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Daily Southampton: Episode 140: Match Review Monday - Battered by Brighton
97 Plays7 days ago
Southampton – Another home defeat! Are there positives to take out of this performance? Will we ever win at home again? We discuss that and much more.
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Transcript
Introduction and Southampton's Loss
00:00:09
Zak
Hello and welcome and happy Monday, Southampton fans. It's the Daily Southampton from the Global Sports Podcast Network. We join you after another loss.
00:00:24
Zak
It is what it is at this point. Yeah, we we we got dropped pretty bad by Brighton. I'm pretty sure all of us kind of expected to go into that game with the risk that could be a bit of a rout.
00:00:36
Oscar
Thank you.
00:00:37
Zak
Turned out to be a bit of a route, which,
Maintaining Positivity in Tough Times
00:00:40
Zak
yeah. today, obviously, I'm joined by Greg. hey you doing, mate?
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, right, mate. You said that we weren't going to be negative in today's episode, so I assumed you'd prepared a season review from 2015 something.........................
00:00:54
Zak
No, i didn't say that was it wasn't going to be negative. What I said is that I'm going to try to be less absolutely defeated by being a Southampton fan, by just diving into...
00:01:07
Zak
I guess, embracing the fact that this just, their season's done. Anyway, Oscar, how are you doing, mate?
00:01:14
Oscar
Yeah, not too bad. Thankfully, I wasn't subjected to the pain of Saturday, so
Disappointment in Brighton Game
00:01:19
Zak
I think the problem that that I have with with Saturday's game is that like you know football is this little bit of...
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:26
Zak
of you know Supposed to be a part of our week that makes us happy. We talk about it daily on a daily basis on this podcast. And yet, you know yeah get into that 90 minutes.
00:01:38
Zak
I don't think that... and I know we've had some bad like losses this year. I don't think I've ever been... like 60 minutes into a game and just wanted the game to end like I genuinely wasn't like I need I knew I needed to cover the rest of it just in case anything happened because you know be really bad if the I spoke about us going 4-0 down and then we scored a goal so I knew I needed to sit through the last 30 sort of minutes or so but I don't think I've ever been as been as pained watching a Saints performance so
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:08
Zak
We'll start from the top because, you know, we we'll try and we'll try and actually review what happened. The lineups. So what what do you reckon, Oscar? Did you see the lineups?
Lineup Surprises and Tactical Confusion
00:02:19
Zak
I know you didn't see you didn't get a chance to watch the proper game in full. But obviously, was it another one of those moments where you went, huh? Or not really?
00:02:28
Oscar
I think so. I think we spoke about you know one of the one of the main surprises, Ariba being at left-hand half, saying it was definitely going to be a possibility. I find it quite difficult that he builds he's supposedly trying to build his system on you know a tough, resilient, Italian-style defence and then isn't playing defenders.
00:02:55
Oscar
I understand that
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not only not defenders, right? Our top goal scorer as well is worth pointing out.
00:03:00
Oscar
Yeah.
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:02
Zak
Hey.
00:03:04
Oscar
Yeah, exactly. And I just, yeah, it's, it baffles me to be honest. And again, Onuatu, I think against someone like Brighton, you would have thought that's a good way
Frustrations with Predictable Tactics
00:03:14
Oscar
of getting against them. team that like, you know, keeping the ball on the floor, like, you know, possession-based football, how, you Why wouldn't you just have that option to mix things up and help them there?
00:03:27
Oscar
It just seemed, I think maybe they might watch the podcast and just have an absolute clear determination not to play on Archer and Archer together.
00:03:34
Zak
Yeah, I feel like at this point we we must have offended some sort of deity somewhere, whether it's this realm or another.
00:03:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:03:41
Zak
Someone, some sort of footballing god just doesn't want them to play together. And I think the back and forth conversation me and Greg were having throughout the game was around how it's really strange that they theyd weren't They don't ever try to play to Archer's strengths. there's never a ball in the middle. It's always like trying to come from the sides. And then they never comes from the sides.
