Southampton’s Championship play-off match against Middlesbrough is taking place under a cloud of controversy, with the EFL charging Southampton with spying on their opponents. The allegations surfaced after a Southampton performance analyst was allegedly caught recording Middlesbrough training and taking pictures of tactics. The Saints have acknowledged the allegation and requested time for an internal review before responding.
Tense Atmosphere at St Mary’s
Thousands of Southampton fans gave both team coaches a raucous welcome. Red smoke filled the air as the Southampton team arrived, with fans raising flares and flags. The atmosphere turned unsavoury when the Middlesbrough squad arrived, with some Southampton fans launching bottles and drinks at the bus after initial boos. Southampton fans were chanting “we’ll spy when we want”.
Hellberg Confident Despite First Leg Draw
Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg believes his side can overcome Southampton to reach the Championship play-off final. The first leg at The Riverside ended goalless. Hellberg has faith in his players to deliver on the south coast and book their place at Wembley on 23 May.
“We are strong away from home, we have lost one of our last 10 games,” he told BBC Radio Tees. “We have scored against every team since then, we know we are a very good football team. There was a lot of confidence from the performance [in the first leg] and we’ll use that going into this game and we know we can beat every team in this league.”
Spygate Controversy Rumbles On
The EFL has been criticised for not resolving the ‘spygate’ issue before the match. Some feel a two-goal start should have been given to Boro. Some observers feel the ‘Spygate’ issue is being overrated, suggesting clubs have always sought inside information.
The match at St Mary’s is sold out and anticipated to have a cracking atmosphere.