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Episode 341: Matchday Review: DISAPPOINTMENT against the hands of Norwich
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Southampton – A dissapointing loss, but there are patterns to see and lessons to learn, we talk about all of it and more!
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Transcript
Introduction and Technical Issues
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. Unfortunately, some more technical issues mean that we are running a day late and a dollar short, but it's alright, we're back. We've got lots to talk
Co-host Introduction and Match Recap
00:00:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
about. My name is Greg Elliott, as always today, joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host, Sackingo Finch. How you doing, mate? after After that at the weekend...
Team Performance and Injuries
00:00:42
Zak
I told you it could be a banana skin because I think that Norwich have been, similar to us, horrifically underperforming most of this season due to the fact that the exciting managerial prospects that were in the wings haven't paid off to be exciting managerial prospects for Fairview Club so far this season.
00:01:04
Zak
However... The vast majority of it is to us not seeing it off in the first half. And it really worries me that without our chosen XI, we are yet to win a game.
Management Styles and Impact on Performance
00:01:16
Zak
but Like, when we've had to change things up because, you know, Sienzo went out injured. And now we've had to change things up because Fellows went out injured. We haven't won those games. And, like, the urgency, that the lack of urgency, again, right,
00:01:32
Zak
is one of those things that was evident in this game. And it's a big criticism we had under
Lineup Predictions and Changes
00:01:39
Zak
Steele. And it's like criticism that's really been i stretched back to sort of the Russell Martin era, right, of being like, oh, just trust in the process and eventually we'll get a goal. We did used to get late goals, to be fair. Yeah, it was just kind of a bit night and day. Like, we started so strong.
00:01:58
Zak
And I think we we pretty much predicted the line-up You know, I know that you you had some opinions that maybe Archer should have started, and we can talk about those.
Impact of Schedule on Team Fatigue
00:02:07
Zak
other that, you were spot on with the lineup.
00:02:10
Zak
Tom Fellows was swapped out for Fraser. Barshi went out, Stevens came back in. And yeah, it's just kind of night and day. Like, we tried. The first half we tried, but we weren't able to see it off.
00:02:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's not That's not the other similarity not the only similarity to the Millwall game either, though, right? Because not just was it
Missed Opportunities and Penalties
00:02:29
Zak
you
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
the lack of that creative player forward or that sort of quality going forward.
00:02:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
We looked tired for parts of that game, right? Like third game in seven days.
00:02:42
Zak
Third game in seven days and we lost and we were tired and we were missing a player because you're always going to pick stuff up like that.
00:02:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Millwall was the third game in seven days.
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:50
Zak
And we had so much of the ball and we had, you know, pretty decent shots and we, you know, but none of them quite, quite paid off. But then like the last sort of 30, 40 minutes of the game, like I saw people complaining about,
00:03:04
Zak
about the like I think Norwich fans even were like annoyed about the amount of added-on type. and Genuinely, it looked like they would probably they were probably more likely to score than us. We didn't really just look like we didn't really necessarily want it towards the end.
00:03:17
Zak
And again, like it might just be as simple as you pointed out, down to tired legs. But the whole, we don't need to replace anything in January, really does worry me.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh,
00:03:25
Zak
Because I think that we have got a really good 11.
00:03:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh definitely.
00:03:27
Zak
eleven And outside the quality of our top 11, that's just non-existent.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well,
00:03:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you can go further than that, mate, because I think you can say that we've got a really good 11 for 45 minutes.
00:03:39
Zak
Yeah, i guess I guess that's true.
00:03:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And so far, that's been enough. But now you're looking at some of the games we've got coming up and you think, are we going to be 3-0 up at halftime against Coventry? Probably not.
00:03:49
Zak
Probably
00:03:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And are we going to be able to muster anything in the second half?
Team Depth Concerns
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because i don't think we've had a single good second half performance under Tonda. It's just not mattered because of how far out of reach the game is.
00:04:01
Zak
not. Not particularly.
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so so clearly... it's like the detail is there for the first half. And then what, like, there's no, is it because teams sort counter strategize to that detail? And so then we're back to defaults and the defaults aren't good enough. Or is it the, the things that he's asking them to do in the first half are too physically intense to be able to maintain for that period of time, you know, in which if that's the case, then we really do need,
00:04:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know backup that's going to be able to come on because like you say, once you take any piece out of the puzzle so far, it's not been good enough.
