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Episode 407: Matchday Review: 14 UNBEATEN!
126 Plays11 days ago
Southampton – What a time to be a Saints fan. The Sun was shining,
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg and as always today, joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach.
Remarkable Goal and Predictions
00:00:24
DailySaintsPod
Mate, Puskas Award?
00:00:27
DailySaintsPod
Is that what the theme of the day is?
00:00:31
Zak
Well, I completely fudged past to him, but i don't know how that goal was scored. I watched it back so many times. I'm still like just in absolute awe. And I feel like Charles is probably in the same boat.
00:00:43
Zak
But I was going to more the more exciting piece of news, mate, is I'm pretty sure we both went for the same prediction, right?
00:00:43
DailySaintsPod
There's the...
00:00:48
Zak
Because i went for and i you said, where are those goals coming from? And I said, I don't mind. I just want us to win 2-0 and we won 2-0. So happy days. And I'm pretty sure you're the same, right?
00:00:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I think so. I'll have to go and and watch it back to say for sure because I've definitely changed my mind for the little score prediction game that i do with the the kids and I definitely got mugged off by my daughter like, I should have kept your original prediction, shouldn't you really? So... why
00:01:17
Zak
But, yeah, no, just another another day,
Winning Streak and Team Tactics
00:01:20
Zak
another win, right? Like, what's that now? Coventry, Norwich, Oxford, just put anyone in front of us, apparently we can win, which is not something I would have ever felt just I think you're right when you said, just for second, we're never going lose again.
00:01:34
Zak
After we spent so long... feeling like winning was just like, just, man, you know, we're never going to win again.
00:01:36
DailySaintsPod
It
00:01:41
Zak
And now we're at a stage where, you know, we're seeming to be able to deal with any opposition in front of us. Could have been more comfortable today. Yeah. Was like, you know, was about 60, 70% of that game, like filler episodes in a long tv standing TV show.
00:01:57
DailySaintsPod
it
00:01:58
Zak
Also, yeah.
00:01:59
DailySaintsPod
It was just like vintage Tonda, wasn't it? It's like, right, let's play fast football for 13 minutes and then you can take the rest of the game off. Like, job done. Bish bash bosh.
00:02:08
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:09
DailySaintsPod
What more do you need?
00:02:10
Zak
like I feel like that there was a lot of talk about how, you know, what they need is another goal to get back into it. But they didn't really... There was no time we really felt under threat apart from that one ball that Azaz lost.
00:02:25
Zak
And then they were one-on-one with Perret. And then just, you know, I feel like could have been a more punishing... if it was a different team, but also feel like we'd have played in a different way if it was a different team, because, you know, he changes his tactics around the teams we play as opposed to being rigid.
00:02:43
DailySaintsPod
Crazy.
00:02:45
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it was unbelievable. It's just time to be a Saints fan.
00:02:49
DailySaintsPod
The sun was shining. The football was was good enough. I mean, it was good.
00:02:49
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:54
Zak
It was good enough for quarter of an hour. then there was that nice little stint at the end where it got better.
00:02:59
DailySaintsPod
Even in the middle bit, like it was it was fine. It wasn't bad. It was definitely better than we've had in the past. There was some good movement. There were some good passes.
00:03:09
Zak
It let us have well too much of the ball for that first half.
00:03:11
DailySaintsPod
It was...
00:03:12
Zak
Like, considering that point they're 2-0 down, it just kind of, I just expected at some point, and like, even more mad was the fact two minutes added on for the end of the game.
00:03:12
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:03:20
Zak
Pretty sure that's the smallest amount amount of added time I've seen in forever.
00:03:23
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:03:24
Zak
And, you know, any...
00:03:25
DailySaintsPod
Well, it's amazing that when you put the team who is likely to time waste behind in the first... 2-0 behind in the first 13 minutes, that time wasting ceases to exist because Perretz, very loudly to the ball boy sat directly in front of us, went, faster, faster, faster!
00:03:43
DailySaintsPod
Because they just... They wanted it. They wanted to play, they wanted the game because it was not ours for the taking. But look, that's... let's Let's reel it back. Let's go all the way back to the
Lineup Changes and Player Analysis
00:03:54
DailySaintsPod
start, mate. Let's talk about the lineup.
