Bugger! Charles for Saints in the 116th minute. 🙁
Well it was good while it lasted and at least we didn’t have to suffer penalties.
Overall a good effort but just fell short in part due to the lack of depth in the squad and first team players who go MIA against the better sides. 😎
Just as I think we might go to penalties a cross , not a shot, evades Fry and sneaks into the far corner with Brynn stranded.
The team did their best and deserve enormous credit.
It will be a long journey home for a very tired bunch of players.
Philip of Huddersfield 👍👍👍
Ah well. As KP said, nice while it lasted. 🙁
I didn't think Boro got a fair shake from the referee. The handball was obvious and the ref pointed to his arm just below the shoulder. Hull will have a lot of support in the Final. Hard luck lads.
Son-and-heir makes a good point. If you don't have VAR (at this point) in the Play-Offs, you shouldn't use a Premier League referee who is used to relying on VAR. Use the best of the Championship refs. Why shouldn't they get a chance?
@stircrazy -agree - we were far from disgraced but just didn’t have the depth in the squad to make a difference.
Hopefully KH will be able to get his pick of players for next season from the likely sale proceed from HH who will go to a PL team - and I wouldn’t blame him.
Somebody needs to have a word with those in charge of the purse strings that we do need to spend money on a proven goal scorer who is consistent over a season.
Cant complain about the season, it has been a rollercoaster and on balance I have enjoyed the ride apart from the bit where we went upside down!
@forever-dormo yup - There is VAR in the final so why not the semi final? i thought the ref was a bit inconsistent overall - the foul before their goal was a bit soft.
@philip-of-huddersfield - No blame on Fry, he was dead on his feet and couldn’t summon up the energy to reach the ball - no complaints from me on the defence although our frailties up front were obvious.
So it was a cross that evaded a defence out on their feet that clinched the game for Southampton - Boro's problem was Hellberg didn't think his bench was better than players who could barely run. If you consider Strelec was poor all game and the other summer forward recruits were hardly used since January then perhaps the issue is that Boro have a very good first XI but several of them are only just back from injury and can't last much beyond 60 minutes at the level they need to play.
Everyone gave everything but they were hanging on for almost hour with extra time and even the defence didn't have replacements on the bench after playing high intense football twice in three days - Southampton were just stronger physically and had more depth.
Let's see if the EFL make a decision or just let it drift until it makes itself by default - they can't wait as tickets will be sold soon and then it's too late.
Yep lack of depth told. Didn’t disgrace ourselves and although hanging on, unlucky with that goal although Fry needed to just get his head on it. Wouldn’t be surprised if Hull win it as they have more attacking threat than us and Soton not that good up front
We’re all Hull now aren’t we?
Allegedly Bill was so angry because their captain made fun of his stammer. That’s just childish.
Interestingly most pundits are not expecting the EFL to punish Southampton before the play-off final on the basis that it wouldn't be possible to have a fair hearing in the such a short time. Though that clearly neglects the simple fact that a Southampton analyst was caught secretly recording Boro's pre-match training in order to gain an unfair advantage that was against the rules of the competition.
I don't know of any other competition where prizes are awarded to anyone who is caught cheating and it's not as if it was inadvertent. Of course Southampton will argue they weren't aware their employee was there but how can they prove a negative? Nobody can prove the absence of knowledge you can only believe them or indeed choose not to.
So the evidence is a Southampton analyst who works to provide information to the manger to help them win a game was caught secretly recording a training session within 72 hours of a hugely important game - this is not in dispute so Southampton have broken the rules and many Saints supporters think it's nothing more than a joke as they came dressed in camouflage and everyone expects to get away with it.
It doesn't seem to me that the EFL need any other evidence to make a ruling and they could do so tomorrow.
Echo player ratings:
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/26101427.player-ratings---southampton-2-middlesbrough-1/
Ayling MotM.
And the Gazette's:
@werdermouth. “Of course Southampton will argue they weren't aware their employee was there”.
In my view it doesn’t matter what they were or were not aware of, he is their employee and as such they are liable for his actions.
