Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted
1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

No, it's not. It would still be a breach of rule 3.4 regarding acting in good faith to other teams

So is publically shaming and humiliating another team repeatedly in the national press, but nothing's happening about that is it.

  • Like 5
Posted
3 hours ago, trousers said:

Whilst it's plausible, I wouldn't say it's "clear"...

I've worked in the same line of business for 40 years and I'm buggered if I know all the industry rules and regs that we should be abiding by... Far from it... Day to day you just do what you feel is OK and get on with it 

I've been driving for a similar period of time, but do I know all 307 rules in the highway code? No, of course not...

(Yes, I know, analogies were never my strongest suit... ;) )

 

That was a scary opening to read. "What kind of industry?!" 🙂

  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)

The statements from Dragan and Tonda have reignited the pile on from sanctimonious journos and pundits with few exceptions. They clearly aren't satisfied with their pound of flesh from our expulsion from the Play-Off Final and don't see that as sufficient punishment for what has been built up to be the worst crime in the history of football. Their full focus has now turned to an almost universal baying for Tonda to receive a lengthy ban. I fear the continued witch hunt is likely to lead to a lengthy ban for Eckert from the FA and wouldn't be surprised to see him banned from English football. The mob have worked themselves up into another frenzy and the FA will probably be swayed by the public outcry led by Henry Winter, the BBC, Talk Sport and MSM.

Edited by saintant
  • Like 2
Posted
5 hours ago, Badger said:

Mention of Mourinho (not aware of anything to do with Schneiderlin, but remember the Dr), and Ferguson.

You can add Clough to that list as well, some players now would be traumatised by him. Great story on Youtube how he gave one player the nickname 'shithouse', and saw him at the local park whilst he (Clough) was walking his dog. Player (might have been Crossley) said he just heard Clough from the other side of the park yelling " hey shithouse .., alright son ?'

My poor memory tells me that Mourinho froze out Schneiderlin at Man Utd. His career never recovered. When it happened I remember thinking "he does this wherever he goes". Likes to make an example of someone to demonstrate his authority. 

Posted
30 minutes ago, saintant said:

The statements from Dragan and Tonda have reignited the pile on from sanctimonious journos and pundits with few exceptions. They clearly aren't satisfied with their pound of flesh from our expulsion from the Play-Off Final and don't see that as sufficient punishment for what has been built up to be the worst crime in the history of football. Their full focus has now turned to an almost universal baying for Tonda to receive a lengthy ban. I fear the continued witch hunt is likely to lead to a lengthy ban for Eckert from the FA and wouldn't be surprised to see him banned from English football. The mob have worked themselves up into another frenzy and the FA will probably be swayed by the public outcry led by Henry Winter, the BBC, Talk Sport and MSM.

Alfie House made a good point on TSP earlier. Players have been banned for 6-8 games for biting and racially abusing opponents. Yet we spy on a few training sessions and get kicked out of the richest game on football, a points deduction AND our manager potentially banned for 6-12 months!? Football is in the gutter these days. Absolutely ridiculous. 

  • Like 7
Posted
4 minutes ago, Southner said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5ye2m00y5ro

"...One of the most respected and influential coaches in the game, and that reputation has been earned from his borderline obsessive dedication to preparation for every single match he oversees..."

Tonda, meanwhile, whilst at the beginning of his career, is the devil. 

Double standards. Only skim read the article but couldn't see any mention of systematic spying on other clubs instigated by Bielsa whist at Leeds.

  • Like 1
Posted
Just now, saintant said:

Double standards. Only skim read the article but couldn't see any mention of systematic spying on other clubs instigated by Bielsa whist at Leeds.

Indeed no mention of it.

  • Like 2
Posted
22 hours ago, trousers said:

Whilst it's plausible, I wouldn't say it's "clear"...

I've worked in the same line of business for 40 years and I'm buggered if I know all the industry rules and regs that we should be abiding by... Far from it... Day to day you just do what you feel is OK and get on with it 

I've been driving for a similar period of time, but do I know all 307 rules in the highway code? No, of course not...

