Boro vs Saints - Match Thread

[trousers]

35 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Interstingly that Boro have a person sitting on the EFL board of directors

Rick Parry Chair, Trevor Birch CEO then these guys, surely the Boro guy will have to recluse himself ?

Trevor Birch? Hmm, knew I remembered that name from somewhere... It's all starting to make sense now...

 

[Fitzhugh Fella]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

Trevor Birch? Hmm, knew I remembered that name from somewhere... It's all starting to make sense now...

 

Trevor Birch is friendly with Phil Parsons and I sat next to him at the Pompey home game this season. He was a really nice bloke, level-headed friendly and of course an ex-player himself. I wouldn't worry too much about his presence on the EFL Board.

[Sheaf Saint]

6 minutes ago, trousers said:

Trevor Birch? Hmm, knew I remembered that name from somewhere... It's all starting to make sense now...

 

 

 

[Monk]

2 hours ago, Matthew Le God said:

I'd guess the 72 hour thing is due to clubs using those last training sessions for set piece routines and other tactical work that generally doesn't happen earlier in the build up to a game.

This is correct MLG, if it helps for those not aware these are ‘match day prep’ days referred to ‘match day minus 1, 2 or 3’.

Its typically when the match specific prep is done including pattern walk through (ranging from unopposed goal kicks to attacking plays approaching the final third) with the starting 11, set pieces and functional play (typically dealing with opposition patterns).

Still find it mad though given clubs post these sessions often as a mic’d up feature on their social media. If you don’t want people to see it, have a private training ground.

[TheAlehouseBrawlers]

1 minute ago, Monk said:

This is correct MLG, if it helps for those not aware these are ‘match day prep’ days referred to ‘match day minus 1, 2 or 3’.

Its typically when the match specific prep is done including pattern walk through (ranging from unopposed goal kicks to attacking plays approaching the final third) with the starting 11, set pieces and functional play (typically dealing with opposition patterns).

Still find it mad though given clubs post these sessions often as a mic’d up feature on their social media. If you don’t want people to see it, have a private training ground.

Then boro should be charged with fucking gross incompetence. How amateurish to do that prep in full view of the general public standing on a hill.

[Monk]

2 minutes ago, TheAlehouseBrawlers said:

Then boro should be charged with fucking gross incompetence. How amateurish to do that prep in full view of the general public standing on a hill.

My point exactly, there’s a certain club where you can watch the training session from the treadmills in the public gym that overlooks the training pitches. 

[trousers]

I know this is tongue-in-cheek but maybe, just maybe, there's a legal loophole to be exploited here...

 

[Saint Matty 76]

It’s embarrassing from the club to have done this given the momentum and confidence we already had, but the fanfare is just as tragic.

Boro fans trying to convince themselves this is the worst thing that’s ever happened so they can believe we could get kicked out the play-offs. I wouldn’t give a shit if the roles were reversed.

Absolute melts on #SaintsFC talking about how they’re no longer excited because we’ve cheated. Blimey.

Edited 4 hours ago by Saint Matty 76

[RedWillie]

Let's hope this isn't too much of a distraction for the boys. Soured the day to be honest but let's get the win.

[Matthew Le God]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

I know this is tongue-in-cheek but maybe, just maybe, there's a legal loophole to be exploited here...

 

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

[badgerx16]

1 minute ago, Matthew Le God said:

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

It's a joke.

[trousers]

6 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

What if we were anticipating them tagging on a bit of penalty practice ahead of Tuesday's match at the end of the session... Would we technically be allowed to watch that bit...?

#legalloophole

#tongueincheek

Edited 4 hours ago by trousers

[Paul_B]

It all sounds like the biggest load of bollocks I've ever heard. So much of it just doesn't add up. 

And those saying everyone is now going to be against us and we're an embarrassment blah blah, get a grip. 

It's only a small minority of people within the Saints/Boro bubble who are sounding off about it. The vast majority of general football fans could not give a flying fuck! 

It's all a load of hot air bullshit and needs to be treated as such!

[die Mannyschaft]

Could this Boro spy gate now back fire on Boro, there is so much pressure and focus now on Saints that's its almost in the bag for Boro. Like when Leeds were odds on and Sky talking about 3 or 4 nil to Leeds they didn't turn up.

I would be very surprised if Boro don't win 4-0 🙄 

Lets see if the goal scoring Saints turn up.

