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Episode 276: Matchday Review: GOALESS IN THE DERBY!
0 Playsin 6 hours
Southampton – The day came, and it definitely feels like a let down. We get it all of our chest in a firey review episode!
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Transcript
Introductions and Banter
00:00:14
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 good friend and wonderful co-host Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, what's that?
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
but What are we doing?
00:00:29
Zak
Well, I'm trying to keep quiet because I've already postponed to the start of this podcast fors erupting you by you by reading too many tweets. Man, that was lacklustre.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's one way putting it.
00:00:39
Zak
is The back and forth banter. The back and forth banter I had with wife's side of the family has been significantly more enjoyable probably than most of that game.
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:00:52
Zak
It was just a bit... It was like the electricity. It started. We knew it would be scrappy at the beginning. And then it it was scrappy at the beginning. And then they just kept peppering us for not really anything.
00:01:02
Zak
then I was looking for when we were going to do anything. Then had the pool for a bit. And
Halftime Strategy Concerns
00:01:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:07
Zak
then it was halftime.
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah look we can
00:01:09
Zak
And I'm like, surely we'll make some changes at halftime if it's not working. No.
00:01:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we're going to spend a lot of time today talking about where it went wrong and what and why. But I really, start off with, want to boil it down to its finest margin to something that's woefully becoming one of my catchphrases on this show.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And with one shot on target registered in the entire game, mate, If we don't kick the ball at the goal, what are we doing?
00:01:43
Zak
but
00:01:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
They have their second-choice goalkeeper in goal for 60 minutes.
00:01:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, but just shoot from the halfway line.
00:01:47
Zak
but
00:01:48
Zak
But Greg, if we kick the ball, if we kick the ball, we might lose it.
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
was just...
00:01:53
Zak
And if we lose the ball, they might score. So how surely if we if we just grind out nil-nil draws the entire season, it's going to be fine, right? We got a clean sheet.
00:02:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
just
00:02:04
Zak
That's a positive.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
it It was just miserable, mate. and And it it had an effect on the atmosphere because it it very quickly turned to absolute frustration because it was just like like watching some of the games last season.
00:02:13
Zak
Oh, it did. You could tell it went quiet.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
All of a sudden, we're popping it about at the back and then it's Harwood, Bellis, the Stephens.
00:02:26
Zak
Mate,
Squad Retention and Performance
00:02:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
was like, I just...
00:02:27
Zak
you can take the Russell Martin out the football club.
00:02:29
Zak
You can't take the Russell Martin out the players. That's some of the problem we've got. I told you this where we when we kept more than half our squad and you were like, nah, it should be fine. They were the good ones. I'm like, were they? And like, that's no disrespect. I don't think the centre-backs actually had a bad game at all. We kept the clean sheet, right?
00:02:45
Zak
But one of the things that I really told you the around the back
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but mean, also, i mean, you know, I'm just ah discrediting us with one shot on target, but also Portsmouth, one shot on target. So it's like, what awful game.
00:02:56
Zak
we it was just about, yeah, but this is the problem is you said, oh, yeah, no, we joked about how it's going to just end up being, but this is what, the first 0-0 draw in like 100 something years? They said, 100 years!
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's crazy.
00:03:09
Zak
100 years! And then the problem problem is is that both sides just weren't good.
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And all those years were registered at St. Mary's this afternoon. That's what it felt like. Actually,
00:03:16
Zak
we we both look like mid-table championship teams. which And the reason that you celebrate that as a Portsmouth fan, apparently, is because that's your dream.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:03:24
Zak
Whereas for us, it's like, oh, we just spent loads of money and we haven't got any better. But we we spent a load of money two weeks ago. We've not had a game since. It's the first game.
00:03:34
Zak
You had a debut of Tom Fellows, who did look really good when he had the ball, when they were able to actually pass him the ball. And on top of that, you had Leo Sienta come on and Kasper Yander in their first ever game.
00:03:45
Zak
during a derby match where no matter how many times Will still tries to throw the kitchen sink at the end of the game, we can't have we don't have a player that can hit a barn door. Like, I'm sorry.
00:03:56
Zak
and you you put put put us...
00:03:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Armour looked sharp when he came on and he looked up for it, but how can you expect him to do that in a 15-minute cameo?
00:04:05
Zak
window. Well too late for the subs, mate.
00:04:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
100%. Yeah. Hmm.
00:04:08
Zak
Well, well too late. Like, to try... And like, just...
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:11
Zak
and also like just We were doing all right. It felt it felt like some of the some of the subs were a bit weird to me. Like, taking Fraser off, who's probably one of our best players, felt very, very strange.
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
o
00:04:21
Zak
And like it also, putting Ross Stewart on at the end, and I i don't know... i don't know. Cameron Archer's supposedly our best striker because he's actually scored goals.
00:04:32
Zak
But also, who thinks a ball to him all game?
00:04:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I like...
00:04:34
Zak
Are you going to make him win? Blah,
Substitution Timing Issues
00:04:36
Zak
just...