00:04:44
Zak
No, I think that's probably what it is. like Despite being our third game in a week, and you know arguably everyone else is kind of in the same boat, but we had like double double the amount of passes. you know We pretty much started as much of the same 11 as we could.
Penalties and Team Morale
00:05:00
Zak
Norwich had players out. you know Josh Sargent was out. I remember he texted me on the Dane. That was good news. But the problem is is that we have seen what happens... it's it's paid off less for us, but we've seen what happens when you bench a player, a player comes on and then has got something to prove and that they do really well, which is again, why I'm kind of lamenting the fact that, and you know, I know that I'll probably get flack and I know you'll take the mic at least, but like,
00:05:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:25
Zak
it lamenting the fact that there was an interview that came out about Matsuki like the Friday and talking about how he's been desperate to play and we didn't play him.
00:05:37
Zak
We could have been a perfect opportunity to play a player desperate who's, you know, just met, met with, i don't know if you saw, he met with Yoshida. Yoshida was in town. There was a lovely photo of him and Romeo outside Winchester Cathedral and I thought I'd gone back a decade. So like, you know, like,
00:05:53
Zak
we kind of instead you know I guess the saving grace is that he's kind of did not brought on Eribo because I think he realised that Eribo going to make that difference in this game. it just genuinely feels like with the the opposite effect of Norwich, where they've brought all these players who are hungry to to get a goal. and
Player Performance and Team Dynamics
00:06:11
Zak
I think that, you know, Ibu Kama was on probably for a hat-trick had he just not got too knackered towards the end.
00:06:18
Zak
But there's obviously a lot of other sort flashpoints to talk about. We had a penalty that we missed. That's the second one this season Arna's missed and maybe he shouldn't be taking penalties anymore.
00:06:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:28
Zak
Because it's not the second one this season. It's like... I think what has he scored? Like, he's missed, like, four out of five. And I'm like, like, maybe we should score somebody out.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean... Yeah, but who i mean who else steps up to take that?
00:06:40
Zak
Sienzo?
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean... I mean...
00:06:41
Zak
Sienzo?
00:06:42
Zak
A man bringing with the confidence of a god put him in the prohibited that position to score.
00:06:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
but i mean just... Yeah, but you just know the first time he tries to penenka in it, it goes over the bar, that it's gonna...
00:06:56
Zak
But maybe he wouldn't.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know...
00:06:57
Zak
Like that's the the point. The point is, is I don't think that, I just, you're saying that like, this hasn't happened twice this season.
00:07:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah but I mean, also...
00:07:05
Zak
And it's arguably what cost us.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, mate, at the risk of triggering one of my very own favourite cliches, on paper, why wouldn't you want the top goal scorer of the championship taking your penalties?
00:07:17
Zak
because because Because goals are different to penalties. You're very aware of that. You can have somebody that's very good at set pieces and somebody that's terrible in front of the goal. We've seen that so far this season.
00:07:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe we give Manning penalties.
00:07:27
Zak
Yeah, I just think it's it's one of those things where like if he's wobbled with it a little bit, like fair play, anyone that take has the confidence to take it. But like you know you could say it's potentially the difference between three points and not.
00:07:39
Zak
I don't think it is. Again, there are lots of flashpoints to talk about.
00:07:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
you can tell that well you can You can tell as well from the way he was the rest of the game that missing it clearly knocked his confidence, which is not great because, he you know like say, high-scoring player in the championship should be absolutely flying high and instead missed when we saw, I mean, was looked
00:07:50
Zak
Oh, yeah, for sure.
Controversial Game Decisions
00:08:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
struggling.
00:08:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just, yeah.
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. All right Well, there's there's other flashpoints to talk about as well, for sure.
00:08:06
Zak
Yeah.
00:08:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
But but let's have a little break and before we come back to it.
00:08:08
Zak
child
00:08:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. And we are back. I feel like feel like focusing in on it isn't reasonable because we should have done more to have put it away already.
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it we can't dispute that that goal was a handball, right?
