Southampton Banter

13 May 2026 10:58:23
As amazing as last night was, I fear dark clouds are brewing over St Mary's.

The allegations against our club were initially brushed off as trivial by the majority but are now building up to deeply concerning.

Of course, the case against us must be proved but the evidence threshold is on the balance of probability. In other words, is it more likely than not that we had deployed someone to 'spy' on their training ground.

If proven, I believe they will make an example of us to the rest of the watching football world. I think that would be a serious points deduction for next season which will if promoted, effectively relegate us before a ball is kicked.

But beyond that, if the case is proven, the club has betrayed the community and legions of Saints fans, and damaged the reputation of our club.

Whilst we all have our light hearted disagreements on this forum, I strongly believe we all share a common sense of values, which excludes 'cheating'.

I hope the evidence is flimsy but the signs aren't looking good.

13 May 2026 12:26:40
I agree Miller. I want Tonda to be the man he supposedly is and some people on here think he is and as I say when/if that day comes I'll gladly eat my words.

However I also don't want manager/staff that goes about things in such ways and brings scandals to the club. It all reminds me too much of the days when Bruce Grobbaler use to take bribes to fix matches, you lose that sense of achievement and wonder.

If Tonda is the man and the accusations are more fabricated than we can continue as is.

Going up and being in the Premiership is the Pinnacle and where we want/should be, but if we're not competing there, what's the point.

My concern is that we went up with RM and ended up having disastrous season, almost the worst in history.

Now if the claims with Tonda are true then like you say we not only either get banished from playoffs or we go up with a point deduction.

On top of that have a manager who were not sure if was winning because of his ability or tactics he got from observing the opposition training.

At the moment it all feels too much like we got that Biff guy from back to the future as a manager who has that sports almanac book with all the results in.

13 May 2026 12:32:33
Further to my post above, I can't see this being resolved before the play off final.

If we don't beat Hull, then it's more straightforward for a Panel to decide. If we beat them, then it becomes harder to reach an outcome which will appease all those who are scenting blood.

13 May 2026 18:51:27
Presumably it was Will Still that was responsible for sending the spy (seen as he gets all credit)

Even his brother Ed Still has been sacked at Watford . The poor bloke is already sick of hearing his name in every Barbers

13 May 2026 18:52:43
Good post Miller, I think it's very poor form on our part. But in the days of drones and auditors, it was essentially a guy on a public path.

But I do get your point 100% and agree

I just don't think it's anymore than a fine kind of level

13 May 2026 21:37:33
Let's just remember we beat Fulham, Arsenal and took city pretty far. They all (if I'm not mistaken) have closed training grounds which could not be "scouted". So the team and Tonda should still get some credit for that. If we actually sent someone, then we should be removed from the competition.

However, they caught him before he "got anything" so borough shouldn't take our place. I don't think Tonda is as involved as is being made out, which is why he is so angry. But what the kid was doing up there isn't good.

13 May 2026 05:58:59
Feel for the Boro fans and players but happy we held our nerve.

Any guesses on what the punishment will be?

12 May 2026 23:30:20
Let's just enjoy the moment eh!

These occasions don't come around too often so forget all the spy gate crap and revel in the moment

12 May 2026 16:39:30
Looks like I might have called it.

Apparently there is suspicion several other championship teams we've played have had their training observed by us.

Man, I hate being right.

This is why I was saying about Tonda and how it wasn't his team and was getting massive uncanny success with something that was Will Stills.

It didn't add up to me that so much improvement could happen from so little change, especially with such a young inexperienced manager.

Again, I'm not saying all the accusations are entirely true, but them again they might only be the tio of the iceberg.

Either way, hopefully we pay the fine and he learns from this. Use the experience of what observing other teams works for him and try to find a legal/legitimate way of doing it.

Ultimately we get to judge him next season if he's still here, which is what I said we should have been doing all along anyway.

