sadoldgit

The players love him (possibly) He took a team with a frail mentality and took them to the Championship play offs with a 20 match unbeaten run He is a winner He is a top analyst We could be losing a gem only to sign another dud I am sure I could think of a few more but the pub is calling…

Sponsors want their names plastered all over the place. Players get booked if they take their shirt off when they score because the sponsor wants its name up front. There will be a lot of extra interest in the Saints next season. We should be thinking about charging more, not worrying about not getting any sponsors.

Yep, so the poll and over two hundred pages of opinions have been a complete waste of time. 😉

I’ve just seen it too, on the Newsnow Southampton site.

We have all seen his pressers and his demeanour on the touchline. He is not a touch feely guy and tends to keep his emotions in check. As I have said before, texts can come across as a bit full on, hence emojis. Eckert doesn’t strike me as an emoji guy either, so imagine that this has more to do with how he comes across rather than bullying.

You constantly demonstrated that you have overblown the severity of the “crime” in the same way Steve Gibson did. All of the things you mention are available to scrutinise on every match that the opposition play on video. Every throw in, every free kick, every corner, everything. If it was such a heinous crime, as has been pointed out endlessly on here, it would be banned around the world. The only reason it is banned in the EFL is that Leeds did it and they had to do something in response. If Bielsa hadn’t done it we would not be having this conversation and SFC would probably be back in the EPL. If it then came to light that Eckert had been spying on the opposition in those circumstances, how would you react?

If we had been given a large fine along with a suspended points deduction but had been allowed to play in the final, would we even be having this discussion?

The point is that the punishment should fit the crime.

He wasn’t sacked for eating cake. The issue here is not whether a rule was broken, it is the lack of proportionality to the crime. Break a very important rule, get a big punishment. Break a minor rule, get a minor punishment. Get it yet?

If you are referring to Boris Johnson, then this just might qualify for the dumbest post of the thread.

Why would the prospect of challenging for promotion deter anyone from signing for us? If he stays the practice will not continue. Eckert has proved that he is a very good coach and has turned players fortunes around. I don’t think it will be an issue. We are talking about footballers here after all!

That’s not the point, as you know full well. The point is that it is a ridiculous rule and although rules shouldn’t be broken, some transgressions are worse than others. Do you honestly think what we have done is worse than diving for a penalty or rolling around on the ground trying to get an opponent set off?

EPL - spy/scout on other teams whenever you like? Knock yourselves out. EFL - spy/scout on other teams whenever you like? Knock yourselves out (unless it is after 72 hours before a game and then you become disgusting cheats and are the scum of the earth). This is what this is all about. For God’s sake, get some perspective. We broke some dumb rules. We shouldn’t have done. We have paid a disproportionate and very heavy price. Why throw away something positive just because an administrative body is bloody useless?

Of course I do. Do you realise how much he changed things around so that they got into this position. I’m guessing no.

From a relegation fight to challenging for promotion. Players underperforming to back to their full potential. Frail team mentality to full on self belief. Whatever they think about “Spygate,” I’d be very surprised if they didn’t want to play for him again.