Fabrice29

The severity of the offence is spying. We’ve done that to gain an advantage, or we wouldn’t have done it. That’ll be all that matters. Doesn’t matter how much we saw, doesn’t matter if other members of the public saw it too and it doesn’t matter if all they trained was winding up ball boys. Someone at our club has gone to watch their training when they shouldn’t.

Jesus Christ stop with this angle 😂

In fairness to Winter (horrible sentence that I’ll never write again), Bielsa didn’t break any rules. That’s the point. 💯 That MLG is obsessed with these details and keeps posting about it anywhere he can. It’s really missing the point.

Any friends want to help my friend with a good/reliable recommendation?

Watch out, MLT will be sent out to tell you to stop again if you’re not careful.

All that experience and still no guaranteed success. Can’t be right.

He doesn’t blame that.

I’ve no idea, obviously. I suspect whoever is making the decision is also trying to figure that out let alone me. A fine seems a bit mad to me though. And so does expulsion from the competition. I suspect it’ll be neither of those (on their own). So points (maybe suspended) and personnel bans? Would fit in with what happened in the women’s game.

This isn’t what he’s saying. You only need to watch the press conference, which is available on YouTube, to see what he’s saying. He’s talking about the tiny margins in football he can control and is seemingly upset they have potentially been taken away from him. Think he comes across very well personally and his laughing at anyone suggesting ‘allegedly’ also very telling. He’s honest about what he saw on the CCTV. It’s clear what we’ve done. And he’s honest about that and why it upsets him but he’s also honest in why they lost. Can’t really argue with his scoffing at a fine being suitable punishment either personally but I guess that’s about opinions and there’s a small panel of people who will decide on that. Which he’s also honest with.

Yes, the ball boys were academy players again.

Broghan Sewell remember the name. Some really cringe/poor moments from us as a club tonight in amongst the incredible fight and joy, but this kid was superb.

There’s people calling for defamation cases on this very forum

Well if they have little defence it wouldn’t be much of a slanging match. Which is why I said it’s a sign of guilt.

Has anyone looked into that Canadian women’s team story that ended up with the manager suspended for a while?

This feels bang on imo.

Narrative control. Exactly what I said initially and exactly what any good PR team would set out to achieve. You’d think the club would want some sort of detail out there about what happened if they had any kind of defence. But as I said, given their only line seems to be they aren’t going to fight the charge then maybe they don’t have a defence and they just want to focus on mitigating the punishment.

I didn’t ask for a club statement, so no? I didn’t ask for anything did I? I said I find it a bit odd and sign of guilt that they’ve let the narrative be pushed from one side only. I wouldn’t expect club statements to be full of detail but I would expect them to brief the local journalists if they wanted to push some form of defence out there but that continues to remain missing (the only bit of interest is Alfie House keeps pointing out they aren’t interested in fighting the charge). Some of you think that’s a sign of focus on tonight or doing things properly etc. I think it’s a sign they have little defence. It’s okay to have a differing opinion.

I do see that and that’s why I said I find it the biggest sign of their guilt. Thanks for reading.

Come on now. It’s not the only thing that matters and isn’t tabloid gossip. It’s a very serious charge. And unless they have been drafted onto spying duties I don’t think the media/pr team are otherwise engaged on prepping the team for tomorrow’s match. What I would expect them to do is what they always do and put out messages unofficially via the local media, if of course they had a message to be put out. Given they haven’t, and in fact they have seemingly let Blackmore especially go quite hard on them without pushing back, I can only assume they are reasonably content with the narrative and some of the details being put out there, which suggests it’s not all bullshit.

The lack of narrative control the club have sought via the local media on this is odd and for me is the biggest sign of their guilt.

Was it?

They'd have every right to be as equally as pissed off if Conway had smashed the ball in from 12 yards rather than at Bree. Bizarre to me anyone is trying to argue the performance and result matter in that sense. I also find it slightly bizarre there's a belief that Boro have blown it today based on it being a home leg given their away form recently has been stronger than their home. No idea whats happened and no real belief that the tactics were the main reason for anything happening in todays game but if you've argued all season tactics matter in terms of our performances then you cant be coming on here playing down another team potentially having to change theirs because of our illegitimate actions.

I don't think "you had to change your tactics so we didn't get an advantage" is the defence you think it is. If they had a plan and were forced to change it then they have obviously been disadvantaged and I would be shocked if thats the case that isn't one of there main complaints.

brilliant timing to be fair He’s accepted it presumably on the basis that he’ll be needed for the playoffs and not to hinder that.