Apparently, I'm the crazy one though 🙃🤷

12 May 2026 17:20:30
Really got a bad feeling here. It seems highly unlikely that the Boro spying was a one off, and scrutinising whatsapp, text and emails will establish whether this has been going on all season. If so, I think Saints will be expelled from the playoffs rather than fined. If the intern in question shows up on any other clubs training ground camera footage the game is up, and Tonda will go.

And to complete the gloom, I think Boro are so fired up, and Saints distracted, that we will lose tonight. Sorry for the gloom, hope i'm wrong and consigned to the clowns corner!

12 May 2026 18:17:07
Not at all Exter, it's valid points and what a forums for.

I'm all about balance and perspective, I'm both a half full/half empty cup guy lol.

The realist in me sees it the same way you do i.e.I can't see it being a one off, it explains a lot and fits together a lot of the missing jigsaw puzzles as to fire Tonda has being blowing apart the league.

It gives a dark/sinister feel to Tonda receiving 3 consecutive Manager of the Month awards too.

The optimist in me though hopes that's the extreme side of him and maybe the naivety of being young/from a different football background meant he didn't realize how severe it was. That hell take these lessons and grow.

Either way though, regardless of spygate, Middlesbourgh were the better team on Saturday. They also have aggregate on their side meaning they don't have to worrying about conceeding as much as we do.

All in all I think it's us who are on the ropes and they're going to be up for it with little fear. I mean if you know someone is spying on you that kind of lifts the shroud on the people your playing, revealing them to not be as scary or threatening as you thought they were.

12 May 2026 19:36:05
I agree saints are up against it tonight.I think if Tonda will never have a more important occasion to get both selection and strategy right. And difficult to manage the team who know that even if they win they might be ejected. On reflection of my earlier post, the only mitigating factor against being ejected from the playoffs is that Wrexham would then have a really good shout that they have been denied a playoff berth due to cheating and then EFL get into a whole world of pain legally.

EFL would love Boro to win tonight, saves them a load of pain, the football community are on Boros side as no-one likes cheats to prosper. Saints aren't just playing Boro tonight, they are up against everyone. Tough ask

12 May 2026 19:43:04
By the way, it's not away goals counting double.

12 May 2026 19:45:26
The EFL only has the authority to fine. do some googling instead of spreading this ball sh*t anti manager rhetoric.
He is a tactical expert who's background is exactly that

11 May 2026 19:46:24
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Liverpool v Chelsea - A Not So Quick Liverpool Perspective

09 May 2026 16:21:54
Very, very fortunate for most of today and then unfortunate towards the end.

Shambolic first half, we were really bad at all the things we do badly.

We are very poor at dealing with teams who play the high press against us and boy did it show today.

Middlesbrough on the other hand were brilliant.

So, slight advantage us but we need to show up from the first minute Tuesday night.

09 May 2026 17:12:18
The sign of him being a good manager is that he made those few subtle changes needed that completely changed the game within seconds of the start of halftime.
We took control and dominated the second half, simply by pushing up on
Middlesborough and not allowing their press to work. We also pushed it out wider much quicker.
Middlesbrough looked good in the first half.
We didn't help ourselves with poor marking, giving away the ball too easily in dangerous places.

Tuesday will be interesting

09 May 2026 18:25:18
Hi SouthHant Rich, I'm surprised you saw the game that way. I generally agree with your post match views but TBH I thought they battered us first half - they could have been out of sight by half time?

09 May 2026 21:09:27
Perhaps my post wasn't clear. Middlesbrough battered us I agree, but it was our own poor decision making, passing and tactics that helped them immensely
When we pushed up on them, played it quicker and wider, that nullified their press.

their manager didn't adjust to our change of tactics.
But yes I agree, we were very lucky and were. Battered first half. We sat too deep and allowed their press

09 May 2026 21:24:19
Yea was going to say something Similar Miller.

Not that I'm bashing Tonda but I think the substitutes he made were like for like/same substitutes he always makes.

I think Middlesbourghs game plan was to go full throttle at us for the entire first half, get as much pressure on us and goals as possible before we had time to regroup and assess what was happening.

They did everything spot on and even neutralised our counterattack.

