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Sensible and thoughtful post, but sadly, none of the observations and potential solutions will happen or change. There is no hope. That’s what really hurts…

One of the main reasons Eckert plays with 3 centre backs is to get some extra physicality on the pitch because without them we are mainly short and weak. It is about time SR sorted out the lack of physicality in our squad. Spors said he'd do it but he hasn't.

But Tonda gives the impression that he is doing what he is told, regardless of whether it is working or not. The issue is either (1) he lacks the gumption to realise, which the Charlton and Leicester performances suggest is not the case, or (2) he is strictly following somebody else's diktat, and does not have any flexibility.

I'd like to see it more often

Yes it's not rocket science our defence and goal keeper are shite..... and it's costing us

If we take a step back from the emotion of yesterday and look at the stats they tell us fundamentally where the gap is between us and serious promotion prospects. Last season the top three were Leeds, Burnley and Sheff Utd, who were super unlucky not to go up and started with points deduction. We are exactly halfway through our season and have scored 37 goals and conceded 33. So on track for plus eight scoring 74 and conceding 66. The finishing goals for and against last season were: Leeds 95 scored, 30 against. Burnley 69 scored, 16 against Sheff Utd 63 scored, 36 against. So while many, me included, think we lack a big centre forward option having gambled on Stewart’s height, the reality (perhaps surprising) is that we are on course to out score both Burnley and Sheff Utd from last season, teams that accumulated massive points totals. However, at just the halfway mark we have ALREADY conceded more than both Leeds and Burnley did IN THE WHOLE SEASON, and are just three short of Sheff Utd full season total. So, what could we do? I think we have been hampered by both Roeslev and Jelert being injured starving us of natural right back, but we could still have played either Edwards, Stephens, Welington or THB as a right back in a back four. Admittedly as the two Danes return to fitness they are better choices. For me, Manning is excellent going forward but poor defensively and never stops a cross coming into our box meaning we face too many 50/50 situations in our penalty area. So Welington is for me the better choice. Back to basics of full backs who stop crosses coming in. Then we look at centre backs and goalkeeper. Our style of play suits Baz but his shots stopping is poor. So McCarthy gets the nod, or perhaps give Long a try as an experience championship keeper. Then there is no evidence, per above, that we are benefiting from three centre backs and so why not go to a back four and pick the best two. Probably Wood and THB. That said, Edwards hasn’t been given any run in the team. By shifting to a back three we have the chance to play Azaz as a number 10 in front of two other midfielders giving us the chance to play three of Armstrong, Scienza, Fellows and Stewart across the front line. There appears little point continuing to do what data tells you isn’t working. So change it.

Might as well have Ankerson on the sidelines during matches, he’s all over it anyway

What the players want is an easy life where results don't matter. The toys were ejected from the pram and now that the weak manager has been duly appointed we're seeing the results.

Or it was a work experience exercise in which he was shadowing someone at work, just to see how they did their job ie put the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net ! Probably of little benefit to Archer as he won’t get the opportunity with Bazunu in goal.

Here’s a sobering thought, imagine that back five in the premiership.

So do I, but I'd rather see it a lot than not at all.

It was an opinion/comment. Just like your ignorant and repressive bullshit. HTH.

Of course they want to go up, they just don’t have the balls or mental toughness to do so in this side. They’ll want to do it the easy way and be picked up by a club already there.

My lad is going to the 4th day at Sydney, he asked me if it’ll make 4 days. I said it will, if it rains… As expected we win a dead rubber. Aussies wouldn’t have chucked that away had it been 2-1. This shouldn’t gloss over the fact it’s been a complete and utter shit show and heads should roll. They had their best players missing important games & they’re a pretty average side, yet it’s over before Xmas.

So on December 27th, you think we could get someone in before the next transfer window, in four days time !! We had something like six weeks to find a manager matching the profile you set out, and didn’t manage it . Of the names touted most had some failures and sackings on their CV, and listening to podcasts and YouTube features some of the criticisms at Carrick for example followed a familiar theme, poor substitutions, no Plan B. Or worse still, one was Gary O’Neil. Agree we ballsed up the manager position with the appointment of Still, and then keeping the fucker too long. Unfortunately they weren’t going for a ‘war horse’ such as Mowbray, or even Farke if available. On the topic of substitutions, I don’t see them as like for like, they are always a downgrade. Largely down to recruitment rather than the manager (Still or Tonda).

Charlton and Leicester were before he had been given the permanent appointment, and had not yet had to commit contractually to the club "philosophy".

Yes, we're bucking the trend because hipster football is fast going out of fashion. Currently it's back to the swashbuckling up and at 'em type game with a big centre forward to play off and long throw-ins launched into the box. Meanwhile we play walking, tippy tappy, sideways, backwards and wonder why we're getting rolled over by supposedly inferior sides. Football is a simple game complicated by clever dicks trying to make themselves look smart and we have the biggest of them all in Ankersen. Can we get back to basics as that might just work.

Then that's down to coaching and managing then surely. I've said it before, with the front players Saints have, they should be overwhelming teams. Saints have shown they can't defend and keep making the same mistakes so try and outscore the opposition!

Agree with you, but the three comments in bold provide quite a challenge, and will be the acid test as to whether he is going to succeed as a manager/head coach, here or elsewhere in his career. Behind the scenes is a big unknown. I wonder if the appointment of Tonda has strengthened Spors position in getting his man in place. How closely will he and Tonda work ? Will Tonda have his ear in making demands (or more likely polite requests) for positions and players he wants/needs, or are others pulling the strings ? Despite Manji’s (for one) comments I think we all fear Rasmus is the one setting the blueprint to follow. Can only hope we see progress in recruitment in January. But the SR track record does not inspire confidence.

The goals seemed to have dried up. I think it's 3 in the last 3 games.

Don't worry. That isn't going to happen.

An important distinction about yesterdays game was not only are Oxford a small potatoes relegation fodder bottom 3 team but the were managerless. It’s almost beyond belief that we lost yesterday to them. Eckert simply cannot have any credits left in the bank after that and should be bumped back down to u21s before the crucial January transfer window. We know how this story goes, he’s kept on past the transfer window closing despite us continuing to play turgid possession football in our own box and when we finally sack him the new guy has no chance to get his own players in so essentially has his arms tied behind his back. We have done this time and time again and never learn. I think someone earlier made a very good observation on Eckert, he just makes like for like subs. That’s the only tool he has at his disposal. Not changing formations and tactics before games depending on the opponents, not changing mid game when something isn’t working, not taking of a defender for an attacker when we are losing, just taking off Downes for Romeu. He's not suddenly going to learn to have these skills, we are on a hiding to nothing with this guy. Add on top the fact he is constantly worried about saving players for the next game when we are losing the current one being played then we are facing another period of abject misery. The next guy that comes in has to be an experienced old head with the freedom to tell sport republic the fuck off with their bullshit loser philosophy.

Said previously I cannot believe Solak is a successful business guy if he runs his businesses like he has us. He gets way too much of a free pass amongst our fan base. More direct anger should come his way in my opinion.

Said previously I cannot believe Solak is a successful business guy if he runs his businesses like he has us. He gets way too much of a free pass amongst our fan base. More direct anger should come his way in my opinion.

I'd probably pick the same players and therein lies a big part of the problem. Not a single one of those is a defender, goalkeeper or defensive midfielder. No wonder our defence is woeful