00:08:39
Zak
But it's still not okay. I'm sorry. Yes!
00:08:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:08:46
Zak
Like, the fact that his interview post-game was like, oh, goal to goal. Well, could stay away for now. celebrated it like it was a goal. And like, came off your hand, mate. would have felt it. But let's not pretend. Like, this is this is... I have held a grudge against Watford for about eight years because of a similar thing that happened, right?
00:09:03
Zak
So, on top of the fact that the Norwich fans were screeching at Leo Siena because their players kept hacking him down. So, he rightly went down.
Defensive Errors and Tactics
00:09:13
Zak
multiple times. they like They're not the first team where that's the thing. It's not that he's going down because it's soft.
00:09:19
Zak
it's because they're having to take him out as the only way to deal with him. On top of them being angry about that, them being like absolutely sort of, yeah, yeah they it it made me like more bitter about it.
00:09:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm
00:09:32
Zak
I think because of the the level of hot hostile atmosphere that they had created for seemingly like no reason. Like I've never really held anything against Norwich. I don't, not gonna lie, Greg, I don't really think about them very often other than when they have their games against Ipswich and then suddenly they come into the cultural zeitgeist.
00:09:51
Zak
But like, I think that for me, that just like added insult to injury because it's like, if we'd, we should have seen off the game, it was a bait of Ryan Manning genius that realistically kept us in it.
00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:02
Zak
Like I'm pretty sure he was surprised that came off as much as everybody else. and And similar to, like, the Millwall being, like, the last kick of the game, we were annoyed about it. But, like, we could move on with it. Equally with this game, like, they scored with their hand.
00:10:16
Zak
Like, the reason that Baz couldn't get to it is because he wasn't expecting it to come off of the hand of the player into the goal.
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:22
Zak
Like, he'd made quite a good lot, some quite good saves to that game.
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:10:26
Zak
And, like, I know that he would always be the scapegoat for our team at the moment for some for whatever reason. And, you know, realistically, he should have done a bit better, but...
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
despite the fact it came off the player's hand though, there should have been the centre-back closer to him, right? Surely like someone's mark lost that man to him to be there.
00:10:44
Zak
Yeah, it's it's why I'm not as upset.
00:10:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the same with the first goal. I mean, it's two goals from close range.
00:10:48
Zak
it's some it's just it's It's dumb errors. And like the problem is that, as I've said, like we've been able to outscore our way through. But we've learned that from the last time we were championship, you can't just keep scoring.
00:11:02
Zak
can't outscore the opponent necessarily
Opportunities and Standings
00:11:03
Zak
long term. Right? From what it lasted, at the moment, we don't have the creative full creative force that that we need, which is apparently Fiat Velo, Sienta, Azaz and Armstrong.
00:11:15
Zak
We're unable to do that. And then we're we're getting you know having problems at the back and the problems in ultimately just cleaning up and making sure that Baz isn't in those positions anyway.
00:11:27
Zak
So like I can't be too annoyed about it, but also like a handball goal is always worse than anything else, in my opinion. It's just so crappy.
00:11:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:37
Zak
No one's sworn in.
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's...
00:11:38
Zak
It's just a nightmare.
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I've seen Norwich fans online saying that there was a Southampton handball in there first, so it would have been a penalty either way.
00:11:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. How are we feeling about that?
00:11:52
Zak
fine, but then as as that's not a guaranteed goal. we We are the poster children for that not being a guaranteed goal.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:59
Zak
This is not the first time this has happened, right?
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:12:03
Zak
but but But you're right.
00:12:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:04
Zak
late is i can I could complain and whinge and be cross about it, but from... From my perspective, they deserve the win more than us because they clearly just wanted it more. and You can tell that.
00:12:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:16
Zak
And I don't know if that's because we were tired.
00:12:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:18
Zak
i don't know if it's because Fraser coming in for Fellows had upset the balance slightly. i they They deserve the win. It's just infuriating that that was the second goal.
00:12:28
Zak
If the second goal was from open play or a set piece or something and and hadn't come quite from that way, I would be less annoyed about it. a Fair play to them. They beat us, basically, is what happened, because we were tired.