As I posted earlier, if there is not going to be an independent investigation of staff and records then all Southampton will produce will be a sanitised version of what happened to suit their narrative and seeking to mitigate any penalty imposed.
Given that an independent investigation is not being undertaken there is no need for any delay, they just need to respond to the charge did they or did they not break the relevant rules, everything else about it is smoke and mirrors designed to delay and deflect and to make it more difficult to apply the appropriate sanction.
If the EFL get this wrong, which I think they will, then it will permanently tarnish the integrity of the league and give credence to teams being able to cheat with minimal consequences. 😎
Dominic Shaw asked Eckert if he is a cheat at post match presser
Nothing will come of it all as the EFL have shown time and again they do not have the stomach to make difficult decisions.
This will be fudged as always, and Southampton v Hull it will be.
A very good point. Somehow it sounded he needed the VAR to support his desisions. Two mistakes that affected the result badly.Son-and-heir makes a good point. If you don't have VAR (at this point) in the Play-Offs, you shouldn't use a Premier League referee who is used to relying on VAR. Use the best of the Championship refs. Why shouldn't they get a chance?
@Stircrazy I think the player ratings were very similar from the two local papers. And I agree with them.
Thanks for sharing the links. Up the Boro!
The hard bit starts now. Can Mr Gibson and Kieran Scott give Kim Hellberg the tools to give it a go nest season up against all those teams with deeper pockets and bigger better squad depth.
It has been trying to win a boxing match with one hand tied behind your back, so credit to him and also to Millwall and Hull.
Can we keep hold of Malander, Morris and also get good money for Hayden Hackney.
Can we unload those players that have failed to step up to the mark.
Can we get rid of Edmundson, Hansen, Sene, Sarmiento and Gilbert and possibly Strelec.
Can we replace HH and Targett.
Can we purchase / loan up to around EIGHT new players. A big, big ask.
And the enigma that is Morgan Whittaker - 5
And what to do with David Strelec - 5
A couple of decent touches but, in general, couldn’t hold the ball up or make it stick enough as the action passed him by.
There is a very powerful piece in the Daily Telegraph today making the argument that the punishment for cheating should be severe and be seen to be so to emphasise the importance of following the rules. The writer suggests that Southampton should be removed from the playoffs and Boro should play Hull at Wembley. I agree.
@werdermouth - even their players made a joke of it at the end - a picture in the Times of their captain mimicking binoculars with his hands! Rather proves their guilt to my mind.
The EFL and panal will bottle it - I will be surprised if there is a hearing before the final and then should Soton win, what can they realistically do? Can’t have another match with Hull and Boro, can’t award Hull the game so the best would be a points deduction hoping the PL will also do the same (unlikely) and fine (pointless). We have been screwed over yet again but We Will Be!
On the issue of retrospective issues - didn’t some athletes have their medals taken away for drug cheating after the event? Not quite the same I know.
@martin-bellamy - given that I spent 21 years in Hull and my kids were born there (Boro supporters) - I will definitely be rooting(not the Australian meaning!) for The Tigers now!
@pedro - mmm - classic deflection on a politicians level! How convenient that he can’t comment because of the investigation- as KP said, they have broken the rules by trying to say that the staff member was acting on his own.
I was very impressed with the way our manager handled the media questions about the cheating after the game last night. You can see the clip on Sky Sports. Yes, the emotions were raw but his passion for the game in England is intense and the impact the cheating has had on him is clear. His words are very powerful and the EFL should take note.
@boroexile. Excellent article, thank you for sharing.
It really sums up what many of us have been thinking or commenting; I would have concurred with this view even if Boro were not involved, as I come at it from an integrity point of view and the need for rules to be obeyed, not out of loyalty to one team. 😎
It's interesting that any logical conclusion based on the facts sees Southampton expelled from the play-off final for illegally gaining an advantage. It would be better for the EFL to expel them from the final rather than risk Southampton actually getting promoted and then having to deal with a belated sanction that sees them profit from cheating.
I now understand why my Portsmouth loving sons and grandsons refer to Southampton as ‘scummers”! 😎