[die Mannyschaft]

6 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

There are always loop holes, that's why professional burglers, motorbike thieves, politicians etc get way with it. We need the Man City 115 barrister 

[trousers]

I reckon the best outcome now, results wise, is for Middlesbrough to have a narrow win today, and us to win on aggregate on Tuesday.... 

That way, Middlesbrough don't get to play the "you won on Saturday because you gained an advantage" card and would make life easier for the disciplinary panel too, given we wouldn't have prospered from our misdemeanor, per se. 

[Divergent]

I’m surprised the Mboro fans haven’t dragged up the 96/97 season when they were deducted 3 points for not fulfilling a fixture meaning they were relegated from the top table and Coventry and Saints hung on by 2 more points. 

[benjii]

5 minutes ago, trousers said:

I reckon the best outcome now, results wise, is for Middlesbrough to have a narrow win today, and us to win on aggregate on Tuesday.... 

That way, Middlesbrough don't get to play the "you won on Saturday because you gained an advantage" card and would make life easier for the disciplinary panel too, given we wouldn't have prospered from our misdemeanor, per se. 

Nah, 8-0 today please.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

The Sky commentary is going to be even more unbearable than it usually is. No doubt they will be mentioning it at every available opportunity. 

[trousers]

8 hours ago, SouthWalesSaints said:

I’ve had it on good authority this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Tonda knows, lads in his manager of the month photos. 
 

Club has a choice. Throw the lad under the bus, or take the fine/points suspension. 

 

1 hour ago, saintant said:

Not true so your 'good authority' would appear to be anything but.

@saintant.... So, if it's not the analyst fella in the group photo (Albert Jones) and the other 'intern analyst' that's been cited (Will Salt) is now at Aston Villa, having finished his stint at Saints a while ago, who was the aledged 'spy' then...? Something not adding up here...

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[RedArmy]

24 minutes ago, Monk said:

My point exactly, there’s a certain club where you can watch the training session from the treadmills in the public gym that overlooks the training pitches. 

Yeah but who’d want to watch that 

 

[SW11_Saint]

46 minutes ago, trousers said:

If 'spying' doesn't achieve anything, it begs the question: 'why do it in the first place?' when the risks of being caught quite obviously outweigh any gains...

The question we all have…Huge risk, little reward. 

 

[Jack]

1 hour ago, Pamplemousse said:

Good news is that it is forecast to be pissing it down all day up here, so that should put a dampener literally on their planned bus welcome.

Was beautiful up until about Leicestershire, grim since. Could never live up north 

[DellBlockH]

2 hours ago, bangkoksaint said:

We’ve been spying for months, you don’t get caught the first time. Maybe our finish in the league was a false position and TE isn’t as good as we thought? Whether this is the case or not it casts a shadow over everything, fans are throwing a lot of time and money following this club and personally I think deserve better

So what? It's only against the rules within 72 hours of a game. I expect many clubs look at their opponents in training if there is public access, it's part of preparation. We've noted on here before how Eckert prepares the team differently depending on who is the opposition. Most of the information about the other team will have come from watching their previous games but if some comes from (legally) watching training that doesn’t bother me.

Far from showing that "TE isn't as good as we thought", this attention to detail shows that he is.

[trousers]

1 minute ago, SW11_Saint said:

The question we all have…Huge risk, little reward. 

 

So Middlesbrough fans are wrong in thinking that we've gained an advantage from 'spying' then...?

[SW11_Saint]

23 minutes ago, Matthew Le God said:

Middlesbrough weren't preparing their tactics for Tuesday's game on Thursday. They'll do that on Monday.

🫣

[SW11_Saint]

1 minute ago, trousers said:

So Middlesbrough fans are wrong in thinking that we've gained an advantage from 'spying' then...?

Yes of course they are. I doubt we gleaned anything we didn’t already know. 

[trousers]

3 minutes ago, DellBlockH said:

So what? It's only against the rules within 72 hours of a game. I expect many clubs look at their opponents in training if there is public access, it's part of preparation. We've noted on here before how Eckert prepares the team differently depending on who is the opposition. Most of the information about the other team will have come from watching their previous games but if some comes from (legally) watching training that doesn’t bother me.

Far from showing that "TE isn't as good as we thought", this attention to detail shows that he is.

