at all. But there definitely was some of watch I mention occuring. So when I say I was happy for the loss it means we get to see how well Tonda and his team adapts to loss and rightly so. I think he would have been giving the job if we had won at the wknd but I think anyone who gets paid the amount they do should be judged on their losses as well as their wins and how they adapt to them.
I'm hoping that right now SR are looking at Tonda and asking wether his wins were down to his management or just the effects of taking over I'm hoping if it's the latter they are continuing their search.
If it was me I'd sit down with Tonda and see what kind of signings he wants to make in January and wether the board approves of them. I'd even hold of giving him the job even if he's doing well until January. I'd keep the search going and of there's no one out there who can match Tonda (i.e. Tondas doing a great job) then gets it's. I think too many times in recent history SR has given the job to anyone who strings two results together, hopefully their learning is all I hope for.
1.) 03 Dec 2025 20:55:21
I tend to completely agree Lesleee, which feels a bit weird. Birmingham at home is a perfect test to see if we have the bounce back ability.
Remember this is at least a top 6 side and we should be performing as much, but this will include losses and as you say a lot depends on our reaction.
22 Sep 2025 11:02:14
Ah, now saint's ggg, you're twisting what I said ?
I did argue a case for keep RM after last year's dismissal season BUT I said it would come with some caveats. The main one being that the club spend the time were working on promotion back to the premiership to find the right manager we need to take us forward .and whenever that man is found not to hesitate or spare RMs blushes.
That is because just like players some mangers are suited to certain leagues/levels so too are managers. Whilst RM wouldn't have been a popular choice he would be back in a league with players he knew playing a style that is more forgiving in the championship. Even as stubborn as he is he would have learned a few things and I do feel we would have been up with the leading pack again.
Instead we have a new manager now, that has to go through the whole process of wether he feels the players he has can make it in the championship.whereas RM would have the players he knew and the ones who were the stars of the promotion the year before. I mean RM finally realised what I said all along about Bazuna and yet it seems like Still is going to waste the whole season conceeding goals until he figures out the same thing, Bazuna doesn't cut it.
One of the endless criticisms of RM was that he was stubborn and not change things and now we have a manager the opposite of that and yet ?. When Will Stills name was being touted alongside Danny Rohls I didn't see much rejection and I saw a lot of people saying we've finally got a proper manager and yet the results have yet to come.
My point is a manger people didn't like DID get us promotion, whereas Still were unsure of. I do think Still will (pun) be decent enough but wether he's the massive turnaround everyone was hoping for I'm not sure.
I remember Guernsey boy saying things couldn't get any worse once upon a time, he's no longer around suprise suprise, but I said at the time they most definitely can and in sacking RM I forecast a foreseeable future as mid championship at best. My point of RM was that at least we'd get back to the premiership, than we could sack him.
As you're aware I said that many months back, but here's an article in SaintsMarching today saying pretty much the same thing.
1.) 23 Sep 2025 16:08:17
Erm, if this is in reference to a comment on another thread then all I said was you mentioned that Martin would guarantee promotion. You did mention this, so no twisting here .
Why would he? We were promoted in spite of Martin, not because of him. He has one promotion on his CV I believe, of a side that should be challenging for automatic promotion and finished 4th.
I also said he is probably better than Still and Juric but he (Martin) certainly wouldn’t guarantee anything except boredom.
2.) 24 Sep 2025 10:06:45
There's never a guarantee to anything, but yes I undoubtedly said he was our best foreseeable chance of getting promoted straight away . Not because I liked him or thought he was a decent manager, simply because he did previously despite that and with the same team. He knew the players and league. The same way I knew Juric was a bad choice for being sacked by the same team 3 times. Instead we've rolled the dice with still and despite you guys thinking I'm crazy/obtuse I posted the link to show others say the same thing now.months after I initially predicted it ?
RM is out of his depths in a lot of areas but if immediate return to premier league is what we wanted whilst spending the time looking for a long term manager whilst doing so, like I say it would have been worth keeping hold of RM for that singular purpose
15 Sep 2024 13:42:45
lesleee has written an article entitled, Current Thoughts On Southampton FC
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12 May 2026 16:39:30
Looks like I might have called it.
