saintant

Agree. All the charges on City and have they ever once considered sacking Pep? No because it's not about integrity it's about keeping hold of the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Yeah, I don't believe in coincidences. Not sure how thoroughly this aspect was investigated.

Maybe it was Mufti day.

Simon Jordan said something along these lines. He said the EPL is far more relaxed and willing to let things go without getting involve whereas the EFL is all about look at us, aren't we the good guys.

Was Bielsa ever punished for doing it all through the season?

Don't think Leeds sacked Bielsa did they? Also did the league punish him other than the club fine which he claims he paid?

A great and measured common sense response from Thierry Henry. Most of the other pundits weighing in on this could learn from him but it's clear he has far more brain cells than them.

Makes the punishment even more ridiculous if they ditch the 72 hour rule now. Ditching it can only be because they don't think it is necessary. It will also be their way of making sure they don't face a shit show next time someone is caught.

There's some sanctimonious twats all across the media mouthing off about how we're a bunch of cheats. Come on. It's pretty much accepted that every club does this. We just happened to do it at Boro and they decided to make a song and dance about it in the lead up to the play-off semi-final because they saw it as a way to make mischief. Nearly every ex pro has come out and said the gains from doing this are absolutely miniscule. FFS we spied and lost to Oxford, we didn't spy and we beat Arsenal and Fulham. The press and pundits have acted like a lynch mob in all this which drove the EFL and original hearing panel to a position where they felt they had to impose the maximum punishment. Never mind what the big clubs have got away with and continue to do so. No, let's hammer little old Southampton because that's what everyone wants, we can give the world their pound of flesh, make ourselves look the good guys and they won't fight back. The whole thing is a joke and I do get that we have brought this on ourselves through stupidity but our football club has been given one of the biggest sanctions in world football for doing something which brought us extremely minimal gains. Sledgehammer to crack a nut x 1 million.

Good lad!

Cheating is cheating. They've done far worse than us and benefited a great deal more than a little bit of spying over a fence. Mountain out of a molehill for me.

There's plenty of bigger cheats than us knocking around and their misdemeanours are rarely mentioned.

Don't spoil it 🙂

Not a chance. They'll be blowing out their arses after 20 minutes on that huge Wembley pitch. Tigers gonna maul them then watch the Boro fans blubber 🙂

Pannick OVER

He needs to put an experienced football man in to run things and clear out the SR muppets who haven't got a clue.

Don't be soft. The punishment was way over the top as most reasonable people in the football world have admitted. Ludicrous compared with what other teams have got for worse offences but we all know how corrupt football is. Makes me laugh when these pundits start talking about protecting the integrity of football. Sitch up. End of.

Looking forward to Boro making history on Saturday. First team ever to lose Play Off semi-final and Final in same season 🙂

Not if Hull beat them 🙂

Good luck Hull. If there's any justice you'll beat those Boro shysters. Just wear them out for 20 minutes then the game is yours.

Presume the club will be a bit quicker with their official statement this time.

Ah well, at least Troy Deeney and Fatty Corden will be chuffed. Hope we smash West Ham next season.

It's not a question of new evidence more of whether the punishment was excessive.

You can't tell him I'm afraid, he lives in his own little bubble 🙂

At last, something on here everyone can agree on.