Doesn't this "72 hour" rule supplement the previous "fair play" rule, not replace it...? So, even if a club doesn't breach the 72 hours, they still fall foul of the fair play rule, the same rule that got Leeds fined £200k? In other words, as I read it, I don't think the 72 hours rule is designed to give clubs carte blanche to 'spy' on training sessions outside of that window...?

Edited 3 hours ago by trousers

[St Chalet]

My confident prediction is that the analyst will be thrown under our 1976 winning bus and we’ll be hit with a big fine. 
 

As the season is still active any points deduction would surely be in this table and limited to the maximum loss Mboro could have incurred. 

[tdmickey3]

If it’s true did they not have the intelligence to video the alleged offender? 
Smacks of utter stupidity by the club if they sanctioned it.

If it’s not then boro are going to look a bit stupid.

I don’t think the blow up is doing either team any good

Edited 3 hours ago by tdmickey3

[JohnnyShearer2.0]

Up the MOSSAINTS!

[coalman]

23 minutes ago, Paul_B said:

It all sounds like the biggest load of bollocks I've ever heard. So much of it just doesn't add up. 

And those saying everyone is now going to be against us and we're an embarrassment blah blah, get a grip. 

It's only a small minority of people within the Saints/Boro bubble who are sounding off about it. The vast majority of general football fans could not give a flying fuck! 

It's all a load of hot air bullshit and needs to be treated as such!

Never give the other team a reason to show up. That's one of the basic rules of competitive sport. That's why Pep spouted that nonsense about how much he admired Russell Martin's football. The very best teams and players in the world at most sports are highly complimentary of their opponents pre match because they're looking for every advantage they can.

Whether it has an effect today is yet to be seen.

Edited 3 hours ago by coalman

[Tamesaint]

Looking forward to the chant of "we know what you're doing" at the first Boro corner. 

[beatlesaint]

1 minute ago, St Chalet said:

My confident prediction is that the analyst will be thrown under our 1976 winning bus and we’ll be hit with a big fine. 
 

As the season is still active any points deduction would surely be in this table and limited to the maximum loss Mboro could have incurred. 

Any points deduction will be applied at the start of next season if we fail to go up. The offence has been commited AFTER the regular season has finished.

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, St Chalet said:

My confident prediction is that the analyst will be thrown under our 1976 winning bus and we’ll be hit with a big fine. 
 

As the season is still active any points deduction would surely be in this table and limited to the maximum loss Mboro could have incurred. 

Thank goodness, a sensible and proportional post.

[coalman]

Just now, tdmickey3 said:

If it’s true did they not have the intelligence to video the alleged offender? 

They have CCTV footage apparently. I would have expected the person(s) confronting the alleged offender to also have filmed the interaction on their phones.

Until we see the footage it's hard to do anything other than speculate. There's no legal or publicity upside for Saints as a club to do anything other than say they're fully cooperating with the league at the moment. And no downside to Boro in being as vocal as they can about it.

[Sheaf Saint]

9 minutes ago, St Chalet said:

My confident prediction is that the analyst will be thrown under our 1976 winning bus and we’ll be hit with a big fine. 
 

As the season is still active any points deduction would surely be in this table and limited to the maximum loss Mboro could have incurred. 

Even if they hit us with a 6-point deduction, which seems unlikely, all it means is that us and Boro will have swapped places in the table.

To put us outside of the playoff places completely, it would need to be 10 points or more, and there's no chance the punishment will be that harsh.

It's not feasible in the slightest for the EFL to impose any kind of sanction that would mean re-arranging or replaying any of the playoff fixtures at such short notice. Just not gonna happen.

Edited 3 hours ago by Sheaf Saint

[DellBlockH]

2 minutes ago, trousers said:

Doesn't this "72 hour" rule supplement the previous "fair play" rule, not replace it...? So, even if a club doesn't breach the 72 hours, they still fall foul of the fair play rule, the same rule that got Leeds fined £200k? In other words, as I read it, I don't think the 72 hours rule is designed to give clubs carte blanche to 'spy' on training sessions outside of that window...?

Is it spying if anybody can do it from a public place? If I'd travelled to Middlesbrough on Tuesday (what a grim thought) and stood on that golf course it wouldn't be spying (and also I know so little about football tactics it would have been useless). But if someone connected with Saints stands in the same spot and observes training it becomes spying? What if he was doing it in his spare time (like the protagonist in the Monty Python argument sketch)?