Apparently there is suspicion several other championship teams we've played have had their training observed by us.
Man, I hate being right.
This is why I was saying about Tonda and how it wasn't his team and was getting massive uncanny success with something that was Will Stills.
It didn't add up to me that so much improvement could happen from so little change, especially with such a young inexperienced manager.
Again, I'm not saying all the accusations are entirely true, but them again they might only be the tio of the iceberg.
Either way, hopefully we pay the fine and he learns from this. Use the experience of what observing other teams works for him and try to find a legal/legitimate way of doing it.
Ultimately we get to judge him next season if he's still here, which is what I said we should have been doing all along anyway.
Apparently, I'm the crazy one though ??
1.) 12 May 2026 17:20:30
Really got a bad feeling here. It seems highly unlikely that the Boro spying was a one off, and scrutinising whatsapp, text and emails will establish whether this has been going on all season. If so, I think Saints will be expelled from the playoffs rather than fined. If the intern in question shows up on any other clubs training ground camera footage the game is up, and Tonda will go.
And to complete the gloom, I think Boro are so fired up, and Saints distracted, that we will lose tonight. Sorry for the gloom, hope i'm wrong and consigned to the clowns corner!
2.) 12 May 2026 18:17:07
Not at all Exter, it's valid points and what a forums for.
I'm all about balance and perspective, I'm both a half full/half empty cup guy lol.
The realist in me sees it the same way you do i.e.I can't see it being a one off, it explains a lot and fits together a lot of the missing jigsaw puzzles as to fire Tonda has being blowing apart the league.
It gives a dark/sinister feel to Tonda receiving 3 consecutive Manager of the Month awards too.
The optimist in me though hopes that's the extreme side of him and maybe the naivety of being young/from a different football background meant he didn't realize how severe it was. That hell take these lessons and grow.
Either way though, regardless of spygate, Middlesbourgh were the better team on Saturday. They also have aggregate on their side meaning they don't have to worrying about conceeding as much as we do.
All in all I think it's us who are on the ropes and they're going to be up for it with little fear. I mean if you know someone is spying on you that kind of lifts the shroud on the people your playing, revealing them to not be as scary or threatening as you thought they were.
3.) 12 May 2026 19:36:05
I agree saints are up against it tonight.I think if Tonda will never have a more important occasion to get both selection and strategy right. And difficult to manage the team who know that even if they win they might be ejected. On reflection of my earlier post, the only mitigating factor against being ejected from the playoffs is that Wrexham would then have a really good shout that they have been denied a playoff berth due to cheating and then EFL get into a whole world of pain legally.
EFL would love Boro to win tonight, saves them a load of pain, the football community are on Boros side as no-one likes cheats to prosper. Saints aren't just playing Boro tonight, they are up against everyone. Tough ask
4.) 12 May 2026 19:43:04
By the way, it's not away goals counting double.
5.) 12 May 2026 19:45:26
The EFL only has the authority to fine. do some googling instead of spreading this ball sh*t anti manager rhetoric.
He is a tactical expert who's background is exactly that
10 May 2026 01:01:55
Have to say I'm a little concerned with the spygate regarding Tonda.
The way he wouldn't/wasn't allowed to answer questions shows that he was directly involved in it, otherwise surely he'd come out condoning it and distancing himself from those involved.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist in the slightest, but it is food for thought as to if this was a one off thing or wether the same spying of at other teams has played a part in the form we've been on.
I mean, a young, inexperienced manager appearing from nowhere and suddenly blowing apart the league ??.knowing the training and the way a team is setting up prior to each match would certainly help a lot with that.
Like I say though I don't think/hope it's not the case. It will be interesting to see how our form is over the next bunch of games under him though, to see if there is any change.
1.) 10 May 2026 13:27:14
The whole debacle stinks, big stories like this are often a punishment or a distraction. Top teams are guilty of the same charges for decades without ever being exposed or penalised. The richest clubs have help from within the Premier League, FA, UEFA etc to conduct and execute military like operations for even the tiniest of details to gain advantage, a desired outcome for the club, the completion and its sponsors. It's so common and widespread but it's always big news when a team is highlighted or seen tot be made example of.
