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Episode 455: World Cup, Wolves and Ward-Prowse
79 Plays19 hours ago
Southampton – Transfer rumours and news, International football, manager chaos. All might be quiet on the club front for the moment, but there is plenty to talk about today!
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Transcript
Southampton FC Updates & Fan Expectations
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod episode number 455. My name is Greg as always today joined by good friend and wonderful co-host Zach mate how are you doing?
00:00:29
Zak
Yeah, it's about me. Sort of cracking on, really.
00:00:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:00:33
Zak
It's quite nice to be in that position, to be honest.
00:00:36
DailySaintsPod
yeah yeah Indeed. Look, it's all a bit quiet on the Saints front. There's bits and bobs coming out. We're all kind of sat, eagerly awaiting the retained release list, eagerly awaiting any more kind of contract news, eagerly awaiting season ticket
World Cup Preview and England's Performance
00:00:55
DailySaintsPod
details.
00:00:55
DailySaintsPod
But...
00:00:55
Zak
They've said that's on the way, though, right? Like, I've i've seen that that's now on the way.
00:00:58
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, they're dropping soon. Who knows what that means. But but in the meantime, the the rest of the footballing world doesn't stop, mate. There's a World Cup about to start, or I guess at time of release, has kicked off.
00:01:13
DailySaintsPod
that' that's That's exciting, is isn't it? Are we excited for that?
World Cup's Logistical Challenges
00:01:21
Zak
You know, ask me, I think we're probably to about the England game that happened, but... Last night at Time of Recording, mate. I'd be lying if said watched it.
00:01:30
DailySaintsPod
Well, I forgot it was on, <unk>s be honest.
00:01:32
Zak
good
00:01:33
DailySaintsPod
And then i got home from playing football and and saw that it was on and we were already 1-0 up at that point. And then I watched it and we won 3-0. But it was it was sure a game of football.
00:01:47
Zak
I saw more in the build-up about the weather and the pitch and how impressive impressive the pitch drainage was than I saw anything to do with the actual game, line-up or anyone involved.
00:01:48
DailySaintsPod
don't know.
00:01:59
Zak
And I think that I've seen more about Declan Rice's sunburn in the lineup pictures for you know the promo that i have anything about the game that happened yesterday which pretty much says it all and you know it's gonna be fun we got we got uh carl laren to canada at some point i think that's to tomorrow uh and then we've got a bit of weird well today if you're listening to it so tonight
00:02:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:02:26
Zak
I think the the first fixture Mexico, South Africa, right? Which, for a while, I thought was weird before remembering that Mexico are of the hosts. Like, it's just...
00:02:34
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, there's three hosts, right? So it's it's a bit weird. It feels... it let's, let's think about it for a minute. I'm not as hyped for this world cup as I have been for, for just about any world cup previously.
00:02:51
DailySaintsPod
I can't really put my finger on why now.
00:02:53
Zak
That includes Qatar. I think that...
00:02:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, but i mean, Qatar had the benefit of being in the middle of the season, I think, right? Like, and, and despite beforehand it, all of the concerns of it being, you know, an absolute disaster,
00:03:11
DailySaintsPod
from a purely like football tournament perspective, it actually all seemed to, to go down fairly well. Logistically. It wasn't too bad.
00:03:22
DailySaintsPod
And you know, other concerns of, of the prep aside, but like this one just feels, feels weird.
Economic Impact of the World Cup
00:03:34
DailySaintsPod
Didn't it across three places is odd.
00:03:34
Zak
I genuinely, genuinely, yeah, across three places is kind of ridiculous because, you know, it's not like they're three places that are close together either, right?
00:03:46
Zak
Like people forget the size of like the United States and like Mexico and Canada and stuff. that These aren't small countries. This isn't like you drive an hour up the road to get there. You know, if you had it, you could have arguably had a World Cup just generically in Europe.