00:12:40
Zak
And it's not the most devastating thing in the world, but we need to move on from it fast.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a lot easier to take with six points from the rest of the week, right? like It's a bit more good grace bought to write off, in in especially because if you look at the week in isolation, as we did a couple of weeks ago, you would say that that's probably the most winnable of three games.
00:12:53
Zak
Yeah and no.
00:13:07
Zak
Yeah, we discussed that. But I would just like to point out that if we had beaten Millwall and if we had beaten Norwich, which we both kind of thought, you know, Millwall, we were up in it right into the end, but they toughed that out. And that game just kind of, again, let everything feel a bit flat, we'd be third.
00:13:22
Zak
that's That's the difference. And that's the problem is it comes comes end of the season when we're fighting for every point. And like, it's it's these games that infuriate me. Because it's like the same with
Game Strategy and Substitutions
00:13:32
Zak
how much of like the beginning of the season was wasted with...
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:35
Zak
dumb losses that probably shouldn't have lost that still was basically, don't know, trying to like work out what he wanted his team to look like. and the reason that that's so infuriating is you would say things like, oh, we have plenty of time to rebuild this season, plenty of time. But as we're starting to inch closer towards how we expect the table to look at the end of the season and how and where we're willing to be,
00:13:57
Zak
we are not going to be in that place. And, like, if if we miss out by, like, six, nine points, you can look at these games and be frustrated with them. Because it's just, like, it's just so winnable. Like, a team bereft of confidence that we've turned up to absolutely high-flying.
00:14:13
Zak
And we just kind of synced it.
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:14
Zak
Like, and to be clear, like, you can tell the intention was there. Like, we started off, like, they rattled the bar. You know, it was it was proper, like, you know...
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, that that free kick was magic almost magical, right?
00:14:23
Zak
Exactly. Like we came out, we came out to the races, but then none of them went in.
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, seven meters away.
00:14:28
Zak
And then we came into the second half and we treated the second half like we had the rest of the season, but Manning's scoring a great goal. And, you know, whereas Norwich looked like they were desperate to get something. They hadn't won any at home. Again, we're really good at breaking the records for anybody else. Right? Like that's, that's another thing. It's always, it feels like more like a curse than anything else, but not to be too disheartened about it.
00:14:49
Zak
It's just incredibly frustrating because, you know, we've had two two losses out of these eight. What could be the difference between third and 10th? And that's why it's annoying. But considering where we were before this, we were we were hoping to like stay out of the relegation zone.
00:15:08
Zak
So it's putting it into perspective. It's just hoping that lessons are learned from it. And like in a bit, I want to talk a little bit about the substitutions and the fact that at the moment it doesn't doesn't really feel like we've got any game changes. And like we're almost suffering from the problem where we had those games where and and i was like the whole thing where people talk about how expensive our bench is and how incredible our bench is and how much amazing our squad depth is. but It's just not it's not true. like The reality of the situation is, yeah, okay, Cameron Arches may have cost £15 million. pound scoring like He's not scored double the amount of goals of as Azaz this season, right?
00:15:48
Zak
and And yet... there's a lot of There's a lot of emphasis on the price, despite the fact that that price was down to a lot of last season being we were a Premier League side. People aren't going to expect £4 million from like a Premier League side for their player. They're going to expect more. And it just feels like from a game-changing perspective, we just didn't have that in the bank.
00:16:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, let's let's think about that and talk about that once come back from our break.
00:16:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we
Young Player Contributions
00:16:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
are back. So yeah, I mean, look, let's let's talk about the changes in particular and and see. So, I mean, look, Wellington off for Fraser and Braggon for Yander.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's like for like swaps, but it's not, like you say, it's not the game changer, is it? It's not the one.
00:16:47
Zak
Wellington's a left-back, mate. And, like, he played like he was a left-back when he played in right-back.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:52
Zak
And eventually, obviously, he kind of got switched back when they brought off Stevens for for Robinson. But, like, Bragg, bomb for Yander. Obviously, Yander's probably just knackered because he's been playing long-stop.
