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00:00:01
Episode 294: Football Room 101!
101 Plays4 days ago
Southampton – We take the opportunity of an international break to have a discussion about some of the things we'd like to see chucked into Room 101.
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always today, joined by my excellent friend, wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing, mate? You alright?
00:00:29
Zak
Yeah, not too bad, mate, not too bad myself.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, hanging in there. Running on the the energy fumes that exist in the this international break. But look. one good thing about the international break is it gives us an opportunity to bring back some fantastic episodes that we have done in the past.
Football Room 101 Revisited
00:00:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, one of my absolute favorites, uh, was football room one-o one Oh one, uh, where we have an opportunity to, to just throw some things out there that we don't want to see in football anymore.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, We've done a couple of these in the past, long time ago. in fact, I think the first one of these, Zach, led to a much lengthier rant about Pep Guardiola, which definitely became a running theme.
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But look, the the standard rules apply, right, with the low-hanging fruit.
00:01:18
Zak
Yes, it did
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
We all know the referees aren't great, but we can't have games without them. We don't want VAR in the Championship ever. That's so obvious. We're not going to talk about it.
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But there are some, you know, maybe some other minor gripes and some some other stuff that, you know, that we we don't want to see in football. So sir let's just get straight it to it, mate.
00:01:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you want to kick us off?
Debating the Value of Expected Goals (XG)
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's what's your first thing?
00:01:49
Zak
Yeah, i'll start us off. I'm relatively sure we've covered it before, but after talking about it in our championship review yesterday, in regards to, I think it was the West Brom game, where you're like, this doesn't really make sense. It's XG, mate.
00:02:01
Zak
like It's pointless. It is a stat that is only ever brought up when it is used to say this team has got the highest XG, but hasn't actually scored this that many goals.
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:12
Zak
It's only ever brought up in conversation to be like, wow, this team's outperforming their XG. And I'm like, their expected goal. Like, I don't know how it's calculated, nor do I really care.
00:02:24
Zak
i don't think that it's a useful metric for anything. I don't understand how you can score three goals, but only be expected to score one. i don't i don't think anyone really understands how it's calculated.
00:02:37
Zak
i don't think anyone really cares.
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:02:40
Zak
And it's like this thing that's there to make people like ourselves, mate, seem more intelligent than we are. by chatting me on some stats? Like, I hate it. I despise it. I don't see the point of it.
00:02:52
Zak
I don't get, you know, shots. You can see how many shots taken place. Shots on target, sure. XG, oh, well, they didn't actually have that many shots, but the three shots they did have were goals, that means they're just going to get rid of it.
00:03:04
Zak
There you go.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're saying it short, mate, because you what you've got to remember is that they analyse all of the times in history that other players have been in that exact same position, and based off of that, how many times you might expect them occasionally to score.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's obviously deeply meaningful.
00:03:19
Zak
Who cares? Who cares? and my Causality does not equal, you know, it's up just because something...
00:03:28
Zak
Just because it's happened in the past does not necessarily mean we should be this bang on tap in the future. This is the same argument you have where you're like, wow, these strikers get themselves in the right position. So the odds mean they should go in. I'm like, you're right.
00:03:44
Zak
But that those odds we've been waiting on for like two years now. And some the strikers still getting in the box. Right? Like, yeah we knew Shane Long wasn't a prolific goal scorer. We made use of him as a striker for other reasons, right?
00:03:59
Zak
But a lot of the strikers we have now, I know that you talk about off the ball work, you know, if if anything, XG can be used to back up my point for the fact that they never seem to score for those positions.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:10
Zak
But it doesn't mean anything because it's just a bunch of random data sets that combined together that they hope will, you know, I guess, bring more conversation because apparently we're running out of things to talk about in football. It's a dumb stat. Get rid of it.
00:04:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, look, I fully agree with you, despite playing the the antagonistic role throughout.
00:04:30
Zak
la
00:04:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's It's nonsense, and I'm fully there with
The Impact of Substitutions During Injury Time
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
you. Get rid of it. Bin it off. Alright, mate. Let's have a look at what I have written down first.