00:04:00
Zak
and and probably it would have you know been easier to get from place to place. But I also don't think like the time zones help either. like As much as you know it's going to be difficult for like the average Joe to like watch it at 3 in the morning, 2 in the morning, 5 in the morning, right? So that means that there's going to be a lot of games that are like off the miss. Scotland's fixture being at two a is ridiculous because like how can anyone realistically find the time to watch it?
00:04:22
DailySaintsPod
it's crazy.
00:04:26
Zak
So I think the expanded format has meant that there's a lot of teams that you kind of like forget are either in the World Cup and I think that's great for those countries. I think the way that FIFA handed based basically everything from ticket prices to the infrastructure around the stadiums and prices in the stadiums, which I know they don't entirely set.
00:04:46
Zak
you know The political assist situation aside, there's nothing really they can do. like i think the the the the guy, I can't remember his name, Infaniento, turned around and said, like well if we when we're hosting it in the World Cup in like the UK in 2036, if the government says they can't allow people in, like what is FIFA meant do about that?
00:05:06
Zak
I'm like, yeah, but like you also gave Donald Trump like a peace prize.
00:05:08
DailySaintsPod
maybe we just don't host it there.
00:05:10
Zak
like Make up your mind. You either...
00:05:11
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it's just, it's, it's, you're right, like, trying to put the the politics of it to one side, America's really, it didn't feel like out of the two between it and Qatar that it would be the one that had this much friction, but here we are.
00:05:25
Zak
Right! I think it's like, there's a reason that we're not holding, like, World Cups in, like, North Korea, right? And it's because of, mainly, it's like, issues to get people going and issues of people, arriving and things like that, right?
00:05:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:05:38
Zak
Obviously, a lot more, but, you know, but my point still stands, and it's just kind of like,
00:05:43
Zak
They have made it an unenjoyable experience before it started. And I think when you do that, it is a struggle to create hype. Like admittedly, you could maybe put that down to the media as well. You know, I've seen more news stories about the fact that the USA area is hosting these games have not sold out on hotels than anything else, right? Where they were expecting some massive economic boom and just nothing's happened. because a
Broadcast Changes Affecting Fans
00:06:08
Zak
lot of people can't go, won't go, can't be bothered.
00:06:11
Zak
you know You've got people having their visas pulled last minute. Again, that's more of a reflection on whatever's going on in America.
00:06:17
DailySaintsPod
Referees being stopped from traveling to referee, being the first person from their country to referee.
00:06:20
Zak
Yeah, like, again, it's it's a it's it's a nation's right to be able to do realistically what it wants to do. The problem is, is when you are hosting a global sporting event, you're going to need to maybe accept that people from around the globe are going to want to come to your, like, place to watch said global sporting event.
00:06:36
Zak
And if they're just relying entirely on local fans, like, fine. But I don't know if you've also seen the viral thing of somebody just, like, having a full-scale meal at the corner flag. That could be nice, like, to the corner.
00:06:45
DailySaintsPod
I did see that, mate, yeah. Just out there at a table with a burger.
00:06:48
Zak
You're like, it's... And like flip side, did you see, I actually sent it to you, the women's game yesterday of the USA versus Brazil, right?
00:06:51
DailySaintsPod
burger and a drink.
00:06:58
Zak
Where there were like eight red cards given. Four to players, four to like, and that's because the USA beat Brazil, like, last minute on home turf. And, you know, like, that kind of craziness, like, you just it just doesn't feel like it's going to have the same vibe. Like, at this point, you talk about Qatar, mate, I'm thinking, like, is Russia going to be better than the USA?
00:07:18
Zak
Who knows?
00:07:18
DailySaintsPod
yeah written Yeah, it's hard, because like even in the build-up to...
00:07:18
Zak
It hasn't started yet, so I can't can't give it too much, but...
00:07:24
DailySaintsPod
Even in like the the immediate days before Qatar, I remember there was like uproar when like they suddenly decided they weren't going to sell beer when previously they said they could, but...