You know there is something more ro the story when it's a smaller club like Saints ( I think it was Derby or Leeds last time ) and not a Madrid, Barca and United etc.
The big clubs thirst for the smallest advantages and their capabilities to do so far outweighs the likes of Saints.
Just as smaller clubs are hit with penalty points for financial implications and teams like Man City are seemingly exempt from the rules and carry on regardless achieving titles, trophies and plaudits.
Speaking of Man City, has anyone seen a replay of Leo's disallowed offside goal at Wembley? It wasn't shown or spoke of during the match and only shown at halftime with same angle TV viewers had during live match. No slow motion, no different camera angle and certainly no VAR. Complete silence from commentators and pundits ?♂️
09 May 2026 12:57:23
Think I've found the reason for Tonda's success all season.
He's had a guy in the tree's of the opposition's training ground lol
In all honesty that's a possiblity and seriously hope it's not the case ? because the jigs up now.
It does look scarily like this is a Middlesbourgh team we haven't prepared for in this first 25 mins.
Cats out the bag/they switched it up.
01 May 2026 19:50:29
SaintGGG
I like Tonda and I want to eat my words about him, I really do. I hope he is the manager everyone is claiming him to be.
But I don't get carried away with things. Yes, for me this is very much Will Stills team, because you cannot tell me our incompetent board had any plan involved when bringing Tonda in, for all accounts they got incredibly lucky. Everything was put in place for Still. Yes Tonda has gone on to get the team moving where Still didn't, but until the start of next season, when there is a fresh start, that is all just semantics because like I say, whoever took the initial job following our worst Premier League season in history, that manager was a dead man walking (shaking of the cobwebs/mentality/memories/cohesion ect).I don't think Tonda would have had enough about him/experience to have done differently then either.
For all of Tondas perceived tactical ability/management, there's a very real chance we won't get promoted this year and with that a genuine point has to be asked/made and that is.We even got promoted with Russel Martin, which overall was a sub par team to the one we have now.
One could also argue rather than bringing on offensive players for the ipswhich game in the final 10 minutes when we had the lead we could have brought Quashie, Romeu, Bragg even Jalert on to shore up the defence/midfield and protect the 1 goal lead, potentially giving us a shot at automatic promotion, which is gone now.
Wether we are in the premiership next year or not, I think there is a realistic chance Scienza won't be with us. She Charles, Finn azaz, Jander have all been making waves too.
So for me, I'll take whatever we can get this year i.e. promotion as a bonus, but it doesn't determine Tonda either way for me. That judgement of him comes/starts next season. When players go/are brought in, when he fully has his stamp on the team and wether he can repeat what it is he has done. If he is the genuine product, even if we in the championship next season, should be an exciting one.
My negativity is ultimately with the board, as I as say they got extremely lucky with Tonda, which isn't enough for me to say suddenly he's the greatest manager that we haven't had for the last few seasons or so. I'm hoping I'm wrong and will gladly eat my words.
1.) 01 May 2026 20:21:53
Lesleee I'm sorry but some of this is deluded. Tonda might not get us promoted? He took over a team outside the drop zone on goal difference. On his form over a season we'd be competing for the title. Until Still we may have been going down.
Again, he picked up a side without four wins in 50, went on an unbeaten run immediately, and we're currently on a 17 match unbeaten run in the league. Tonda is good. He may well get snapped up. If Still was so good, why is he still unemployed.
The fact we're in the play offs should be enough to eat your words. Getting to the top five is a miracle and being in with a shout of autos going into the final week is an obscene run.
Tonda has taken 'Still's team' from 21st to 5th with no pre season. Still took his own team to the brink of the drop zone with a pre season.
2.) 01 May 2026 21:12:24
So what happens if Tonda doesn't get us promoted?
You have to agree by all accounts he's working with a far superior team than Russel Martin had and Russell Martin was dire.
Will Still and in the drop zone, you're talking fine margins and variables. We weren't getting smashed, and we also didn't have a reliable keeper or fit/decent striker.
I said from the beginning that if Ross Stewart didn't get injured when he did than Will Still would still be here.
The fundamental thing that our team needed, that we have needed for many seasons now (something I have been banging on about for that same amount of time) is a strong physical/clinical striker who can hold up the ball but also bring players into play and a keeper between the sticks who instills confidence.
