Saint86

Parsons as good as said it was a stitch up at the fans forum - Essentially said we agreed to the expedited timescale as we had been given assurances by the EFL that expulsion wouldn't happen. And he also accused Middlesbrough of weaponizing the whole thing to get a free bye to the final... (he then added that we'd have done the same ).... Showing, i thought, that he hadn't learnt from the whole affair... i.e., using a fans forum (and pet journos) to once again have a little bitch about the EFL and Boro and showcase his lack of contrition and his general arrogance / naivety about the whole situation. I've no doubt that whilst it stayed out of the national press on that occasion, the overseeing bodies would have heard about it. Equally, i suspect what he said is true, but his opportunity to do anything about it has come and gone, he fumbled it spectacularly. Would also add some weight to why there are ongoing issues between saints and the EFL (a board who's 3 championship reps at the time were boro, hull, and pompey - none of which wanted us in the final)... or do people really think the EFL missed half the people in the Birmingham board room by accident. Edit - And on the subject of the expedited timescale - if we agreed to something like that, it still doesn't mean we had an excuse to half ass it, get it wrong (initially), and then leave ourselves open to being accused of not co-operating and lying etc... Just a complete car crash.

I'd be more worried about Millwall than Boro tbh. Boro haven't been convincing in a single game, are relying on luck and offside goals to get through matches, and can't defend to save their lives... Millwall have a horrendous injury list and are still right among it, and they're proven operators at this level now. Come the end of the season, you would expect both of them to be in the playoffs minimum - and of those 2 i'd rather face boro over 2 legs. Also, if Boro couldn't beat us last season - despite whipping their fans into a frenzy, and conducting a media storm to unsettle us and turn the country against us, they won't be doing it this season. Our players will be up for those games like nothing we've seen before - and the Boro fans and players will know its all coming home to roost.

Fantastic result for Millwall really - they've highlighted that Boro really aren't that special this year (despite all the hype), still incredibly inefficient in possession and wasteful with their chances, and they simply cannot defend. Next time they play Millwall it will be far stronger side they are up against - something everyone should bear in mind giving Millwall are still amongst it despite their injuries.

Fucking love it, NGL. Hopefully Millwall don't cock this up!

Overly negative in my opinion. Watford (first game of the season, very physical, kicked us off the pitch first 15min, home crowd well up for it). Birmingham (away under the lights, only 3 teams won there all last season, very physical side - and a difficult place to get a win regardless) Lincoln (newly promoted, home crowd and team full of confidence, and a extremely physical side - probably the most physical in the league)... So all in, a draw isn't the worst result. Wrexham (fan and player morale through the floor, they got a hiding from us last time we played them there which will be in their minds, but they still remain reasonably physical)... I think the general factors that weighed against us in the other 3 away games will not be as significant in this game.... And clearly our confidence is starting to flow. A win is there for the taking, but as alehouse says, funnier things have happened. Tends to be the games where both sets of fans expect the same result that deliver the shocks... 🫣

Always quite liked Wrexham fans, and they've been on a fairytale journey in fairness.

I think there is a huge culture of complacency, who you know, *old boys club", and (dare I say it) corruption throughout English football. Be it PGMOL, the FA, or the EFL. The institutions, and their checks and promotion structures just aren't fit for purpose in the modern game 🤷. You only have to look at the numerous refereeing scandals in recent years, some of the particularly nasty people involved with football clubs, or the completely arbitrary and biased approaches to discipline that get applied throughout all levels of the game. This is part of why I am such a supporter of the independent football regulator, although invariably some of the same people will weasel their way into that as well.

Also, needless to say - Come on Millwall this evening!!! 🦁

Its hard to imagine being as thick as that VAR official tbh, but they do walk among us - and that one was so poor that i do't think you can even suggest match fixing. I reckon you could give most (impartial) fans a month to learn the rules and practice implementing them, and they'd have done a better job on that decision 9/10 times, let alone with years of experience behind them. Get a graduate etc., to drive the controls and all you need is solid understanding of the game and the rules to make high level refereeing calls on contentious decisions... And always remember, if its not clear and obvious, make no change - and that should be first bar on any VAR decision. Whoever that VAR was, he simply isn't fit to referee.

Distraction is included, and since the shot goes straight across him to Tolaj, he becomes an interference impacting on Peretz's ability to reposition and react to the subsequent shot.

JWP

The 2nd tier podcast just got done by MLG... https://x.com/MatthewLeGod/status/2099066270272401916

I mean, the shot goes straight across the box to tolaj and that player is directly in the line of sight to tolaj, so clearly interfering/obstructing in Peretz's ability to save the shot.

Tolaj was onside, but pretty sure this guy in front of Peretz is obstructing his view / interfering. He's a poor referee tbh - its also laughable that he's born in bristol and a former player of both bristol clubs - and yet he's refereeing one of them... that just shouldn't happen 😅😂 (i'm aware that he's not at fault for their goal, merely commenting on the position it puts him in as a ref).

Well... what a lovely Saturday