00:07:36
DailySaintsPod
It all, once the football started, it all kind of got swept under the rug and became a good tournament. So you're right. Maybe once it all kicks off and we get into the flow of it, it won't be too bad. I think on top of like all of that, also like the coverage over here that we're going to get is different and odd, right? Like we're not going to be getting a daily highlights show anymore. They're just going to have highlights of all of the individual games available on the red button and on social media. And,
00:08:06
DailySaintsPod
It's just not the way that people of a certain age enjoyed consuming the World Cup back in the day.
00:08:09
Zak
Consume it. Also,
00:08:13
DailySaintsPod
Same as like the Olympic, right?
00:08:13
Zak
don't want to get up at 3 a.m.
00:08:15
DailySaintsPod
Like there's something nice about sitting down of an evening and flicking the channel on and just watching like a shorter version of the things that happen in the day.
00:08:25
DailySaintsPod
So you can be up to date and not miss it. it's harder to to sit and follow. like I don't think I'm going to be staying up till two o'clock in the morning to watch the football. If I happen to be up at two o'clock in the morning, I might flick it on, but I would hope that I'm not, right?
00:08:40
DailySaintsPod
It's it's it's a strange one.
00:08:42
Zak
Yeah, it's like, especially where, you know, if you're not going to build, know it's going to be difficult to put games around home fans, right? Because like Scotland and, you know, Scotland and Haiti, Haiti's going to have a time zone that's very close to the US because it's that sort of area. Scotland is not.
00:08:59
Zak
But like some of these matches are like five in the morning, three in the morning, two in the morning. five in the morning. And it's like, it's going to be difficult for a lot of people to like watch it. And then if you're, if they don't have the same level of current color, like it's almost, it's almost like go, go have a proper, like proper media blackout and just replay them a day.
00:09:17
Zak
And obviously potentially, you know, other countries have had to deal with this when they're played in other places across the world. However, like, I don't think it's to the level that we're experiencing now considering, you know, Europe,
00:09:33
Zak
biggest, you know, bar maybe sub bay bar maybe South America, like football is the biggest sport and the most important sport. And I feel like, you know, you cut out most of that fan base from being able to watch it.
00:09:46
Zak
And then you you bet you put massive restrictions on them attending it. Who's going to care? And I think that's where we've landed.
00:09:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:09:53
Zak
And, like, again, this might all change once it kicks off properly. And I'm sure that all of us will be, you know, back in back in England or whatever, or Scotland or Wales or whoever. Obviously, Wales is not in it.
00:10:03
Zak
But it's all right. Wales, you've got Canada. Pick Canada if you're a Saints fan. Karl Lahren's Canadian as well. Canada are going to be my backup team because they're the one have reasonable times to watch it. Like, you know, most of their games like, 8 p.m.
00:10:19
Zak
But yes, I don't know. yeah I don't think it's just you. I think there's a a contributing amount of factors that have made it more like, again, it's it's but baffling that somehow Qatar and Russia as World Cups have ended up being less political than the United States.
00:10:36
Zak
It's such a topsy-turvy world we live in. yeah, I think once it kicks off, hopefully we'll see what happens. But I don't maybe it just feels a bit... Is it usually this early? Is it usually June? I swear it was earlier this year because of how many teams they've got.
00:10:53
DailySaintsPod
Maybe. Maybe it's starting slightly earlier. Yeah, maybe it's just too soon after we haven't had had the proper amount of like time to breathe and miss football.
00:10:58
Zak
Doesn't feel like it's summer yet. I don't know.
00:11:02
DailySaintsPod
You're right. It does feel... I don't know if it is actually earlier or if just the actual football season takes longer now. Life that tends to be later.
00:11:09
Zak
yeah No, you're right. Sorry.
00:11:10
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:11:11
Zak
We're a championship where there's like a billion and
Wolves' Management Decisions
00:11:13
Zak
one games before before it ends.