The goalkeeping situation was already being looked at when Still was here and I believe it was him/his team that brought Petetz in. I also believe that things were in motion to replace/help Stewart because if his injuries (possibly pointing towards Larin)
I don't find it a coincidence whatsoever that our upturn in fortunes happened at the same time Stewart came back fit/along with Tonda being appointed. Not that the dip in form changed when a new keeper was installed.
Because of this I can't fully back Tonda. I'm grateful for the way he's got people playing, but like I say I cannot believe it's all on him until he has a fresh season to either repeat what he's has done in the championship or have a decent go at the Premier League.
The key signings that have transformed our team we're ones already being carried out with Still on instigated and carried in behind the scenes.
I'll gladly eat my words like I say.
But also if we get promoted because of my concerns I'd happily act ruthlessly the way we did with adkins and go after Eddie Howe. I hear the Newcastle fans are becoming disgruntled with. I'd gladly take him, for me, that's premiership safety guaranteed.
As for Still being unemployed there are many variables, his girlfriend has a long-term illness I believe, I think that's why he moved back here in the first place, so I'm guessing he's on no rush to return to management.
Let's just hope your singing Tonda's praises when/if we're losing SaintsGGG ?
3.) 02 May 2026 16:36:06
Leslee
It's time to take down the Martin and Still posters from your bedroom wall.
Nothing else to say on the subject
4.) 02 May 2026 21:08:02
This is Millertime reincarnated - the second coming if you will.
If anyone had to eat their words it's me - I said Tonda was out of his depth and couldn't command the dressing room. As it turns out, I couldn't be more wrong.
That is why Lesleee you make no sense at all. There is no logic to your argument. You are either the ultimate wind up merchant or you have seriously lost your marbles.
Just let it pass, move on and enjoy the anticipation.
Quick question, do all those who said we should stay where we are for a couple of years to rebuild, hope we miss out now we've made the play offs?
No, I thought not!
5.) 06 May 2026 19:08:33
I love how people are fine with fans pissing and moaning when things go wrong but no one questions the variables/reasons why things are good.
The whole sing when you're winning, moan and everything's rubbish when we're losing ??
Not winding up at all. Just because Tonda has had one decent half season, doesn't make him 'word eating worthy'.that isn't sensible or logical.
I wish I could solely believe that Tonda is this Messiah and all success this season was down to him, but I'm not that naive.
For me, regardless of where we are next season how we perform under him THAT season (going forward what team/players we have/who(if) he was able to convince to stay and if not who he brings in to replace) will ultimately reflect my opinion of him and whether I eat my words.
For me he is still someone who took over something (successfully no doubt, sure) but until next season you can't genuinely say whether the success was him or he/the team is successful was because of the success waiting to come to fruition.
Chicken and Egg story.
For now I'm along for the ride and if this form carries on into next season, regardless of where we are your see me coming round to him being the real deal.
I think/feel will stay with us for a while because he's young enough to spend time at a club perfecting whatever it is he is/has.
If that's the case. If.
As it is I like him a lot, I just don't get carried away.yet ?
6.) 06 May 2026 19:33:32
Pointing out his points to game ratio is head and shoulders above WS, is not getting carried away. It was better immediately, same players, same club.
Whatever happens now, that will remain a fact
7.) 06 May 2026 21:31:06
Yes and no, but again that doesn't tell the whole story.
I'm not disputing the immediate change when Tonda took over but likewise if the the roles were reversed and it was Tonda replacing RM from that awful season we had in the premiership I do not believe he would have had as much success as to get them moving off from the ground.
I'm likening more of what Tonda did/has done to a spark that landed on Kindle that was ready to burn.
My point is that Tonda DIDN'T build the wood pile/kindling.
So, when we inevitably get gutted (and we will) is he the man to continue what he's started. Is he more than standing on the shoulders of who came before him.
I'm awaiting to see. I don't get carried away.
I get excited when I see a manager create, recruit, scour, build his own team (woodpile) and see that team blossom into what it becomes.
That's why I'm waiting on next season.
8.) 07 May 2026 07:24:01
Now I'm even more confused?
