Southampton branded as ‘disgusting’ following spying allegation involving Middlesbrough | OneFootball

FLW’s Boro fan pundit has reacted to claims that the Saints have been spying on their training sessions ahead of the play-off semi-final.

As the EFL Championship play-off semi-final between Middlesbrough and Southampton draws closer, a shock revelation has disrupted plans in the Boro camp.

The two sides prepare to lock horns at the Riverside Stadium this weekend, with Kim Hellberg’s men looking to make home advantage count, up against a Saints team who are staggeringly unbeaten from their last 19 Championship outings.

With the visitors holding such incredible form, Middlesbrough are definitely the underdogs to come out on top, and those odds may have increased even further after a report by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope.

The journalist revealed that Middlesbrough have caught a Southampton first-team analyst recording their training session while hiding in a bush, which is now being investigated by the EFL.

An individual was believed to have been spotted and approached by club staff on Thursday morning at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training centre, where he was asked to delete videos and pictures from his mobile phone.

The man proceeded to leave the training ground and made his way into the nearby Rockliffe Hall Hotel, which is owned by Boro owner Steve Gibson, changing clothes in a toilet and departing the area.

Middlesbrough are believed to have made a complaint to the footballing authorities, with a new rule recently introduced that prohibits teams from viewing opposition training 72 hours prior to a match, unless they are invited to do so.

This development really throws fuel onto the fire of what already would have been a raucous Riverside atmosphere, with Boro now potentially being tasked with changing their tactics for the encounter.

With this in mind, FLW’s Boro fan pundit has commented on these allegations and how Southampton should be punished.

Southampton labelled ‘disgusting’ for latest spy gate instalment

Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day has branded Southampton as ‘disgusting’ for their spying allegations, believing ‘something drastic needs to be done’ regarding a punishment, instead of the fine Leeds United recieved back in 2019.

Liam told FLW: “I was absolutely shocked when it came out to be honest. I didn’t think it was true, and then suddenly you’ve got a very reliable and trusted journalist reporting on it, and you realise that’s just disgusting and plain cheating in my opinion.

“Don’t get me wrong, I see the funny side of it, but that sort of advantage, knowing an opposition’s tactics, who’s fit and everything they’re preparing for the biggest game of the season is just not fair, and it’s not right.

“They’re probably only going to get a fine as a punishment, which is extremely frustrating. I don’t know what punishment they should get, but it should be something harsher than a fine.

“I really don’t think it’s right whatsoever that a team can get that sort of advantage, and it does make you think how long have they been doing it for without being caught?

“They’ve been on some run but if they’ve been cheating the whole way through, then it just makes it quite fraudulent.

“I think it’s really poor sportsmanship and something drastic needs to be done about it, in my opinion.”

EFL have big decision to make over Southampton punishment

In quite the astonishing story, the spy gate saga has all the hallmarks of Leeds United’s play-off semi-final against Derby County in 2019, when then Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa had a colleague look in on the Rams’ training session prior to their first-leg meeting.

Back then, Leeds were fined £200,000 and reprimanded by the EFL, although it didn’t help their cause as they were eventually beaten by Frank Lampard’s men during an extraordinary second leg at Elland Road.

The question now is how the EFL will handle the case this time around, with many not expecting this to occur just six years on from the first instance.

The footballing authorities will have to show a strong stance on this to prevent it from happening again, with these antics undermining sporting integrity ahead of one of the most important games of the campaign.

On the pitch, Middlesbrough should use this to galvanise them, with it proving that Southampton are worrying more about them than themselves, so they should go on the front foot to make it a very uncomfortable experience for the visitors at the Riverside Stadium.

One thing for sure is that this spices the game up even further going into the weekend, with Teesside expected to be a cauldron of noise when Southampton come to town.

With so much needle, edge of your seat entertainment is expected as both sides prepare to fight tooth and nail to reach the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 23rd May.