00:11:13
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:11:15
Zak
And plus, we've had there so much extra drama towards our end of the season.
00:11:17
DailySaintsPod
e
00:11:19
Zak
It's not like we've been able to just like take the break that we said we would take because you know we're sanists. But yeah, I'm looking forward to to some aspects of it. I'll be looking forward to seeing how Ross gets on and how Kyle gets on.
00:11:34
Zak
not, you know, we'll see we'll see how England get on. I think that's a question mark for a lot of people, right? Like, yes, we won last night. Yes, it was three-nale Costa Rica guys. Like...
00:11:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, a team that didn't qualify for the expanded World Cup, right?
00:11:44
Zak
often
00:11:48
DailySaintsPod
So it's you have to to place that. I don't know. I think you're right. How England do will be interesting this year. I was doing one of the old bracket predictors earlier today.
00:12:01
DailySaintsPod
And if we win our group... And Scotland come third in their group, but do well enough to be put through to the group stages as one of the... They have to be in the top eight of the 12 third places to move to the knockout stage. And then if they manage to win their one knockout round match, we could have England versus Scotland at some point in this World Cup.
00:12:27
DailySaintsPod
I realise that's a lot of ifs, but it's that's not outside the world of possibility, is it? that that's That's doable.
00:12:36
Zak
But can we have Canada-Scotland? Because then it's the stroke of Derby. And that's like, i just again, it know that that that's where it kind of puts, be I don't know, that's always a horrible question to ask, right?
00:12:40
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:12:47
Zak
What's more important, club football country football? Because depending on who you ask, there are vastly different answers to that question. And as you can tell from our, not necessarily apathy, like we'll get proper into it when it kicks off.
00:12:59
Zak
but what We've always been, hence way we do a Daily Saints pod and not a Daily England pod, although that'd be quite difficult to do right? just be every day, like, maybe this guy gets called up.
00:13:10
DailySaintsPod
People will find that to talk about, believe it or not, mate. That could be a thing you talk about for 20 minutes every day. Yeah.
00:13:18
Zak
No, you're right. that People will talk for 20 minutes about anything. Me and you are, of like, fundamental... examples of that speaking of speaking of stuff outside the world cup then greg and it's something that has a direct impact on saints that isn't necessarily saints news so but what's your opinion on the rob edwards thing that i said to you this morning that was announced by for british romano where i was like surely that's not real right surely this is some sort of like trolling thing
00:13:28
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:13:49
DailySaintsPod
It's a really strange one, right? i think you said it best when said, why did they hire Rob Edwards then? Surely it wasn't to keep them up.
00:13:55
Zak
What's the point?
00:13:56
DailySaintsPod
But...
00:13:59
Zak
It's funny because the episode that we've been out today, when it's all kicked off, I mentioned about Wolves' weird link to Georgie Vendez, right, ages ago.
00:13:59
DailySaintsPod
just...
00:14:08
Zak
And now it's like, have they tapped him up for a manager as well? Like, has he come and been like, this guy is so much better than Rob Edwards, you should definitely... a It's such a strange decision.
00:14:18
Zak
I've just seen the thing as well that Kieran Trippier is apparently one of the Wolves players that are left angry.
00:14:19
DailySaintsPod
Thank
00:14:24
Zak
I'm like, what's your right? Imagine it you've signed specifically because you thought, well, I believe in the vision of the team, the vision of the boss. You know, you've looked at what they're trying to build and then all of a sudden you're like, actually, no, mate. Sorry, I know you put pen to paper yesterday. on He was in their announcement video. just It was in Jimenez's announcement video. It's just absolutely baffling.
00:14:44
Zak
I genuinely can't get my head around it. and like People think that you know we've made some crazy decisions keeping Tonda. Everyone can have their own opinion on that. I'm slowly coming around to it.
00:14:56
Zak
More so because I don't want to just be angry for the entirety of next season. But when it comes to like this, if a man, like I can remember they also did like a fans forum not too long ago.