00:04:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's not the... but We talked a lot last season about you need to cater the ball to the player and that's not the sort of player he is. He needs to the fastball.
00:04:44
Zak
But is it just because...
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then i don't... I think the changes themselves were fine because what Ross Stewart is is something different. And you know bringing on Armstrong and Stewart together to play off each other to me logically makes sense. That's a logical attacking counter-tactic.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But do it 10 minutes earlier, at least 10 minutes earlier, because...
00:05:05
Zak
allow them to gel into the game and not, and not it be suddenly the, and like, especially towards the end, like the time wasting was unreal.
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was horrible.
00:05:13
Zak
Uh, and some of the, some of the, some the fouls, like Casper Yander picking up a foul for doing checks notes.
00:05:18
Zak
Absolutely nothing. Like not, I'm not going to talk about the ref because like the ref did probably did it the best job he could have done in this situation.
00:05:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, shit.
00:05:28
Zak
He'd be,
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I disagree, mate. He absolutely bottled it because their number 22 should have been sent off three times.
00:05:35
Zak
by the dead the
00:05:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And literally every single time he called him over i and went, one more and you're gone. You're on a yellow. and three times he did that. You can't do that. He's bottled it. He needs to send him. He needs to be gone. And then it's a different story.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because you need to be fair, if he sends him off against 10 men, we probably lose. Yeah.
00:05:54
Zak
Okay, there because let's face it okay there was a slight push but neither of the two people in that situation the center back didn't need to die The goalkeeper didn't need to charge out like he was about to enter Valhalla through if those things needed to happen. They took out their own player and then the CDA is chatting absolute rubbish about it at the end.
00:06:20
Zak
They had their second choice goalkeeper and we went, ooh, that's a bit unfair. It's like when you hand your little brother get the controller and be like, you score first, mate. You score first. That's what it felt like.
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I see.
00:06:29
Zak
was so strange.
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the thing for me. you like You've got the second-choice goalkeeper in. i understand you want a philosophy of, like, get the ball down the wings and cross it in, but got the second-choice goalkeeper in. Just shoot.
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just take pot shots. And now, I have to say, though, Zach, from watching the warm-up, of which even in the warm-up, the atmosphere is incredible, from watching the warm-up, they didn't score a goal in shooting practice either.
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, no one no one seemed up for it.
00:06:56
Zak
lack of the lack of confidence but the problem I've also got made and this is why need to sort out our business earlier I'm really happy with our transfer window I think some the players we've got have gone good I think that in the wider context of the season we could probably push on and do better once the team once the new players start to gel the problem is is for this for this occasion it's too late it's far too late because you've got a bunch of new players in for their debut I'm sorry even if you You've come to a new country.
00:06:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
No one seemed up for it.
00:07:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's all done well.
00:07:27
Zak
You probably have just, you know, you know English a little bit. You've been sat down and then Franny Bonali walks in and tries to tell you the importance of this derby. You're sat there looking around the room going, yeah, all right.
00:07:39
Zak
and then And then you start the game and then there's people throwing lighters and some guy charges on the pitch.
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And all of a sudden, Mark Dennis is in the changing room trying to fire you Welcome to England.
00:07:49
Zak
Paul Dawson's dancing and you're there like, what is happening? And then you have to come on. And then if you're Leo Sienza, have a good 15 minutes, but during that 15 minutes get taken out so many times that you spend more time on the floor than with the ball.
00:08:05
Zak
Like, it's...
00:08:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's for sure.
00:08:10
Zak
Yeah, well, that's that's fine. But the problem is, it's like the first 45 minutes of the game, as pointed out, was just a completely... Still pointed out. just Well, that a bit of a waste anyway.
00:08:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:20
Zak
Let's start playing now. No! You keep saying... You said it to me. You text me like, we're a second-half team, really. No! No, we're at 90 minutes! The game of football is 90 minutes to play for the 90 minutes, not sit around, faff, or we need to get into the rhythm of the game.
00:08:38
Zak
You are trained and paid for the 90 minutes! Not five, not 45, not 60, 90! Play for the 90 minutes!
00:08:48
Zak
Losing my mind!
00:08:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, let but let let's simmer down.
00:08:51
Zak
I didn't want to this animated, but was a zombie game.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's take a minute. Let's have a break and hear a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:09:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, and we are back. Zach, I want to talk about other areas of concern from today. Because let's face it, this is this is a negative result for us, from our perspective.
00:09:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
like like
00:09:48
Zak
Well, work apparently, apparently if you're Portsmouth fans, the best win you could ever hope for is a nil-nil draw against the rivals down the road, which again, need to put that into perspective a little bit as to how, right, yeah, okay, we probably did worse off.
00:09:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:02
Zak
And yeah, we've spent more money than this and the other, but at least we're not celebrating a nil-nil like it's, you know, life and death. But carry on,
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But
Passing and Aerial Challenges
00:10:08
Zak
mate.