I don't think us coming back into the game in the second half way down to Tonda, rather than Middlesbourgh approach. No team can play with the intensity Bourough did for the first 45 for the entire match, so us have a little comeback was inevitable.

I just think it was Middlesbourgh plan to get the job done in the first 45, 2 or 3 goals, defend they're lead in the second half them come to St Mary's and play for a draw.

The only thing that stopped that was the performance/bravery from us. Which again I don't necessarily think you can plan/approach for that.once the whistle blew it was like when the ring bells in a boxing match. Was just down to the players on the pitch to dig in and credit to them they did.

10 May 2026 13:08:32
I thought Larin looked more non league than Premier League, but we can forgive him for that given his output in recent weeks.

I'm worried that Scienza has been found out - shaping to go left and then cutting in on his right.

Azaz has been frustrating - Wembley screamer aside.

Fellows has to drop deep too often to get a touch.

So for me, the momentum has dropped a little. Maybe it's Edozie's time to add some sparkle.

Still not sure why Charles doesn't start.

Theoretically, the starting line up on Tuesday will be what Tonda believes is his best eleven.

I don't do patience very well, so if I were the manager I would be telling the players to start off as if we're 1-0 down with 20 mins to go.

10 May 2026 13:53:32
I thought we had a decent and largely successful game plan., was nearly perfect. I feel our players were probably gutted after the match to not have gotten the win and Boro glad they didn't loose.

First half Boro went for the early kill, we sat back defended well and nullified their creativity. We didn't press or chase balls, we kept our shape and zonal defending. Sky's commentary was lording Boro as the best performance of the year during first half but I didn't see any decent moves or chances created.

Tondas tactics were spot on imo and realistically should have e won game at the end. Do people think we should be going to riverside and winning easily in such a high pressure atmosphere and match of importance? We lost 4-0 up there not so long ago. It's a 2 leg affair. It's always about the second match. If we had won the game I'm sure none of you would be complaining of the first half display. It was tough first 45 mins for sure but we stood up to them and did what was required, Defence was brave and foucused. Tondas the man, the players love him and I think I do to x

10 May 2026 19:05:27
You must have missed Bree's goal saving block, not to mention the one that came back off the inside of the post.

I agree we were never going to go up there and have a stroll in the park, but with so many of our attack minded players out of salts, we were lucky to get back to St Mary's without serious damage

10 May 2026 21:00:15
Yea Ballsy you can't call that first half tactical.

We didn't tactically prevent them, if anything they tactically prevented us (they nullified our counteract)

We dealt with their pressure with good old fashioned grit and luck and that pressure was relentless. I think an extra 5 minutes for that half and even 10% less luck and we're going in half time 2 goals down and that has nothing to do with Tondas tactics, it had everything to do with boroughs game plan

11 May 2026 06:37:16
Yes saint miller great block from Bree and there was plenty of body's doing the same though out first half. We defended well very proud of the lads. They did the job and should be praised for it. Hitting post was from a Larin bad touch and the lad should have scored but was poor finish, was fortunate to find himself in the amount of space and should have punished us.

Don't see any good moves or attacks that opened us up? I'm sure if was a normal leauge match our display would have been completely different. It's 2 part fixture! Tonda knows this and by looks of it so do players. Like I said Boros beat performance of the year ( a top 2 side all season ) and they didn't score or look dangerous imo. Credit to Tonda and the lads

11 May 2026 13:43:22
You definitely didn't watch the same game Ballsy, to the point where there's a real chance of borough doing serious damage tomorrow night.

Its going to be an electric night, but I'd have to edge Borough at the moment, simply because they found a way to get at us.

Sure, different stadium/different environment but the Middlesbourgh players mentality will be if they did it a few days ago they can do it again.

11 May 2026 14:23:03
On top off that I'm pretty sure aggregate is in play, so for every goal they score we have to get one more.

With that in mind I can't see why they won't look to carry on where they left off.

08 May 2026 23:18:03
That wasn't you was it Lesleee??!

07 May 2026 17:50:13
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Manchester United v Liverpool - A Quick Liverpool Perspective