00:15:08
Zak
And I remember like them all taking questions and the chairman and stuff taking taking questions and sort of being like, we just want rebuild trust. like We would promise you we'll be competitive with this or the other. And then they just like...
00:15:20
Zak
hit the self-destruct button. But i feel like it's meant that a lot of people have now immediately like dropped in dropped their estimations for promotion because they could end up having some sort of like Sheffield United disastrous start of the season.
00:15:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it's such a strange decision. And it doesn't make sense. It just doesn't make sense as to why would bring Rob Edwards in if that was what your thinking was.
00:15:45
DailySaintsPod
And it's really bizarre. And then obviously you said that or I saw that Rob Edwards only found out because his daughter saw it on Twitter and then had to ring the club.
00:16:06
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:16:09
Zak
So, oh bad if that was misinformation, but it's really, really problematic when all of the sources you use are saying the same thing. But if so, the fact that they were then like, oh, we thank him for his professionalism during his time here.
00:16:16
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:16:21
Zak
It just seemed like the entirety of the point of that hire was to build for the championship, right? And then they got Adam Armstrong in for the championship. i You know, just seemed like... I'm baffled that they thought, well, he was going to keep them up and the decisions they made were going to keep them up. And, you know, the reality of the situation was they were always going down.
00:16:41
Zak
And I can't help but feel like this is somebody that's had a conversation and said, actually, this would be better for the club. And somebody's just gone, yeah, actually, let's do that. Then let's pull trigger. It just seems, again, it's like the thing that everybody had a problem Sporting Public, with like Kraft, right, was just like non-footballing people making...
00:17:00
Zak
footballing decisions based off of the fact that he had like a computer algorithm that was good and thought that that was going to, you know, win the league for us.
00:17:06
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:08
Zak
And, you know, in actuality, when they first took over, all they did was buy City's Academy because the scouting guy told them to. So, yeah, Yeah, it's just it's just baffling, but like it kind of makes us feel like we're not the only club that are no longer we're no longer in turmoil as much as others, right?
00:17:24
Zak
Like Ipswich have now lost Kieran McKenna, which I think is going to be massive for them in the Premier League.
00:17:24
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:29
Zak
And that's apparently off the back of negotiations with Fulham that went poorly. And then he was just like, you know what? i actually just want to give it a rest. So be interesting if he actually does retire or suddenly springs into a job during the middle of the season the this year. But yeah, it's I guess it's not always greener on the other side.
00:17:49
Zak
And obviously weve we talked about f SCI yesterday and all the stuff going on with West Ham.
James Ward-Prowse's Potential Return
00:17:54
Zak
You had another thing that I think we were planning to talk about. don't know if you brought it up. It gives you a chance actually have some input to the show because I talk a lot, Greg. Do you have your prowess back to Southampton?
00:18:05
DailySaintsPod
Oh, right. Yeah, okay. Let's see some stuff out there.
00:18:05
Zak
so So come on let's let's get let's get everybody to hate you.
00:18:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I've seen a lot of this during the rounds on on some of the socials. Would we take James Wolfe-Prowse back? Obviously, with Nuno staying at West Ham, his his time there is likely to be at an end.
00:18:26
DailySaintsPod
And what that looks like for him, i guess, begs the question. He didn't have a particularly successful loan away when he went to Forest, right?
00:18:36
DailySaintsPod
It was it was okay. He's, what, 31 now, which is...
00:18:41
Zak
Whereas it was Forrest recalled, Ben going went to Burnley and weirdly was in the midfield with Ugachukwu, of all people. It's just very, very strange. But then even then, like, it's not like, you know, I feel like if he managed to break his free kick record, we would have heard about it.
00:18:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, well, I mean, 13 appearances at Burnley in that loan, one appearance in the cup, yeah, like 14 appearances total, no gold contributions.
00:18:56
Zak
But then I...