00:04:02
Zak
Never comes from the sides. Nothing happens from there.
00:04:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
The one time they played a ball through the middle, he put it in the back of the net.
00:04:08
Zak
like that.
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I know it got chalked off.
00:04:11
Oscar
Amen.
00:04:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm stood there screaming all game.
00:04:11
Zak
I like that.
00:04:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just play it through the middle. He's made the move 100 times. He's in space. He's in between the defenders. He's ready for the ball. He's making the run. Play it through the middle. Stop passing out to the wings and then passing it back into the middle of field. Please, just play the ball through the middle.
00:04:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's baffling. It's baffling.
00:04:30
Zak
yes I think and the other problem you've got as well is that obviously weve we had Armil Belacocch up on the bench so we did have centre-backs that could have played in the actual position obviously it was probably a good thing we did because if not we would have ended up having to move Joe Erivo back into centre-back position anyway
00:04:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, because we lost our only actual centre-back.
Is Juric to Blame for the Loss?
00:04:48
Zak
correct so i guess I've got two questions One is this entirely Juric's fault, specifically this game, because if there is nobody around, you know, what could he have done?
00:05:04
Zak
Where else could he have found defenders? Or should he have shifted things and maybe done like a four at the back? Because like for supposedly building a resilient defense, which is one of the things that he said he was going to do,
00:05:19
Zak
We now seem to be man marking, throwing everybody forward. And when whenever we don't have the ball, the instant that any other team gets the ball, all they got to do is get past one guy who has absolutely zero confidence and then just run it at Ramsdale.
00:05:33
Zak
And thank goodness it's running it at Ramsdale because if it isn't Ramsdale in those in that goal, it would have been nine. So yeah, I said,
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I want to give a shout out to Dan, who has the season ticket it directly in front of us, who had maybe the worst football take I've heard this week, where he said, McCarthy would have saved just as many. Ramsdale's a waste of money.
00:05:55
Oscar
i've heard a few I've heard a few people, and again, maybe mainly on X, so you know this is what it needs to say, but saying that Ramsdale
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
i don't think he was watching the same game as me because it could have easily been nine, ten.
00:06:05
Zak
Yes, it's hard to take people seriously.
Defending Ramsdale
00:06:09
Oscar
is really overrated and this, that and the other and look how many shots he's conceded, goals he's conceded and blah, blah, blah.
00:06:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:14
Oscar
It's like, yeah, clearly he was at Arsenal and England's contender because he's a terrible goalkeeper.
00:06:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no one's suggesting that he's the best goalkeeper in the world by any stretch of the imagination. But to say that Alex McCarthy would have done as well is...
00:06:28
Oscar
Yeah. think
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I honestly haven't heard a worse take in football this week and I have seen some.
00:06:33
Oscar
yeah
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:06:35
Zak
so it So yeah, I'm guessing...
00:06:37
Zak
So a reboot of defense, Archer starting with, I guess, the two biggest surprises. But i I found that this, for me personally, me as a game, was a bit of a turning point for my faith in Jurich's ability.
00:06:52
Zak
Because, like... I'm aware that Greg has done stuff about man market. I'm aware that we've got long term plans. I'm also quite glad that they were smart enough to put a break clause in if things don't work out.
00:07:03
Zak
So I guess I'll start with you, Greg, for the defense, because I said I'd ask this question to Matt on Blue Sky. It's George's time up. Probably not this season, but it feels very much Ruben Selassie, like trying to deal with a ragas legacy squad and not doing anything else with it.
00:07:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, it's...
00:07:21
Zak
Or picking...
00:07:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's hard
00:07:22
Zak
I'll
Critique of Juric's Lineup Decisions
00:07:23
Zak
let you answer, sorry.
00:07:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
to...