(Yes, I know, analogies were never my strongest suit... ;) )

 

I'm fairly sure buggery in the workplace is against the rules.

  • Haha 1
Posted
4 minutes ago, iansums said:

I'm fairly sure buggery in the workplace is against the rules.

Don’t be so neanderthal. It’s the 2020s for God’s sake!

  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)
17 hours ago, saintant said:

The statements from Dragan and Tonda have reignited the pile on from sanctimonious journos and pundits with few exceptions. They clearly aren't satisfied with their pound of flesh from our expulsion from the Play-Off Final and don't see that as sufficient punishment for what has been built up to be the worst crime in the history of football. Their full focus has now turned to an almost universal baying for Tonda to receive a lengthy ban. I fear the continued witch hunt is likely to lead to a lengthy ban for Eckert from the FA and wouldn't be surprised to see him banned from English football. The mob have worked themselves up into another frenzy and the FA will probably be swayed by the public outcry led by Henry Winter, the BBC, Talk Sport and MSM.

I can't see them being able to do it though. He's admitted that he condoned analysts scouting the 3 sides - but its not black and white that it was a formal instruction to them breaking rules doing it.

  • For the boro one, the official club line is that the intern was requested to go up on the Monday and went later that instructed, meaning he breached the window.
  • For Ipswich/Eastleigh one, the official club line is that someone got hold of the CCTV footage and when it started being shown, Eckert immediately instructed that it was turned off and not used.
  • For Oxford, the details are vague re formal instruction and timing, but its acknowledged that we did send someone to scout their training to figure out the likely formation.

So 1 offence where potentially Eckert gave an instruction to the analyst team to scout inside the 72hour window (again - we don't know the timing of when, or whether he was formally instructed to do it inside the window).

That's the actual hard evidence in this whole thing. 2 incidents of analysts being where they shouldn't have been inside 72hours, and 1 incident involving CCTV being given to saints that we are on record as refusing to use.

There isn't a single shred of evidence of Eckert applying pressure or bullying the "junior" (intern). The messages we have seen are actually from more senior / comparable members of the analyst team to the "junior" intern, stuff like "manager loved it" etc.

Even the verbal evidence after the fact makes absolutely no mention of Eckert as pressuring the junior staff. And Eckert's message doesn't reference this either.

So in reality, the FA would be giving Eckert a banning order for instructing the oxford scouting incident... which may, or may not, have been an official request to break rules from Eckert, or may in fact have been the analysts collectively doing it inside the window themselves. Ditto the whole Boro affair... and doubly so for that one if they were originally instructed and planned to go up earlier in the week...

The whole thing is an incredible storm in a teacup, it is mental how we've managed to handle it so badly and screw ourselves over the way we have.

And re Adam Blackmore, he wants to be the club journalist for the BBC, and to run around attacking the club and Eckert from behind his microphone... well, if he thinks his stance is justified, he better get off his backside, do some journalism, and come up with evidence that categorically demonstrates the things he's claiming. 

Edited by Saint86
  • Like 12
Posted
7 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

I can't see them being able to do it though. He's admitted that he condoned analysts scouting the 3 sides - but its not black and white that it was a formal instruction to them breaking rules doing it.

  • For the boro one, the official club line is that the intern was requested to go up on the Monday and went later that instructed, meaning he breached the window.
  • For Ipswich/Eastleigh one, the official club line is that someone got hold of the CCTV footage and when it started being shown, Eckert immediately instructed that it was turned off and not used.
  • For Oxford, the details are vague re formal instruction and timing, but its acknowledged that we did send someone to scout their training to figure out the likely formation.

So 1 offence where potentially Eckert gave an instruction to the analyst team to scout inside the 72hour window (again - we don't know the timing of when, or whether he was formally instructed to do it inside the window).

That's the actual hard evidence in this whole thing. 2 incidents of analysts being where they shouldn't have been inside 72hours, and 1 incident involving CCTV being given to saints that we are on record as refusing to use.