00:19:09
DailySaintsPod
Obviously, stats only tell half the story, but Yeah, it's it's hard to see where he you know might end up off the back of that.
00:19:21
DailySaintsPod
And so obviously that's brought in speculation of maybe he would come back. And so I've seen lots of polls of would you take James Ward-Prowse back? And my opinion is really firmly, yes, absolutely,
00:19:35
DailySaintsPod
If he comes in on a free transfer and doesn't, you know, takes very little wages, right? i If he's going to come in and do the Oriol Romelu job from last season, fine.
00:19:48
DailySaintsPod
I have no problem with that. But...
00:19:50
Zak
Hey, we've not the retained list yet. It might be next season two.
00:19:55
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, I just don't... I don't see him... being a having a big input into the first choice of the team and the starting line-up if he did come back.
00:20:09
DailySaintsPod
And would he want to come back to do that? I don't know. He was a player that, you know when he was with us, prided himself on playing literally every minute of a season with an absolute engine in him. I'm sure that...
00:20:23
DailySaintsPod
despite the age of 31, that will have maintained. I'm sure that he'll be in excellent shape and be able to go plenty. And so will he want to come into a team and and play that role?
00:20:36
DailySaintsPod
I don't know if he'll be ready for that yet. So...
00:20:38
Zak
How do you feel about, okay, so obviously the plan is that we only replace, right? So if if the rumors of Yander go in and true and Shea Charles goes as well, obviously that leaves Bragg and Darns in the middle.
00:20:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:20:53
Zak
Would you not take him then, even if it was a small fee and maybe some of the wages that we'd have spent, or would you literally rather take a younger, different player? because i think that's going to be the more realistic...
00:21:03
DailySaintsPod
oh
00:21:05
Zak
I don't think it would just be for the sake of it. I think it will be to replace. And I don't think that they'd want to spend a lot
00:21:11
DailySaintsPod
what you i I'm struggling to put it into words, which is not really a good place to be on a podcast. But in my brain,
00:21:23
DailySaintsPod
the I profile players in a certain way in the certain ways they play and in their positions and he doesn't really slot into any of those roles. I guess maybe a Caspi Yander role more than a Shea Charles, but I don't know if he's quite got the the physical edge that Yander brings.
00:21:44
DailySaintsPod
So that that was always something that was sort of not missing from his game, but was not more one of his strengths. But i I don't see it happening and I don't think that it would be a particularly good idea.
00:22:03
DailySaintsPod
That said, if it did happen, don't think I would be particularly offended or upset by it. Does that make sense? like Like, I think
00:22:13
Zak
It's a very diplomatic answer of you, mate. Proud of you.
00:22:18
DailySaintsPod
that's how I feel. I like i don't i don't think
00:22:20
Zak
Yeah, no, I get you.
Southampton's Strategy with Former Players
00:22:21
Zak
I believe you. True. Okay.
00:22:22
DailySaintsPod
<unk>t I'm not going to back it and say it's something we should go for. And I don't think we will. And I don't think we should, but if it, if it does come to play, I don't think it necessarily hinders us if we use him in the right way.
00:22:35
Zak
right
00:22:36
DailySaintsPod
But yeah, I don't see it happening though.
00:22:40
DailySaintsPod
Personally.
00:22:40
DailySaintsPod
What about you, mate? What are your thoughts?
00:22:40
Zak
first
00:22:43
Zak
Yeah, I mean, i think that the scenario post-view is one where I wouldn't be as bothered, right? I don't really see the need for for adding him now. And we have this really weird thing with ex-players. We've talked about it quite a lot on this podcast. I don't know if it's just a Southampton thing, but it seems to be like an obsession. Like when Oxide Chamberlain was a free agent, we should have gone in for him. We did that with Theo Walcott, and that was him right.
00:23:08
Zak
We did that with Lallana and he played about five minutes of the season and realistically got a step up in his coaching career. Staying with Romelu, you know, it just seems to be a bit of a strange one where we seem to have such an attachment and then we bring them back and then they don't light it up.