00:07:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's hard to fully put the blame on Juric for it. Like, yes, there are huge questions over his team line-ups and his also so ability to, the same as Russell Martin, to stick to a formation that clearly isn't working.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But also, i mean, don't think any manager... picks an 11 from our entire squad that plays yesterday that doesn't at least get beat by Brighton probably decisively I mean i think I don't hate the way it was lined up if I'm honest Ariba at centre back is a bit bewildering but we lined up in an effort to go at them and take the game to them and as depressing as it is to say
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
This wasn't the worst we've played all season. We played all right, probably. And that's, you know, this is closest to a positive I can get. And that in itself is pretty devastating from a 4-0 loss. but But for for most of the game, we sort of stuck in there and looked like we might actually give it a go.
00:08:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was just the the refusal to play the obvious ball and the
00:08:40
Zak
Thank you.
00:08:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
just, I don't understand this, like, let's just play it everywhere, but but in the box. It doesn't make any sense to me. And, yeah, i I don't know. I don't know if you can fully judge Juric on this game and on the the you know the results so far, because at the end of the day, Brighton are just a better team than us. And I know we've said that a lot this season, but but you know they're where they are in the table for a reason.
00:09:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we're where we are in the table for a reason. But The midfield looked more solid than last week. The defence looked as good as it could. And, you know, were dealt with the hand we were dealt with. We had to bring on Armel Belakochat for Bednarek, who hasn't played a Premier League game in 500 days. So i don't know if you can put the blame entirely on him, even though there are some baffling decisions, because it,
00:09:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
really at this point it was the expected outcome anyway so
00:09:39
Oscar
I think there is that there's increasingly a movement now looking upwards, and and it's actually started in the mainstream media at times as well, looking more at Sports
Criticism of Management Decisions
00:09:49
Oscar
Republic. And, you know, I think they are trying to do things that are right for the club. But I just think, and, you know, hopefully Spores changes this, Johannes Spores, but it just seems very knee-jerk everything that they do with no forward planning.
00:10:02
Oscar
They've essentially gone from one stubborn manager that sticks to a philosophy, to another stubborn manager that sticks to a different philosophy. like And there are plenty of other managers out there that I think Thomas Frank said it, like, I don't have a philosophy or a system. I adapt to what we have and what we need to play against.
00:10:19
Oscar
And we just don't seem to be able to do that. And it may be this man-for-man defensive system works in Italy, but Italian football is very, very different to the Premier League. And the Premier League is a lot about athletic forwards, quick transitions, and...
00:10:36
Oscar
essentially things that probably are the complete antithesis or opposite of man-for-man football because if one person gets it wrong you're in trouble and I know he sort of said as much himself this week he said you know maybe we don't have the players to do it but why then did Sports Republic choose him if he he would have known that it's just bizarre
00:11:00
Zak
it It really is. and there's There's a lot of things I want to discuss.
00:11:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:11:04
Zak
and we'll We'll take a quick break. I guess we'll have a further discussion about all of these points and and actually, I guess, talk about what the result means going forward. But first of all, here is a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:11:34
Zak
Thank you.
Technical Glitch Humour
00:12:03
Zak
we are back after some, as always, good fun technical glitches. You won't notice this if we do the post-pod correctly, but it's always fun to tell you that this is done live in a way.
00:12:15
Zak
yeah so yeah, coming back to to some of these points, I kind of agree with what both of you say. I i mean i agree that it's harsh to judge him on what we've seen so far, but the problem is is that he needs to be very aware but when he makes really weird decisions like he's done recently and odd tactical choices and and tries to say that he's trying to win every game and then just says, yeah, we are really bad. And, and then has public spats with the players that, you know, at this point you are going to have people that start questioning, well, well, we've just got rid of one person that's bad for another.
00:12:52
Zak
And I'm aware, like the problem ultimately is going to be the players. If you had an entirely different squad, maybe it's a different outcome. Yeah. If you had everybody fit yesterday, maybe it was Saturday. Sorry. Maybe it's a different outcome.
00:13:04
Zak
But also in full agreement with with Oscar that he was a knee jerk reaction decision, right? We know for a fact they didn't have a short list of managers after Russell Martin.
00:13:14
Zak
They said as much. They called up the first guy they had in their phone who they liked and they knew, which was Juric. And he was available after getting like like laid off from Roma.