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. I think we talked about this one briefly off-air the other week, and in fact, it might have literally been the trigger for me making this episode. substitutions in injury time, what's the point?
00:04:56
Zak
I
00:04:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, like but we've all seen that clip of the non-league football game where the lad gets subbed on and as he's walking on the pitch, the ref blows the final whistle.
00:05:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like, there's no big clock timer working out that. in a non-league match, so it's funny and can be forgiven. But, you know, plus four minutes, all of a sudden, time to make three changes. Like, just, just bit it off.
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, what is the point? You cannot make an impact coming on at that point in the game. You're still going to be made to do the running with with the fitness after the game. It's just an absolute nonsense. It's specifically designed to waste time.
00:05:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And but I mean, that that was a theme through my other things that i want to see in Football Room 101. I'm sure you remember my rant on goalkeepers.
00:05:51
Zak
Yes.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they've tackled that this year. They count them down. so yeah, that's the next thing I want to see go is substitutions in injury time.
00:06:00
Zak
it's It's one of those things where you're right. It's for time wasting. And if it's just for time wasting, Like, I thought that we've got referees that add the time on now, so it doesn't matter.
00:06:14
Zak
But clearly, that means that the time isn't being added on properly if people still think it's like a useful strategy. So you're right, yeah, ban it.
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but it's not just time-wasting, is it?
00:06:22
Zak
but that
00:06:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it's also like momentum halting, like just slow the pace down for let's make this substitution take 45 seconds while they get off the pitch.
00:06:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's just, I hate it. i think I hate it more than anything else in football.
00:06:38
Zak
It's dark arts, isn't it?
00:06:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:40
Zak
It's dark arts, but it's one of those things where, like, I don't know, we've always said we're quite happy to have Wolves still win by any means necessary, but, like, if we end up being one of those, like, horrific horrifically negative teams that then just, like, spend forever kicking the ball about, time wasting, being a bit dirty, it just kind of doesn't feel earned, I guess. But I feel like if we won all the games like that, we also wouldn't really mind.
00:07:05
Zak
Is the devil's advocate side to like
00:07:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh look I don't mind some dark arts, right? There are some dark arts of football that I can get behind and a fair enough, but this one just feels so... I just really don't like it.
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright mate, look, let's let's use this opportunity to have a little break, hear a word from our partners at Bionique, and then come back with some more.
00:08:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay,
Issues with Football Club Ownership
00:08:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
mate. we are back.
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good. a lot I like both of them so far. Good stuff. what's What's next on your list?
00:08:21
Zak
Can Siri, the guy who owned Sheffield Wednesday, just just in general, when you can't pay your players for five out of the seven months on time,
00:08:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
you. Yeah. Yeah, I just...
00:08:32
Zak
you do not deserve to run a football club. If you then refuse to sell because you want more money, that's a problem. So I guess by association, I also think we should get rid of the acquisition of control and owners directors test, which is apparently what they need to pass to become an owner of a football club and below the Premier League.
00:08:52
Zak
which clearly isn't that fit for purpose, or otherwise you wouldn't have all the situations you've got.
00:08:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:08:56
Zak
You know, just recent memory, like Bury, Morecambe, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday being a more high-profile example. But, like, I don't understand how you've got people that are able to take control of football clubs,
00:09:11
Zak
And basically run them into the ground as their own personal sort of businesses. Say what you want about the sports public. Okay, they've been a bit rubbish. A bit of a rubbish in the things that people actually care about. Try to fix it.
00:09:21
Zak
Who knows? That jury's still out on whether they'll be able to. But, like, at the very least, we haven't had a period of time where all of the staff haven't been paid or all of the players haven't been paid. And, you know...
00:09:33
Zak
and And when it comes down to like a guy as well, it's it's even more frustrating. And I think, you know, the fact that you were having to have like pitch invasion protests and just generally everything else they've had to go through, like it becomes, you know, after having us become like the buck of every joke last year, right?
