How Gabby Agbonlahor really feels about Southampton getting kicked out of the play-offs | OneFootball

TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has spoken on Southampton's potential elimination from the Championship play-off final after spying on Middlesbrough

The ongoing 'Spygate' saga between Southampton and Middlesbrough is continuing to play out behind the scenes after the Saints saw off Kim Hellberg's side with a 2-1 home victory on Tuesday evening to progress to next Saturday's EFL Championship play-off final showdown against Hull City at Wembley.

A tense first-legged affair would see Southampton weather a first-half onslaught to return from Teesside with a draw and all to play for back home on the south coast.

The Saints, who have lost just one of their last 25 matches across all competitions, progressed past Middlesbrough in the return fixture, though - which was hardly short of emotion and drama - when Shea Charles struck four minutes from the end of extra time, sending Tonda Eckert's side back to Wembley two years on from their play-off final victory over Leeds United.

That, however, could be subject to change in the coming days.

In a headline-creating, drama-sparking saga over the last week, it has emerged that a Southampton analyst was spying on one Middlesbrough's final training sessions in the build up to the first-leg clash at the Riverside Stadium, with Boro owner Steve Gibson promptly pushing for the play-off finalists to receive a sporting sanction as opposed to a fine, which Leeds received after Marcelo Bielsa was found to have sent a member of staff to watch Derby County behind closed doors in 2019.

The decision will ultimately be made by an independent disciplinary commission and there is, at this moment of time, a chance that Southampton could be denied of contesting the final against Sergej Jakirovic's side.

That's why Middlesbrough, despite having been knocked out at this moment in time, are continuing to train in preparation for that possibility, with a huge decision now looming on the horizon.

Gabby Agbonlahor weighs in on if Southampton should face play-off elimination for Middlesbrough, Spygate saga

Southampton's antics have been widely slammed by the footballing world, with Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg condemning the south coast outfit for "cheating" in the wake of the first-leg tie in the North East.

But although many would love to see Middlesbrough take Southampton's place at Wembley, that's not quite the view of talkSPORT pundit and former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor.

Rather, Agbonlahor believes that such a sanction would be "overkill" for Southampton, who he has claimed are simply a far better team and will have gained precious little from watching Middlesbrough's training sessions.

Instead of a mighty promotion-denying consequence, Agbonlahor simply thinks that Southampton should receive a "massive fine".

But, when the annual winner of the second-tier play-off final receives a minimum cash windfall of £200 million, one must wonder how much of a punishment a fine really is under these circumstances - and that's exactly why Middlesbrough are demanding a sporting sanction instead.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the pundit explained: "I don't agree with it. It's overkill.

"I get it, Spygate, it's not on. But what would they really learn from watching Middlesbrough training? That's why it's so bizarre from Southampton. What are you going to learn that you can't see in every video of Middlesbrough's games this season?

"They're by far the better team for me, it's very odd.

"They say there's a chance of Middlesbrough going [into the play-off final], it's not going to happen.

"It's too much of a short turnaround.

"Southampton players haven't done anything, fans haven't done anything, it's the club, the manager that's allowed that to happen.

"A massive fine and move on, I don't think you can start saying Boro get the final or Hull go straight up."

Middlesbrough may not be the only victims from Southampton's spying antics

The saga has many layers that are continually being unpeeled as Middlesbrough and the authorities both seek a justice-led outcome, and it has also transpired that the Teessiders believe they have information and evidence of at least two other Championship clubs who were spied on by a member of Southampton's team.

Exactly who those teams are remains unclear right now - although there have been suggestions made on social media - and Hellberg himself has claimed that the entirety of the division should be infuriated by the Saints' actions.

Critics have raised doubts over the credibility of Southampton's stunning unbeaten streak under Eckert to accelerate from mid-table medicority to strong promotion contenders in the second-half of the season, and with everything that's now coming out, it's hard to say that school of thought doesn't hold weight.

There are so many moving parts and it's anybody's guess precisely what will happen to Southampton right now, but a simple fine just won't be enough to provide Middlesbrough with deserving justice and runs the risk of setting a dangerous future precedent in which such instances can be easily bypassed by clubs like the Saints who would not feel the financial consequences.