There isn't a single shred of evidence of evidence of Eckert applying pressure or bullying the "junior" (intern). The messages we have seen are actually from more senior / comparable members of the analyst team to the "junior" intern, stuff like "manager loved it" etc.

Even the verbal evidence after the fact makes absolutely no mention of Eckert as pressuring the junior staff. And Eckert's message doesn't reference this either.

So in reality, the FA would be giving Eckert a banning order for instructing the oxford scouting incident... which may, or may not, have been an official request to break rules from Eckert, or may in fact have been the analysts collectively doing it inside the window themselves. Ditto the whole Boro affair... and doubly so for that one if they were originally instructed and planned to go up earlier in the week...

The whole thing is an incredible storm in a teacup, it is mental how we've managed to handle it so badly and screw ourselves over the way we have.

And re Adam Blackmore, if he wants to be a club journalist and run around attacking the club and Eckert from behind his microphone, if he thinks his stance is justified, he better get off his backside, do some journalism, and come up with evidence that categorically demonstrates the things he's claiming.

I hear what you say but wind back a few weeks and how many of us were expecting to be expelled from the Play Off Final?

  • Like 1
Posted
16 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

I can't see them being able to do it though. He's admitted that he condoned analysts scouting the 3 sides - but its not black and white that it was a formal instruction to them breaking rules doing it.

  • For the boro one, the official club line is that the intern was requested to go up on the Monday and went later that instructed, meaning he breached the window.
  • For Ipswich/Eastleigh one, the official club line is that someone got hold of the CCTV footage and when it started being shown, Eckert immediately instructed that it was turned off and not used.
  • For Oxford, the details are vague re formal instruction and timing, but its acknowledged that we did send someone to scout their training to figure out the likely formation.

So 1 offence where potentially Eckert gave an instruction to the analyst team to scout inside the 72hour window (again - we don't know the timing of when, or whether he was formally instructed to do it inside the window).

That's the actual hard evidence in this whole thing. 2 incidents of analysts being where they shouldn't have been inside 72hours, and 1 incident involving CCTV being given to saints that we are on record as refusing to use.

There isn't a single shred of evidence of Eckert applying pressure or bullying the "junior" (intern). The messages we have seen are actually from more senior / comparable members of the analyst team to the "junior" intern, stuff like "manager loved it" etc.

Even the verbal evidence after the fact makes absolutely no mention of Eckert as pressuring the junior staff. And Eckert's message doesn't reference this either.

So in reality, the FA would be giving Eckert a banning order for instructing the oxford scouting incident... which may, or may not, have been an official request to break rules from Eckert, or may in fact have been the analysts collectively doing it inside the window themselves. Ditto the whole Boro affair... and doubly so for that one if they were originally instructed and planned to go up earlier in the week...

The whole thing is an incredible storm in a teacup, it is mental how we've managed to handle it so badly and screw ourselves over the way we have.

And re Adam Blackmore, he wants to be the club journalist for the BBC, and to run around attacking the club and Eckert from behind his microphone... well, if he thinks his stance is justified, he better get off his backside, do some journalism, and come up with evidence that categorically demonstrates the things he's claiming. 

I thought we admitted spying on Ipswich.

Posted

I would assume the rules available to the FA now are the same ones available when Bielsa spied, on a far wider scale, at Leeds.  The FA didn’t give him any sanction so would be a huge leap from them to start handing out bans now

  • Like 6
Posted
1 minute ago, Bit of a plonker said:

I would assume the rules available to the FA now are the same ones available when Bielsa spied, on a far wider scale, at Leeds.  The FA didn’t give him any sanction so would be a huge leap from them to start handing out bans now

 

this-pointing-finger.gif

  • Like 1
Posted
2 hours ago, iansums said:

I'm fairly sure buggery in the workplace is against the rules.

Not in Skatesmouth. Good naval tradition and all that. 