00:17:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:03
Zak
And Bragg wasn't bad, but wasn't the light up the world either. Wellington, yeah, again, it was a left-back playing in sort of a right-wing-back, winger role that was just kind of a bit weird. Like, he got there a little bit, but nothing in comparison to Fellows. And he's clearly being played out of position because, again, we were talking about the other day. like you know, a lot of people think, like, oh, we don't need any sort of, like,
00:17:27
Zak
any fullbacks anymore. And I'm like, I kind of think we do. We've got a lot of the left side and basically at the right at the moment we've got a guy out injured, a guy that I don't think we're ever going to see play for the club again and Ryan Fraser apparently.
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah you
00:17:41
Zak
Right. and And so obviously it's going to be hard to replace, but obviously Fraser can do the full 19.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:47
Zak
It's understandable that he's not had a lot of game time.
00:17:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:50
Zak
So then you get to 74 and then we finally tried to show a bit more attacking intent by bringing off Stephens with Jay Robinson. Jay Robinson, who you've you've alluded to a lot, mate, has had a lot of pressure on his shoulders to kind of be this breakthrough star.
00:18:02
Zak
And yeah, okay, he scored early into the season, but I don't know if substitute appearances are really helping him.
00:18:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:18:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, I think it's important to put it in the context. Right. And I think that Jay Robinson, is a very good footballer who has the potential to be an excellent footballer. But at the age of 18 years old, he is not Tom Fellows or Leo Sienza.
00:18:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And nor should we have to expect him to be. And, you know, it was nice that when, you know, he had those opportunities at the start of the season, he he sort of got those moments and shined and showed that the quality he does have.
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... it's He's still an 18-year-old lad.
00:18:46
Zak
And it's it's less of a problem if you're trying to see out a game we're 3-0 up, right?
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:51
Zak
And even then, it seemed to be a bit of a problem because we saw that. We saw the defensive fragility at West Brom when we'd swap out our are like sort of best players that are going forward. So it's again, it's not really pressure that should be on him.
00:19:04
Zak
But when you bring on a player that late into the game and it's less of a problem, the game's really won, there's less pressure. When we're bringing him on to be a game changer, that he is going to get everyone forward, that he is going to be the one that drives everything,
00:19:17
Zak
you know, early into the season, you're right, that kind of was put his shoulders and we did seem like a better side with him with us with him in it. Whereas now, because we've got this such a settled front four, he's being brought on and then usually there's a lot of changes going on around him.
00:19:29
Zak
and then he's not quite getting it over the line.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:31
Zak
The problem is is we don't have a player that you're right, is that the calibre that Fellowes and Sienza are at, but also a player that's going to come on and we feel like he's going to score and maybe change anything.
00:19:43
Zak
They're very much our substitutes feel like they're seeing the game out.
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And that's
00:19:47
Zak
If we're 2-0 down or like 2-1 down.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
not And that shouldn't be seen as a slight on Jay Robinson because that's just the position we're in.
00:19:52
Zak
No, not at all. He's young and developing.
00:19:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:56
Zak
He's young and developing and we don't have that that killer like on the bench sub, right?
00:19:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And...
00:20:00
Zak
It used to be, ironically, Ryan Fraser.
00:20:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:02
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
he Yeah, he's young and developing, and he is a player that, sure, at times in the season, will be that
Substitute Analysis
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
spark, but he's not player you can or should rely on to be that spark because you know it's he's young and he's not us he's not the complete product. There's areas of his game that you know do need some sharpening and some polishing. He needs to...
00:20:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
be a little bit stronger on the ball and and release the ball slightly earlier. I mean, it seems to be the same story from sort of most of the...
00:20:31
Zak
that's just 18-year-old things, right?
00:20:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's just being young.
00:20:35
Zak
That's being a young person learning a trade.
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:37
Zak
And, you know, arguably we we could have said a couple of things about the same, the other senior players until they kind of fell into form.
00:20:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:44
Zak
And yeah, so it's no it's no slight on him, but like when the three changes we've made are a left back who hasn't played for a while, there's also coming through a quite severe injury and a suspension playing sort of more of a right winger than anything else.
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:59
Zak
Yeah. And, you know, a like-for-like swap in the middle of the park where Bragg is probably hungry to prove himself, especially where he's to find it difficult getting to the side, especially when Charles comes back. You know, played okay.