00:03:57
DailySaintsPod
Three changes today. and not not
00:04:00
Zak
yeah
00:04:02
DailySaintsPod
not ones that really we predicted, to be fair, was interesting. Archer in for for a dozy and a Fellows in for Matski.
00:04:15
Zak
Yeah, the the archer was a bit baffling, but as we have started to say to one another now, in Tondo we trust, and it didn't end up being too bad, technically, technically, he assisted both goals, right?
00:04:28
Zak
So, even if that second assist was a terrible misprayest pass...
00:04:29
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:04:33
DailySaintsPod
Look, I think... I think, mate, if we're crediting Matsky with deliberately scoring the other week, that we can count that as a deliberate assist from Archer, who clearly saw the potential of Shea Charles' right boot to curl that one in top in.
00:04:55
Zak
yeah
00:04:56
DailySaintsPod
ba the the second camera angle on the replay on the highlights is beautiful of just behind the ball of the curve on that ball and that camera angle is not anywhere near as sensational as the view I had stood almost directly in line between the goal the chase out
00:05:05
Zak
this is nuts yeah i bet know knowing where you stand i'll bet that was absolutely fantastic
00:05:18
DailySaintsPod
And you you knew it was a good goal because instead of the standard roar of the stadium celebrating a goal, it was like a group inhale of, ooh, something a bit special. Oh.
00:05:35
Zak
I don't know why I said Cam Archer assisted both because we've got our whole back and forth where but first that first goal was absolutely beautiful because it was just like ridiculous ball from Harwood-Bellis that don't know how it came off.
00:05:43
DailySaintsPod
oh
00:05:48
Zak
Fellowes doing the assist thing that he does because let's face it, he's not ever going to score.
00:05:51
DailySaintsPod
But just textbook Howard Bellis at this point, right?
00:05:51
Zak
Hmm.
00:05:55
DailySaintsPod
That cutting through ball to that right wing position. Whoever's in that right wing position just is having a field day. And Fellowes made the the perfect run. And I mean, I feel felt a bit sorry for their right back because...
00:06:11
DailySaintsPod
you know, he was not having a good time with Tom Fellows running at him. And then Cam Archer tucked in and came over that side. And so he had the pace of Archer
Player Highlights and Team Dynamics
00:06:20
DailySaintsPod
and the pace of Fellows to deal with. And he was struggling enough with that. And then Bree pushed right up on him and committed the overlap. And you're just like, well, it's just got no chance.
00:06:32
DailySaintsPod
Just not loving it at all, but... Yeah, it was it was nice. It just it just it all seemed to go to plan. the The movement ahead of the ball was excellent in creating the space.
00:06:42
Zak
Thank you.
00:06:44
DailySaintsPod
the You know, it it just just came off. And, you know, like you say, truthfully, we would probably should have won that game six or seven nil but we won it and we comfortably won it.
00:06:58
Zak
I guess there wasn't a need, and I imagine.
00:07:01
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:07:01
Zak
they Also, it wasn't due to a lack trying.
00:07:01
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:07:03
Zak
I think we something like 20 shots at the end. I'm really happy for Kyle Lahren to get another goal. and his his candidate like There was article out The Echo who...
00:07:11
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:07:16
Zak
He was talking about how Jesse March, who remember, almost took us over at one point, who is currently Canada's head coach, because that you know all those teams currently have good head coaches due to the whole them hosting the World Cup thing. Obviously, he's now been called back up to the Canada squad for the friendlies in his 28th and of March.
00:07:35
Zak
so that's really good and like you know after the
00:07:38
DailySaintsPod
Fantastic, yeah.
00:07:39
Zak
after some sort of like down in the dubs performances, not really getting into the squad in November because of everything that was going on, plus injury, for him to now, you know, break back into the international team, which is exactly what, if we remember our profile episode, Greg, it was one of the big incentives, I think, for him to come and do really well here.
00:07:58
Zak
And now, you know, he's going to get that paying off, which is good for both us and them.
00:07:58
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:08:02
Zak
So that's that's a nice little, like, sort of thought that was a nice little addition. He's probably, you know, had that extra...