  • Haha 2
Posted

I honestly feel we should be favourites for the league with tonda still here .clubs like West Ham are gonna have to shift a ton of players with their wage bill . We in the other hand should hit the ground running the 20 game unbeaten run rolls on media and other teams can hate all they want that will probably spur us on more I’m so glad the club backed tonda we are in this together and loyalty we showed in him maybe he will pay back and stay with us for a long time hapoy days  😃

Posted
8 minutes ago, pimpin4rizeal said:

honestly feel we should be favourites for the league with tonda still here

That’ll depend on who stays/signs. I’ll be amazed if we’re favourites, it’s going to be a tough tough league next season. One thing I’ll guarantee, there won’t be pony sides like Millwall, Boro or Hull in the play offs. This season was a massive opportunity, which we fucked right up. 

  • Like 1
Posted
3 hours ago, Wade Garrett said:

I thought we admitted spying on Ipswich.

Sounds like we've admitted that someone got hold of the CCTV footage. Eckert states in his recent video that the footage wasn't used - it would be beyond stupid for this to be a lie given its now a permanent video record that will need to align with the EFL evidence.

There was no mention of the rumored spying by our analysts at Eastleigh's stadium dressed in Eastleigh kits - so sounds like that was just more media BS as part of the whipped up witch hunt.

  • Like 2
Posted
5 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Sounds like we've admitted that someone got hold of the CCTV footage. Eckert states in his recent video that the footage wasn't used - it would be beyond stupid for this to be a lie given its now a permanent video record that will need to align with the EFL evidence.

There was no mention of the rumored spying by our analysts at Eastleigh's stadium dressed in Eastleigh kits - so sounds like that was just more media BS as part of the whipped up witch hunt.

So, spying then

  • Haha 1
Posted
2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

it’s going to be a tough tough league next season. One thing I’ll guarantee, there won’t be pony sides like Millwall, Boro or Hull in the play offs.

There might be, it goes down to 8th place remember 

Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, AlexLaw76 said:

So, spying then

Well yes - if we intentionally did it and if we ultimately used it, but not in the same way as an analyst being instructed to go over there, watch and record etc. Sounds more like our analyst team were a law unto themselves - and in that instance had some contacts with Eastleigh and got hold of the CCTV. In a similar vein to Middelsbrough getting hold of the golf club's security footage and transaction details.

Or to put it another way, i doubt very much that Tonda was on named terms with the Eastleigh security team and told our analysts to go and collect their cctv footage. Similarly, i doubt the first team coach instructed a team of hackers to get it illegally - or do you disagree? 😅

Could have had some interesting ramifications for Eastliegh i guess - i.e., if we had beaten Ipswich and it had been discovered after they missed out on promotion. Although you'd then have the whole debate over whether or not we used it (we're saying we didn't), and whether it had an impact.

Edited by Saint86
Posted
42 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

I don't want him to roll over for the club. But what he is doing right now is ignoring all the actual evidence to repeatedly push a negative narrative, hammer the club publicly, and specifically and directly attack the manage over bullying offences which are seemingly un-evidenced. If Blackmore wants to keep pushing this narrative he needs to back it up with actual evidence that shows it was Tonda, otherwise he needs to drop it.

There is evidence, not least Solak's stuff in his interview/statement about "well, the intern should have complained more". Not "it didn't happen" just blaming the intern for not complaining more loudly.

I'm not sure what "actual evidence" you are looking for when the club admitted the wrong they've done, they haven't accused the intern of lying when he said to the investigation that he felt pressured and uncomfortable.

There seems to be a group of people that have decided that because Solak and the club have gone through with their "fuck you, we're not sacking anyone" routine that it means the club did no wrong.

Well, they did do wrong. It's not a "narrative" being pushed by Adam Blackmore.

 

  • Like 3
Posted
8 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

There is evidence, not least Solak's stuff in his interview/statement about "well, the intern should have complained more". Not "it didn't happen" just blaming the intern for not complaining more loudly.