Lesleee, do you believe man landed on the moon or was that all a conspiracy theory? Just asking!
9.) 07 May 2026 11:35:26
Not a conspiracy theorist person in the slightest, I detest those in society who are.
I'm making reasonable points and I'm going to looking forward to seeing how you guys react to A) If we don't get promoted B) What happens when Tonda struggles again.
The latter B is inevitable and the former is still a real possibility.
I mean even by all your own words, even a complete incompetent, stubborn, useless manager (RM) got us promoted with inferior team to the one we have this time around, soo ?
We will be gutted as well in pre season, minor or major, it's unavoidable. For me its how well we push on from that and how well Tonda reacted. His man management to convince players of the roadmap ahead and wether they trust/believe in him enough to stay, as opposed to them saying one thing on camera but in their heads thinking it was lucky momentum. Football has always been about small margins.
Question: Do you think if you took control of the team for a few games during the unbeaten run we were on, wether you'd get a few wins?
If you say yes then you're already 50% to seeing/agreeing with my point.
In fact I'd argue that anyone of us here would have got the initial few wins after replacing the sacked Will Still as the majority of things that changed were things we were all crying out for on here, yet you all are acting suddenly like it's rocket science and he's a Messiah.
I don't think it's crazy/insane to enjoy this season for what it is, but decide wether Tonda is the man who people claim he is until next season. I want to see which players he convinces to stay, what players he offloads and what players he brings in for the league were in.
That's what a forums for, balance ⚖️
People like to piss and moan when things go wrong and throw the man they'vebeen praising to the wolves, then act like butter wouldn't melt when he's winning.
I prefer perspective.
10.) 08 May 2026 10:49:33
Lesleee, you make sweeping statements and generalisations without an evidence base.
I have repeatedly challenged Tonda's ability and competence and have been forced to put my hands up to say what a great job he has done. That is a fact.
What I haven't said, and nor to my knowledge have any of the regular posters, likened him to a messiah.
We are grateful for what he and the team has achieved. But, if we do go up, then even Pep would struggle to keep us up unless we seriously improve the quality of the squad.
11.) 08 May 2026 13:57:58
It's not sweeping statements at all.
You've all highlighted wins/point ratios compared to Still/chart position/form in relation to Tonda but never suggest anything other than the reason behind it all being Tonda.
So like I say, you people either believe Tonda and his team are the reasons behind it or you don't ?
He is or isn't the right man for the job.
It seems like you've all been converted to YES is my point, simply by one successful (ish) (so far).season.
What happens if we don't get promoted, what happens if we don't have an exceptional start to next season?
This is my point about pissing and moaning and singing when your winning.
There are endless variables to why things turn out the way they do. It's why I don't get carried away.
It's why I know the players that have us on this this successful run is Will Stills team and why I won't assess Tonda until next season. It's why with a little bit of luck I'm sure Will Still would have had us where we are today (playoffs at least)
It's no coincidence to me that our dip in form with Tonda came when Scienza and Ross Stewart were out injured and when we still had Bazuna in goal.
These variables are massive, yet fans here seem to easily forget that.
Two of those variables were present when Still was with us.
I'm along for the ride and enjoying it, but next season is where Tonda makes his mark for me, regardless of what happens next few weeks.
I disagree about the quality of the squad, sure one or two signings here/there (a key defender) but other than that our team this time is superior to the one we went up with last time and according to you all our manager is 100 times better than the one who took us up before (yes, you did all say that, in not so disimialar words)
So if we go up this time, we should at the very least be able to compete and if we don't, by all accounts we should be able to smash the championship next season.IF Tonda can keep hold of or replace like for like what Still brought it.and that's my point.
12.) 08 May 2026 16:44:04
Lesleee you'll be pleased to know, I have no words!
13.) 08 May 2026 21:02:10
I think you're be even glader to know I haven't either lol ?.
All my point was that I too have been impressed with Tonda, who couldn't be.
But, because of the way he was appointed (accidentally) and everything being in place prior to his takeover I think his real test starts next season.
11 Apr 2026 10:52:35
Can I argue my point fairly without being cried at for lunacy ?
People here seem to think I have a reputation for defending every manager, that's not the case.
