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I'm sure there aren't many managers who can add the Vertu EFL trophy to their resume on top of multiple European winners medals so I say bring Emery in for a long term project and when we hit League One, that's his time to shine.

Barnsley enjoyed their best spell in years at the time.

I wonder if this is focusing the Barnsley hierarchy's minds. TE was an analyst there, then came to Saints thinking it was ok to spy on other teams and that there wasn't any rules to the contrary. Sounds like he thought it was standard practise. Sounds like he did it at Barnsley too.

100% This. The punishment handed down was outrageously harsh - but what's done is done. Time to circle the wagons, take our medicine, have a sort out in the club and, most importantly, come out fighting. And that's on everyone - us fans included. Too many wet wipes showing up on here and the media Vox-pops for my liking. If we don't get some backbone, and soon - we just saddle ourselves with a guilt complex that will linger for years, creating generations of apologists as fans. Be real - every club would take any advantage if offered (if they knew they could get away with it). We just went at it with usual SR-inspired amateurishness - and got found out / stitched-up - then didn't have the minerals to punch back at Gibbo and got put to the lions by his media operation. Fuck 'em. COYS!

Someone was talking about Ben Garner on another thread and it got me thinking about Ryan Garner. Poor fucker has got his big title fight coming up at St Mary’s in a couple of weeks and was probably hoping the saints family would turn out and it’d be as much a boxing event as a promotion party . Will probably affect ticket sales and atmosphere with the level of apathy we’re all feeling.

Balance of probabilities is that he knew about it but didn’t do anything about it.

Unai Emery, Thomas Frank or Sean Dyche

Saints are just dealing with his season bonus before he gets kicked out. Tonda has also got to do a handover of his football tactics to Lallana.

Has he gone yet?

A growing sense from where ? Personally I don’t agree with that, his selections and substitutions were often spot on. Lost count of looking at the line up thinking why’s he playing, to come away struck by that players performance. As for man management, it certainly seemed to work, and players looked motivated. If you want to hear about managers ‘odd’ behaviour look at Clough and some of the stories about him. Didn’t hold him back. Disagree that he was emotionless, but very focused. I suspect there will be inevitable stories downplaying his role and input as it does when a player goes. I’m sure if MLT had left in his prime- and the internet existed - we’d have had “well he didn’t tackle back ..”, “other players pissed off carrying him and his lazy ways…” Disappointed that he’s leaving in this way, and we won’t see him continue what seemed great potential. Next manager ??? Dread to think.

I haven't forgotten anything. Competing in the playoff final is literally the prize for winning the semi final, you don't get to just go to the final because you want to. We forfeited the semi because we cheated, now we don't get to play in the final. It's really that simple.

In that case we should garner support for him.

You forgot to add the one player we had who literally everyone thought was amazing, and who was Saints through and through, publicly losing his fucking marbles and becoming a laughing stock. You don't get to choose your club though, do you. Once you're in, that's it. There's no other option and the only way out is in a wooden box. It's like being in the mafia.

We are not getting Thomas Frank can we be serious here

I bet many people said the exact same about 'Frank' when he went to Cov...in fact, this place was full of belly laughs about it

The four points are annoying as well. Our backroom staff, manager, team will all be different. We’ll have started next season afresh, with the cheating put firmly into the year before’s folder. Yet we’re stuck with the four points hanging over us still into next year.

These would be terrible options when it comes to the actual football games though but hey a name for a bit would be fun. Can’t honestly believe people still believe this ‘name’ tripe when we’ve just got 20 games unbeaten with someone they were all vehemently against last time for the same reasons 🤣

He had 00Salt dress up in Eastleigh gear to spy on Ipswich, then used the excuse that he didn't know that spying was against the rules. Fucking clown. Has he been sacked yet?

I think this is more or less what everyone with a brain expected to happen. Pay off the kid and his direct manager to take the blame for getting their days mixed up, they get banned, and deny everything else. Instead Parsons managed to expand the damage to what sounds like most of the footballing staff, the players, fans, and club in general. Impressive....

I don't think that, so much I think they guided the narrative, public opinion and also the punishment with their press release. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place because we had broken the rules. We could have played hardball from the get go but it was handled terribly from our perspective. We got walked over

Yeah, this was one of the hypotheticals I pondered upon yesterday in the main expulsion thread... so, effectively, if we had benefited more from 'Spygate' and finished in the top two, we'd have been punished much less... go figure....

Bonus for the 3 EFL representatives for implementing the sanctions asked for.

Ignoring out of contract players, from the current squad we will lose: Peretz and Larin, THB (20m), Jander (25m), Scienza (25m), Charles (25m), Ramsdale (20m). Like him or not BBD was a key part of a side who almost made the playoffs, so there is either a use case or some income there too. Likewise Sugawara we might get a couple of £m. We need to keep Downes, but for £20m or more he is replaceable. Sign a strong CB and the back four stays the same with the addition of Roeslev as backup to Bree, presuming he regains fitness. To my mind then, we need a GK, decent ball playing CB, a flair wing player, two solid CMs, a big target man. Need to use the loan market effectively and remain smart about who we sign, we cant afford another Damion Downs cock up. That Morris guy at Boro cost them £5m, Morsy for Bristol was free, Dan Neil for Ipswich on loan, etc. Think we need to remember that Jander, Leo, Azaz etc were only £12m, so the trick is going to be recruiting smart again this time. A real shame we need to go back to square one with it after building a strong squad, but its do'able, and I dont buy that money has run out, its just a case of staying the right size of the rules (!!!). In a sense its good that the squad is in the right shape at the moment, as we just have to aim for "like for like" replacements as much as possible with comings and goings. Above all, we could do with Spors being vindicated, remaining in post, getting a new manager in ASAP, and commencing the work early on unearthing more like Jander, Peretz etc.

There's a book there for someone to write - Headline Grabing Scandals involving Southampton Football Club

Exactly this. If Middlesborough didn't have such close links to the EFL then I reckon we'd have got a fine and points deducted. But they wanted Middlesborough there. It doesn't make sense to anyone; since it's not fair on Wrexham or whomever else may be eligible. And Hull should have been automatically promoted if we were expelled. They might even taken legal action if they lose. But no, a team that lost gets the second chance. Because the CEO of Middlesborough is in the EFL board? Probably.