Middlesbrough view given on Tonda Eckert situation at Southampton - 'a ban is justifiable' | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his verdict on whether Southampton should sack Tonda Eckert if he is handed a ban as punishment for Spygate.

Over two months on from Southampton's play-off semi-final against Middlesbrough, the fallout from the Spygate affair is continuing.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg at the Riverside Stadium, Southampton booked their place in the play-off final with a 2-1 win in the second leg at St Mary's, with Shea Charles' winner deep into extra time sealing the victory for Tonda Eckert's men.

However, after the Saints were found to have observed the training session of their opponents ahead of the first leg, they were kicked out of the Wembley showplace and replaced by Middlesbrough, but the Teesside outfit failed to take advantage of their reprieve as they were beaten 1-0 by Hull City.

After admitting to also spying on Oxford United and Ipswich Town during the regular season, Southampton were handed a four-point deduction for next season in addition to their play-off final expulsion, but despite the hefty punishment, owner Dragan Solak confirmed last month that Eckert retains his full support.

However, while Solak has backed Eckert, it is still unclear whether the German will lead the Saints into the upcoming campaign after he was charged with misconduct by the FA following their investigation into the Spygate scandal.

It is unknown at this stage what sanction Eckert will receive as a result of the charges, but The Guardian claim that the 33-year-old could be facing a possible six-month ban, which could throw his future on the South Coast into fresh doubt.

Middlesbrough reaction given to latest Tonda Eckert, Southampton developments

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When asked for his thoughts on the potential punishment, FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day admitted he was surprised that Southampton did not sack Eckert after he confessed to authorising spying, and he urged the Saints to make a managerial change if he is handed a lengthy ban.

"I definitely think that a ban is justifiable," Liam told FLW.

"He broke the rules heavily.

"It was his doing, he admitted to sending the spy, he admitted to everything.

"When it all came out and the club got charged, you thought surely he should get charged as well, and that's exactly what's happened.

"I think that's a realistic ban when you look at the rules.

"Do I think they should sack him? Probably.

"I thought they should have the second he broke the rules because I feel like sporting integrity has gone out of the window.

"I don't know how it works behind the scenes not to have a manager for six months.

"I assume it's just a touchline ban for six months, but that's quite a long time with over half the season potentially gone to waste just because the manager cheated.

"A club employing a cheat in the first place is bad enough, but it would be quite incredible if they keep him after he's got banned."

Southampton facing fresh Tonda Eckert dilemma as anxious wait continues

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Having admitted to spying on three teams during the course of the season, it is little surprise that Eckert has been charged with misconduct by the FA, but Southampton now face a nervous wait to discover whether he will be banned just weeks before the start of the new campaign.

After the Saints were expelled from the play-off final and handed a four-point deduction, some will feel that the club have already been punished disproportionately for Spygate, particularly as they did not gain much of a sporting advantage from the surveillance operations.

However, others would argue that Eckert deserves a separate individual punishment for orchestrating the spying missions, and should he be given the rumoured six-month ban, Solak's loyalty to him would be seriously tested.