Match Day Thread Play Off Final. Hull City v Boro

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City win?

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Is Acun himself saying it good enough for you Balkan?

Significant 7 figure sum sounds like maybe 7-9m not the 20m first theorised at least.

“About this money, he will never push us, and of course, he will cooperate with us, but we will pay.”

Acun is already trying to do a Louie Barry and wriggle his way out of paying what we owe. What an absolute embarrassment to our club, he needs to **** off.
 

Is Acun himself saying it good enough for you Balkan?

Significant 7 figure sum sounds like maybe 7-9m not the 20m first theorised at least.

"Ehab, in our relations over the past four years, has always been helpful in everything. When we had the problems with the (play-off) semi-final, and we were facing the change of team after being informed one day before, we had at least three or four meetings with Ehab.''

About what???
 
They just seem to be compounding the issues by continuing to try and excuse what they did, either by suggesting that he didn’t know the rules because they are different from where he’s worked before or that the information they gleaned was not used in their match preparation, when the EFL panel dismissed both of those excuses.
Do they seriously think that the FA are going to have a different view of this? Especially, when there is evidence from the interns that they pushed back against the instructions to gather information because they believed it to be unethical and against the rules.
 
"Ehab, in our relations over the past four years, has always been helpful in everything. When we had the problems with the (play-off) semi-final, and we were facing the change of team after being informed one day before, we had at least three or four meetings with Ehab.''

About what???
That was my first thought. Does Ehab have a direct line to the EFL hierarchy
 
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They just seem to be compounding the issues by continuing to try and excuse what they did, either by suggesting that he didn’t know the rules because they are different from where he’s worked before or that the information they gleaned was not used in their match preparation, when the EFL panel dismissed both of those excuses.
Do they seriously think that the FA are going to have a different view of this? Especially, when there is evidence from the interns that they pushed back against the instructions to gather information because they believed it to be unethical and against the rules.
It's all horse ****.

If they actively didn't think they'd gain anything from it they wouldn't have wasted resources and money in doing it.

If they somehow didn't realise it was against the rules, why do it secretly? Why didn't their analyst turn up to a training ground the first time, openly, and get told to **** off, then feed that back? If they thought it was OK did they not find it weird people weren't turning up at their training ground to watch them?

They knew exactly what they were doing, got caught, and need to accept it for what it is. The owner backing the manager is shameful, the fans backing him are shameful and anyone that believes they only did it the three times is naive.
 
They just seem to be compounding the issues by continuing to try and excuse what they did, either by suggesting that he didn’t know the rules because they are different from where he’s worked before or that the information they gleaned was not used in their match preparation, when the EFL panel dismissed both of those excuses.
Do they seriously think that the FA are going to have a different view of this? Especially, when there is evidence from the interns that they pushed back against the instructions to gather information because they believed it to be unethical and against the rules.

He was assistant manager at Barnsley for more than a season
 
It's all horse ****.

If they actively didn't think they'd gain anything from it they wouldn't have wasted resources and money in doing it.

If they somehow didn't realise it was against the rules, why do it secretly? Why didn't their analyst turn up to a training ground the first time, openly, and get told to **** off, then feed that back? If they thought it was OK did they not find it weird people weren't turning up at their training ground to watch them?

They knew exactly what they were doing, got caught, and need to accept it for what it is. The owner backing the manager is shameful, the fans backing him are shameful and anyone that believes they only did it the three times is naive.
It's very poor. I'd like to see them charged with bringing the game into disrepute for their dig at the make-up of the commission (one appearance on loan for Middlesbrough 30 years ago before being hauled off because he was useless -- much more likely to hold a grudge against Boro). That they are still whining on after getting such a lenient punishment is incredible. The only tangible thing is a four point deduction. It's patently obvious this had been going on since Eckert joined. They should have been relegated.
 
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"Ehab, in our relations over the past four years, has always been helpful in everything. When we had the problems with the (play-off) semi-final, and we were facing the change of team after being informed one day before, we had at least three or four meetings with Ehab.''

About what???
What suit to wear?
 
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Hard to know where to start with this avalanche of bullshit and whataboutery. Maybe blaming the interns for not reporting their concerns to the board is the lowest of low points.

Yep. Disgraceful.
I can only think they are continuing this ridiculous "the coach was unaware" line in the hope of lessening further punishment to the club from the FA. Actually, does he even say he was unaware, or just that it was common practice abroad?
It's BS anyway.
"Eckert was appointed assistant manager to Gerhard Struber (whom he already knew from Salzburg) at Barnsley in August 2020, remaining in post until January 2022.". That's 18 months in the EFL. Plus, even more to the point, there is no way on earth that his British staff didn't flag it up to him and / or senior footballing staff at the club.
I remember reading articles about Southampton back many years, maybe wrong but perhaps when they got back into the PL, built their new training ground, etc. They were lauded for their attention to detail (down to things like being the 1st club to take the same mattresses & pillows with them to hotels when travelling). innovative thinking, the quality of their academy, etc etc. They had it all going for them at one point, and now they've ****ed up big style and I have zero sympathy. I think they've got off incredibly lightly with the points deduction for next season, and I hope the FA absolutely chuck the book at them.