I was amongst the first to say Nathan Jones, Selles, Juric shouldn't have been even let in the door, let alone shown it when they eventually were.
I've defended people like RM and Still in the past not necessarily because of the manager they are, but the process.
There are variables to everything and my current point about Still and Tonda is that if it was the the other way round, would Tonda have come in following a nightmare season in the premiership, identified what the championship is/who what is needed/players to be brought in .and then on top of that got them firing straight from the off .and my answer is, No. I don't think he would. I think things would have played out the same way they did for Still, whoever took that role was cannon fodder, a dead man walking.
Now, whether you like Still or not, whether you agree with me or not it was Still who put this current team together.
There are a few players, Scienza in particular, who will most likely not be here next season. Shea is gaining interest too.
So whichever league were in next season, on some level were going to have to rebuild and Tonda will be the spearhead of that. For me, that is where Tonda makes his money/reputation.because whatever team that is going forward will be his along with the new pressures of managing a team in the premiership/championship when the whole process of pre-season/transfers in-out occur and the awareness from other teams the increased reputation has gained you.
I still kinda feel like we're riding a wave from a team that was assembled but needed a kickstart (part of that was a decent GK which I believe Petetz was instigated by Still)
The way fans are, suddenly we're going to win every single league game now and the media are acting like we're world beaters. I mean let's not forget, whilst he didn't win any, RM was nominated for four consecutive Manager of the month awards. No, I'm not obsessing over RM, I agree Tonda has a lot more about him than RM but I'm simply using that as a reference.
I do like Tonda though and I will gladly eat any of my words if he turns out to be the real deal, I hope he does. I like his awkward/obsessive nature to cut through all the bull ?. I'm just more a hope for the best, plan for the worst guy.
The city game will go some way to convincing me. If PeP takes that game even remotely seriously than they should trash us. Nothing short of a mastermind will get us a win there.
As for the league I'll be delighted with promotion but where we go from there is where reality is, last season showed us that.
1.) 11 Apr 2026 17:58:33
You have something very important missing from all of your posts and arguments. Still is irrelevant in the equation. It is what the new manager has achieved with this group of players that is unbelievable.
Stop bringing Still and Martin into the discussion. They are not in the same league whe it comes to tactics, style, substitutions, reading a game, adjusting tactics . Stills only involvement in the current team is some of the players. That is where it ends.
2.) 11 Apr 2026 19:38:53
Yes Still did put this team together, or rather Spors did. And he had time to work with this squad.
After the window ended, he had nine matches with the squad. Won 1, 7 points, good -6. On that form we’d be down now.
Four days later, we suddenly started a streak of 6 wins in 7, then after another poor month, are on a 14 match unbeaten league run. Tonda had even less time with the same players, and changed formation, lineups, etc from the off.
Still persisted with a back three which we all saw was wrong. If he was that good, he’d have been snapped up by someone else by now. It’s nonsense.
It’s fair we wouldn’t have hired Tonda over the summer as permanent manager and we’ve lucked into it, but Still wouldn’t have had us in the FA cup semis. We’d be in the mix with Oxford and Portsmouth at best.
We aren’t hiring Still back, no point dwelling on it, Tonda has us fifth and one game from the cup final. He’s our man!
3.) 11 Apr 2026 20:22:28
I agree, Spors has more input in the signings than the manager. Still was too ridged in his tactics like Martin was. Tonda has inherited this team but that makes it more interesting. I agree the summer is a big test as there will be changes, but we are better without still and Martin, Juric etc, but I think saying Tonda has only done this because of Still is nonsense.
4.) 12 Apr 2026 01:57:18
I didn’t bother to read, likely same drivel
5.) 12 Apr 2026 10:24:33
You can have the same squad, two different types of managers and two completely different sets of results and performance.
The key is how you get the best out of players and Still didn’t have that. It’s the difference between an arm round the shoulder or a kick up the backside.
Our team is playing with confidence and courage. Three months ago no one wanted the ball or take a risk. For that Tonda must take credit along with the players who’ve stepped up.
