Transcript
DailySaintsPod: hello and welcome back once again to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg. For episode 515, and conspicuous by his absence today,
DailySaintsPod: And the rest of the week, my good friend. Zach. unfortunately uh, Seems to have taken... a page out of the Flynn Downs cookbook. and had a run in with some dicey chicken.
DailySaintsPod: Been a bit of a week of it. He's not been very well. My family's not been very well. So apologies for missing. Wednesday and Thursday's episodes this week, but... I'm back just in time for a big match preview.
DailySaintsPod: but before i get into that other bits happening around the club that are worth talking about of at least a bit of interest.
DailySaintsPod: Our owner, Dragan Solak. has now become a majority shareholder in maltese club zabar st patrick
DailySaintsPod: Some interesting notes on that. That he'd like... He says in an interview with... Uh... press release I'd like to thank the Malta Premier League and the Malta Football Association for helping to change...
DailySaintsPod: the legislative environment so that the clubs can become companies. and we can do proper investment into that. I don't know about the details of how Maltese football works. Cannot claim to be an expert, but...
DailySaintsPod: Sounds a bit like heading into an untapped market, which... Maybe of benefit. I mean, maybe not to us as a club, but maybe to other of the teams in the in the Sports Republic catalogue.
DailySaintsPod: I guess we will have to see. how that plays out. I'm going to butcher the name completely so apologies but I will try.
DailySaintsPod: Roberto Gagliardi has been appointed. as the technical director. He previously served as Gastepe's head of recruitment and will remain a senior consultant at... the Turkish club. So.
DailySaintsPod: I would probably expect step A and... Zab asked Patrick to have a... Probably a closer relationship than we are likely to have with them, to be honest. I don't...
DailySaintsPod: necessarily see a clear line from the Maltese League to the English Championship or the English Premier League. But... I mean, stranger things have happened, like I say. It feels like a slightly untapped market and maybe potential, but...
DailySaintsPod: potentially just good business for them if they're able to come in to invest and start making money. in a football market that has growth to bring.
DailySaintsPod: One to keep an eye on. and I don't know. We've talked a lot about the multi -club model on the podcast and whether... It's good or it's bad. We believe in it. and I'm not sure that I do.
DailySaintsPod: from the perspective of being a fan of one of the clubs in it. but it certainly could be a lucrative business proposition for them. And at the end of the day, that is what they want from it.
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, just a small piece on that, thought it was worth mentioning. And the other piece was the under -21s who drew 1 -1 with Juventus on Tuesday. I was planning on going down to the game. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned...
DailySaintsPod: kids not feeling very well that time of year where the weather changes so I was unable to make it but unfortunate it seemed to concede an equalizer and end up with a draw but It's just a good sign for the future when our academy is doing that well and the under -21s are playing well. Another goal for Prince, who seems to be absolutely smashing them in at this level at that level.
DailySaintsPod: Wouldn't be surprised. If. Maybe we see him start to break through to some of the first team or or maybe go out on loan in January because Clearly he's one of these players that... is probably too good for that level and needs to step up to improve his game. So it'll be interesting to see what comes of that in the longer term. But nice to see so many make the trip out to St Mary's. and
DailySaintsPod: what looked to be an entertaining game, even though it was a... dismally rainy and horrible night. so uh a Fair play, everyone. that went Good stuff. Right.
DailySaintsPod: Let's get into what we're here for though the big match preview and it is a big match Big clash for the season. Two teams who have very clearly set their targets for the season as automatic promotion. Two teams that I think in a lot of people's opinion and particularly...
DailySaintsPod: in terms of bookies. Probably favourites to be the two automatic spots. Of course, away to West Ham.
DailySaintsPod: West Ham on a i don't know a bit of a cut. They were three games without a win in the championship before they beat Got two wins in a row. Beat Swansea. Last time out, so...
DailySaintsPod: You know, it's it's it's a difficult one. It's not an easy... place to go despite not being like the same character that you used to get. at Upton Park, right? like the the issues that West Ham have had at the London Stadium.
DailySaintsPod: Aside. right They're still a a tough team to go to. like They lost... to Fulham last time out at... the london stadium but previously to that 6 -0.