00:13:26
Zak
And he came in and it was fun to see something different from Russell Martin for the first maybe one or two games. And whilst the results didn't come, you know the the win we had against diship Ipswich was really, really hard one.
00:13:39
Zak
But it it does kind of feel like he's floundering because the players keep, well, it doesn't help that the players keep actively coming out and saying, we really risk miss our best rate mate, Russell Martin.
00:13:49
Zak
It's like, all right, guys.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Does it help that he comes out in
Player Improvements Under Juric
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
the post-match press conference and says, no, the players aren't good enough for the system I want to play?
00:13:57
Zak
Yeah, that is that is the that is the other thing. But then then what you do is you change the system. You don't have to have that conversation. So there's there's lots of things. And i don't I don't really rate his man management, which was one of the things we kind of said was good about Russell Martin. But then the flip side of that is that some of the players that have become good under him,
00:14:19
Zak
are not as good, you know, when they were under Russell Martin. Like, we didn't see Suleymane. Tallpool never really got a game. he got a cameo appearance at best. You know, Joe Aribo's been a lot better under Juric.
00:14:31
Zak
Uga Chukru's been a lot better under Juric. But at the same time, like, what are we even rating the scale of good at now? You said, gay Greg, that it was an alright game. And you're right. Like, are all right now. I think I even texted something you, words the effect of. Like, are all right now.
00:14:46
Zak
It's like, oh, well, at least it wasn't five.
00:14:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:49
Zak
And I think that I don't, I'm not really surprised that people are finding it harrowing to go to. and And I think you're seeing people start to turn and realizing, well, if it's not the manager, it's the owners and the owners are going to have to do something about it. And as you pointed out, they' they've got spores in to hopefully make the difference with recruitment.
00:15:07
Zak
There's a lot of it is going to be recruitment, but then it's kind of surely also chopping and changing who is coaching the players and almost daily basis isn't helping either. Because i say daily basis, you know, chopping and changes the coaches and and it doesn't feel like we've gone from having a really disgustingly rigid philosophy. It's almost kind of.
00:15:28
Zak
i don't think they know what they're doing, and I don't think there's as much desire in fight as most of them. You can see the players that that do have it. The players that I will point out are, you know, Fernandez for sure.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:15:43
Zak
Ramsdale, another.
00:15:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:15:46
Zak
Suleiman has been very sort of has been reborn, but there are still elements of his game that I think Greg's talked about before, where sometimes you're just like, just just chase the ball!
00:15:50
Oscar
know
00:15:56
Zak
What are you doing? Walker-Peters, Wellington's been a nice surprise. But like, just in general, the whole thing just isn't isn't clicking. And it doesn't seem to feel like it's working.
00:16:09
Oscar
it it seemed
00:16:09
Zak
And i I don't really know what the solution's going to be.
00:16:12
Oscar
no It seems as well, like as you say, it's almost like panicking from one disaster to another.
00:16:13
Zak
What do, what? Hmm.
00:16:19
Oscar
We've gone from Ralph you know counter counter pressing 4-4-2, not 4-4-2, but Red Bull style against the ball football. No, we don't want to do that anymore. We're going to go Nathan Jones. We're going to go direct.
00:16:33
Oscar
smash grab whatever we can do oh no okay we're going to change now but now we're going to go to possession only let's keep the ball man city style of football lovely oh no that's not right okay let's go man for man like it's almost like again it's that lack of future planning and i appreciate it doesn't help them that every time we get a good member of staff they get poached by a higher club that that really doesn't help uh you know in terms of future planning
00:16:54
Zak
get poop. hopes
00:16:59
Oscar
But at the same time, again, that's why you've got your the famous black box to to replace them soon after. That's something we were famous for two, three years ago. And now it's probably something that is completely to our detriment detriment because we're not thinking ahead.
00:17:16
Oscar
And, you know, I also think Simon Rusk's got be looking at it thinking, do you know what? um've I've done a pretty good job there. I think they've just brought him into the first team staff, haven't they, supposedly?