24 Sep 2025 10:06:45
There's never a guarantee to anything, but yes I undoubtedly said he was our best foreseeable chance of getting promoted straight away . Not because I liked him or thought he was a decent manager, simply because he did previously despite that and with the same team. He knew the players and league. The same way I knew Juric was a bad choice for being sacked by the same team 3 times. Instead we've rolled the dice with still and despite you guys thinking I'm crazy/obtuse I posted the link to show others say the same thing now.months after I initially predicted it ?
RM is out of his depths in a lot of areas but if immediate return to premier league is what we wanted whilst spending the time looking for a long term manager whilst doing so, like I say it would have been worth keeping hold of RM for that singular purpose
03 Jan 2024 20:57:11
I never said anything about Stephen's, your point was is KWP bett up the pitch .you said no.
Just because the modern game is more fast "pep-esque" demand more from players in certain positions doesn't mean certain players can't play in places. I agree Stephens isn't a great right back, but I've got nothing against mixing it up . because KWP from day one has always been an attacking full back, not a defensive one .so to argue his defensive attributes are better than his forward play is bizarre. Fraser is ok on the wing, but I'll think your find he's more suited to a Stuey Armstrong roll, attacking midfielder.
02 Jan 2024 12:23:32
I disagree with KWP comment, I'd argue he's better as an attacking winger then he is a defender .at the least he's best in both positions. It's his pace and agility that ables him to get up the pitch but also get back, track and close down players and he's shown time and time again that he's willing to that roll no matter how far up the pitch he plays .so why wouldn't you play in further up?
In relation to other wingers I wouldn't say we have any natural wingers like KWP. Fraser and Sulamana aren't as good on the wing. Fraser isn't as fast and Sulamana although fast hasn't got the consistency KWP has. KWP also has the ability to cut inside and score with the best of them.
So all in all, saying KWP is not effective higher up the pitch is complete bonkers. He's one of our main threats that actually looks to move the ball forward and direct to goal. Sure he's a decent full back/defender but he's an even better winger.
25 Feb 2023 23:14:33
Nope, twas a sober post and one can still be dignified and articulate whilst using the phrase "suck dick" . In todays day and age it simply relates to some loving a person that much.
My point remains though . Fans that were calling for Ralphs head are now cheering for any meagre success. I'm certain Ralph, at the very least would have kept us up this season and though Selles is a more of a positive since Jones (though let's be fair, anyone would have been) . I think his inexperience will be the too much to save us.
The fact is football is filled with fickle fans, from all clubs and fans never seen to take account for a lot of the rubbish they chant/demand and post on online and social media.
People say Ralph lost the dressing room, yet all I've ever read from actual players and pundits alike is how well he was respected there.
All fans here (I include myself in this) think we know what's what but the reality is that if any of us were given the saints job we'd be no better than Nathan Jones.
And so now, we've got an inexperienced manager trying to manage us out of a relegation battle, who has taken over from a guy who was completely clueless who job was also to save and improve us who was brought in to take over from a guy has kept us at the least stable and more exciting than the managers before him.
Fans forget that were Southampton a lot of the time .no matter how good we start to get other teams will always poach our players/staff. I don't believe in the phrase "a selling club" as saints are one that seem to get labeled with it as well.at the end of the day we're a stepping stone for players and clubs because as soon as someone has success here they can resist moving on . I'm saying this because of we had players here still like mane, shaw, van dyk, hoijberg, ings ect than we wouldn't be in a relegation battle. We can't and never will keep these players and so were left trying to replace them until we end up with sub-par players like djenpo, Adam Armstrong, lyanco ect.
Soo, the reality is accepting our place in the food chain whilst looking for ray of hopes. Ralph was a ray of hope because he genuinely looked like he was happy to stay and try and build something. Fickle fans gave hime the boot though .and thus, here we are.
24 Feb 2023 18:49:28
Selles is a breathe of fresh air . So we can hold you to that when your inevitably calling for his head next season?
Fact is, Selles ain't going to do much more than at absolute best maybe, maybe keep us up. Then next season the bricks will begin to fall. It's only fans that seem to have this thing about Ralph. Players and pundits have all gave admiration for what he did for us.
