Fitzhugh Fella

Sometimes you overthink things. Another year out on loan would have given the club longer to assess him. When he refused they had to make a decision there and then and it was sell with a buyback/big percentage option. They had a good look in January and decided against buying him back. Was that a correct decision? Time will tell but there's not much point in raking over this ad nauseum.

Maybe they still don't think he's good enough

The trouble was Saints wanted to keep him but reckoned he needed another loan and Dom was not interested in going out on loan again

That made me laugh out aloud

Yea completely blaming an intern is unacceptable but my remark - although slightly tongue in cheek - has some validity. I would have a bit more admiration if he had challenged (or at least questioned) what he was being asked to do. The whole intern thing is morally wrong anyway. Slave labour. My neighbour's son is an intern at Ipswich and apparently he too is treated like shit.

I assume the intern has a pair of balls and a mouth?

Is it too early to start a Simon Jordan appreciation thread?

But my point is that back before the first Boro game it was considered to be a storm in a teacup by everyone, worthy of a genuine apology. Boro/Gibson chose the escalation route. I don't think PP was blabbing, just offered a sincere apology. Wrong call in hindsight but as we all know that is a wonderful thing. Not many have never made a wrong call in their lives. I have made plenty.

Trousers he has a young family who he hardly ever sees - yes he has an obligation to the club but nothing is going to happen this week and everyone needs downtime. Yes us football fans are an impatient bunch and I understand the heartache, but lets not burn our bridges. Good managers don't grow on tress and like I said I have met many CEOs in my dealings with the club and PP comes out as the most committed and fan friendly.

I think when PP went up for the first leg he was under the impression that the crime was silly but hardly consequential and that an apology to Gibson would be the end of the matter. Many other owners/chairmen would have accepted the apology and moved on but Gibson sensed his chance to ensure his club now had two bites at the cherry. Now if PP had decided to ignore "the issue" he risked upsetting Gibson so he (rightly imo) chose the apology path. From what I have heard of the 3 instances (and I gather there are only 3) they have been very much embellished by the media and Middlesbrough. TE is not the machiavellian character that is being portrayed and neither is he a bully. The intern probably did feel pressurised but again the story is not as bad as some would like to make out. I am sure the club will give a thorough report back of exactly what happened when they all have a chance to get under one roof. It would be a grave mistake if fan power drove out a manager who proved his worth and a CEO who was placed between a rock and a hard place. I know its human nature to seek scapegoats and we are still in various stages of shock, but lets condemn (or not) when we hear the club's version.

Maybe people should hold fire until PP, TE and the club give a full nuts and bolts explanation of what actually happened. I genuinely think fans will be less inclined to throw everyone under the bus when hearing how it all unravelled and how events have been blown out of all proportion. Yes communication has been wat too slow slow. PP is on leave this week as are a lot of people connected with the club as its half-term and traditionally a quiet week for football at the season's end. I hold my hands up I know PP and like him. He is fanatically committed and has done many good things off the pitch as well as becoming a fervent fan. You should see how nervous he gets before a match. Yes he has made mistakes and has admitted them, but my overriding message is castigating the manager and the CEO based solely on what the media and the EFL hearing have alleged reported is premature. PP and TE were integral to last season's success - let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Without wanting to sound like a smart Alec, having "global reputation" doesn't put silverware in the cabinet. We've blown our image for decades so we might as well draw up the drawbridge and do what is best for us and that involves keeping a manager who yes made a mistake, but did something which is completely legal in his homeland.

No I wouldn't sack him. We've been punished enough by expulsion so let's not make things even worse for ourselves by getting rid of a bloody good manager who has made a mistake. Couldn't give a monkey's what everyone else in football thinks, they have all been kicking us this week (with the odd exception) and taking great pleasure while doing so f@@k them all. And another controversial view ... I wouldn't sack PP either. I've got to know him well over the last two years (long story) and while he has undoubtedly made mistakes he has also done a helluva lot to increase our revenue. He is also very committed to the club, he literally has become a huge fan (as has his family) and I still believe him to be an asset despite recent events.

My neighbour's son is an intern with a Premier League team and he was telling me he is treated like shit by the club, so let's not pretend we are the only ones who "abuse" youngsters who are desperate to get into the game. I think it's way too easy to just sack TE and think that it is all sorted. What was happening must have been known higher up the food chain which is why I think there hasn't been any swift executions. There is no doubt TE is a very good manager, albeit a ruthless one, and we have got to be careful we don't throw the baby out with the bath water. I know there will be outraged howls from the media and other clubs if he stays and the hate will continue for a long time, but we've been appropriately punished so the rest of football can do one as far as I am concerned.

Morning Everybody. If the Echo had anyone with the finger on the pulse today's headline would be ...A CITY HOLDS IT BREATH I think the announcement will come today and although i have no inside info I think you can start planning for Saturday.