00:08:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah,
00:08:09
Zak
sort of incentives to do well and then it comes comes into this game and scores. But it was just a fantastically beautiful, like, team goal. Like, I know this was goal will will be probably goal of the season, and rightly so.
00:08:16
DailySaintsPod
it's just what works.
00:08:21
Zak
And I know we talk about how how good it was. But it's one of those things where I don't want to diminish the fact that, like, Our first goal, considering how quick it came and how like it was just just an absolutely wonderful piece of team work.
00:08:29
DailySaintsPod
beautiful It's just well worked.
00:08:34
Zak
And yeah, it could have been defended better, but it wasn't ultimately. And it just was in the net.
00:08:39
DailySaintsPod
It just well worked. It was exceptional in a completely different way. You're right.
00:08:44
Zak
Yes.
00:08:44
DailySaintsPod
It was it was like just an absolutely cutting pass that tore their to through the middle of their team. Beautiful run by Fellows and the ability to put it on a plate for Laron, who gets the goal that but he has deserved and earned. And, you know, we talk about it on the show a lot, that what he brings on the pitch is is so much and so valuable to the team.
00:09:07
DailySaintsPod
So to be rewarded with that goal and rewarded with the call-up to Canada that he was hoping to get. Yeah, great. I mean, honestly, even if Ross Stewart...
00:09:18
DailySaintsPod
Jets back fully fit. He's got a fight on his hands for that place because Sarah's looking great.
00:09:26
Zak
But other thing of note I wanted to point out with like how good Fela's was with that is that his passing accuracy, apparently, for that game was 100%, mate, with a total of 20, which is nuts.
00:09:26
DailySaintsPod
the
00:09:36
DailySaintsPod
That's insane.
00:09:37
Zak
I just wish you hadn't cursed him that he now has an inability to never score a goal for Southampton, which is why I would love you to pick Joe Eribo as your new favourite player. Okay.
00:09:49
DailySaintsPod
Right?
00:09:50
Zak
and So, because I don't know what you what voodoo curse you accidentally cast when you first decided, oh, yeah, i I've watched the bangies a bit. I love this Tom Fellows character. He's going to be incredible for us. I reckon he'll score every game.
00:10:02
Zak
And ever since, mate, like, that ball came back out of the net as if there was some sort of force field. Like, I don't understand how it didn't bounce in. And I knew for a fact he'd been raging as soon as I saw it.
00:10:14
Zak
But, yeah, that was...
00:10:17
DailySaintsPod
wasn't I wasn't even raging, mate. I was absolutely wetting myself. was like, oh, no, this is all my fault. just Yeah.
00:10:24
Zak
It does seem us feel like the universe is against you at this point. Either way, yeah, I think it was it just what did, like a very very good team performance and and a game that, you know, we spent so long having games where even we were 2-0 up, regardless of who the opposition
Match Challenges and Fan Support
00:10:38
Zak
was.
00:10:38
Zak
it would just be so nervy. And it wasn't quite as nervy.
00:10:41
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:10:42
Zak
there was There were moments of complacency. There were moments that we lost the ball and we switched off a little bit and and gave them a couple of, you know, throw-ins and it took ref a really long time to, ho remember who it was that they carded, but the guy that basically took out Manning for the entirety of the game, they eventually got carded for taking out Matski.
00:10:57
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:11:00
Zak
But we spent a very sort of, there was just a lot of that game where we up being sort of lose concentration. But I think as pointed out at the beginning, it was just a so very non-threat.
00:11:13
Zak
I know that they've come out afterwards and their boss has basically complained about our advertising hoardings. Which, looking at them, I don't know... you you were there, Greg. Were they anything thicker than cardboard? Because the idea that the corner is taking out taking out a player seems a bit surprising to me,
00:11:30
DailySaintsPod
it was it was lucky that it was as good weather at St Mary's today as it was because a light breeze would have taken them away.
00:11:37
Zak
Yeah, and it's it's one of those things where, like, i understand that we had a horror injury in the week between Liverpool and Galatasaray that also involved an advertised, like, board and, and you know, getting trapped in between, and it was pretty awful.
00:11:37
DailySaintsPod
Like...
00:11:52
Zak
But it's one of those things where... If we'd we were notorious for our long throws, do you not think that they would do exactly the same? And until you ban it, it's until you ban it it's not really going to be something that you can
00:12:02
DailySaintsPod
Oh, absolutely. And look, there was...