DailySaintsPod: Beating of Wrexham. 3 -0 beating of Derby. 4 -2 win over... wolves. Like, there are... they're a tough team like i say last time out beating swansea away and other than that beating lincoln six nil so I heard some of the West Ham...
DailySaintsPod: podcasters or creators talking about it how they've just not like actually clipped into a proper gear yet. And...
DailySaintsPod: Can't quite get it going. But... When you're getting results like that and you're in the position you're in, I think it's very hard to grumble. And if that is the case and they've got another gear to kick it up to...
DailySaintsPod: I mean, the rest of the league will be on notice, won't they? Including us. it's It's... Yeah. They're going to be a tough team. There's a lot of talent in their squad.
DailySaintsPod: a lot of depth still that they've managed to keep from the the premier league and It's not going to be an easy game. Especially coming into this, obviously 0 -0 for us last time out. Lots of discourse about whether Tonda...
DailySaintsPod: Maybe overthought. the last two games a bit. you know, some some strange changes, some... Strange comments from him after the matches as well.
DailySaintsPod: Obviously, he had his hand forced in a lot of ways with, of course, Flynn Downs having to go off early. in the week and not being available for Saturday. So Yanda having presumably played more minutes than they would have wanted him to play anyway.
DailySaintsPod: larin having to go off in that bolton game Just... Yeah. It's... it's not going to be an easy game That's for sure. But it should.
DailySaintsPod: be a very entertaining game that's that's what we're hoping to take from it I think. I mean, looking at the other fixtures we've got coming up is...
DailySaintsPod: is this. Must win. I don't know that it's the game that our season... hangs its hat on. If we come away...
DailySaintsPod: from West Ham with, frankly, aid as much as a point. I think that's probably... a good result and i think that many teams will go to west ham feeling that this season right they're they're very clearly the favorites in the league with the quality they've got and and despite knowing that because we started behind they're the sort of points we really need to fight for I think we still have to be realistic.
DailySaintsPod: coming into this about You know what our expectations can be Well, how did... Does Tonda overthinking it come into play? I don't know, to be honest. He's had a whole week now.
DailySaintsPod: I suspect we'll just see it go back to kind of what was working before rather than too much tinkering. there's a case to be made that it's it's a tougher team and we do tend to step up and play better against the teams that you'd expect us to have a tougher time against as opposed to struggling against the teams that we maybe think we're we're going to be doing well against so
DailySaintsPod: I don't know. Obviously, famously, not an example of that was when we played West Ham. this season in the cup. We played basically a first. side line up and they rotated and they obviously beat us. for one But...
DailySaintsPod: i don't I don't know if you can take it much into that. I don't know if we can take any credence from it. it's It's the cup. It's just different. It's not the same. The motivation's not the same.
DailySaintsPod: The... The drive from the players wasn't the same. I just... I think as much as anything, it was almost like I said before on the show. probably not going out of their way to lose because that is not... how you want to play football, but we're not going to be upset at not congesting our...
DailySaintsPod: congesting our fixture list. any further and you know bowing out to West Ham is... you know acceptable in the grand scheme of things, I think.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, I don't know. Let's... Let's turn my thoughts to Team news. and the team lineups obviously recording this before we've got a press conference because Tonda's doing the presser at 8 a .m.
DailySaintsPod: On Friday, which will be the day you're listening to this. so Leaving us hanging on until the last minute. I mean, obviously the big question marks coming in are Flynn Downs and Carl Lahren.
DailySaintsPod: Personally, I don't think... Downs is going to be Freddie, right? it Reports that he was seen last week on crutches and in a massive boot at the stadium. it just That doesn't scream to me.
DailySaintsPod: close enough to fitness that we're going to bring him straight back in against West Ham. I know that he's a West Ham. fan and academy prospect. I know that he will want to play.
DailySaintsPod: this game in particular as well as as much as he likes to play all of the minutes. I just don't think he's going to be ready. I don't think we'll see him at all. I don't think he'll be in the lineup. As for Larry, and obviously without the the the press conference and the news. It's hard to say, but...
DailySaintsPod: you would hope that he would be fit. I mean even if... The problem is, you know he's not looked... like he's been firing on all cylinders since he got back from international duty of course he had that knock or that back injury from the gym.