I get it if the "spy" has entered private property. But, if your training is visible from a hotel you have built by your training ground, you can't have a legitimate expectation of privacy.

[Sarnia Cherie]

Have Sport Republic reacted in any way?  Claimed responsibility? Denied all knowledge? The very least the team and supporters should expect, isn't it?  If they are at the bottom of what appears to be a third rate James Bond film then they need to go. Tonda and the team have turned the season around for us and now, with the playoffs imminent, they may have pulled off a ridiculous stunt like this. Even if Saints do not receive a fine or point deduction there will be many, even some of our own fans, who believe there is no smoke without fire and this whole pathetic episode tarnishes our club. Think how we would feel if we were in Boro's boots.

[Saintinnot]

I think the honourable thing to do today would be to score an own goal from the kick off then take it from there 

[sfc4prem]

2 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

Have Sport Republic reacted in any way?  Claimed responsibility? Denied all knowledge? The very least the team and supporters should expect, isn't it?  If they are at the bottom of what appears to be a third rate James Bond film then they need to go. Tonda and the team have turned the season around for us and now, with the playoffs imminent, they may have pulled off a ridiculous stunt like this. Even if Saints do not receive a fine or point deduction there will be many, even some of our own fans, who believe there is no smoke without fire and this whole pathetic episode tarnishes our club. Think how we would feel if we were in Boro's boots.

Tarnished? Nah. Every club does this sort of thing.

[badgerx16]

If, as been alluded, agent Salt is actually now associated with Aston Villa, could he not have been scouting potential transfer targets for them ?

[macca155]

Lots of bravado on here, which I want to embrace, but that's going to melt away when the shit starts flying.

It will be relentless in every stadium, football fans have long memories. On top of that, journalists will be digging for a story now. Other 'alleged' offences will start being talked about, even if it's complete bollocks, the noise will constant.

There certainly won't be much joy in the forthcoming matches.

It feels like the club is trying to tough this one out, but I'm not sure that's going to cut it.

Bloody season is ending like the last one. Wembley seems a distant memory now.

[AlexLaw76]

Just heard in the radio that “Southampton have been charged” for this incident

surprised we have been charged on the back on Daily Mail lies?!

[Jack]

1 minute ago, macca155 said:

Lots of bravado on here, which I want to embrace, but that's going to melt away when the shit starts flying.

It will be relentless in every stadium, football fans have long memories. On top of that, journalists will be digging for a story now. Other 'alleged' offences will start being talked about, even if it's complete bollocks, the noise will constant.

There certainly won't be much joy in the forthcoming matches.

It feels like the club is trying to tough this one out, but I'm not sure that's going to cut it.

Bloody season is ending like the last one. Wembley seems a distant memory now.

Man up, it’ll blow over. Especially when Finn Azaz scores a brace today and we’ve got Wembley to think about. 

[DellBlockH]

3 minutes ago, Sarnia Cherie said:

Have Sport Republic reacted in any way?  Claimed responsibility? Denied all knowledge? The very least the team and supporters should expect, isn't it?  If they are at the bottom of what appears to be a third rate James Bond film then they need to go. Tonda and the team have turned the season around for us and now, with the playoffs imminent, they may have pulled off a ridiculous stunt like this. Even if Saints do not receive a fine or point deduction there will be many, even some of our own fans, who believe there is no smoke without fire and this whole pathetic episode tarnishes our club. Think how we would feel if we were in Boro's boots.

It's far more likely that this (whatever "this" turns out to be) would have been directed by TE and the coaching staff than by Sports Republic. You may have many reasons you want them to go but this isn't one of them and they will likely have to foot the bill for any fine imposed.

Let's just win the games, win the final and then see what the inquiry finds.

[RedArmy]

1 minute ago, macca155 said:

 

It will be relentless in every stadium, football fans have long memories.

Come on  

 

Before this was brought up and comparisons made when was the last anyone thought about Leeds doing it? 

[badgerx16]

2 minutes ago, macca155 said:

Bloody season is ending like the last one. 

Nah, it will be like the one before.

[Middlewordie]

Oh when the saints were watching you,

oh when the saints were watching you,

Now we know all about your set pieces

because the saints were watching you.

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, RedArmy said:

Come on  

 

Before this was brought up and comparisons made when was the last anyone thought about Leeds doing it? 

Some people are being ridiculous. Saying it would taint promotion? What are you on?