00:12:07
DailySaintsPod
And look, there was there was also clearance the other side of the board. like they were they were There was zero danger of them being there. Honestly, they was they were far enough away from the pitch. And it's hysterical. But look you know you're right. we we have moments of, I guess, lapses of concentration. But at the end of the day, they had one shot on target.
00:12:31
DailySaintsPod
in the entire game. So, you know, we we kept them pretty quiet. And, you know, some of that was through... I mean, look, Oxford are where they are at the table for a reason, and that shone, right?
00:12:44
DailySaintsPod
But I will say though, that probably one of the the better sets of fans we've had down at the ground today, can especially considering their table position. I know it's only like just down the road, but it's, yeah, full away end and in full voice for the entire game.
00:13:05
DailySaintsPod
So what more do you want?
00:13:07
Zak
again again, like harking back to to when you were talking about when we were in like playing the f FA Cup or League Cup or whatever, no one's... No, it wasn't even that.
00:13:20
Zak
Sorry. Took me a while to get there, didn't it? When you were talking Charlton, you were like, no one really supporting Charlton for like the the glory, right? And it very much feels the same. I feel like if you're supporting Oxford United, you're supporting them because they are your local team.
00:13:31
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, there's no plastic Oxford fans.
00:13:33
Zak
Yeah.
00:13:34
DailySaintsPod
Like, you just...
00:13:34
Zak
right yeah i think that's that's my point and like you know they were talking about how it was really big for them to spend like one million pound on a player and that's a big deal right and for a club of sort of that stature and it is one of those things where ultimately
00:13:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:13:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:13:50
Zak
as much as, you know, it was a very, we put them to bed. so We do have significantly larger spending power than them. And that is a problem that probably needs to be dealt with in the Championship when especially teams come up from sort of League One if they ever want to keep it competitive. Because if not, you are going to end up with...
00:14:08
Zak
well, the same merry-go-rounds of promotion, right? The only thing that is is exciting about League One at the moment is that Link and Town are like two games away from coming up. And if Tottenham go down, they can be playing away there.
00:14:19
Zak
Absolutely incredible. But it's it's one of those things where like early on in the season, you know, i kind of, I,
00:14:23
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:14:28
Zak
I think I predicted them to just about stay up because I thought others would do worse around them. it's It's difficult. And yeah, I think that if you've supported a team like that, like we've been there as well. Last season for the Premier League, we were there. It was awful. But, you know, they they came and gave it a go. i just think that the problem is if your entire plan was to to kind of play this low block and then you go 2-0 down, what do you do at that point?
00:14:51
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, no exactly.
00:14:51
Zak
Again, it me half it took them a whole half before they decided, right, I think we actually need to try and push forward a little bit at that point. But, you know, i think we're just in such good form and I think we just have such connection and we are are chasing something and we've got such a level of belief.
00:15:10
Zak
that it's really, really hard to kind of stop that momentum.
00:15:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:15:14
Zak
And even though I was kind of worried about the complacency, and I think he was even asked because obviously we recorded before the press conference, but Tom was asked about it. And he was like, oh, no, there's no...
00:15:22
DailySaintsPod
Lots are recorded after the press conference when the press conference is the last minute of a Friday afternoon.
00:15:23
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:15:30
Zak
True. But like, you know, I think you he was asked about sort of, oh, you know, do you treat this kind of game skiffer?
00:15:31
DailySaintsPod
you
00:15:35
Zak
He's like, no, it's the next game. We just need to win. It's going to be a different game. Sure. But yeah, and I think potentially some of that snuck in a little bit. I'm not going lie. As I said, there was there was some, we gave them probably well too much of the ball beginning the second half than we needed to.
00:15:49
Zak
But ultimately, we have trust in our team to be able to get that over the line. And, you know, we've had so many, what's that, like six or seven clean sheets now? in like the last however long since Paris has been behind the goal, you've got, you know,
00:16:01
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. It's been... Yeah, it's quite a few. It's... You're right. it's It's really solid at the back. and But you're right. i mean, look, let's be honest. In the scheme of things, Oxford will probably not come into some areas expecting to take anything from the game, right?