DailySaintsPod: whilst on international duty and I just don't think he's had enough time to recover from that. I think there's another one where he wants to play the minutes, but... If he's just not quite...
DailySaintsPod: visibly there. it's it's just It's just not going to... work out or... or two. you know be good enough But that's the real risk. But look, let me let me start at the back. and build my team up for you I think we need to stick to a 4 -2 -3 -1 it's what's been working we don't need to tinker with it anymore Done that.
DailySaintsPod: Correcting goal is is an obvious choice. Bree to start. Assuming that he... has recovered from the knock to his head or will still be playing with the headband, who knows?
DailySaintsPod: and Manning would be my first choice at left back. Two. Stevens and Schlotterbeck have to be the starting central defensive pairing.
DailySaintsPod: haven't conceded a goal in the three games that we've had them in. So until they do... you know, you can't. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You you work. relying on results and partnerships and they have clearly built up a very effective partnership It's good, because if we can stop West Ham scoring...
DailySaintsPod: We're going to be getting something from the game and that's that's the important part. It's probably the only game of the season. I feel like we really have to go in with that mindset. And because of that, this problem will probably go away and win. It's just the way it seems to be sometimes with Saints.
DailySaintsPod: Moving then up the pitch. James Will Prowse, as we say week after week, has... really done well to solidify himself into the team.
DailySaintsPod: uh just seems like an absolute steal uh from West Ham so I mean it would make sense he's going to be chomping at the bit to go and prove to them what he can do.
DailySaintsPod: And I think that he will start. alongside yanda i don't think we saw yeah and the start at the weekend purely because of the minutes he'd played in the week.
DailySaintsPod: Tonda said in the press that he the plan was for him to come on or he was going to try and get him on. So he's obviously fit enough to still play, just not for those full... minutes that you'd get from a start so i think he will start this game that's That's a nice -looking midfield. yeahder Prowse.
DailySaintsPod: I'll be happy with that. If Yanda's still... not up to that amount of minutes, then I presume we'll see Bragg start. Which is also fine. He and actually had a couple of... quite good game since.
DailySaintsPod: Well. He played well last week after getting sent off against Pompey. had some good moments where actually it was him almost sort of breaking through the line to almost get some of those chances. but Yeah, one of those things. Next up, Finnazaz.
DailySaintsPod: Alfie did a piece with him in the Echo this week. And he's just... Again, he's got to be the first name on the team sheet. he's the Highest assisting player in the EFL for a reason.
DailySaintsPod: and despite our grumbles and frustrations with some of the elements of his game. the magic he is able to produce. From... very little. uh is is a difference maker time and time again.
DailySaintsPod: This is one of those games where he's going to need to properly show up because it's not going to be... easy He's gonna NEAT. Uh, Need to up it for sure, but...
DailySaintsPod: ive I've got the faith in that. So I guess really the front three is where it gets interesting, isn't it? Because... It's where we've seen a lot of chopping and changing. Leo.
DailySaintsPod: I mean, he's not been at his best the last couple of games, has he? Been kept quiet, I think, more than anything. I don't think it's as much on his performance as it is the the tweaks to the system, maybe not doing him any favours, or...
DailySaintsPod: Just getting marked out of games, as he does tend to do. But it's still... that spark that he brings it's just you can't really put into words the the level of excitement it brings when he uh gets on the ball and sometimes just put burners on and just blaze past and We need to see more of that.
DailySaintsPod: I still think he'll start despite. No. despite not necessarily having the best few games, because...
DailySaintsPod: I mean it's one of those things where is He'd be a strange one. to to drop i think that He does enough. always to keep him in because all dropping him as well is... isn't going to be a positive move, isn't going to be seen as a positive move because he...
DailySaintsPod: We know he has that quality. We just need to get him back to those ways. On the right -hand side, look, it's been a debatable season, hasn't it? Tom Fellows or Matsky? I actually thought Fellows, aside from straying offside, had a a really good game against Bolton in the first half and was maybe unlucky to come off. but
DailySaintsPod: it It still also makes sense to bring Matsky on in that position or in several positions, as it turned out, which is maybe part of what why we struggled, right?