00:23:22
Zak
And then we kind of, you wonder whether or not the wages wasted. Like, I don't think that they've been wasted on Romelu. I think he's, you know, potentially by the sounds of it, the influence he's had in the backroom and on the training ground has been influential.
00:23:33
Zak
It's why as much as we might have mugged off George Long, Clearly, as a member of the goalkeeping unit and somebody to, you know, practice with alongside Peretz, that has been useful.
00:23:43
Zak
And it's why we've signed him permanently. And, you know, but that's sometimes what you actually need, right?
00:23:46
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:23:50
Zak
Like, if you need that to complete the puzzle, then that's fine. Yeah. I don't think we should be going out there bidding crazy money to to try and bring him back. I'm also not of the ilk that, you know, oh, well, he he was a captain and he jumped ship or whatever. i was like, nah, he wanted to continue his England career. The grass wasn't always greener and it didn't end up going that well for him.
00:24:11
Zak
But, you know, it was a personal decision, in the family decision. and He wanted to try something different. And ultimately, you know, he's now paid the price for it a little bit. So I'm not bitter about it either. But I think where you're at is right is it's difficult to... It's not going to be the same player we let go.
00:24:27
Zak
And i think that's the problem is that, you know, we we aren't just going to be... i don't want to just become a retirement home for our former players unless they have an actual role to play.
00:24:39
Zak
And I think...
00:24:39
DailySaintsPod
i think that I think that he'd be further away from that than some of the players you've mentioned.
00:24:43
Zak
crew, my point is is that that's what i I'm very worried about. don't want that to be our club. Bringing experience in is fine. Being able to come in and not really do as much, and I kind of...
00:24:56
Zak
That's no offence to sort of Lallana and Walcott stuff. When they came in, it's like they knew that they weren't going to play every week. They knew that they, you know, they looked knackered after 50 minutes. Lallana played, what, like a full half of one game for the whole of the season in the Premier League?
00:25:09
Zak
And I know that James Ward-Prowse is a very, very different player. And, you know, is as you said, he's not of that age, but we are going to start developing a reputation, especially amongst old players, that you can just come back, sit back for a little bit,
00:25:18
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:23
Zak
And I don't think that necessarily would be case, but also i don't know if it's wise to just keep, keep rewinding the clock every single time. But if the club went in for him and he played for us and then he started starting and he started scoring three kicks every week for sure. But at
Russell Martin's Rumored Move to Leicester
00:25:39
Zak
this point, are you going to replace him, hit him not scoring a free kick in like two years over Manning?
00:25:44
Zak
That'd be an interesting debate. Who starts, who takes the free kicks because don't know, is his delivery as good?
00:25:46
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. I mean, it doesn't even count towards the record. It's like the Premier League. So don't know.
00:25:53
Zak
Correct.
00:25:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. i've done it I don't know. I think that it will be a moot point. I think you'll probably get a move somewhere else.
00:26:03
Zak
Yeah, to be honest, wouldn't be surprised.
00:26:05
DailySaintsPod
Probably maybe abroad at this point. But yeah, I don't see it happening anyway. So...
00:26:12
Zak
So I do have one more one more for you, just because, you know, I like to drag things out. Russell Martin to to Leicester.
00:26:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:26:22
Zak
combined with the fact that there's the rumours that he might also be taking Bozunu, which would make sense because Baz, you know, probably i don't think is willing to say, like, play second fiddle here because how else is he going to gain the experience?
00:26:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Although we discussed yesterday several reasons that it probably won't happen for him and Rust.
00:26:36
Zak
And on top of that,
00:26:40
Zak
yeah, I just think that he he will be gone after this season. And, you know, dropping down to League One will probably allow him to build up with a prestigious League One team teaming up with, correct, with with a manager that knows him, a manager that trusts him, a manager that allowed him to play first team football the whole time that he was in the championship.