00:16:19
DailySaintsPod
It's not the game work that's going to make or break their season, right? Their form before us is still win-win-win-draw, and they will not... I think, be too disheartened at that performance today. And, and you know, that that race at the bottom is very close.
00:16:38
DailySaintsPod
Really, any two of that sort of five, maybe even as high up as Charlton's six, are still properly in the danger zone.
00:16:41
Zak
well Yeah, you know,
00:16:49
DailySaintsPod
Literally four points between and 19th. Yeah.
00:16:53
Zak
Another team today has has lost a significant goal difference advantage that might have helped them stay out of that area. So, you know, who knows? like Again, like it's, it's that they're on the same amount of points as Leicester at this point. And they they did have a run of form where they won three games that are rowing true. So it's not, it's not all the be all and end all. I just think that you, you came up against what but the only way that I can describe us at the moment is a torrent.
00:17:19
Zak
And I just hope that the international break doesn't slow that down. My favourite bit of potential commentary, Greg, was that the potentially the reason that Manning and Azaz were brought off literally the 91st minute was that they probably need to go catch a plane
Defense and Upcoming Challenges
00:17:33
Zak
real soon. LAUGHTER
00:17:36
DailySaintsPod
That's really funny.
00:17:37
Zak
Hence the fact that two Irish teammates were brought off at the same time to potentially, you know, run to St.
00:17:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. No, that's pretty funny.
00:17:43
Zak
Alhamdulillah airport to catch a plane over to Dublin or whatever.
00:17:43
DailySaintsPod
That's
00:17:46
DailySaintsPod
crazy.
00:17:47
Zak
So, yeah, that was some commentary I listened to in my bunker in France.
00:17:52
DailySaintsPod
we've We've conceded eight goals in the last 12 games and three of those were against Leicester.
00:18:02
Zak
That's... That's insane, because that's a game where you're so one...
00:18:08
DailySaintsPod
yeah Yeah, like, it's it's just it just, look, it's like you say, it's it's that feeling that everything is going right.
00:18:08
Zak
Man, you're right. What a time to be a Saints fan, right? Like, good Lord.
00:18:20
DailySaintsPod
And whether it's an uncomfortable drag-it-over-the-line a very tough game against Norwich or a... put it away early and, you know, keep trying for the rest of the match, but it doesn't really matter at that point is what it is. And yeah, it was, I think it was professional.
00:18:43
DailySaintsPod
I would call it right. We didn't, we didn't overexert. We still created, you know, we still pushed and tried to create that, that other opportunity, but,
00:18:54
DailySaintsPod
but two, frankly, ridiculous goals. I think think that Shady Charles goal is is the best goal I've seen live.
00:19:05
Zak
is it Is it going to overtake the Bufal goal? Is that what i'm hearing?
00:19:09
DailySaintsPod
I think so.
00:19:11
Zak
Yeah.
00:19:11
DailySaintsPod
it was it was hit so perfectly and and even stood right behind him hitting it I did not think it was in until it was in.
00:19:24
DailySaintsPod
Like, the the movement on the ball was ridiculous.
00:19:25
Zak
Yeah.
00:19:28
DailySaintsPod
I'm like, oh, that's going Rose-Ed. Oh, it's got a bit of curl on it, actually. Well, going to be closer, I think. Oh, that's actually gone in.
00:19:35
Zak
Do you know like the other type of goal it kind of reminds me of was like the Cucca-Martina goal from way back when that just kind of nobody expected that it was going to be hit from 30 yards out and go in.
00:19:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:46
Zak
I just hope that we didn't use up our our wonder goal against Oxford and we are still able to pull something out of the bag against Arsenal because it's kind of mad that that will be our next game that we talk about.
00:19:55
DailySaintsPod
That was Shea Charles' first goal at St Mary's, by the way.
00:19:58
Zak
What's it actually? That's crazy.
00:20:01
DailySaintsPod
it
00:20:01
Zak
God.
00:20:03
DailySaintsPod
i mean, if you're going to only score one.
00:20:06
Zak
I mean, yeah, if you go if you score the one goal, then as that's the goal you ought to be scoring, isn't it? and Especially considering we've seen players try that and it go miles away, right? Paul Leo has tried to do things like that all season. It's never gone anywhere near it.
