Current Avatar:
No Avatar image uploaded
No Avatar image uploaded
Southampton Rumours Member Posts
lesleee's Profile
lesleee's Posts and Other Poster's Replies To lesleee's Posts
To lesleee's last 5 rumours posts
To lesleee's last 5 banter posts
To lesleee's last 5 rumour replies
To lesleee's last 5 banter replies
lesleee's rumours posts with other poster's replies to lesleee's rumours posts
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
12 May 2024 20:48:11
Positives from today is; well for mez its all positive. Mainly because I didn't/don't think we'd win the playoffs and at the moment we're still in a good position .and second positive is whatever were feeling after the result today all the fans of the other 3 teams will be feeling the same as results were same for everyone across the board. We can't be critical if everyone did the same thing. Friday is a fresh start.
1.) 13 May 2024 16:20:27
Completely agree. An away draw is a reasonable result and we should be confident playing at home on Friday.
I watchd the Leeds game highlights on their YouTube channel and it was interesting to read their fans believing they will bottle the playoffs.
So nobody is blowing anybody away and we have a very good chance.
13 Apr 2024 21:44:50
I'm all for the positivity and believe me I am trying lol but I'm still not optimistic about automatic.
Yes it is technically possible again now but we've been riding our luck too hard to get where we are right now. The teams above us have all dropped massive points but we having capitalized on that nearly enough.
The main factor will be when we face them. They're away games and Leicester and Leeds will both up their games and show their promotion form when playing against us. When it comes to ruthlessness and not conceeding when it matters I can't honestly say we've got it in us. Maybe if we start playing Lumley.
I'm going to be positive though, go with the flow and hope for the fairytale lol . Here's hoping for automatic ?
lesleee's banter posts with other poster's replies to lesleee's banter posts
05 Dec 2025 10:01:10
Looking forward to tomorrows game in terms or result/performance capability from Tondas team.
I think the away Millwall game would have been hard for anyone and without Leo Tonda didn't adapt in time.
Tomorrow however is about seeing wether that run was a fluke because although it's a fairly difficult game (4 points above us) we are at home and if that run was down to managerial prowess as opposed to just a change in management (managerial bounce) then I think it's fair to expect a win tomorrow at the least a decent performance.
I want to see if Tonda is able to recreate that run/performance for a few more games, to me that shows him and his team are able to adjust to defeat, work on things that didn't work and push on.
So let's see.
29 Nov 2025 14:12:25
Think today will be a real test as to wether Tonda has the minerals.
No Sceinza, can he win games without him, were see.
Also interested to see if Oriel will have any bearing on the game.
If nothing else, Tonda has bought matchday excitement back to the club.
Let's go.
1.) 29 Nov 2025 17:15:13
Was a tough watch at the Den, no real flow to it .along as Stephans and THB play together we will always concede goals . How is the worst defensive partnership in our clubs history allowed game time? We need leaders! Stephans captain what a joke
2.) 30 Nov 2025 09:20:35
Agree with you Ballsy - Stephens shouldn’t be playing, never mind be captain.
I didn’t get to the game yesterday, but by all accounts we were second best for much of the game and failed to show the cutting edge of the last couple of weeks.
Although defeat has broken up the winning momentum, if we can win the next three on the spin, then nothing has materially altered in terms of where we finish. Coventry aside, most teams are dropping points and so averaging 2 points a game from now will keep us in the mix (5th or 6th spot) .
I expect Tonda to be appointed but that probably has more to do with the dearth of viable options.
28 Nov 2025 20:54:59
I think a convincing away win tomorrow and Tonda gets the job. He definitely deserves in, in relation to those who have come before.
The realist in me though doesn't let me getting carried away. Part of me can't help but wander how he/the team adapts to the first lost under him. It all feels a bit like the honeymoon at the moment. Will the relationship/form last into the future if we have a few losses here and there?
On top of that even if Will wasn't successful I think he was successful in the players/team he brought it, he just wasn't able to get them to perform. So for me Tondas success is a little reliant on the team that was created for him, wether he's able to identify players of his own going forward, if he does get the job, time will tell.
Furthermore we are and always will be the little guys when it comes to the premier league, meaning if we do have any immense success and that is able to carry over to the premier league, it will be 1-2 seasons at the most where that succes is gutted and we become doners for the elite clubs in the league.
It's a fine like to walk when your a club like us. Every single club is a selling club unless your to man city's/real madrids of this world. The teams every player/manager ultimately want to end up as.
Hopefully Tonda is the man, just hopefully not too much too soon lol ?
1.) 29 Nov 2025 11:49:31
It’s a very difficult call to make isn’t it. If we win today, I agree, Tonda will likely get the job. If we don’t, then the board will have doubts.
