I like the way Dragan just says it how it is. Doesnt try to sugarcoat it or act the big bollocks. Just the truth of things. Refreshing to see such honesty and not bollocks he thinks we want to hear #saintsfc
๐จ Dragan Solak on outgoings at #SaintsFC this summer:
"We don't have any pressure [to sell players], that's for sure. There are two main things for us: one is to have the best possible team, the second is what is good for certain players given the time in their career, their contract, etc.
"In order to keep the flow of talent coming to Southampton, sometimes it's also needed to show the next step. If a player goes to play for Manchester United, every young player thinks, 'Okay, maybe I'm not ready for Manchester United, but I should go to Southampton'.
"We have our place in the food chain, which is the reality of the moment, and we will see if we can change this reality in years to come, but this is where we are now. If we let players go, it will have to be a really good offer for the club, and also for the player and his development.
"On the other side, we have a very good scouting team and we are monitoring a huge number of players, and again, our main goal for this transfer window is not to make money, it is to make at least the same quality team, if not better, for next season."
[via @AdamBlackmore]
The Tonda Eckert case represents a major challenge to the FAโs authority as the gameโs governors, almost an existential one about leadership in the era of all-powerful PL, new sheriff IFR and EFL praised for its strong stance on Spygate... 1/2
@Neilsredandwhi1 Not really, but once thats done, why fuck ourselves over more just to appease fans of other club. Make the best decision footballing wise, not PR wise.
That statement reads to me that this story is far from finished. You dont call out and make passive aggressive comments like that unless you're going to back it up. Big legal battles are being made behind the scenes and can see it getting very messy #saintsfc
@Boro losers again?
bottlers?
crying to the EFL?
try to get Hull kicked out?
So many things it can be, but one thing is for sure, 'we shall be playing Championship football again' is accurate.
Late winning goal infront of the boro end as well. Thats as delighted as i can be without Southampton in the final ๐คฃ
If you cant win a playoff semi, what makes you think you can win the final? ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ knobhead club get what they deserve #saintsfc
The biggest shock is everyone thinking football is a fairytale land full of respect and honour. It has to be one of the most cut throat, underhand industries out there. Theres no friends in football. Everyone is there to be climbed over, used, abused & discarded with. #saintsfc
Supporting a team is meant to be enjoyable & a distraction from everyday life. So why's supporting southampton constantly feel like such a chore? The lows are low and the highs arent even high and always fleeting.
And when you think it cant get worse, it does haha #saintsfc
๐จ๐๏ธThierry Henry on Southampton expelled for spying drama against Middlesbrough:
โI have to be honest, this is a difficult one. Spying on another teamโs training is wrong. Full stop. It crosses a line, it undermines the trust that should exist between clubs, and I understand why Middlesbrough are furious and why the EFL felt they had to act strongly. Integrity matters in this game.
At the same time, I find myself questioning whether expulsion from the play-offs is the right punishment. It feelsโฆ heavy. Almost like using a sledgehammer when a precise scalpel was needed.
Letโs be clear: this wasnโt match-fixing or doping. It was analysts pushing boundaries for tactical information, something that, sadly, has happened in different forms across the game for years.
Marcelo Bielsa did it openly at Derby and Leeds, admitted it, and people called him a genius, not a criminal. Drones, analysts in trees, whatever, in the modern game with data and marginal gains everywhere, clubs push boundaries.
Southampton admitted it, yes, and they deserve punishment. A heavy fine, points deduction, maybe even a ban for the staff involved. But kicking the entire club out after they earned their place on the pitch? That punishes players, coaches, and fans who had nothing to do with one or two analysts doing something stupid.
What troubles me most is the collateral damage. The players who battled through a tough Championship season after relegation, who went to extra time and scored that late goal to beat Middlesbrough on the pitch, they earned their place in the final through merit.
Now that achievement is being erased because of actions taken by a small number of staff members. That feels disproportionate to me. A significant fine, a points deduction for next season, and sanctions against the individuals responsible, those would be strong, meaningful punishments that address the breach without nullifying an entire seasonโs competitive work.
Sport has to balance two things: protecting fairness and recognising that human error and ambition sometimes lead people astray. If every rules breach in high-stakes moments leads to rewriting results, we risk turning the disciplinary process into something more powerful than the football itself. Iโve sat in dressing rooms where we prepared meticulously for opponents. Everyone does. The difference is getting caught.
I hope Southampton appeal and that the final decision finds a better equilibrium. Middlesbrough deserve respect, they were wronged but the players of Southampton also deserve not to have their legitimate efforts wiped away. Football is emotional, passionate, and imperfect.
The response to this should reflect wisdom as much as outrage. We need clearer rules going forward so incidents like this become rare, but we must be careful not to let one mistake destroy what was built legitimately on the grass.
@scottlarsen_pi Yes, games shoudnt have been allowed to happen and then half of the issues that have arisen since wouldnt have happened and less controversy around the final decison from all parties
Cant help but feel the EFL have made a mess of this. Rushed through disciplinary procedures. Allowed the boro/ saints games to go ahead. Allowed ticket sales and extra allocation. Pushed for unprecedented punishments and even now, things arent 100% for Hull. Messy. #saintsfc
"Spygate's not Watergate."
Former FA and Man City chairman David Bernstein criticises the expulsion of Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the team was caught spying on rivals, saying the offence was 'trivial'.
The silence from the club is deafening. They'd of known the outcome before thr EFL statement was released & known the uproar this would of cause and have prepared nothing to put out ๐๐ #saintsfc
@saints247 Nope, all 3 are out of contract this summer i think (sure i read it somewhere). So no GK potentially, which still isnt the worse option haha