S-Clarke

This is the sort of narrative which seems to be going a bit more mainstream now, some sense at last.

I thought Simon Jordan was spot on with how he summarised it earlier. What we have 'potentially' done is poor form, not great taste, but certainly not the crime of the century. He's spot on really, what sporting advantage are you seriously going to gain from taking a couple of pics and audio from a single training session? It clearly didn't work anyway, as they did us 4-0 earlier in the season and pummelled us in the first half at the weekend. EFL will just slap us with a fine, slap on the wrists. Watch yourself etc etc. Job done. Middlesbrough are embarrassing themselves here, if this had happened to us and people like Adam Blackmore and Alfie were acting like this in the media I'd be cringing like fuck. As Simon Jordan said, they've got an excuse if they fail to get to the final now. The fans will suddenly forget the failure of being in t he Top 2 for 217 days and failing to finish there, and all of a sudden the furore is deflected to a 'third party'. They'll probably keep the charade going for a good week or so if we get through too.

Raya was being grabbed on the shirt by Todibo, and had Pablo's arm stretched across his neck - Raya had two hands on the ball and would have claimed it, but couldn't get full control because he was having his shirt pulled and someone else pinning their arm across his neck. I thought it was fairly clear to me. Goalkeepers are always afforded protection to a degree, and you can't really say that he hasn't been impeded from having a clean claim of that ball. Big call, the right call and some positive press for VAR for a change - impossible for the ref to have spotted that in real time, so VAR showed it's worth there. If I was a WHU fan I'd just take that on the chin really, no conspiracy, no bribes - just accept that Fernandes blew your biggest chance.

The authorities have now located our sophisticated spy equipment, which was foolishly left discarded in the hotel toilets. No way out of this now.

Imagine that on the CAS desk. Right next to the huge pile of Manchester City charges sits a much more serious lone charge for Southampton, because we sent a kid onto a public hill with an IPhone camera. Feels a legit outcome.

Personally I think it's backfired on them, I'm not denying this spy gate shit happened and it's a pretty big own goal from us in that sense. It gave them an opportunity to create an 'edge' and unsettle us, but I think they overplayed on it and tried to make much more of it than it was to try and give them an edge on the day IMO - rile up the fans, build the atmosphere, create a siege mentality. It almost happened first half. That first half was probably as good as they've played all season, and as bad as we've played all season - the likelihood of both those scenarios playing out again on Tuesday isn't impossible, but quite slim I'd say. The overriding feeling is that we were dumb enough to give them some ammunition, they tried to milk it and play on it, but didn't quite manage to execute it on the pitch. The whining from their fans and the manager after the game is making them look more panicked and desperate than anything else right now.

I've never really given a shit about Middlesbrough to be honest, they've always just been 'there' and pretty nondescript - but it turns out they have a bunch of seriously special fans. A really, really weird bunch.

Norwich v Leeds ended 0-0 that year too in the first leg, Norwich edged it iirc. But everyone said at the time WBA and Norwich had missed their opportunity, and that turned out to be true.

We'll get a fine, a slap on the wrist have to endure a terrible first 45 due to them being riled up (which we did) and that will be that. The football will do the talking at the end of the day either way, the advantage we could have gained from this is negligible to say the least, if anything they gained the advantage because they used it as a bit of fuel - but they didn't even make the most of it. it's just not worth the fuss.

Has anyone checked on Pilchards whareabouts?

I don't know what the press were thinking he was going to say? What are they hoping to get from him? It was the same as the Sky reporter, trying to coax a reaction out of him, portraying it like we've done some sort of heinous crime. Someone stood on top of a public hill and took some photos. Boro and the Media need to get over themselves.

The home games are always so important in the playoffs. I personally think Boro will be kicking themselves, they'll be so dejected after that (they looked it). They gave everything in that first half, so much so that they were blowing out of their arses in the 2nd half - so they exerted all of that, but have nothing to show. I think Hull will have similar regrets from last night, they didn't really make the most of their home game. When we played Derby in 2006 we lost the home game, even though we battled through in the 2nd leg to bring it to penalties it was always a bit of a tall order because of how we wasted that home game (well, and how Billy Davies got his players to kick Bale out of Southampton) Bring on Tuesday.