DailySaintsPod: again I think it's one of those things where I Would be happy with either of those players starting. We've seen Matski... Batsky's braced and had his leg strapped up, which is maybe something to be wary of, which is maybe why we will see fellows in over him.
DailySaintsPod: but But I guess we'll see. But look either of those names... uh i'm perfectly happy to be starting on that right hand side they both possess admittedly very different but qualities that will help the team in that way. and
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, hopefully.
DailySaintsPod: We can... just roll from that. And then up front, well, if Larenz fit, Larenz dot. Right. If Aaron's not fit...
DailySaintsPod: What do we do? We've seen Dobbin preferred in that position. over Mubama, but... I don't think that he really works as a number nine. He's definitely much better when he's able to drop.
DailySaintsPod: or if he's able to play off of... a player. Now look. Far be it from me to ho jump back on this bandwagon, but... The combination of Dobbin and Laren together is a fairly tasty prospect. not something we've been uh given too much of yet.
DailySaintsPod: But... maybe as the season goes on something that we will get to see Yeah. Interesting, isn't it? All of the things Tonda said after the game last week about Mubama and how he was trying to get him on.
DailySaintsPod: but couldn't and I don't know. Is this the week we see Mubama start? He's playing against... arguably the toughest
DailySaintsPod: opposition we're going to play, the time to bring him into that position? And I don't know if the answer to that is yes, to be honest. I think that... Tonda will default to putting Dob in there if Laren's not fit and that we will see Laren come on and play as many minutes as we can.
DailySaintsPod: But... we will We will see how that one goes. Which I guess moves me quite nicely on to the history and the stats of the game coming in. well 28 matches I have on file for this fixture.
DailySaintsPod: 13 wins belong to West Ham, 7 to us, and 8 draws. So you know they kind of have the lion's share.
DailySaintsPod: Oh, away form is not spectacular. their home form. is is pretty good with with a slip -up, I would say.
DailySaintsPod: That lost to Fulham in there. Oh. Just... Yeah. It's going to be an interesting one. What does the AI say? The AI says that the home edge...
DailySaintsPod: Uh... probably edges it they've got a win rate of approximately 60 percent And... reckons that the double chance of West Ham to win or draw is probably the safe bet.
DailySaintsPod: Doesn't predict a scoreline today. doesn't go high on Both teams to score. So, yeah, interesting. Doesn't give you a lot of information to go off this time around. I think it's because it's going to be such a tricky game, such a...
DailySaintsPod: A close four game between two teams who should. On paper, at least. be performing at very high qualities.
DailySaintsPod: But... Yes, it is. for sure one to do. So what do I think? Well... I mean... Heart and head. like i said earlier in the episode realistically if we are able to come away with even as much as a point in the scheme of things, looking at the next. games as well I mean... someone put out next four games what's an acceptable points tally looking at the fixtures
DailySaintsPod: seven or eight points across those four games is probably good enough but if we can kick it off with a big start. I mean 12 isn't off of the cards. That's the crazy thing about it.
DailySaintsPod: I don't know i don't know if if I truly believe that we're going to be able to go there and put enough quality behind. it to get enough goals to win.
DailySaintsPod: But I can't predict anything else, can I? It's... let's go... Let's go 1 -0 Saints. Just going to do a snatch and grab and defend for...
DailySaintsPod: All of our hearts content. and see how that plays out. Not a comfortable watch if that's the case to be honest. at any point of the game. No matter how...
DailySaintsPod: at what point of the game we score. I don't think a 1 -0 win away is a comfortable watch for any Saints fan who's experienced any amount of... all of it through the years, but there we go. So that's my thoughts.
DailySaintsPod: Let me know your thoughts in the comments. On the socials with Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere. X, Blue Sky, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely everywhere. Hit us up and let me know. I love hearing from you and I would love to hear your opinions coming in too. Like I say, probably the toughest game of the season.
DailySaintsPod: But look, whatever happens... Zach. We'll hopefully be well enough to be back to review the game. I am now... on holiday for a week so you will not be Seeing or hearing my opinion, I'm afraid we'll be missing this and the next game But...
DailySaintsPod: Until then Saints fans, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. hopefully with a nice big win. But most importantly... Come on, you saints.
