...a bigger points deduction next season (10-12 points would be my target), with an agreement with the premier league that it will apply regardless of where they end up playing and a sizable fine might have made things simpler for everyone.
My guess is that they would have explored that as an option, but the Leicester precedent would suggest that the Premier League wouldn't go for it. As PWS says, even that isn't *really* a punishment.
The punishment handed out feels too harsh, but the only other thing that the EFL had in their arsenal (big fines) obviously wasn't harsh enough given the potential rewards for Southampton.
Guess the best thing to do is not cheat if you don't want to deal with the sanction.
Maybe, I just think this has created a situation almost everyone is going to be unhappy and think that something about this has had a negative impact on them.
They have had to rush it because of the unique circumstances of this coming out a few days before the play-offs started. They haven't took any points off during the season for it so no, I don't think any other team should suddenly be added who weren't in the play-offs. And no, I don't see why another team from the totally different side of the draw should be added instead of the opponents who were beaten, especially as that team were the main wronged club from this happening on the 12th.
They aren't the main wronged club though, they're one of 3 that have absolute proof and just happen to be the ones that reported it. This is why it's difficult, I know the 3 games that were definitely involved didn't really go in Southamptons favour but that could be a big part of why they were willing to give those 3. Obviously we can't replay all their games or even know which other games will have had some element of spying go on but the entire league are wronged by this and yet this decision means that only Boro are getting anything 'back'. If, for example, Hull lose the final and claim they had been preparing for Southampton and this messed with their plans are they goig to be happy?
There is no good answer for this but what they've done feels particularly heavy-handed to me and I think I'd have preferred the really big punishments to be aimed at staff rather than the club. I think that will happen though and I can imagine some incredible bans coming from the back of this, the manager in particular is surely looking at a couple of years away from the sport.