00:26:53
DailySaintsPod
a team that should be hunting should and will be hunting for promotion right
00:27:05
Zak
As much as, you know, Leicester are upset about it, like Russell Martin got us promoted. The football wasn't, you know, the best, but also it's it's League One.
00:27:16
Zak
Like, which big name are you you grabbing for League One football currently? Like, he's not ah's not the worst manager in the world.
00:27:21
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. yeah
00:27:24
Zak
He did some there's a harm to our club, but i only in the sense that he was not, you know,
00:27:28
DailySaintsPod
liey's I think he's a very, I think he's a very good championship manager. And I think that to take Leicester back up from league one into the championship and at least survive in the championship and presumably look to push on and further up to the premier league, he's a, an excellent candidate for that. It's when he's, you know, tries to move up further than that doesn't go as well as, as demonstrated. I don't,
00:27:52
DailySaintsPod
other I don't know. I don't really hold any ill will towards Russell Martin. And when he was here at the club, I really enjoyed it and really enjoyed the time with the the benefit of hindsight. the The football was never going to work. And that was a concern going into that season.
00:28:06
Zak
Yep.
00:28:07
DailySaintsPod
and the only issue, uh, the main issue I have with Russell Martin is the, he was so stuck to his guns and that that was the way it was going to be.
00:28:19
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, i think he'll do well there. And, yeah, I think it's good fit. think he'll be fine. And i think it's good... You're right. It's a a good manager for that position to take in for them because of the position he's found himself in after the the stuff at Rangers.
00:28:38
Zak
Yeah, because I know we covered a lot the Rangers stuff and it felt bad, but it was also just like, was almost like watching a car crash. You just couldn't you couldt like course you couldn't look away from it.
00:28:51
Zak
And that sounds awful, but it was baffling. And that's got to take a toll on a man's psyche, right? And like that is ultimately on Rangers for, one, knowing full well coming in that he was going to try and implement that system.
00:28:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:29:04
Zak
Two, not understanding that, you know, when the results turn, not just getting rid straight away. and And three, his own stubbornness, right? Which has hurt his career both at Southampton and obviously at Rangers.
00:29:16
Zak
And, you know, i can understand why that would make some Leicester fans nervous. But at the same time, like, well what other options is there at the moment, you know?
00:29:25
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, no, I think that it's a good fit for them, and that they'll be that they'll be looking to come back up anyway, i suppose. But, I mean, it's a really tricky position for them. And if if they can get a manager of his quality, because he is a quality manager of what he does, it's
Listener Engagement & Episode Conclusion
00:29:40
Zak
Yep.
00:29:41
DailySaintsPod
just the way does his Premier League football.
00:29:42
DailySaintsPod
so But, yeah.
00:29:43
Zak
Correct.
00:29:45
DailySaintsPod
Oh, I
00:29:46
Zak
So yeah, that's that's all the stuff that I had written down to have a chat about today. But you know, there's some transfer bits in there.
00:29:51
DailySaintsPod
like it, mate.
00:29:52
Zak
Everyone loves that.
00:29:53
DailySaintsPod
It's good stuff.
00:29:54
Zak
Ha
00:29:54
DailySaintsPod
Well, look, that is all we've got time for today. We managed to get out to a full episode length and neither of us thought we were going to.
00:29:59
Zak
ha ha ha!
00:30:00
DailySaintsPod
So it's a good effort.
00:30:01
Zak
Ha ha ha!
00:30:02
DailySaintsPod
But listen, thank you everyone for joining us and listening. Let us know your thoughts on the World Cup, on Leicester, on Wolves, all of it. Let us know in the comments on the socials. We are Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere.
00:30:18
DailySaintsPod
TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, Blue Sky, YouTube, everywhere. Hit us up, let us know. we will be back after the weekend to to talk some more football stuff. Maybe there'll be news, maybe it'll be World Cup, who knows. But until then, have a wonderful weekend and we will see you then.