00:21:12
Zak
But then, yeah, you've got Jay Robinson who tried, but...
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. But not in a not in a position of the park that is set up in a way to be that spark either, right?
00:21:21
Zak
No.
00:21:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it's just the solid holding part of the midfield doing the the sort of the off-the-ball stuff is fine, but it's not... You need, you know, whereas why haven't we seen more of Oki Enle from the youth team, right? Who's been banging goals in for fun for them.
00:21:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, why isn't he getting on for 20 minutes?
00:21:42
Zak
Because I think it's because we don't need somebody else for that Armstrong position, right? I think that's the biggest problem is that Armstrong is able to play, carried on playing today.
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:53
Zak
And Zaz came off, you know, for Archer, who is almost becoming like another very hot and cold player where minute he comes on and he makes everything better. Sometimes he comes on, it's just not quite right.
00:22:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but then he's not, he's been brought on for Azaz, an archer for, you know, all of his strengths.
00:22:06
Zak
You know, Rumeith,
00:22:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
is it' not and as az type player He's He's a number nine who wants to run in, run off the shoulder of of the players.
00:22:12
Zak
We're in another position where that you
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he would, in an ideal world, be looking for to receive those balls from players like Finn Azaz. So, once again, you're asking him to step into a role and create a spark that is just not his game.
00:22:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah it's not,
00:22:34
Zak
correct and we're we're in another position where Romelu was supposedly a few weeks off of starting and a few weeks off of playing and has subsequently played every single game since. He has been, you know, even if it's been for sort of 15 minutes and, you know, I think everyone probably gave a big cheer when he he had another crunching Romelu-style tackle that picked him up a yellow guard in the 13 minutes he was on the pitch.
00:22:57
Zak
Bounds
Match Controversies and Improvements
00:22:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:22:58
Zak
obviously also picked up a very cynical foul, but that probably stopped the goal-playing opportunity.
00:23:02
Zak
at least it wasn't At least when he picked up that one, it wasn't like those ones where you're like, why did you do that? right And so, yeah, the problem is is none of those players, I think, have got the spark to have changed the game at any point. And that's no disrespect to them. It's the position we're in at the moment.
00:23:18
Zak
the form that we're in and I think what worries me is going into January they seem to think that that's just not a problem and like it's a big risk to not think that's a problem
00:23:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think that I think the problem is, Zach, that whilst it is a problem, it's also a very difficult problem to handle, as we've talked about, right? Because... you know To be that spark off the bench, you need to be a player of a certain quality.
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you're a player of that certain quality, you don't want to come in to be a spark off the bench.
00:23:41
Zak
there are there are like seven or eight academy players from the top eight clubs that basically, like, you know, they're in seven or eight academies where there are players that that are never going to get chance for the first team.
00:23:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:54
Zak
Like, how many players does Chelsea have at this point? Like, 7,000? Is it Greg? How many do they have? it funny I'm sure there's somebody... No, I get that. it's It's a far more difficult thing than we we make light of it.
00:24:08
Zak
And it's only really become a problem because we've established the pattern between this game and Millwall, right?
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:13
Zak
It's that when everything right goes right and it clicks and we win and that everyone's fit, it it's amazing.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:18
Zak
It's electric. it's incredible. It's great to watch. You know, we kind of... but But when we have losses like that in the way that they've taken place, you know...
00:24:29
Zak
difficult. And I think that we've just got to trust the process and hope.
00:24:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:35
Zak
The next game's going to be really, really tough. It's going to be probably this...
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's going to be fascinating.
00:24:39
Zak
that's
00:24:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's so it's definitely the toughest challenge Tonda's faced yet. So, you know, it it it makes for such interesting viewing that it's going to be, you know, lunchtime kickoff at St.
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mary's. Four wins on the bounce at home. say
00:24:55
Zak
Exactly. But but but even even more so, like, again, you go back two months, if if you said you could win the next, you know, you could win the next six out of eight, would you would you take somebody's hand off for that?
00:25:06
Zak
Probably.
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:25:07
Zak
Like, and that and that's the thing.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:08
Zak
it's...
00:25:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's just unfortunate that the two that we've lost are not the games that you would pick out of the bunch to expect to lose. And the way in which we've lost them has, at both times, has been pretty disappointing.