But it shouldn’t be like that - an all or nothing call.
Personally, I think it’s far too early to rave about Tonda - the results on his watch have been brilliant but as you say Lesleee, what will happen when we lose a few.
If it was my call, I would probably offer him an interim contract for the rest of the season. That way we can assess his leadership over 20 or so matches and take stock in May.
Very tough game today in a tough part of London.
25 Nov 2025 19:21:34
I'm intrigued to see the outcome of the game tonight after looking at the lineup.
Cameron bragg was a big part of why we dominated with fluid movement of the ball at the wknd.
Now, not only has he opted against that by leaving him out, he's gone with downes instead of O'Shea.
So I'm interested to see if our recent run has been down to luck or wether he knows things we don't, I'm hoping for the latter and a decent result tonight. Downes for me seems like a revert to the old ways though. Hopefully not.
1.) 25 Nov 2025 20:53:43
Provided we comfortably hold on to this lead (or hopefully double it), Eckert has the job. Four wins in four, taking a two goal lead in each (something we hadn’t done in 19 months) and not just an XI but some peripheral players performing, this is an astonishing turnaround.
How bad was Still, or how much did the players down tools? Either way, I’ll enjoy this while it lasts!
2.) 25 Nov 2025 20:56:22
This manager knows his players inside out. What a first half performance.
He sets his team up to score goals …
What a breath of fresh air!
3.) 25 Nov 2025 21:59:26
Just how bad does young Still look now? When Tonda first took control, and won a couple before the international break, the wise council was still, rightly, let's not rush this. Then Charlton, then tonight. Now the emphasis MUST be "do not lose this guy" He won't need to work for a luke warm "experienced" manager like ONeil or the divisive Rogers, so just please give him the job tonight
4.) 25 Nov 2025 22:04:04
I do agree he's been a breathe of fresh air but the realist in me doesn't let me get carried away.
Whilst we didn't have success with Still I think we owe a part of this success to him. He gathered a a good squad of players when he arrived, the only issue was getting them to play.
Wether tonda is able to identify and recruit successfully as well as Still did along with how he adapts to any injuries that disrupt the way he wants to play will be key going forward.
But yes, it's hard to deny his success so far. Long may it continue.
5.) 25 Nov 2025 22:46:37
When he took over, looking at the fixtures you’d have realistically expected 5-7 from these four games, so to get 12, and score 13, is miraculous. For the first time in a long time I’m excited to watch Saints play. Only 2 off the play offs suddenly. I love this league.
6.) 26 Nov 2025 06:49:46
Completely agree. We could be playoffs by Christmas!
7.) 26 Nov 2025 20:22:44
Did the Maths, maintaining the current PPG average, 6th would be 35 points by Christmas. That is 11 away, so if draw away at Millwall, beat Birmingham, West Brom and Norwich then draw with Coventry, we could be in the playoffs.
18 Nov 2025 21:06:55
The next few games will decided wether Tonda should be considered for (not giving) the job.
I'm a firm believer in the managerial bounce so those games just gone are disregarded to me in relation to him getting the job. He needs to get results from the next 3 or have the team playing exceptionally well in defeat/draw from these upcoming games BEFORE he can be CONSIDERED for the job.
The Charlton game will be a big eat for him mainly because of Nathan Jones. Jones has got Charlton going good and I'm sure he will do everything in his power to get a result against us and reedem his reputation.
So a result against Charlton, for me, goes a long way to decidimg if Tonda is up for the job.
Nonetheless the boards HAS to be continuing the search whilst they are evaluating Tonda and not just give him the job because he's the best of a bad bunch.
1.) 19 Nov 2025 22:02:08
Who would be your pick Lesleee?
2.) 19 Nov 2025 22:53:57
Not sure, I would have gone all in for Rohl when we had the chance. For whatever reason they chose Still over him, than sacked Still.
That tells me either they thought still was better than Rohl or we never had a chance of getting him, hopefully they thought the latter.
Anyway the Rohl ship has sailed because either he does immense at rangers meaning he will catch the eye of bigger clubs than us or he won't, which means why would we want him.
I would honestly take Ralph back but can't see that happening. So for me I'd take shot on Carrick. He's got some pedigree, similar to lampard and even if he doesn't get us promoted I think he will at least consolidate us as a decent championship team. Then the board can work on getting the right guy if Carrick can't push us onwards.
3.) 20 Nov 2025 05:13:40
Sheffield Wednesday were asking for high compensation for Rohl, 5m I think so that is why we did not get him earlier.