The first half was honking in terms of an attacking or threatening performance, but defensively I thought we were excellent - especially THB, all throughout that game. Some crucial blocks from Bree too, great couple of saves from Pertez. We had to ride the storm. There was always going to be a storm, their players were wound up, stoked up, they were always going to come out blazing - I don't think anyone expected us to be so passive about it though, we didn't even try to get in their faces. We escaped that first half through sheer luck and some heroic determination, it has to be said. It wasn't the sort of half we'll remember, but those sort of back to the wall performances often mean a lot more in the bigger picture. 2nd half was better, the biggest change up wasn't the players per-say - we started playing higher up the pitch, we kept getting stuck down in the flanks in the first half and Fellows was right up next to Bree - so we never had an outlet. We started the 2nd half better, they did come into it a little bit after that, but ultimately we regained the control of the game. Amazingly we could have won it somehow. Larin wasn't great, but I think he struggled because we weren't high enough, he was holding it up well but no one was ever close enough to him to feed off the scraps or the 2nd balls, so whilst it looked like he was always giving it away...I don't think anyone got close enough or higher up around him to actually make use of what we were trying to do. Fellows was poor, too weak on the ball and he caused Bree so many problems in that first half because he kept losing the ball. Leo didn't have his best game, nor did Azaz - but ultimately that's because for most of that game, certainly the first half, we didn't play high enough so they never got into the game, there was never any space for the attackers. If you told me we'd have a 0-0 earlier today, and certainly at HT, I'd have said thanks...we'll take that, no dramas. Because of the first half it feels like a bit of a victory, because I noticed the Boro fans and players - they looked so dejected at the end, downtrodden in fact. Even their manager was a bit resigned at the end, talking about needing a bigger squad profile. If we start hard and fast on Tuesday, just like they did against us, we'll have the tie done before they can even realise they're in Southampton IMO.

Are they really that desperate for a rivalry up there? Forever in Newcastle and Sunderland's shadows, they're fairly nondescript really. It's a bit like Bournemouth trying to stoke up a South Coast rivalry with us, 3's a crowd and all that.

Well exactly, unless we've admitted it privately no idea. But either way, it's all a load of nonsense really. Predicably played by a team who feel they need to create a hostile environment, as they couldn't trust their fans to bring it themselves.

Disgusting operation? Really? It was thick as shit, of course it was, but it's irrelevant in any circle outside of Boro. If you think every football team is whiter than white you are mistaken. Clubs do shit like this all the time, a lot worse as well. Tapping up, agent bribing, getting unfair advantage in player transfer etc. All of that shit brings in the game into much bigger disrepute than a young kid on the top of a public hill with a camera. Slap on the wrist, a fine, take it and move on. Those calling for sackings, points deductions and expulsions are utterly nuts.

If we were in Boro's shoes I'd think we were pathetic and stupid, but I'd find it funny because realistically what advantage is it going to give you? It's just dumb, full stop really. This isn't the crime of the century as so many seem to be proclaiming. We haven't spent £100m we didn't have. We haven't bet on game results or bribed referees. We haven't broken into the training ground by force and nicked all their bibs. We had one guy, spotted on a fully public hill, overlooking their training pitches with a phone. That is it. I could have done it if I wanted, which begs the question as to why they leave it so exposed and then cry when someone takes some pictures.

I think this is all absolutely hilarious, stupid and dumb, yes, but absolutley hilarious. If Boro were spotted hidden on Marchwood bypass, I'd think it was a stupid and dumb thing to do, but I'd still find it hilarious. I found it hilarious when Leeds were caught. The over reaction by the Boro fans is funny as fuck, it may play into them - who knows, but they sound desperate and pathetic. Some of the reactions on here from our lot are questionable too - 'This taints the season', 'This will make all grounds hostile to us now' - give it a break, this is absolute nonsense from both sides and a pure irrelevance to anyone outside of Middlesborogh. Just bring on the football, they clearly want to focus on the bollocks rather than football - so let us do what we do well.