00:09:52
Zak
watching, you know, it's why I try to make Sheffield United more of the buck, because that's just a shooting yourself in your own foot, right? This, I think, for for Wednesday is is a little bit out of their control. And it's actually lot out of their control, because, you know, not paying wages, this or the other...
00:10:07
Zak
Just like just get away from football. Clearly, you don't know what to do. You don't know how to sort it out properly, whether or not there's other businesses and pieces going on. I just think the entirety of the way that ownerships of football clubs needs to be be looked at and governed almost independently.
00:10:24
Zak
But the problem with an independent body at that point is they can still probably be bribed. And I'm not saying that's what takes place, but it's really hard to stop it. And I just think that something more needs to be done to ensure that we are in a situation where clubs can just get like screwed over their owners at pretty much any point, forgetting that as much as it's like a business and it is also still for a lot of places and a lot of people, a community institution.
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:54
Zak
And it's baffling that like they don't really... You know, we don't get the ability to go, hey, guy this guy is this is bad. but He should be stripped of his ability to do any of this. And I know it's hard to look in advance, but, like, you look at when we had Gao in charge, right? Like, he failed that test, like, twice before he finally passed it and proceeded to then have a sponsor that wasn't a real company, that wasn't even really a shell company, it did nothing.
00:11:20
Zak
So, yeah, it's Chancery... And by association, the acquisition of control and owner's director's test, because clearly it's not that fit for purpose.
00:11:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
right all I think you're 100% right. You see too much of it in the game these days. And yeah, I hate it.
00:11:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
No one wants to see it. No one wants to see any club suffer in that way. And yeah yeah, good one.
00:11:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I like it. Alright, my next one is is on a slightly different level.
The Phenomenon of Players Cutting Holes in Socks
00:11:59
Zak
but
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Players cutting holes in the back of their socks.
00:12:05
Zak
Me talking about, like, the actual destruction of football clubs. You're like, well, yeah, that they also shouldn't be destroying club property.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, like, it's just... It's wasteful. It's dumb. It looks awful.
00:12:20
Zak
Why don't they just make them with the holes in them at this point?
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:24
Zak
Put zip in them.
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It's just...
00:12:26
Zak
That's kind of where I'm at, like...
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I just... I really don't get it. I don't understand it. It can't possibly be comfortable either, right? Like, yeah like sure, it maybe cools your feet a bit more or something, which is or allows a bit more stretch.
00:12:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just get slightly bigger socks. I don't... I just, I don't understand it. hate it. And it yeah, it just feels very, very wasteful............................
00:12:53
Zak
From a sustainability point, like, no, that's really a thing we've ever talked about. Like, I feel like you god you can't hugely be a fan of sport and then try and pretend, you know, that you're all about sustainability when, like, the clubs, you know, unless they're all going to start cycling to games we can cut out flying, it's, you know, that that is a problem. But you're right, it does seem overtly wasteful to just start, like, destroying every pair of socks you get. Like, I don't know, they get fresh kits every game anyway, right?
00:13:23
Zak
But like, you know, you could sell that on with to charity where it's got a hole in it. You know, like what thread might get caught is ruined. It's just a bit weird. Like, I think that rather than consistently cutting holes in them, I am very surprised that none of these socks makers have gone, what if we like, you know, what if we create a sock with the holes already in them that they clearly want?
00:13:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:43
Zak
But I imagine when they'll put them they'll just put their foot straight through it.
00:13:46
Zak
Like if you had holes in your jeans when you were younger, like anyone who had ripped jeans, then you just...
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, if I'm honest, mate, I'm hearing you saying it, and I'm hating that idea as much as people cutting holes in their socks, so I don't know. like i don't i can't fully rationalise this disdain for it, do you?
00:14:02
Zak
but That's the other thing is like, do you really think it will change though?
00:14:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:06
Zak
Because like, is it just the is it just a fashion thing or not? Because this is like, yeah, it's difficult.
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:14
Zak
like like Because I don't remember when it really first started, but also it's like shin pads getting more and more useless, right? Like we joked about Dibley the entire time he was here with his little tiny, his wee shin pads.
