merle_eyes

@Nick_Metcalfe @Golacticos2 @Kit_Shepard Your own reply undermines your original sanctimonious argument. You seem to want saints and their fans to accept a Boro / press driven story without any facts or due process. Then reflect that you should maybe wait until the verdict?!

@Golacticos2 @Kit_Shepard To be fair, I should probably say no more on this until the verdict. But I do wonder whether if the Saints reaction had been different - that press officer saying 'show some respect' for example - the reaction may have been calmer.

Opinions are clearly divided over Spygate. FWIW I think Southampton’s behaviour over this has been extremely poor. With some notable exceptions - like @Kit_Shepard in the Times of London - the club and its fans seem to have been quite belligerent. Like they don’t understand.

@henrywinter But according to the original reports, which seem to be backed up by the picture released today…there is a very high probability that not very much was seen, if anything. Rules broken yes. Minimal benefit to Saints and minimal damage to Boro other than hurt feelings.

386 of the 1,438 goals scored in the Championship this season have come from set-pieces. 91 of them dead-balls (64 pens, 27 direct free-kicks). 26.84% of all goals. highest for six years in the Championship. As in the Premier League, Championship teams spending longer practising set-pieces in the supposed seclusion of their training grounds. Knowing in advance an opponent's set-piece intentions is an obvious advantage. Knowing in advance how they have practised penalties – and who – is an advantage in play-off combats with potential for shootouts. That is why Spygate is so serious.

@Yate5y @_ScottWinter_ Yeah but you’ll probably get a speed awareness course rather than a 12 month ban. Context and definition is quite important.

@_ScottWinter_ If you speed 4mph over or 40mph it's still speeding. Did you expect him to have his own sky sports camera and a starlink hook up?

Not quite the military operation with professional recording equipment and spy satellites was it? Drove into the facility, used the fucking golf clubs restaurant and took a picture on his phone by a tree next to the pitch. Absolutely ridiculous that we’ve been dragged like this.

@phil_birdos @sportingintel It isn’t unprecedented. Leeds are the precedent. Rule brought in because of them but any half decent sports KC will reference that as a guide. Boro can’t seem to separate what happened objectively - the issue is the spying, not that it was against Boro.

@sportingintel I’m not sure punishment of cheating can be based on the impact of the act you were caught doing. That would be impossible to conclude surely? As this is unprecedented, what punishment do you feel is likely?

I'm a Saints fan, and remain embarrassed & mortified that a Saints intern spied on Boro. Pointless. Self-defeating. Cringe. But today's "bombshell" utterly subverts the totally fake news narrative of sophisticated spyware tech, live feeds to HQ etc. It's a kid. With an iphone.

@Regdog093 @SkyFootball Steve Gibson and Dragan Solak’s lawyers.

@SkyFootball Steve Gibson's lawyers.

FULL-TIME: Shea Charles' late winner breaks Boro hearts and sends Southampton to Wembley after a fiery encounter at St. Mary's! 🔥

@The_W0lfman @_AlexOliva_ I honestly think most saints fans don’t feel that at all. What we have reacted to is the lack of due process but where there has been unrealistic demands on punishment. We still don’t know what actually happened.

Precisely this. The image the hierarchy has chose to portray by cheating is not “The Southampton Way” It’s not the club we all know and love. The game moved on people will learn but you can’t not be disappointed in the way the club have acted - IMO

Spying on teams all season, players mocking disabilities, 2 blatant penalties not given against them. I absolutely hate Southampton. Pricks

@MitchellT27 Tonight is the straightener - let it all happen on the pitch.

"No Boro fan" Probably read about 5 of our fans opinions then. If we get a free pass I'll be fucking embarrassed.

@JustSaints_ Demands always go down well with regulatory bodies.

🚨 Boro have made two demands to the EFL: 1. That the Independent Disciplinary Committee hearing takes place as quickly as possible. 2. They want #SaintsFC to face ‘sporting sanctions’ rather than a fine, even if any financial penalty is significantly higher than the £200,000 figure Leeds United had to pay. [via @Scottwilsonecho]

@TheSaintCentre Why does he have a head like one of those Cola Cubes at the bottom of the packet?