00:20:21
Zak
Shea Charles, not known for his shooting and score miles.
00:20:23
DailySaintsPod
was from scott It was from such a horrible path as well. That's the craziest part.
00:20:28
Zak
Yeah, it's just a complete miss-hit, right?
00:20:28
DailySaintsPod
He...
00:20:29
Zak
It wasn't really meant for him. He just kind of got on the end of it. But that's that's too... That's, like, you know, an incredible goal at home. And then, obviously, that vital winner at Leicester, that alone is is worth the entry fee for Shea Charles. And I don't think he's been... He's had the greatest couple of games recently.
00:20:47
Zak
you know you but But it's nice to see him do well. I'm really glad when he came back from Sheffield Wednesday and then there was all that there was that talk about him even getting pipped potentially by Sheffield United, which was weird. So I'm quite glad that he stayed. And again, it's nice to have that option between him, Yander and Downs and even Cam Bragg at this point. It's just so many solid midfield options that I'm not really worried about us playing any of them.
00:21:10
Zak
And that's a really nice place to be in.
00:21:11
DailySaintsPod
That's funny.
00:21:14
DailySaintsPod
Honestly, it's is it's a part of the team sheet that I don't even really pay attention to. like It's so it just like, yeah, whatever. It's happy. And Shea Charles, he just, i don't I don't know if I've got the words to to pull it out, but he just has carries himself in such a way that you feel the confidence radiating off him. like There's a Premier League quality player in there based purely off the way he carries himself.
00:21:40
Zak
Yeah, I think he he can come across quite stoic, but I also think it's because it's quietly confident, right? There's just like an... I don't want to be
00:21:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:50
Zak
young enough to be like there's an aura per se but like I think that you know he he knows what he's doing and trusts in what he's doing and you know as he said he kind of took the chance because he didn't you know what i was there to lose there already won their lap then it just went in I don't think that he intended necessarily that he thought it was gonna he was gonna score but he did and it was beautiful and yeah it'll probably went goal of the season for us at least for sure and you know and that that kind of
00:22:12
DailySaintsPod
yeah If you watch Saints posted on their YouTube channel were a clip of him watching the goal back after the game. And i think what he said was was telling to me, because i'm I'm quite good at reading between the lines on these kind of statements. And what he said was, yeah, I just thought I'm going to hit this because i yeah I didn't have time to take a touch. I didn't want to encourage the counter-attack. And what that says to me is that it wasn't a shot, it was a clearance.
00:22:47
Zak
Look, it's fine. It's fine with that. so they're Some of the best goals we've scored, you know.
00:22:51
DailySaintsPod
think
00:22:53
Zak
It's like you just look about the other week. That's his matsky's goal that definitely wasn't intended to be a goal that went in. Like, sometimes sometimes they produce the best bits in the football. But honestly, i think that for for a game that I thought maybe fatigue might kick in, I thought maybe a bit of complacency came in.
00:23:03
DailySaintsPod
Sensational.
00:23:11
Zak
And as I said, that complacency was a little bit on show. but Ultimately, got it over the line. We scored those two goals. We killed off the game. And then we we move on. you know Would it have been nice if Raxma dropped points today too? Yeah. There have been a lot of draws around us at the top of the top of the championship, right? Ipswich.
00:23:31
Zak
Millwall both won all, and that was televised on ITV. like Excellent show for the championship, I'm sure. Coventry back to winning by showing how good I think our win was, if I'm totally honest, that they have just immediately so swiftly moved back into what they've been doing recently.
00:23:45
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:23:52
Zak
And yeah, and as as you said, the championship roundup is going to be good fun because we've also had some excellent results for us. As you also pointed out, they they played the the Pompey score around the stadium.
00:24:03
DailySaintsPod
but It was one of, honestly, considering how sensational a day it was, just the weather was perfect. Had a a lovely pre-game lunch in the park.
00:24:14
DailySaintsPod
Sat down at the ground. just Just the sun disappeared past the stadium roof. Just in time for kickoff so i didn't have to worry about hat or sunglasses. Like, it just it couldn't have been a better day. And then right at the end, with the classic Saints admin levels of housery, put the Pompey score up on the screen. And Jax even sees it, points at it, cheers, laughs, and then celebrates the win even more. Like...