00:14:26
Zak
But when it comes to when it comes to the socks thing, like,
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:28
Zak
i don't know, like, is it is it more players that do it than not now, realistically?
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. I know you see it more and more, but it's...
00:14:38
Zak
i would love a percentage demographic of, like, all players over the age of 25 and all players under age of 25 and over the age of 18 and who and what the percentage bar graph are of those that think they need to cut their socks.
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:51
Zak
Because that, for me, will be like, is it a trend or is it something they actually think is useful?
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it's
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
think it's one of the metrics that's fed into XG as well, mate. Like, if you get into this position but you don't have holes in your socks, you're less likely to score than if you do.
00:14:59
Zak
Mate,
00:15:05
Zak
make at this point, like, I wouldn't but i would put past it. Like, again, examining all the historical historical data of somebody being in that position, it's just like, oh, sure, okay, sure.
00:15:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:19
Zak
How many people throw chewing gum on the floor? Sometimes it's up to the individual. Mate, you're just stressing me out by XG again.
00:15:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
anybody
00:15:24
Zak
yeah yeah yeah But you've riled me up enough to say, I agree with you. Let's throw the socks away.
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Perfect. Right. ola Good one so far. We're working on on different levels, but they're all coming good. They're all coming good. It's fine. Right. Let's have another little break. A message from our partners at Zencastr and then get straight back into it.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and 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. It sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, mate. Come on then. Number three. What's your big finish for throwing into to Room 101?
Fan Reactions and Managerial Stability
00:16:13
Zak
So after after obviously two two quite big ones, any Liverpool fan talking about sacking forward slash defending slot after they lost like two games in a row?
00:16:24
Zak
And the fact that I am seeing discourse online of people being like, well, guys, we need to back him.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:30
Zak
You know, he really brought us some such incredible times. You know, this is just a rough period. i'm like, you lost two games, guys. That happens in football. The fact that you're even discussing, like, the fact that it's a discussion point in the fan base blows my mind.
00:16:48
Zak
Like, genuinely blows my mind.
00:16:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:49
Zak
and Like, it's resulted in people being like, what's going on with Salah? What's happening with the whole of Liverpool? They're falling apart. Like, it's lost two games. That happens to football.
00:17:00
Zak
Man City used to lose games. Oh, man.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
and i also Right, first of all, you can't win every game of football, otherwise what's the point?
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Second of all, that is a team of people who are people who had such a rollercoaster of a year where they, you know, got through and won the league with these very emotional scenes, the first time doing it in front of fans in forever, and then literally lost one of their teammates, like,
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not like just like someone who is a big part of that team. like There are a lot of things that go into football and these human elements can't be forgotten.
00:17:42
Zak
get right
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you're right. yes You can expand it. to It's not just a Liverpool problem. All clubs and all reactions to sacking a manager after like three minutes in charge.
00:17:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just absolutely insane.
00:17:58
Zak
You get all of the people that think that still be sacked after nine games mate because we haven't started the best. Is that what I'm hearing? a Just a little bit there.
00:18:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, exactly that. like like Even you and Isaac, who are engaged with the team and make our predictions and have our ideas of what we think looks best and links together best in football, believe it or not, we're not people that have earned a contract to get paid thousands of pounds to make those decisions.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like, maybe, just maybe, it looks a bit weird sometimes, but he does know what he's doing. Like...
00:18:38
Zak
Yeah, it's baffling after like two or three games. It's like, well, have had the improvement that I would expect for somebody at this level? So I'm going to get really, really mad and call them bad.
00:18:48
Zak
And like, the just like one of the things that I'm kind of always proud about, mate, whenever we do this podcast is we are very open and honest about the fact that we are not experts. We are two guys who are mates that chat about football.
00:19:02
Zak
And yeah, we have opinions, but that's where it ends. I don't really ever expect to see myself on Sky Sports or BBC or anything like that because I don't know.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And do you know what? And like, sometimes, because we consume and take in a lot of football, our insights are valid and good, right?