🚨There is every chance Kim Hellberg could keep his players in training until the commission ruling is delivered — even if Middlesbrough lose to Saints in tomorrow’s semi-final #saintsfc [ScottWilson]

@RalphInUEFA Yes, we have really hurt their feelings.

Say hypothetically we win 5-0 tonight? Would Boro really try to argue with a straight face they deserve to be in the final. 😂 #saintsfc

@CWeatherspoon_ Surely there’s a few things at play here: deterrence punishment to ward off other clubs from doing the same, likely fine &/or points deduction. The issue with Boro is separate. What material loss have they incurred? So far it looks like hurt feelings. Expulsion not proportionate.

And Boro are right to. The EFL rule is unequivocal. What use is a fine when the winners of the play-offs guarantee themselves a minimum in £200million revenue over the next three years?

@TheSaintCentre I’ll fix it for you - ‘Boro believe any suggestion…’

🚨Sources close to the investigation believe any suggestion that Southampton’s alleged spying operation was the work of a lone individual at the club “would not be taken seriously” #saintsfc [Mail]

@ChrisBennett84 Yep. I’ll take whatever they throw as us to be honest. Still support the team wherever we end up. Same as you lot! Enjoy!

@EyesMerle I wouldn’t like to be on that panel (as a neutral) deciding. And hear you - this is two very good teams at the end of day, we should be talking about football and the most exciting stage of season! Enjoy Tuesday!

Lots of passionate Saints fans that won’t able to take neutral view - it’s hard, they’ll be worried & unfair on them. This is not about Boro getting a pass - unfair on Millwall imo (finished with +3 points on us), this is about wider integrity of game and ‘Fair Play’ message. #UTB

@ChrisBennett84 🤝 It’s hard to quantify what disadvantage there has been to Boro. If it’s the spirit of the game then undoubtedly it’s a fine. Everything else will come out at the panel. It’s a shame it’s taking the gloss off what should be 2 good games of football.

Oh yeah, absolutely. Disagree re: ineligible player, normally an administrative accident. Not as bad as bribing a ref. It’s premeditated nature of it - it’s defined as cheating & someone has potentially travelled 300 miles to do it. Will be interesting to see what’s accurate & not

@RobSc0tt @manbearpi9 And the EFL rules / history strongly suggest a big old fine. I’ve yet to see anything convincing on what Boro lost out on. Rules broken, yes. Any disadvantage to Boro seems minimal but the investigation will reveal it, hopefully. And the punishment will be set independently.

@manbearpi9 Well, it's the Premier League that have brought the charges against Man City, and this situation falls under the EFL's remit.

Best case scenario, we go and knock them out on Tuesday night. I'd like us to make the final on the pitch. But I just can't see how you can allow Southampton to possibly be rewarded with a place in the Premier League when they've cheated. Expulsion is the only fitting punishment

@james_bjourno @ChrisBonner93 Prove how they’ve not been given a fair chance. Even the reports suggest the person involved was stopped early on. In agreement that Saints deserve to be held to account. There’s a big leap from what has happened to the potential harm caused. Let the tribunal decide.

@ChrisBonner93 West Ham were forced to replay a cup game vs Aston Villa in 1999 for fielding an ineligible player, which West Ham then lost after originally winning. I'm not talking about financial compensation. Boro haven't been given the same fair chance in this play-off semi-final as Saints.

I disagree with Alfie here, & it's not because I want a free #Boro passage to Wembley. IF guilty, Boro have to be compensated in some form IMO, as their prep & chances of victory will have been damaged. A Saints fine/points deduction doesn't do anything to compensate Boro.

@SFCBenW @LouSirr101 @SFCTom123 What disadvantage? Material facts please! Otherwise we are dealing in ‘might haves’. Never does well in tribunals. Especially as the culprit was supposedly caught / made to delete their phone etc. Objectively it looks like it will be a big fine and possible deduction.

@LouSirr101 @SFCTom123 There we go again, you just want the free pass. How many times do you need to read that the result shouldn't just be a benefit to you