My Honest Thoughts on Spygate Now Everything's Finished ✅ Tonda Eckert and Southampton were rightfully punished, thankfully not in a way that creates double jeopardy for the club (the reason Tonda's ban is suspended). He's a young man and deserves a second chance. It does feel like we've got off lightly with the FA ruling, but perhaps only because of the media storm and disproportionate punishment in the first place by the EFL. The truth is #SaintsFC sought to gain sporting advantage, and obtained it regardless of whether it was used. But it's not sufficient enough to ruin a career over. I celebrate the FA process that has given Southampton a fair trial and a verdict that we can move on from finally. I do really want to emphasise this. Yes I did read all forty-six pages of written reasons... But I don't regret it. It was a much fairer trial than the fast tracked EFL process, designed to explain and explore not just get the verdict the EFL wanted, like our other hearing. The punishment received? An initial 4 month sanction taken down to 6 weeks suspended due to complicity, genuine sorrow for his actions, direct action to make things better, and consideration for the impact on the club/fans/stakeholders. This is what punishment is for, rehabilitation, not an eye for an eye, and we have achieved it here. Whether the EFL's £100m+ punishment was appropriate for a young manager asking to spy on two opponents without knowing it was illegal, and accepting information for a third, will always be debated depending on your bias and background, but the Expulsion had precedent, and the EFL process that Southampton signed up to led us down that route directly. So whilst I believe it was disproportionate, it was categorically fair, as long as it is now applied uniformly. However I do not feel those systems and processes that have led us here are fit for duty, firstly with no ability to appeal to the high court or CAS, and secondly the fact our appeal was heard by just **ONE LAWYER**, with the sole discretion over the fate of our club. Ultimately we must accept it, and move on. Every failure in life proves an opportunity to learn, and I hope all parties do. What is important now is that the EFL must now keep their punishment uniform, they have set a pristine standard for the playoffs, Infact any knockout competition under their jurisdiction as sacrosanct, and must not be affected by any sporting advantage, or even the possibility of one. Therefore I will expect in future for the EFL to use this as precedent on other clubs. Especially including financial rule breaks which categorically create sporting advantage too. They definitely create the possibility of an advantage regardless of a specific case, and there's precedent to act on that now. Any financial rule broken, creates that possible advantage, so following the new precedent, this would break the integrity of the playoffs and cup competitions by their own logic. So if you break SCR, even by £1, you have generated a potential sporting advantage in all competitions. This would break the sanctity of knockout competitions, and you must expel the party breaking the rules from the relevant knockout competitions. So Hull City in previous years? They should not have been allowed to compete in the EFL Cup/Playoffs in the seasons they broke rules. Don't think this is fair? Well this is exactly why we have been complaining so much, but this is the precedent they have set. What worries me more however is the impact that Boro media/officials had on the process, and I hope the EFL have learnt from the backlash and they will improve their processes to remove the possibility of bias from their systems. We now have a fair FA process to compare the EFL ruling to, and without wanting to keep slipping up on split milk, It's not smelling great. But we must move on, We are now in our last year of parachute payments, let's get outta here.

So happy that Kane finally gets his recognition. The bigger question now remains, whose prime was better? Kane or Beth Mead in '22?

The ref did give us most fouls sure, but what decisions did he get wrong? Got all the big calls right IMO. Do let me know though! #whufc

A James Ward-Prowse Appreciation Post 😇 His Performance vs Baldy's West Ham United 📈 Accurate Passes: 47/53 Chances Created: 1 Tackles: 1 Clearances: 6 Interceptions: 3 Recoveries: 9 Duels Won: 4 Rating: 7.8 ✅ A Proper Workhorse! 💪 (Yes, He has LEGS! Only £800k! 🤯

3-2 😃

We are so much better against teams that actually play football, it's maddening. #SaintsFC

Every chance there's some Aaron ramsdale funds coming in as well, I'd bet on Bournemouth considering how bad Petrovic is.

What's your score prediction for tomorrow's promotion race clash?

Princewill is far too good for the U21s, would like to see him involved in some first team action off the bench until his next loan in January. #SaintsFC

Odds on JWP scoring a free kick against West Ham United? #whufc #saintsfc

You're right, Definitely not a handball.

Stonewall Pen not given, #FuckTheEFL

What a game so far, have really enjoyed it!

Got the ball ref

The Best Midfield in the Championship? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 James Ward-Prowse 🇩🇪 Caspar Jander 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Flynn Downes 🇮🇪 Finn Azaz Definitely four top class operators, but how the hell do we fit it into one system? What's your plan? 💭 #SaintsFC

2/2 Clean Sheets since Jack Stephens has been reintegrated into the Starting XI. ✅ Noticing.

Where was Caspar Jander today? 8/14 Duels Won 💪 4 Recoveries 🧼 4 tackles 📈 Rating 7.5 ✅