00:19:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, you mentioned in a podcast recording about Steve and Gerrard coming into Rangers, and immediately it's all over Sky Sports News.
00:19:22
Zak
just read the daily podcast.
00:19:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, like, tapped in. But but also...
00:19:32
Zak
and that's, again, because we're so plugged into the zeitgeist.
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:19:35
Zak
And that's what a lot of it is. And this is what and this is what I think is... and Sometimes I wonder if like people just compartmentalise different things. And, yeah, I think that you're you're right. It's it's not really just about sacking or defending someone after like a day, but you know after a rough start to a season.
00:19:55
Zak
it's not even a rough start to the season. I think that that maybe, maybe we need to calm the dramatics down. And like, and I say that as, as technically, you know, we are content creators, but it is one of the worst things that I see with any sort of account that tries to rile people up where they're like, what's your opinion on this? Do you think that this means it's the end for this reason? And like, I could easily, we could easily put like, you know, I'll put, I'll put some clickbait titles sometimes with an emoji here and there, but I like to think we don't go out of our way and just be like,
00:20:25
Zak
Well, guys, do you think that's it? Is he getting the sack? We we can put that every week after most of the games and rile people up about Sting. We don't do that. And I think that it just, I think that it bothers me so much when people get like properly engaged with it because of the fact it's just like, this is ridiculous.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:44
Zak
This is this is a non-debate.
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:46
Zak
And I think that's why seeing people being like, we need to backslot because, you know, you shouldn't have to even put that tweet out because there shouldn't be people mad about it.
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
and we Can we calculate how many managers we'd have had last season if we sacked one every time we lost two games in a row? Yeah.
00:21:04
Zak
How many games were there, mate? What, like 38?
00:21:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 20 managers, like, just...
00:21:05
Zak
39? something like that. How many of the same manager would we have brought back after 10 games because people thought that we missed him? You know, we already see it.
00:21:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, we're not the Blades.
00:21:17
Zak
People go bring back Russell Martin.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:21:19
Zak
but It's just... good a
00:21:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolute ludicrous. No, you're right, mate. the The vocal outcry to to a manager who, in their first season, won the league title...
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
deserves a bit more goodwill than two games, you know?
00:21:35
Zak
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:21:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:37
Zak
yeah yes I think what I've actually said is just like, what I'd like to put in very low one is just really big overreactions to what are, in context, relatively small things.
00:21:52
Zak
I doubt I'm going to get my way, judging by how social media's got in the last 25 years.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:59
Zak
But, you know, I can hope. So, yeah. So, back back to your more fun, exciting and less controversial ones, mate.
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright, mate. My big finish is... i I don't have the solution, but I come armed with the problem, as I so often do, mate.
Inconsistencies in the 10-Yard Rule for Freekicks
00:22:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
What I would like to put into Room 101 is the 10-yard rule for freekicks.
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
right Not because it it's a bad rule, because it makes sense, but it is executed so consistently poorly all of the time.
00:22:24
Zak
right?
00:22:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, for a start, what even is a yard? Because referees as but... because because see referees mark out as paces but but each referee has a different gait, so that's not but that's not the same thing. and And then, you know, they they count out, and then we had that referee the other week that only counted eight anyway, and then by the time they count ten and put their stupid foamy paint down, then the all of the wool rubs it out and walks forward anyway.
00:23:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I think that someone did the genuine maths, because people do that, and like the average wool distance from free kick, was like 11 yards.
00:23:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it's just nonsense. Like, there's got to be a better way, right?
00:23:28
Zak
Yeah, well, the problem is is that the the better way you're you're relying on is, okay, you can't rely on them yards, so then you're going to have to have overhead cameras that calculate it properly. And then you look at how they've tried to bring in technology, and like, what, other than maybe goal-line technology? What?
00:23:44
Zak
Because, again, VAR is partly due to the fact that it's the referees there as well.
00:23:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just... yeah
00:23:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just saying, a very low-tech piece of technology that would fix this would be two sticks with a piece of string that the referee wrapped up and put in his back pocket, right?