I'm not sure what "actual evidence" you are looking for when the club admitted the wrong they've done, they haven't accused the intern of lying when he said to the investigation that he felt pressured and uncomfortable.

There seems to be a group of people that have decided that because Solak and the club have gone through with their "fuck you, we're not sacking anyone" routine that it means the club did no wrong.

Well, they did do wrong. It's not a "narrative" being pushed by Adam Blackmore.

 

There is no evidence at all of Eckert bullying...

  • Like 4
Posted

Another reason why commentators and interviewers don’t have a great liking to Eckert is because he has a touch of Alex Ferguson/Jose Mourinho about him.

They become scared to ask questions in case it’s thrown back at them as them being dumb.

Posted (edited)
16 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

There is no evidence at all of Eckert bullying...

I thought there were witnesses that gave that evidence? 

Edited by egg
  • Like 2
Posted
14 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

There is no evidence at all of Eckert bullying...

Fergie gives a hairdryer = legend

Tonda asks intern to do analysis = bullying

  • Like 11
Posted

Feeling under pressure to do something, is not the same as being pressured to do something by the manager, and is not the same as being bullied. From what I read in the EFL notes, the analyst felt ‘under pressure’. I’m sure a lot of people feel ‘under pressure’ when someone senior to them at work requests something and it’s put upon them to deliver it - that’s the nature of hierarchy, feels pretty natural. I don’t recall anything in the notes to say Tonda had put anybody under pressure, and certainly not that he’d bullied anyone. 

  • Like 16
Posted
2 minutes ago, saintwbu said:

Feeling under pressure to do something, is not the same as being pressured to do something by the manager, and is not the same as being bullied. From what I read in the EFL notes, the analyst felt ‘under pressure’. I’m sure a lot of people feel ‘under pressure’ when someone senior to them at work requests something and it’s put upon them to deliver it - that’s the nature of hierarchy, feels pretty natural. I don’t recall anything in the notes to say Tonda had put anybody under pressure, and certainly not that he’d bullied anyone. 

Agreed, there’s been no evidence of bullying. I think in the efl statement it actually stated that for the Ipswich incident a few junior analysts were asked to do it and said “no”, with no repercussions. 

  • Like 1
Posted
5 minutes ago, The Wyvern said:

Agreed, there’s been no evidence of bullying. I think in the efl statement it actually stated that for the Ipswich incident a few junior analysts were asked to do it and said “no”, with no repercussions. 

We dint even know if they were spoken to by the manager about it.

Posted
1 hour ago, saintwbu said:

Feeling under pressure to do something, is not the same as being pressured to do something by the manager, and is not the same as being bullied. From what I read in the EFL notes, the analyst felt ‘under pressure’. I’m sure a lot of people feel ‘under pressure’ when someone senior to them at work requests something and it’s put upon them to deliver it - that’s the nature of hierarchy, feels pretty natural. I don’t recall anything in the notes to say Tonda had put anybody under pressure, and certainly not that he’d bullied anyone. 

With respect, you’re missing the point - they were asked to do something that they felt uncomfortable with because it felt wrong (and was wrong, per EFL rules). That is entirely different from being pressured to deliver a legitimate piece of work by your boss. 

There was documented evidence of WhatsApp messages exerting pressure to do this, despite their reticence, which is why the judge described it as ‘deplorable’. 

  • Like 2
Posted
9 hours ago, Saint86 said:

There is no evidence at all of Eckert bullying...

So apart from that you are 100% behind everything that Blackmore has said about the situation. Good to know.

Posted
7 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

With respect, you’re missing the point - they were asked to do something that they felt uncomfortable with because it felt wrong (and was wrong, per EFL rules). That is entirely different from being pressured to deliver a legitimate piece of work by your boss. 

There was documented evidence of WhatsApp messages exerting pressure to do this, despite their reticence, which is why the judge described it as ‘deplorable’. 

Which is understandable. Not sure it should be classed as bullying though. 