It was a game we won in a low gear to be honest, I thought the changes we made were sensible - certainly Bree and Azaz as they have been playing so many mins. I'd have maybe rested Leo as well, but I do understand the point of keeping everyone 'on it'. I was never one for playing the 'kids' or the reserves whole sale in this game, sure you might have prevented 1 or 2 injuries, but lost the unbeaten run and momentum in the process - then you'd go into the Boro game, maybe 5th, second leg away and a bit of a downbeat mood. It was a smart team pick from Tonda really, no wholesale changes, but players who needed a break getting a break. The feeling I got is that we could have blown away PNE if we moved up a gear or two, but as I said we just played a little more reserved - probably phycological and a bit of self preservation at a guess, but we still won and were the better side in my eyes. Our corners and set pieces have been absolutely excellent under Tonda, we are always a threat. The deliveries are all on point too, it doesn't seem to matter if it's Manning, Bree, Leo putting the cross in - it always seems to have quality. Stewart had an 'ok' game, but I do now believe Larin is a better player in terms of overall attributes. It was a good goal from Stewart though, however I'd say going into the play offs he's probably not in our starting 11. Larin isn't always the most cultured, but his strength and pace is somewhat deceiving - I really really like him, he's a proper goal scorer of all types of goals. Reminds me a little bit of Pelle, not always the most comfortable player to watch, but always has a great output. Overall, a solid but unspectacular away win and a result going our way which gives us the best possible outcome really. The key 'target' at the start of this game was to ensure we had advantage in the 2nd leg, which we do - it may not make any difference, but at least we've given ourselves that opportunity. To be sat on 80 points, after the first half of the season we had, still doesn't quite feel real. Our second half of the season has been the form you'd attribute to 'runaway' leaders if you put it across the entire season, I'm not used to that feeling.

He should be given an assist for the save at the end, which was absolutely bloody ridiculous. He's not totally perfect, but he's capable of pulling off match defining saves at crucial moments - that makes all the difference.

I don't think that is a fair reflection of the Championship. It's one of the few leagues where anyone can actually have a crack at the playoffs minimum, regardless of budget. Hull (they have had a transfer embargo) and Millwall are two fine examples of that this year, and Leicester are an example at the other extreme. It's a really unpredictable league, and whilst money can give you an edge - it doesn't create the gulf you see in the PL. I hope the Championship doesn't get like that, as the beauty of the EFL are for teams like Lincoln etc to carry momentum and go again. I think our season has shown the league up for what it is all about, back in December we had no right to even be talking about Top 6 - but we've pulled ourselves to within touching distance of 2nd. The game is never done in this league, no matter how bad you start.

But then we'd have to play Archer as a lone 9, and that never works. At the most I can see 3 or 4 changes. Wellington for Bree, Edozie for Leo and Stewart for Larin. I don't think we'll change up either CB with Stephens still out.

I think that's fair, Flynn has a knack of filling in those holes between the CM's and CB's. 'Right place, right time' is often because he reads danger well, and I think he does. Jander and Charles are more 'all action' in the sense that they do leave their positions from time to time, Charles in particular should not be seen as a 'Downes' replacement or even a DM for me. I think Charles is someone you let free a little bit, play him a bit higher up where his on the ball ability (which I think is better than his positioning) can come into the fore.

He was immense tonight, carried on from the FA Cup game. He reads the game so well, and you wouldn't think it by looking at him, but he's so strong and so hard to get the ball off of. He protects it so well, anticipates well - but just watch him off the ball as well, he's got a very intelligent and mature above his age approach to his work rate and the positions he anticipates.

No wholesale changes, you'd probably have to consider giving Leo a rest - as he looked totally shot tonight, maybe Bree and Larin as well. I don't think I'd go further than that if I'm honest. Momentum is key, I'd hate us to throw that all away by chucking in the squad players in the final game.