00:24:49
Zak
Okay.
00:24:51
DailySaintsPod
is just perfect. Yeah. No, it's good. I was saying the... I think we were saying before the recording, mate, the difference is so visible on and off the pitch if you pay any kind of attention to the club, right? In fact, like just before this run, i think I called out on the podcast, I'm like, I don't think there's any save in this group. they all just that None of them celebrated together. They all just shuffled off down the tunnel as individuals. And ironically, since basically immediately after that, what we are seeing is a team of people who enjoy being together, playing together, celebrating together, like a proper unity in the ranks. And i don't know...
00:25:47
DailySaintsPod
what superpowers Tonda has to apply that to the team and have brought out... Like, when you compare it to, you know, the team he took over, you look at literally the reverse fixture of this on Boxing Day and how awful it was.
00:26:08
DailySaintsPod
ace It's like like it's a completely different team. I don't and understand. like it It almost doesn't compute in my head how much he's turned it around.
00:26:15
Zak
yeah
00:26:19
DailySaintsPod
like
Leadership and Team Morale
00:26:19
DailySaintsPod
It's unbelievable.
00:26:20
Zak
Well, I think some of it is, and I think that maybe some of it was what we talked about, Greg, where you know you've got some of the...
00:26:32
Zak
players who needed to maybe move on for their own careers, you you remove them out of that environment and what is left is the actual team and what you've got left is the players that want to break through. And I think that probably was a big bit of it as well.
00:26:44
Zak
And then you've reinforced with incredibly, you know, good reinforcements as well, right?
00:26:45
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:26:50
Zak
Like that that's what I think has been really important. for the team in general is just creating the environment. And I think that's half the battle. When you've got a bunch of players that don't think they're goingnna play again, miserable. You've got a bunch of players that don't really want to be here.
00:27:08
Zak
You've got, you know, some players that are probably disgruntled that they're not quite getting the time on the pitch. And that's a problem. And then you kind of strip it back and strip it down to what you're right is a team.
00:27:20
Zak
That's good. And then you've you've injected some... fresh blood into the team that isn't even tainted by like the early bit of the season with Will still, right? Because we had some transfers in, we had a big overhaul and then the Will still kind of, it just didn't work. But then you've got Laren that's come in that's tried to like sort of reinvigorate his career and in time for the internationals. And that seems to have happened. You've got Peretz that's come in as kind of terminated his loan from elsewhere in Germany by a Munich keeper that has come in and is...
00:27:50
Zak
look bit viciously trying to defend every single ball that comes in and will not allow clean butli sheets to, you know, not materialize. And you combine all of that, you've got the team that we have currently. And I think that, yeah, as you spoke about a couple weeks ago, sometimes it's the the mental side of things are ire is incredibly important. And I think that, you know, a a very, what seems to be together coaching stuff as well, right? There seems to be a lot of emphasis on,
00:28:19
Zak
from Tom there to like the rest of his staff as well. And I thought it was a bit of experiment really to kind of tinker and just kind of put, shove people left, right and center that don't really know each other together. And what that's actually done is allow them to establish a relationship and a bond to create whatever we've got going on at the moment. And as I always like to point out, I don't think it resolves all of the problems we have with the,
00:28:44
Zak
the club outside of this. Like, you know, there's still weird stuff going on potentially with the ownership and and things like that. But like, man, is it nice to not have to think too much about that because things are going right on the pit.
00:28:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:28:57
Zak
Like, that's, for me, is a,
00:28:59
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. I mean, they have bought themselves the goodwill. we We used to talk a lot about Will Steele, right, and describe a lot of his decisions as, ooh, that's the sort of decision that either makes you a genius or a muppet.
00:29:17
DailySaintsPod
and And that is exactly the kind of decision that Johan Sporz made when he appointed Tonda, right? Like, it's it's either going to come off... real good and even at that point I don't think you could have even considered it going as good as it's gone now or it was going to be a disaster.
00:29:37
DailySaintsPod
and
00:29:37
Zak
Yep.
00:29:39
DailySaintsPod
But just what a breath of fresh air. I just, i just yeah, i can't I can't fathom based on what we watched at the start of the season how different the team looks now in in every performance.