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, yeah you would immediately...
00:24:02
Zak
Just the basic a measuring tape that only goes up to 10 yards, yeah?
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Like, Yeah. it's just... It's just baffling. It's so poorly executed. And then you see... And then, you know, you add in the different rules that they've added and changed. It's like, now they have to be 10 yards away, but the other players can't be within a yard of them. And I'm like, oh, this just... Just stop it. just Just take the free kick and get on with it. Like, it's just insane. Like, so much... We talked earlier about time-wasting, right?
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So much of a game is spent... just on absolute nonsense, like, working out set pieces like that. Not even, like, actively time-wasting with a free kick, just the referee going through the procedure of the free kick, and it's just... just nonsense.
00:24:53
Zak
Which is ironic because we've been caught out a few times where players have just decided to take really ridiculously quick free kicks and apparently that's just also okay. So, find a minute round?
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
blow up But then, apart from when it's not, because Everton had a player booked the other day for taking a free kick too quickly. So...
00:25:12
Zak
i
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know?
00:25:14
Zak
Yeah, fine.
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:25:15
Zak
Let's find a better way. i don't know if we should get rid of it entirely and see what we've got better way, but...
00:25:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah Look. Just bin it off.
00:25:21
Zak
<unk> like Because also, you're talking about how you're worried about how long it'll take.
00:25:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Free for all.
00:25:24
Zak
I can easily see a referee pulling out this little stick in their back pocket, taking forever to assemble in it, putting it down, realising he it the wrong bit, making sure he twists it again, then getting over and getting now the new fifth official who's just there to to point things out.
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
it
00:25:40
Zak
Like... Do we get the measuring stick boy? Like... That's the problem. is that you're we'reli on the a bigs got You're right, it's got to be better than just like pacing in their head because also some people who stride along with other people's strides.
00:25:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:25:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:54
Zak
That's just just how people work.
00:25:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:56
Zak
I don't know.
00:25:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:59
Zak
It's the whole thing where we just let that slide because it's a part of the game and then also get rid of VAR and then occasionally the referees are going to make bad calls or do we just make technology out of orbit and then still get mad about it?
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just...
00:26:11
Zak
I just don't know know what the solution is, Craig. It's the problem.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, i i did say yeah look, I did i did say i don't come armed with solutions.
00:26:16
Zak
But apparently, it is a problem.
00:26:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, if if FIFA, IFAB, the FA, whoever, want to get in touch and contract me out for a ridiculous amount of money to sit and solutionise this problem, I'm sure that we can spend many hours doing it and come up with the perfect solution.
00:26:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But until then, I'm just here to put it in Room 101, mate. It just winds me up.
00:26:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:41
Zak
Fair enough, mate.
00:26:42
Zak
Fair enough.
00:26:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's it. sir That's all we've got time for today. a feel like we could do one of these every week for the rest of the year and not run out of things to moan about, Zach. But maybe that's just my personality. I don't know.
00:26:57
Zak
I like the fact that you're saying it's it's your personality as opposed to the the well-known pessimist on the podcast that, you know, admittedly mine will end up being sort of like five-hour long runs about how ownership should be more ethical, et cetera, et cetera, that no one cares about or wants to listen to.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:12
Zak
And you know what? Don't blame me. i don't want to think about it either. it doesn't stop me, though.
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you know what? I mean, one of mine that narrowly missed the cut was how many free kicks we take that we don't make use of, right? Like, what's the of having a free kick in their half and then passing it backwards anyway? But
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I blame Pep. That's sir what it all comes back to in the end.
00:27:35
Zak
shocker shortka
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, Zach, thank you very much for joining me today. and Thank you everyone for listening. Let us know in the comments on the socials, what would you put in Football Room 101?
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
What is the thing in football? that winds you up the most. We would love to hear them because, honestly, it's just some of my favourite things to read. I love things that annoy people.
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just It's just who I am. I'm not going to apologise for it. Thank everyone. We will be back tomorrow with some more Saints-related goodness.
00:28:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, have a wonderful day, and we'll see you then.