saintsfc - down not out

@FootballMartin_ Put your handbag away Martin. Grow a pair of balls and strap yourself in. Tonda show next year is gonna be epic. Be a shame you won’t be able to watch it because you’ll be so dismayed 🤣

The man who cost us the chance to play in one of the biggest games in world football has to go. No debate he should never set foot inside St Mary’s again. The arrogance shown has made my blood boil #SaintsFC

You would think #Boro fans would have better things to do today than goad #saintsfc fans on socials today Let’s all hope Hellberg is crying and whining again after the final whistle today 🙏🏻

@AlexComber_ There’s one

Fair play to Sam Edozie. "Next season is a new opportunity. I'll be ready." #SaintsFC

@lrwebbmac @AdamBlackmore @AlfieHouseEcho Sounds like a set up ey

@AdamBlackmore @AlfieHouseEcho have we heard yet why the analyst(s), who felt they shouldn’t be doing this, didn’t report it to someone at the time? I’ve read that Tonda didn’t know/wasn’t briefed etc, so why wasn’t he corrected? Someone must have known! #SaintsFC

@henrywinter Jesus Henry - you’ve got a pretty heavy agenda with this

Southampton have to go into full Mea Culpa mode. Written reasons into Spygate are so damning. “Junior members of staff were put under pressure to carry out activities which they felt were, at the least, morally wrong.” Shameful. No more arrogance, no more passive-aggressive statements. Just front up. Club rightly and widely vilified for the conduct of some within over Spygate and for the inept handling of the fall-out. Only when Tonda Eckert goes can the rebuilding of a damaged reputation begin. Only when the owner Dragan Solak addresses a fans’ forum, takes fans’ questions, and also address widespread external criticism can any trust or respect begin to return. Club cannot put CEO Phil Parsons up for interview following his misguided statement on the day of the appeal. He’s damaged. Solak has to talk: to restore some faith amongst shocked staff; to persuade those fans thinking of not renewing season tickets or memberships to give them another chance; to give angry fans hope that their club has someone competent at the helm of a listing ship; and perhaps to dissuade some players from jumping ship. Also, from a commercial perspective, Solak has to reassure sponsors: 19 partners, including a bank, law company and GPS-tracking company and 13 regional partners who may, understandably, worry about the damage to the club and to themselves by association. It's a long road back for Saints and it has to start with Solak leading the way. #SaintsFC

@AdamBlackmore @saintpedro @Saints_Mike7167 @lpp28 Adam, what if the decision is to back this manager and group of people who made a mistake. Held their hands up and said. Yep, we’ve been caught, we were wrong. Is that deceive enough for you ?

@saintpedro @Saints_Mike7167 @lpp28 That’s my worry ….there’s been enough cowardice and indecision. Time for someone at the top to grow a pair and let the fans know they’ve got this

My rant on the EFL findings #SaintsFc Usually I write “please enjoy” but tonight I will write please endure the embarrassment you may feel as a Saints fan listening to it I’m still flabbergasted tbh 😞

@Saints_Mike7167 @pdq_saints Systemic bullying 🤣 your making a lot of assumptions there Mike. Show some metal

@pdq_saints It's disgusting isn't it. Systemic bullying from the top down, misleading the hearing, caring only about the hypothetical £200m not a thought for the players, fans the clubs history or reputation which they pissed up the wall. Absolute cunts #SaintsFC

The more I read about this the more disgusted I feel. Might start going to Barnet matches rather than spending my time driving down.

@saintmattc @WhitemoreC How do you know we bullied an intern 🤦‍♂️ how do you know the intern isn’t just an absolute melt trying to save his own bacon

@WhitemoreC I understand the thought process but - 1. We broke actual rules, repeatedly 2. We bullied an intern into doing it 3. We initially denied it (altho I accept at the time we may not of known the full facts. The report paints a vastly different picture to Bielsa. #saintsfc

our own supporters are contributing to the club's downfall here if we are not careful, take a long look at yourselves. Beilsa was a genius of the back of spygate 1.0 and took Leeds up the following season. There fans and club protected him and developed seige mentality #saintsfc

@dankiz1 I think it’s all a bit of a reach, that everyone can be sure this was a toxic and oppressive environment where young analysts were trembling with fear every time Tonda walked past them. One persons account of feeling pressured to do something isn’t clear cut evidence

6/ #saintsfc that ideal and what it means to most saints fans. We all want to be winners, but I imagine most want to do it with honesty, humility and integrity. That can't be too much to ask?

#saintsfc Tonda was an analyst, in his head, he was doing what came naturally to him. But he should have been guided by bosses that it wasn't allowed in EFL football, well not within 72 hours anyway. He/we got caught and we will forever be labelled as cheats. 1/

@Elliot_OUFC @oxfjackm That will be a great day for all. Look forward to it

@Saintsspare @oxfjackm Could draw you lot in the Carabao/FA Cup

Whoever gets Southampton opening day are gonna hit the loudest “you cheating bastards you know what you are” in history 😂 #oufc #saintsfc

@Southamptonia 🤦‍♂️ he’s only 10 years younger than Tonda … and how do you know how much pressure was applied. Hardly water boarding him to go out and spy. Jesus

And most upsetting of all is the pressuring of an intern into carrying out the operation, more than likely against his will. Putting a young individual in that situation, particularly as it all came out in the media, is abhorrent. I hope Tonda never manages again #saintsfc

@itsluke93 What’s changed … that Tonda was mean to some junior staff? Boo fucking hoo. Saints cheated. They fucked up. They’ve been harshly dealt with. No need for everyone to dramatise this even more

@Sargesbackheel @slbsn Make a very good Bond villain perhaps

@Sargesbackheel @slbsn No disagreement that Tonda is clearly partial to some surveillance operations … so he stretches the morales of football. So do plenty of players who continually dive and feign injury. Not sure the punishment and character assassination is fair

🚨 Spygate written reasons OUT - no major surprises We knew most of the information in the written reasons. We did learn that Southampton got 2 points credit (generously) for "the available mitigation, including the Respondent's acceptance of the charges, co-operation (although it is not accepted that this was unqualified) and their proffering of information in relation to the OU Incident and IT Incident." The Tribunal was ultimately happy to distinguish between Leeds and the current case. Suffice it to say, I disagree. That is how litigation works and why it is so unpredictable.

@Steve_Crossman It feels a very 2026 type outpouring of horror that a 35 year old in a senior position gave some underhand duties to a 25 year old in a more junior position and that the 25 year old felt pressured🤷‍♂️ I don’t see that as the big deal here

Forget spying for a sec, it’s the treatment of interns that stands out here, by far the most serious offence. A top down system of pressurising young people, deemed ‘deplorable’ by the commission. Also the intern who was at MFC spoke to the commission, must have been through hell

@Sargesbackheel @slbsn A fan of facts and justice

@Saintsspare @slbsn Shocked you’re a Southampton fan

Not sure why the biggest melt down here is that Tonda asked interns to do the spying - hardly going to send Adam lallana to hang about at other clubs training grounds. Now a few interns say they were feeling pressured? Whole thing stinks of a set up #saintsfc

Managed to get some cat 2 tickets right behind the goal …. Then struck me. Do people stand? It’s a cup final, people stand surely ?? #saintsfc