I have been surprised Ralph does not have more support. Ironic there is more support for his former assistant in Rohl.
Perhaps they are waiting for Marco Silva, Farke or Corberan to be sacked and be first in line. Carrick, Rodgers (unlikely) or Ole would be a step up also.
Get it right with the manager, Jan window and playoffs are still possible. Bookies have us fighting Leicester for 6th spot
4.) 20 Nov 2025 10:18:16
Im not necessarily bothered about promotion this year, not as much as I am in knowing we have the right manager/board/vision going forward.
The promotion under RM nearly cost us the label of being the worst premier league team of all time ?
I think when/if we're ready to return to the premier league we need to be in a state to stay there and compete. One thing I lied about Will Still was some of the signings he made, he unearthed some gems in Sceinza and Casper. That kind of thing is what's needed when we head back up to the premier league.when we went up with RM were still fielding largely young English players of championship quality.
This is why Tonda has a lot to prove. No only does he has to get us winning but he has to be able to identify players/a team we would need if we ever do get promoted. Time will tell if he is the man for the job but either way as I say the board shouldn't give up looking
5.) 20 Nov 2025 19:36:07
I think you’re spot on about establishing a vision because only then will we have the chance to create the right sort of culture.
With the right culture comes identity and knowing who we are and what it means to belong to Southampton Football Club. And only then will we start to perform well on a regular basis.
Loathe as I am to admit it, we are probably three years away from achieving any of that - even if we started now.
Almost everything about our club stinks from the Board Room down to the players’ attitudes on the pitch. The one redeeming quality is the constant loyalty of so many of our fans who are not prepared to give up on the team. Yet.
6.) 21 Nov 2025 20:18:43
I would like John Eustace or Gary Rowett because both the teams they coach would be rock bottom in the championship but for their managers. Charlton is going to be a horrid in the face game with little quality but 100 % frantic energy. I think we’ll win 2-1 because we have way more quality, THB and Fellows to score. COYR
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
28 Nov 2025 20:47:18
You need to reign it in a little bit ?, we went on an unbeaten run and promoted with RM and had the worst time in our clubs history in the Premier league.
I'm not sure if I want promotion or not even if we have a great season. I think it will depend on he manager situation and how good he/or whoever it is in the transfer window in January. That will give us some idea of their squad building capabilities going forward.
25 Nov 2025 22:04:04
I do agree he's been a breathe of fresh air but the realist in me doesn't let me get carried away.
Whilst we didn't have success with Still I think we owe a part of this success to him. He gathered a a good squad of players when he arrived, the only issue was getting them to play.
Wether tonda is able to identify and recruit successfully as well as Still did along with how he adapts to any injuries that disrupt the way he wants to play will be key going forward.
But yes, it's hard to deny his success so far. Long may it continue.
20 Nov 2025 10:18:16
Im not necessarily bothered about promotion this year, not as much as I am in knowing we have the right manager/board/vision going forward.
The promotion under RM nearly cost us the label of being the worst premier league team of all time ?
I think when/if we're ready to return to the premier league we need to be in a state to stay there and compete. One thing I lied about Will Still was some of the signings he made, he unearthed some gems in Sceinza and Casper. That kind of thing is what's needed when we head back up to the premier league.when we went up with RM were still fielding largely young English players of championship quality.
This is why Tonda has a lot to prove. No only does he has to get us winning but he has to be able to identify players/a team we would need if we ever do get promoted. Time will tell if he is the man for the job but either way as I say the board shouldn't give up looking
19 Nov 2025 22:53:57
Not sure, I would have gone all in for Rohl when we had the chance. For whatever reason they chose Still over him, than sacked Still.
That tells me either they thought still was better than Rohl or we never had a chance of getting him, hopefully they thought the latter.
Anyway the Rohl ship has sailed because either he does immense at rangers meaning he will catch the eye of bigger clubs than us or he won't, which means why would we want him.
I would honestly take Ralph back but can't see that happening. So for me I'd take shot on Carrick. He's got some pedigree, similar to lampard and even if he doesn't get us promoted I think he will at least consolidate us as a decent championship team. Then the board can work on getting the right guy if Carrick can't push us onwards.
08 Nov 2025 20:50:05
I agree, I've said it before, don't dismiss the managerial bounce affect.
There's a chance tonda will come good, but he has to be assessed on the next few games and possibly any influence he has towards January signings if he's still doing the job by then.
The danger we have is if we win a few games with him it has potential to turn into another Selles situation.
Board need to be actively looking for the right man, of the right man is tonda, fine, but don't just give him the job because a few results go his way.
Whoever it is has to be the man to build something, a team/vision/identity that leads us on for the next few years.