Wrexham and Millwall reinstated? Sky Sports pundit reacts to Southampton play-off twist | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have taken the Saints' place in the play-off final to face Hull City.

Any decision taken in the Spygate hearing was bound to impact at least one club, but it seems a collective of sides feels aggrieved at the verdict to expel Southampton from the Championship play-offs.

The Saints were kicked out of the competition after admitting to three counts of spying, having observed Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Oxford United's training sessions.

As a result, Boro have taken the South Coast club's place in the final against Hull City as they were the ones eliminated by Tonda Eckert's side in the semi-finals.

However, given that Millwall finished third and Wrexham missed out on the play-offs by just two points, many have questioned why they have not been given another opportunity.

Curtis Davies stakes Wrexham and Millwall's play-off claims

Middlesbrough has been given a monumental opportunity to reach the Premier League at Southampton's expense, and the decision to reinstate them seems like the obvious one, as the Saints were booted out of the play-offs.

However, many other clubs feel hard done by, as their fates were subsequently affected by the Saints' actions, with Millwall and Wrexham feeling particularly aggrieved.

The Lions finished the season in third and were therefore the highest-ranked team entering the play-offs before they were knocked out by Hull over two legs.

Then there is the Red Dragons, who many believe should be given another opportunity, having missed out on the top six by just two points and one position.

Sky Sports pundit and former Hull star Curtis Davies reacted to the news on his Instagram story, posting a message of his take.

"Whether it's the right decision or not is down to opinion," Davies said.

"But after today's appeal I wonder where Wrexham and even Millwall might stand.

"Wrexham finished 7th and could argue they'd have been in the playoffs. Millwall finished 3rd but lost their playoff with Hull, Boro also lost but have gone through."

Why Wrexham and Millwall unlikely to be given play-off chance

While the Lions and the Red Dragons may feel frustrated, it is unlikely they will be given a play-off shot as the EFL has taken the narrowest possible action.

Given that Middlesbrough were directly affected by Southampton's actions, having been spied on and knocked out, they were always likely to be the main and sole beneficiary.

Of course, there is a question of fairness here, as Millwall and Wrexham have been indirectly impacted by Spygate, with Josh Windass calling for the play-offs to be restarted.

Clearly, consideration must go to Hull, who have been waiting in the wings for a decision, with not only their opponent up in the air but even the date of the final.

If the lottery were to be played again, then that would push everything back even further, which would be incredibly complicated, while the Tigers have rightly earned their place at Wembley.

With a decision on the Saints' appeal set to be made by tonight, the saga could take yet another twist, while all eyes will be on the clubs involved to see how they react.