00:25:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, the improvement as a whole is still there.
00:25:21
Zak
It's been disappointing, but not devastating.
00:25:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:24
Zak
but it's It's not like we've been battered, we've been destroyed, we've been, okay, it was lethargic. we've We've been able to show fight back by going a goal down and then managing to equalize, which was something we never used to be able to do.
00:25:35
Zak
We'd go a goal down and that would just be it.
00:25:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:37
Zak
would be it would be right up and until the end and then it would just be disappointing. the The second goal they scored had some help with somebody's hand getting over the line. And you're right, we shouldn't have allowed them that many opportunities.
Season Reflection and Future Outlook
00:25:49
Zak
But it's still the reality of the situation. and Had that been caught, it wouldn't have gone in.
00:25:54
Zak
We don't know what would have happened afterwards.
00:25:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:55
Zak
We don't know how the game would have changed if Armstrong had scored that penalty. right So as much as we didn't play great, the problem is at the moment is that when we are not playing the best, we are also not being able to get over the line, whereas there are other teams that can sometimes get away with that.
00:26:11
Zak
i I think Coventry is the big difference maker with them, is that when they're not playing the best, sometimes they're still able to just like produce a 97-minute goal.
00:26:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
is Yeah.
00:26:19
Zak
And, like, that's going to be the difference between and them, and that's where we need to get to. And they've only really started because, again, like, You know, Tom has come in, wasn't a coach for most of the year.
00:26:31
Zak
Most of the coaching staff have now moved. His coaching staff from the Under-21s has come up. Rolana, who we'll talk about later, probably another pro father point this week, is now under-21s coached to the end of the season. Trollope is gone.
00:26:43
Zak
Still is gone. know, Karl Martin, who's been to the club for years, has gone. There's a lot of movement that's taken place where essentially we've we've started off really strong as if it's a new season.
00:26:55
Zak
It's just that, unfortunately, the table doesn't reflect it being a new season, or otherwise, you know, we would be doing much better. So it's just, it's a tough one take. It's a bit of a slow.
00:27:08
Zak
It's annoying that we can still see the same errors, probably even more infuriating on the squad itself. But also, it's not the end of the world, right?
00:27:18
Zak
As long as we can even bounce back. Like, again, I've said from commentary, wouldn't devastated if we lose. I would obviously see a draw win, but if we manage to even get a victory, even better.
00:27:29
Zak
So, to move on to that game, and then maybe having an actual full week without being absolutely knackered might do some good.
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:27:37
Zak
Who knows? Maybe that's what it is. Maybe they just be rest.
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
should help. And hopefully, you know, we'll be back to that first choice 11. And so we'll just have five goals in the first half and go from there. Uh, but the joy is mate, that we have now got all week to look forward to that game.
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, and we can, we can put this one in the books as, uh,
00:27:53
Zak
You don't think.
00:27:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
A disappointing loss, but like you say, in the grand scheme of things, six wins from eight, and in the two games that we have lost being in amongst it, you'd have bitten the handoff of anyone offering you that before the...
00:28:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
the
00:28:12
Zak
It almost feels like a level of arrogance to be angry that we've lost. Like, how dare we lose to Norwich, a team that came out and fought from the beginning.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, we just didn't win every game in existence.
00:28:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:24
Zak
And clearly are also on like sort of the path of rebuild like we are.
00:28:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:30
Zak
It is what it is. It's it's it's football.
Closing Remarks and Listener Engagement
00:28:32
Zak
We had lots of opportunities in that game.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
and that's why we love it and that is indeed alright that is all we have got time for today though thank you very much Zach for joining me and thank you everyone for listening let us know in the comments or on the socials how you feeling looking towards this Coventry game are we feeling excited are we feeling nervous
00:28:35
Zak
And we didn't.
00:28:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
could go either way. So let us know. We love hearing from you. We are at GSPN Southampton on all of the socials on TikTok, Blue Sky, Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, everywhere. Hit us up. Let us know. like I say, we love hearing from you. We will be back tomorrow talk more football.
00:29:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, though, everyone, thank you very much joining us and have a wonderful day.