00:17:25
Zak
Yeah, he's first team coach now. He's changed.
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
Should Young Players Be Introduced?
00:17:28
Oscar
you know appreciate last time we did that and we gave we took a chance on sellers because you got a couple of good results as a manager balance. But let's be honest, we take a couple of those good results now.
00:17:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:39
Oscar
ru
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I mean, honestly, we're almost at the point of the season, in my opinion, where Chuck the kids on anyway. What's the point? Otherwise, if he's got this famous with the under 21s, start getting their way into the first thing, get some Premier League games.
00:17:47
Zak
We said that out earlier.
00:17:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It doesn't matter. We're getting battered anyway.
00:17:54
Zak
I was talking about putting a put on Joaquin, put on you know Victor, you know put on these sort of new sign-ins.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:18:00
Zak
and and But then at the same time, do you do you really want to poison these players with Imagine coming on at this point during the season, like Tyler Dibbling is kind of, he's fine regardless, right?
00:18:14
Zak
He either gets a big money move, which will set him up probably. and then he might end up doing what some of the Southampton players do, which is fall to the wayside or like do a Jimmy J Morgan, go to, go to Chelsea and then get sent out and load to league one rather than break through to the first team.
00:18:30
Zak
Or he stays and he does really, really well in the championship. But then some of these other players, that you know if they're not if they're not ready to take that step, then you you end up doing is putting them into this absolute pit of negativity.
00:18:43
Zak
And I think some of the players there now, what do you do? It's it's just like it's it's really hard to pinpoint what is broken. Is it an individual person? We could say it's individual errors, but it's been so many individual errors across the team.
00:18:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:18:56
Zak
It's not just one guy.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, you've talked about whether we can pin it entirely on Juric,
Chelsea Game as a Test for Juric
00:19:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
right? And we i said that it's not necessarily fair to judge him, but I think it becomes crystal clear. We head into a game on Tuesday night against Chelsea.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're obviously going to be in a predicament because we're going to be without Harwood Bellis. I presume we're going to be without Jan Bednarek. And so we don't have proper defenders that are going to be good enough to play his system.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so now is the time to change. And so... This is the judgment point, right? How much can he change it? What can we do? Can it be effective? This is what we're going to have to see. it's This is the to do or die test, right?
00:19:38
Zak
Yeah, I think i think that's what that's what we... You need to give the fans something. Right? Like, i get I get that he's paid based off of results and stuff, but also, like, and I know that we we have this reputation of being sort of a a sort of flaccid fan base that isn't, oh, why are you not protesting and swinging banners around? And they're like quite frankly, it's just like,
00:20:01
Zak
I feel like some people just don't think it's worth the effort because it's just so it's just it's so disheartening. and and But I think that they need to do something going forward. They need to... Yes, something needs to change even if it is i don't know, an acceptance of where we are. like I think that when relegation is confirmed, because let's face it, when it's confirmed, I can't work out if that is a like sigh of relief or and then maybe they'll play with a bit more freedom or alternatively they'll down tools even more because at the moment i don't know if i don't know if i was in their position i'd want to put 100 effort in but at the same time it's kind of what we'd expect it's difficult the whole the whole situation is just something i don't think any of us fathomed being in even when the last time we were relegated
00:20:53
Zak
And as I've talked about before, it's the experiencing the highs may has made these this low feel so much worse. But we'll talk about what we think the implications of the the sort of game and what we think we can do going forward and what maybe we'll see in in changes after a word from our partners at Zencastr.
00:21:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencastr came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:21:39
Zak
And we're back. So, loss to Brighton, well and truly beaten. Apparently there's a story knocking around that Ruta also did a lead salute, which makes me laugh because i'm like, can't really, when you leave your club and then go to a different club, mate.
00:21:52
Zak
yeah We did get relegated. We did win the playoff final, but like, I don't know. don't know why that's bothered me so much.
00:21:59
Oscar
Must have beaten three times that season.
00:22:01
Zak
Yeah, it's just, whatever.
00:22:01
Oscar
So, wind your neck in, mate.
