Middlesbrough and Southampton will meet for the first time since the Spygate incident in late November, although the squad at Rockliffe is only being discussed in relation to last May’s controversy.

With their solitary defeat occurring in their second game at Blackburn Rovers, Kim Hellberg’s team has had an incredible start to the current Championship campaign, leading the division after 12 games.

After a slightly slow start as the team settled in new players, Borough are also beginning to get into gear. Last Friday’s 5-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers was as near to the “Hell-ball” that won over neutral Championship supporters last year as we have seen this season.

However, in pivotal occasions last year, such as when the play-off semi-final against Southampton stretched into extra time, that frantic, high-octane approach wore off.

In the ensuing final versus Hull City, such was also the case. However, a genuine ambiguity over whether or not they would play the game probably had a psychological impact on that.

This season, Spygate has not been mentioned by the Middlesbrough team.

The Saints suffered severe financial consequences as a result of the Spygate affair, which saw Southampton eliminated from the play-off final after defeating Middlesbrough over two legs. They had lost out on the wealth that comes with playing in the Premier League.

But it also had an effect on the victims, albeit more psychologically. In news conferences following the two-leg loss and in the lead-up to the final after they had been restored, Kim Hellberg looked like a worn-out, tired person.

But the impact wasn’t limited to the Swedish coach. Three days before the actual final at Wembley, players were unsure if they would have another match to prepare for.

Luke Ayling, the club captain, learned he would be participating in a play-off final while giving his son a bath, according to the Daily Mail. Due to inadequate preparation, the performance in the capital was dull and uninspired.

It may be simple for them to feel sorry for themselves given the bizarre circumstance they were all a part of, but the team hasn’t felt that way in the early going of this season. According to club insiders, the Daily Mail continued, “There has been no talk of Spygate with the full focus on righting the wrongs of their promotion near-miss last year.”

Spygate has only been mentioned in relation to the November 27 trip to Southampton.

In fact, Middlesbrough has only discussed the Spygate incident in relation to their game against Southampton at St Mary’s in less than a month.

The game is predicted to be “poisonous” on the South Coast, despite Kim Hellberg and Tonda Eckert appearing to put their differences aside after the German manager issued an apology.

In the end, the two fanbases are definitely not at a stage where they can be civil, even though the two bosses might be. There is still a lot of back and forth on the internet, and you can guess that Hellberg and his players will face a difficult environment in Southampton.

They will also be united in support of Eckert, as they have been throughout the season, particularly in light of the FA charges’ finding that permitted the German to continue running the team despite only receiving a £28,000 fine and a six-week suspended punishment.

Football fans, particularly those connected to Middlesbrough, didn’t think it was the best choice. In their first meeting of the season in a few weeks, Southampton will have the home advantage, but both fan bases will be furious.

This season, Middlesbrough is totally focused on being promoted to the Premier League.

A couple of Middlesbrough’s new key players weren’t present during the hectic summer transfer window, and they just didn’t feel the uneasiness around the Spygate scandal from the previous season.

But those that continued to play for Borough from the previous season aren’t letting it deter them from maintaining their commitment in preparation for another promotion bid. Before they play Southampton, Spygate will be referenced, but nothing more.

It’s business as usual for the remaining 44 games, and Middlesbrough has handled theirs flawlessly so far. They also need to put in extra effort.

Their ascent to the top of the Championship last season was preceded by just four victories in their final 15 league games, which ultimately led to a fifth-place finish. You have the impression that this Borough team is prepared to handle such demands this season.

However, Southampton is also fully focused, and if they hadn’t been docked four points, they would have joined Middlesbrough in the automatic promotion spots at this stage of the season.

Spygate may not be the only topic of discussion at St. Mary’s; two teams in the top two may engage in combat. In any case, it will undoubtedly be a box office matchup that is not to be missed.