CSA96

The operations manager will be a logistics person within the scouting/analysis team who books hotels, flights, trains, cars for a living, not the sporting director

Nah, Salt is Junior Analyst Intern. The judge's notes on the hearing say: Analysis Team which includes individuals to whom I shall refer as “Analyst 1”, “Analyst 2” “Analyst 3” and “the Junior Analyst Intern”

Presumably the full report is due out imminently and that's why the media have got hold of some of it already... 5pm perhaps?

If that's a selection of the worst of the messages then I really don't think they're that damning

BBC News: 'You legend. Manager loved it' - Southampton's Spygate WhatsApps revealed https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cd7pqgxvy0po

There's already been two apologies to the fans and the community 1: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/club-statement-20th-may-2026 2: https://www.southamptonfc.com/en/news/article/club-statement-league-arbitration-panel-appeal

My first response to that would be how much are we owed in unpaid transfer fees? More than enough to take care of the £99m presumably, given we have sold for higher values than we have purchased during transfer windows

Calls it a day at the age of 42 (was still playing regularly last season in the top division in Portugal!) and ends with 881 games for club and country. 50 caps for Portugal and won the Euros in 2016, his country's first trophy. More appearances for Southampton than any other club in his career (288 games and 15 goals in a Saints shirt) https://www.instagram.com/p/DY4MpG_gAaA/

Yeah, my theory is that it was a combination of the two. Easy to imagine the SFC exec were assuring the owner 'not to worry, the club won't get thrown out of the fin... oh fuck! we have been thrown out' at which point Solak hit the Pannick button, figuratively and literally

Pannick suddenly getting involved at the 11th hour felt a bit like someone, somewhere internally at SFC got overruled by a superior who could authorise spending the sort of money that Lord Pannick would cost. Presumably Solak, so if he is trying to establish what went on, who knew and when was it truthfully communicated then yeah, very possible lawyers/investigators are combing through all sorts right now to establish the true version of events

A quick list from a search back for the last 3.5yrs... (have put names in brackets for if we have an idea that they were pushed by one person in particular) - James Bree – Permanent (Jones, former player) Ryan Manning – Free (Martin, former player) Joe Lumley – Free (Thornton, former player) Shea Charles – Permanent (Wilcox, City academy) Taylor Harwood-Bellis – Loan (Wilcox, City academy) Mason Holgate – Loan (Who wants to own up to this one?) Flynn Downes – Loan (Martin, former player) David Brooks – Loan Ryan Fraser – Loan (Martin, ex teammate) Joe Rothwell – Loan Ross Stewart – Permanent (Martin, wanted him at Swansea and MK) Charlie Taylor – Free (Mowbray? Had him at Burnley) Nathan Wood – Permanent (Martin, former player) Ronnie Edwards – Permanent Adam Lallana – Free Lesley Ugochukwu – Loan Aaron Ramsdale – Permanent (Martin, Ramsdale mentioned that RM had been contacting him) Maxwel Cornet – Loan Mads Roerslev – Permanent (Ankersen? Presumably) Finn Azaz – Permanent Tom Fellows – Permanent George Long – Loan

Head of Scouting in the UK for Sport Republic and Saints is departing

His account is followed by Kuryu Matsuki, but none of the other players in the squad. So the logical assumption is that Kuryu is the regular first teamer that still backs Eckert (either that or he just wanted to see what the fans think but didn't want to press Out in order to see the results )

Because they remember how crap working for Will Still and Ivan Juric was? They actually did enjoy playing for Tonda and his approach to training and any new manager will always be a risk of a step back to that period

Deleted his LinkedIn. Shithouse

Yeah that could be a very valid question… 😬 All the more reason to sack all associated with it to show the club is getting its house in order

I wouldn't mind betting that some clubs who could have involved themselves decided to keep out of the shitshow with the playoff final and see what happens I don't doubt that there's some opportunist execs out there around the league who might have seen that the precedent has been set at 3pts per game and now think they could stick the knife in and penalise a rival who have parachute payments

I remember seeing a tweet from him where he admitted as much and then deleted it. He knows quite a few analysts as I am pretty sure that's what he used to do (now writes a blog on tactics/analysis for himself) He's been pretty clued up on what's going on with this saga right back to the day that Salt was caught out at Rockliffe so he does seem to have some sound info For balance, he has also got some stuff wrong (said there were up to 6 other games/clubs involved in the first hearing, when it just turned out to be Oxford and Ipswich) and seems to be an interesting character... but definitely has known what's going on ahead of things becoming common knowledge

Everyone's favourite Watford fan (and friend/connection of Jason Taylor)

The local Boro reporter was shown on Sky Sports on Wembley Way earlier and was saying 'Let's see what evidence comes to light... I can't say much more at this stage' - makes me think Gibson held something back for if we weren't chucked out, which he might now feed out to his press pals in the north east to put a fuck into a promotional rival for next season

Boro reporter on Wembley Way earlier on Sky TV saying 'I can't say much more at this stage but let's see what evidence comes to light' - maybe Gibson will rage-release some additional dirt on Saints now

Apparently Middlesbrough are going to carry on training from Monday morning in case Don Gibbo can play another blinder and get them a 4th bite at the cherry...