21 May 2026 09:26:03.
Delighted to see Southampton speak had been thrown out and they he
Got thrown out of the play offs. Their admired spying on 3 different teams. Absolute tramps.
The EPL and the referees could take a leaf out of the football leagues book.
EPL on city and refs on cheating players.
Imo any deliberate fouls even pull backs on the half way line to stop a breakaway should be an automatic red card.
Holding someone at a corner is premeditated cheating so straight red. Any deliberate attempt to cheater needs stamping out. Its destroying the game imo but on and off the pitch.
You should be held accountable for deliberate premeditated cheating.
So. E think its on to cheat a d just pay a fine. No wonder there is practically zero integrity on the pitch when fans have none off it.
21 May 2026 10:00:54
Be interesting to see what happens with City, because if watching another team train is seen as acting in bad faith, and therefore warrants expulsion from a competition and a 4-point deduction next season, then God knows what's in store for a club that breaches 115 financial rules over 9 years.
21 May 2026 10:08:37
Southampton were only caught 3 times, Ken. One of those incidents was against Oxford, who were relegated. If they were spying on Oxford, they were spying on everyone.
The Bielsa defense with Leeds was that everyone done it. I agree wholeheartedly that the swift punishment is exactly what you do to stamp out this sort of behavior.
If another team is thinking or doing something similar, they'll soon think twice.
I have a feeling the City verdict is coming this summer. Havnt the foggiest what the outcome will be, but I think the Premier League will be happy theyre not punishing the champions of England.
21 May 2026 10:16:41
It's not seen as acting in bad faith; it's seen as cheating and breaking the rules to gain an advantage. It's a 200m prize. I don't think the punishment is harsh; I think it's appropriate.
The EFL have shown the EPL how to deal with cheaters.
Now, let's see the refs and the EPL do the same.
Throw the book at them.
It's cheating, it's sticking 2 fingers up and saying the rules don't apply to them. Disgusting behaviour.
Off-pitch cheating is much more premeditated than on-pitch, when you usually only have a second or 2 to think before you do it. So there should be much stiffer penalties.
21 May 2026 10:19:02
Also, instant yellow for mouthing off at the referee.
Another one that really irks me is picking the ball up if you are pinged for a foul and walking away with it. Instant yellow.
21 May 2026 10:44:58
It's one of the charges - failing to act in good faith. My point is, if that's seen as bad, something every team did up until the early 2000s, then hopefully the City punishment is even more excessive.
21 May 2026 11:14:07
Let's hope so, Sepp.
21 May 2026 11:57:25
Keefy, some refs deserve more than a mouthing off!
21 May 2026 15:11:04
Too harsh for me, spying is well over the top. Let's be fair, though, no one needs to spy on us; we do the same every week...
21 May 2026 16:39:05
Entirely appropriate punishment. Sends a clear message. If they didn't expel Soton from the playoffs, other teams might consider that the trade off is worth the risk of getting caught.
21 May 2026 17:02:21
It's a big punishment, but not a minor offence.
As Angel said, they should have had the consequences for breaking the rule clearly laid out. So there would be no ambiguity, but they didn't have to. It would have been much easier if they had that in place.
21 May 2026 19:32:18
So because one man, namely the manager, wants to send someone out on a mission to learn what exactly is anybody's guess, every player at the club, every supporter at the club, and the club itself all have to take the punishment. It's not right on any level. Nothing can convince me it's the correct step to punish everyone else.
Then, if that's the case, why Middlesbrough in the final? What about the game before, or the game before that, or even the league? Are the standings even correct if you're taking that stance of punishing the whole team? Where does it stop.
Yes, it's cheating, no one denies that. But come on, all you do Gooders who are saying it's the right punishment, look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, if it was Fergie to win the league or cup, would you be saying it's the correct punishment?
There have been loads of cheating going on over the years, it even happens every game, so where are the riotous drawing the line to cheating? A player dives, it's cheating, he can get sent off, so why don't all the team get sent off if it's now collective punishment? It's ridiculous.
21 May 2026 20:06:02
Will the Premier League be as strict as the EFL? I highly doubt it. City also have endless funds to drag this out for years. Huge difference, sadly.
21 May 2026 21:26:29
I think a red card for any player is a punishment for the whole team, as the team suffers.
There are redline rules for clubs to adhere to and follow. They all sign up to them. They chose to try and break this one. The fans are the innocent party, and will feel hard done by, no doubt, but so will City's if they get a big punishment. The fans didn't cheat the financials, nor did most of the players.
He was acting on instruction; it was not a one-off, so they cheated to get where they got.
I agree it's a soft pass for Middlesbrough.
As for if it was United, I would feel the same way.
Like I said above, any premeditated cheating act / foul should be a straight red. I wouldn't be happy if we won a cl final if we had cheated and broken the competition's redline rules to get there.
On the pitch, cheating is getting worse. There are at least 4 or 5 fouls at every corner.
The tactical fouls to prevent breakaways are getting more common, and I really get annoyed when only yellows are given. Off the pitch, cheating is also more prevalent.
Jsu, if it was United doing what Arsenal do at corners, or our coach was always outside his tech area, would you be complaining? I'd like to think you would, because it's wrong and frustrates you. Would that make you a do gooder or just someone speaking up for your beliefs and morals or standards?
It's all about people's tolerance levels. I feel strongly on this one and agree with the EFL.
On the City one, I don't know how punishing they can or will go.
Depends on what they can prove guilt on. But expulsion from the EPL back to the EFL (a relegation), I'm sure, would have to get agreement from the EFL. It will be interesting to see what happens. What punishment do you think City deserve if guilty?
21 May 2026 21:34:45
I'm glad the EFL made the call, to be honest. Big one, but they have taken a stance.
Now every team knows the consequences of their actions.
22 May 2026 05:48:29
I watch every team in all football, and I am honest, unlike many on here. Even when it comes to United, I don't like any team if it plays anti-football, and wrestling at corners is certainly that. Cheating is too, but the punishment has to be proportionate, and this is not.
The whole team don't suffer anywhere near the level of one player being sent off either; how many times have we seen teams become more resilient.
22 May 2026 08:35:11
So are you a go gooder? What punishment do you think City should get?