00:29:53
Zak
i I also think that potentially you're right about the fact that, you know, I don't know, can't remember again if you said it on air or not, but the conversation around the fact that I think Will still might have been a very tactically minded manager and maybe he wasn't able to, you know, emphasize and rebuild and help the scar tissue as much as for whatever reason Tonda has been able to.
00:30:18
Zak
And if it goes back to as simple as when he first got in charge and he was talking about the Hungry Eyes stuff and it's just some like insane levels of commitment that has meant that the rest of the team have bought into that, that's fine. Because again, we questioned how long they would be able to do that for, especially you know first couple of wins after...
00:30:40
Zak
he we started his fella's interim and, you know, he's supposed to be sleeping at the stadium and all this, as this and the other.
00:30:43
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:30:45
Zak
we We questioned how long that was sustainable for. And then it wasn't because we went through a little rough patch. But then to be able to recover from that rough patch into where we're at now and just genuinely believe that we can go up against anyone and win, so good.
00:30:57
DailySaintsPod
It's like you say, right? look build Build a team around him that can take on but he can trust to take on those commitments so that he doesn't have to to ruin himself to do it, right?
00:31:09
DailySaintsPod
He has a team of analysts and backroom staff. I was reading one article that was saying about how one of the first things he did was bring in these specialists in sports mentality And maybe that was all it took.
00:31:22
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:31:23
DailySaintsPod
Like, though you clearly just... Just, yeah, something has clicked. Something has made it work. The right blend of tactical genius and completely eccentric lunatic, like, clearly hates press conferences.
00:31:41
DailySaintsPod
And I'm completely here for it. Like...
00:31:47
DailySaintsPod
4pm on a Friday, I'll give you six minutes, jobs are good and... Great. What could you want for a football manager, honestly? Like...
00:31:56
Zak
Yeah, that you're right. It's fair.
Closing Reflections and Engagement
00:32:00
DailySaintsPod
But look, go what a wonderful time to be a Saints fan is definitely the theme of the episode. What a game. What a beautiful footballing day to do it on with the sunshine in at St Mary's. a wonderful atmosphere, although that is much easier to create when you score as early and as sensationally as we did. But...
00:32:26
DailySaintsPod
Hey, that's it. That's all we've got time for today. Uh, thank you everyone for listening. Thank you as always, Zach, for joining me.
00:32:34
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:32:34
DailySaintsPod
Uh, that Let us know in the socials, in the comments, what did you make of the day? are you upset that it wasn't more or are you just happy now? 14 games unbeaten, right? It's a crazy run.
00:32:51
DailySaintsPod
And let us know what your plans are to kill time in the international break because we all hate
00:33:00
Zak
Look, maybe we take like couple of days off just saying, Greg. We'll make that decision later on, I'm sure.
00:33:07
DailySaintsPod
I it just feel like when we asked what would Tonda do, I don't think that's like one of the things.
00:33:15
Zak
figure it out. We always do.
00:33:17
DailySaintsPod
Let me see.
00:33:17
Zak
We would be we would be on 400 episodes in just over a year, if not. But there we are.
00:33:24
Zak
Oof.
00:33:29
Zak
During the episodes listeners, Greg went back and realized that in his effort to try and one up for me as he usually does when I predicted 2-0, he might have predicted three.
00:33:41
DailySaintsPod
Indeed. Anyway, look let us know on the socials and the comments. We are at Daily Saints Pod. Absolutely everywhere. X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube.
00:33:55
DailySaintsPod
Everywhere. Hit us up. Let us know how you're feeling. We see all the comments. We are so grateful for them. and they drive us on. And while you're there, why not drop us a like and a subscribe?
00:34:09
DailySaintsPod
Because it really goes a long way to helping us out, and we are super grateful for all of it. We will be back tomorrow to cover the rest of the weekend's action in the Championship, and...
00:34:22
DailySaintsPod
boy, that's not an episode you are going to want to miss because let's just say there were six or seven goals down the road that might be a talking point.
00:34:36
DailySaintsPod
Who knows? yeah Until then, though, everyone, have a wonderful day and we will see you then.
00:34:41
Zak
I hate and love that.