00:22:03
Zak
Like, okay, good good for you. You got a good move to a better club. Oh, I say better. Yeah, it's it was a difficult result to take. And the problem is, is that realistically, it doesn't really move the needle anywhere in in our season.
00:22:21
Zak
But as a reaction to sort of a game the week before that also wasn't great, it was a pretty poor reaction. And again, we can put that down to multiple different things. Where do we actually go from here? So Greg, you seem to have the most sort of ideas around the fact that you think it's a do or die moment.
00:22:38
Zak
Not in the case of our season, that's long gone. no But maybe potentially in the way that fans will view Juric, if he is able to shift something to create a different game to both watch and maybe get like at the best, probably a draw, which at the end of the day is a point more than we would have had the day before.
00:22:59
Zak
What's your take?
00:23:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, look, okay. I... i I'm a bit baffled by why this has been the turning point in a lot of people's eyes of like, oh, this is ridiculous. and I know it was a 4-0 loss, but but actually we didn't play.
00:23:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
it the The performance wasn't as awful as we have seen from us in the past.
Call for Strategic Change
00:23:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Brighton bought quality on off the bench and just overran us. It was it was that. As far as what we can do to take it forward, it needs to be something...
00:23:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
different. It needs to be something more defensively assured, which I'm aware is difficult with all of the defenders that we've got out. The approach just needs to not be plan a that we've seen. We've seen plan A with the back three and a man marking and be it tall pool as a target man up top or trying to put balls in behind, well, supposedly trying to put balls in behind for Archer, not that anyone at any point actually tried.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah And that's not, we just need a change, something that looks to be a plan B because otherwise we're just back at square one where it's Einstein's definition of insanity. We're just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results and it's not going to happen.
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So
00:24:19
Oscar
That, I think, is a good strap line for our season, to be honest, so far.
00:24:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:24:23
Zak
yeah like Apparently, regardless of manager.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:26
Zak
like
00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:28
Zak
i And if you're the leadership, picking up the phone and just calling anyone you know who's got anything to about with football. Do you have any different opinions to that, Oscar? Or are you kind of in the same boat?
00:24:38
Zak
We just need to see something different.
00:24:40
Oscar
Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat. I mean, just i don't think... I don't think that we have... I agree with... i mean, if the manager said it himself, there's no way he can't not change it now because he said we need to change something.
00:24:55
Oscar
So he then goes and does the same thing again, and if that change is just, okay, I'm not going to put a re-boat at centre-back, I'm going to put Smallbone at centre-back, then that's not quite, I think, what people are expecting, but also something that wouldn't surprise me.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh
00:25:08
Zak
You're right though. That is something that it it covers the definition of a change, but not how we'd understand the words.
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:15
Oscar
Yeah.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
bo It really would cover the definition of insane as well.
00:25:17
Oscar
I don't... You know, again, and I know football can be quite cyclical and it's, you know, at the moment, because of Guardiola, it's all very possession heavy. Let's make sure we break
Reverting to Classic Back Four
00:25:25
Oscar
the lines and this, that and the other.
00:25:26
Zak
Might be changing now though, eh?
00:25:28
Oscar
Well, who's who's against the idea? If you've got a six foot ten striker, who's against the idea? Who's the old England manager, the four four flipping two? You know, yeah get two strikers up top.
00:25:39
Oscar
Get balls into them. Okay, yeah, it's going a bit Nathan Jones and going old school. But, you know, sometimes...
00:25:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I take it.
00:25:45
Zak
Play Cameron Archer and Paul and watching together.
00:25:45
Oscar
Sometimes...
00:25:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Can I, can I just, what, what it has to be said, we should be very aware of though, is that with all of this about change, there is a very real possibility of an equally disturbing future where we actually line up with a back four with Jack Stevens and Bella Kochap as the central two defenders.
00:25:47
Oscar
Exactly.
00:25:48
Zak
It's not odd.
00:26:09
Zak
Yeah, but they're central defenders. Do you know what? I'll play but
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:14
Zak
Play these players in their position. Like that.