People are sucking selles dick after one game due to him being a better fit than Jones, to which the saints fan are accountable for to somewhat for asking for change. We're see how far that breathe of fresh air takes us after a few games . Point is, if your praising Selles at the end of the season for barely keeping us up .then your whole thing about Ralph is pretty pointless
15 May 2026 01:15:39
Yea from the pictures posted you can clearly see him amongst the staff members in the picture with Tonda receiving the Manager of the month award.
They tracked him down with a combination of pictures and the fact he brought a coffee at the golf club that he subsequently ran back into change clothes later when he was caught.
Now the bigger concern is that they're asking for his bank account files. Meaning I'm guessing that want to see if his behavior of buying coffee/food with his own bank card near the venues of other training grounds matches up with the dates that were playing teams of said training grounds.
If that evidence does match up then yea we have a bit of a sh!t storm on our hands.
If indeed there are multiple occurrences of this spying stuff then Tonda most definitely is not the tactical genius many people on here have made him out to be, at best he can throw the analyst guy under the bus and say he knew nothing about it, but at worst which I think is more likely (If there are more occasions of it happening) he did know either some or all of it.
14 May 2026 11:37:25
Time will tell Southhants, I'll gladly put my hands up.
There's a chance I'm right about Tonda (I don't want to be) but then you and others who call me mad and rambling would have to put your hand up and own it.though I'm sure it will be quiet and tumbleweeds if that day comes.
Juric was Diabolical, he accumulated worse points than RM.
So if it very much did get worse to which Guernsey (who isn't around anymore or gone quiet) famously said to me RM needed to go as it "Couldn't possibly get any worse"
My only thing with RM was to keep him until they lined up the right replacement. We got extremely lucky with Tonda, if he is the man he's seeming to be.
Like I say I won't make that judgement until next season and I think even the neutrals would agree with me on that one. A fresh season away from all this spying stuff and to see what players we sell/he brings in and wether we can do it again.
Thats a fair assessment i'd say. Not madness in the slightest.
13 May 2026 20:35:02
Because there's evidence to suggest this wasn't a one off situation, you understand the ramifications of that right?
It means, if proven, this 'tactical genuis' tactics are sending people to observe the oppositions set up for each coming match.
I was Tonda to be the real deal, like I say I'll happily eat my words, it's just disconcerting that nothing has come out to separate him from it, yet.
RM was never my beloved, I stuck with him because I knew the incompetence of our board, which was proven by the hiring of Juric to replace RM.
No one here seemed to think we could get anyone worse than RM, yet that's exactly what we got.
As for Will Still, sure I love the guy a little for what he done for us.which was put together a quality championship/Premiership team following that disastrous relegation season.
It's a team Tonda has been benefiting from and that's been my point regarding him.
13 May 2026 12:26:40
I agree Miller. I want Tonda to be the man he supposedly is and some people on here think he is and as I say when/if that day comes I'll gladly eat my words.
However I also don't want manager/staff that goes about things in such ways and brings scandals to the club. It all reminds me too much of the days when Bruce Grobbaler use to take bribes to fix matches, you lose that sense of achievement and wonder.
If Tonda is the man and the accusations are more fabricated than we can continue as is.
Going up and being in the Premiership is the Pinnacle and where we want/should be, but if we're not competing there, what's the point.
My concern is that we went up with RM and ended up having disastrous season, almost the worst in history.
Now if the claims with Tonda are true then like you say we not only either get banished from playoffs or we go up with a point deduction.
On top of that have a manager who were not sure if was winning because of his ability or tactics he got from observing the opposition training.
At the moment it all feels too much like we got that Biff guy from back to the future as a manager who has that sports almanac book with all the results in.
13 May 2026 12:15:15
You're talking nonsense South hants.
I had valid points that I mentioned BEFORE spygate and since that has come to light it give more credibility to my points, not less.
Like I say I hope I'm wrong and I will gladly eat my words, but now more than ever it's looking next season is where we judge Tonda from.
Where I'm sure if Spying was a thing it will be closely monitored so it's not anymore and if it was never really a thing there's still the observation of how Tonda leads us into a new season with players/team they he has built brought in/replaced.
The fact that you are calling him a tactical genius after barely a season, particularly with this spying claims/evidence out there shows your not think straight.
I'm loving and grateful for what we're achieving this year.the difference is though I look further down the road at potentially what's coming.