Posted
7 hours ago, SW11_Saint said:

With respect, you’re missing the point - they were asked to do something that they felt uncomfortable with because it felt wrong (and was wrong, per EFL rules). That is entirely different from being pressured to deliver a legitimate piece of work by your boss. 

There was documented evidence of WhatsApp messages exerting pressure to do this, despite their reticence, which is why the judge described it as ‘deplorable’. 

With respect, i’m not. I’m not aware that any of those messages came from the manager? Also like I said, they weren’t pressured to deliver by their boss, they were asked to do something by their colleagues and the supposed pressure was that it was something desired by the manager. We can all draw conclusions that Tonda might have been exerting pressure himself, directly or indirectly, but the facts of the EFL notes do not provide examples of this - suggestions of such from the EFL and the media do not seem to be backed by facts but more by optics. 

Posted (edited)
12 minutes ago, saintwbu said:

With respect, i’m not. I’m not aware that any of those messages came from the manager? Also like I said, they weren’t pressured to deliver by their boss, they were asked to do something by their colleagues and the supposed pressure was that it was something desired by the manager. We can all draw conclusions that Tonda might have been exerting pressure himself, directly or indirectly, but the facts of the EFL notes do not provide examples of this - suggestions of such from the EFL and the media do not seem to be backed by facts but more by optics. 

I mean you people can pretend Tonda didn't go on screen and say "I am responsible" if you like. You can twist yourselves into mental gymnastic knots that "other people" did the bad things while poor old angelic innocent Tonda floated about being wonderful and was some kind of accidental innocent passenger in it all.

But it's bullshit. He was, very obviously being  - and admitted to - at the very heart of this.

I dont get why people are falling over themselves to "prove" some distanced, reductive innocence when its obvious he isn't innocent, and the club and he himself admitted guilt to the investigation and on screen to our faces.

 

Edited by CB Fry
  • Like 2
Posted
10 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

I mean you people can pretend Tonda didn't go on screen and say "I am responsible" if you like. You can twist yourselves into mental gymnastic knots that "other people" did the bad things while poor old angelic innocent Tonda floated about being wonderful and was some kind of accidental innocent passenger in it all.

But it's bullshit. He was, very obviously being  - and admitted to - at the very heart of this.

I dont get why people are falling over themselves to "prove" some distanced, reductive innocence when its obvious he isn't innocent, and the club and he himself admitted guilt to the investigation and on screen to our faces.

 

That’s a long post just to say you didn’t read a word of what I wrote. We can all think and assume what we want, but the reality is that the facts of the case as far as we know do not support it. Whether the known facts are the whole story, I suspect not, but whilst on here we can theorise all we like, in my opinion the media have a responsibility to report the known facts accurately. Seeing journalists suggest it’s a crime for Tonda to not be sacked because ‘he bullies interns’ is not fact based, it’s purely based on some headlines that circulated in the midst of the investigation. Now those headlines have taken hold and as most people don’t read the detail themselves, it’s the predominant story I see regarding Tonda’s character online. There is absolutely nothing in those EFL details, that I have seen, that shows Tonda Eckert to be a bully. 

Posted
1 minute ago, saintwbu said:

That’s a long post just to say you didn’t read a word of what I wrote. We can all think and assume what we want, but the reality is that the facts of the case as far as we know do not support it. Whether the known facts are the whole story, I suspect not, but whilst on here we can theorise all we like, in my opinion the media have a responsibility to report the known facts accurately. Seeing journalists suggest it’s a crime for Tonda to not be sacked because ‘he bullies interns’ is not fact based, it’s purely based on some headlines that circulated in the midst of the investigation. Now those headlines have taken hold and as most people don’t read the detail themselves, it’s the predominant story I see regarding Tonda’s character online. There is absolutely nothing in those EFL details, that I have seen, that shows Tonda Eckert to be a bully. 

99% of the story is about spying and part of that was pressuring interns to support that even though it was against the rules.

Frothing at the mouth about something that is at the fringes of the story I don't actually think adds to anything when the main facts are undisputed and admitted to.

  • Like 1

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...