00:26:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's not It doesn't fill you with confidence, though, does it? and No, you're right.
00:26:19
Zak
No, but the problem...
00:26:19
Oscar
to
00:26:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
What it'll be is Bella, Koch, Appenbree.
00:26:22
Oscar
Yeah, probably. but To be fair to Jack Stevens, as much as he has his moments of madness, he's actually typically, statistically, one of our higher rated performers.
00:26:33
Oscar
I know that you know stats don't necessarily mean everything.
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:36
Oscar
And he at least does care. He puts his heart on his sleeve, which isn't necessarily a positive thing, because otherwise we could have kept Lyanko, but...
00:26:38
Zak
Yeah.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:39
Zak
Our
00:26:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have to speak in...
00:26:44
Zak
bitterness is around that, I think.
00:26:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have to speak in defense of Belakotchap as well, because actually, considering the position he was put in, and know he was at fault for probably two of the goals, but I don't think he had an awful game.
00:27:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was he he had the same problem that Les had at the start of the season, where he was prone to over-committing himself. And once the Brighton players worked out that he was going to commit himself for the ball every time, they worked out that all they needed to do was just get to it first and flick it slightly and have a second man running on because there was no one else helping him out. helping him out and those But other than that, he was pretty solid, just slightly overcommitted.
00:27:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that a lot of that is probably trying to do enough to justify that position that he's in.
00:27:36
Zak
playing
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So
00:27:38
Oscar
If only we'd had the opportunity to give him a few minutes earlier in the season rather than put a previously right winger.
00:27:43
Zak
yeah if only we could say that about everything and I think that that that's that's what it is is that
00:27:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
baffling is so insane.
00:27:47
Oscar
Yeah.
00:27:50
Zak
The gulf in quality between just our players and and the rest of the Premier League is is massive. And if you could make up for that, right, with with but spirit, and you've seen that in the past with sort of like Leicester's title charge, and even now with...
00:28:09
Zak
you know, nobody thought that there would be a semi-viral song about Chris Wood in the 2024 to 2025 season. One that lives in my head rent-free. If you've heard it, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, look up Chris Wood's song. It's very funny.
00:28:23
Zak
But like that, we don't have that either because of just the nature in which this season has taken us by storm. and And I feel like our troubles have been completely unseen due to the fact that there are lots of other clubs in it's been a bad season for the Premier League but for half of most of the Premier League clubs, right?
00:28:44
Zak
couple of little gems in there, like Forrest doing really, really well. Liverpool supposedly just taking the title. But if you look at like what's happening around the state of the league, it's like, you remember how two of these bottom half clubs that were going to be in the Super League, like as permanent members of the Super League?
00:29:01
Zak
And I think that that's where, yeah, you're right. Like if you pick our top, 11 players to have on the field and put them in the field right now how many teams are are we beating at the moment And I don't don't know the answer to that question.
00:29:16
Zak
And clearly, apparently, so far too.
00:29:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe Leicester.
00:29:18
Zak
but maybe Right now, maybe Leicester. You're right. Or it will be a wonderful like nil-nil draw. And i I think that, yeah, confidence, the the golf in quality, the disparity between just lots of stuff is all all a culmination. It's like all of the worst possible points in the timeline have diverged right now.
00:29:38
Zak
And we we are dealing with it.
00:29:39
Oscar
I think
00:29:41
Zak
We have to do it one way or another.
00:29:41
Oscar
realistic realistically as well, I think, in terms of the Premier League this year, it's been a fairly poor league. I mean, the title, it's not even at the end of February, the title is more or less wrapped up.
Quality of the Premier League Season
00:29:54
Zak
Pretty much.
00:29:54
Oscar
The relegation battle, the the bottom three are more or less already relegated. Like, what what is there left to play for? Yeah, let's see if Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest get in the Champions League or if they bottle it.
00:30:05
Oscar
That's basically all there is left. Or let's see if Man City maybe suddenly have a complete resurgence and win every game from now to the end the season.
00:30:07
Zak
It's weird, isn't it?
00:30:12
Oscar
But I don't see that. As much as I don't like Liverpool, I think it's probably theirs.
00:30:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
my
00:30:15
Zak
so So, yeah, it's it's just been one of those weird years. I agree wholeheartedly. It's just been it's been a weird year and we are the biggest losers.
00:30:25
Oscar
I have to go on.
00:30:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
do have look I do have a positive about the game to finish on.
00:30:29
Zak
Here we go, mate. Come on. What's your positive? best let's finished on Let's finish on one of Greg's delusional bits of positivity because we need it.
00:30:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:35
Zak
We need it to get through to the next game.
00:30:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have to say from from all of the criticism we give throughout the season, I have to say a real positive take from yesterday I thought the ref had a great game.
00:30:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably the best referee that I've seen in the Premier League.
00:30:53
Oscar
That's right.
00:30:53
Zak
I can really, I'm pretty sure I can find a WhatsApp message from you going, how is that not a foul? It's like you say.
00:30:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think their third goal, there was a foul, but having watched it back, I mean, I was the other end of the stadium. So,
00:31:00
Zak
I think,
00:31:07
Zak
yeah, it's.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i think all told, I think he yeah he was pretty consistent across the board.
00:31:08
Zak
like you said
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:16
Oscar
and
Hope Against Chelsea Based on Past Wins
00:31:16
Zak
i think
00:31:16
Oscar
another Another positive to to potentially end on.
00:31:17
Zak
yeah
00:31:20
Oscar
Last time in the Premier League, we got a an important win that was the one that got Sellers' job, Chelsea away. So again, maybe maybe it's written in the stars to happen again.
00:31:31
Zak
but Maybe it is. And I think that that would make them... I still, again, I'm still upset about the flares going off, like, in November or whatever it was. It's like you beat the bottom of the table side. What are you doing? Yeah, i guess I guess where I'm at is it's been a hard season so far, and I completely understand everybody's point of disillusion.
00:31:54
Zak
And I will refer people back to my episode of a an ode to hope And I'll refer to the positivity that Greg puts out all the time. I know that 80% of it sounds like it's insane, but 20% it, there's something in there.
00:32:08
Zak
And luckily, ever since Oscar's joined the podcast, we actually have a balanced viewpoint. but
00:32:13
Oscar
Thank you.
00:32:13
Zak
somebody Somebody that can be both positive and critical, as opposed to just me being getting a bundle of sunshine. Right, Greg? And you being... Insane, but consistently predicting a win every single week, mate.
00:32:27
Zak
What's the definition of insanity again?
00:32:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to tell you now that is not changing. I will still be predicting a win against Chelsea as delusional as it is because I don't have it in me not to.
00:32:38
Zak
Perfect. Well, we will be back with you tomorrow. i still will think we need to figure out the schedule and what's going on. Usually, obviously, it'll be a tactics Tuesday. We're going to have a game coming up. might have preview. We might have a crossover.
00:32:50
Zak
We just need to get our ducks in a row. But it's been a pleasure. Thank you for joining me both. Have we had fun? Do we like to...
00:32:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:32:59
Zak
I mean, this has been better than watching it. I'll put it that way.
00:33:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. It makes it all worth it.
00:33:03
Zak
oh
00:33:04
Oscar
That's right. for
00:33:05
Zak
So like some of the socials are obviously over, we've got a Facebook. We have an X, we have a Blue Sky, we have an Instagram, we have a TikTok. We are a part of the Global Sports Podcast Network YouTube channel.
00:33:18
Zak
All of our full episodes get posted to there. So if you fancy watching me stare off into the distance and an ad read takes place and completely disassociating with existence, that's always funny.
00:33:29
Zak
At least that's what my family say. So yeah, well give us rating. Let us know how we're doing. without showing your comments. How bad's the season been? Is it the worst season of all time?
00:33:39
Zak
Why did we start daily podcast? Who knows? That's fun, everybody. Have a wonderful rest of your day, and we will see you in the next one.