00:10:09
Zak
Sorry.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
look, we don't focus too much on statistics on this show.
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
We bring them up occasionally to prove points, but we don't have took too much credit in them. But I wouldn want to talk about maybe the most concerning stat for me, 78.5% pass accuracy.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
sound
00:10:24
Zak
Right, so so here so I don't know if it was because of the weight of the occasion, but like even a thing that my wife was pointing out was like, why is it... but The way that, whenever I watch football with my wife, the way that it works is because I'm the Saints fan, and I'm the one that does a daily podcast about Southampton, for some reason, it's either my fault or I should be there managing them.
00:10:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:10:46
Zak
Both of those things aren't accurate. to be clear, just because i have a better understanding of the thing I watch every, and talk about every day, but she's sat there looking me, and she's getting so irate, like why, why can't they pass it to each other properly, I'm like I'm watching the same game as as but um deep breath, big deep breath in,
00:11:06
Zak
Yeah, part part of the problem I kept seeing was that whenever we would pass it forward, we would just completely miss. I think that they were they were intercepting the ball a little better, and we were like just not prepared for the idea that when we passed into that space.
00:11:19
Zak
So the problem is is, when we were passing too quick, because of the nerves, I think, they were misplacing the passes all over the shot, and if they took too long, they would get tackled. So it every just seemed like whenever we would kick the ball out,
00:11:32
Zak
we would lose it straight away. And that meant that there was a problem because then we're just giving it to them in our own half, which is why it felt like for the entirety of the game, we were just sat, waited, like at at least until the sort of latter end of the second half.
00:11:46
Zak
Whenever we would drive forward, we'd be like, right, we've got the ball. Let's string a couple of passes together. and we pass it forward, completely avoid our player, hit Portsmouth player. The amount of this game that seemed to just be aerial, like at one point I noticed about seven or eight like transitions that were just dun, dun, dun, dun.
00:12:03
Zak
It was like watching headers and volleys, but not allowed to.
00:12:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
the
00:12:07
Zak
It was like the floor is lava.
00:12:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I remember exactly the part of game you're talking about, Zach, because I probably got heard on TV screaming in no uncertain terms, get it down! look Like there's Ryan Fraser jumping up to attack a header.
00:12:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm like, why?
00:12:20
Zak
hey
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are you doing?
00:12:21
Zak
He won the header!
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're just...
00:12:24
Zak
yeah How won a header, I don't know. but But that's what I mean. It's like, that okay, so the problem I've got with that is if it's the occasion and they weren't that up for it towards the end, I have run out of excuses. have the fact that maybe, mate, the reason we went down with the record low points last season is we're pretty rubbish.
00:12:42
Zak
And these new players are yet to be able to sort of gel, stamp their authority, play the way they want to. We had a couple of debuts that went well.
00:12:54
Zak
We had a couple, you know, Azaz's first proper game that was just a bit anonymous, right?
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh but But apart from one moment where all he had to do was just hit the ball at the goal and it was a goal, he tried to be clever and put it onto his other foot. And he got unlucky, to be fair, that the Pompey player like called it with his trailing foot.
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
all he had to do was hit it and it was a goal.
00:13:14
Zak
Look, say what you want about...
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
With their 12-year-old in goal, like...
00:13:19
Zak
Well, depends. Some people said he looked about five.
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
He wanted, by the way...
00:13:22
Zak
Some people said he looked about 45.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
he wanted He wanted no part of the game whatsoever. I don't think he had a single goal kick that didn't go out to touch. like he he you know Other keepers tend to stand sort of at the edge of their box instead of rather in front of the home fans who tend to shout and give them abuse. He was almost on the halfway line and not in like a sweep away.
00:13:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
He wanted no part of it at all. It was ridiculous. And the fact that we didn't put that under him under more pressure and like get shots away and like actually work him at all.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean, what...
00:13:56
Zak
Yeah, but is that cohesion?
00:13:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:59
Zak
Because the problem is is there were no individual moments of brilliance. And we said we didn't want to end up reliant on Matias Fernandes' individual moments of brilliance, right?
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:06
Zak
We've had other players that have shown that, like Matsuki in that Carabao Cup game. Absolute screamer, came out of nowhere. The problem is, is you're right, like no one really had a pop. The only time anyone really had a proper pop where they just went for it was Ryan Manning's shot into the moon.
00:14:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But
00:14:21
Zak
where he hits it so far. he's just like, know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take out a couple of satellites where like it went completely out.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:28
Zak
And I was like, oh, great. And that was because our distribution from even corners, if we're supposed to now be this, this sort of free kick, uh, set up team where we take everything from set pieces, we're not, we're not showing that because we keep overhitting like Paul Fraser overhit the ball so many times.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
but also, I mean, the the people you're crossing it into are with all due respect, Cameron Archer and Ryan Fraser, who are not aerial specialists.
00:14:54
Zak
No.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, they both are players that want to run onto balls.
00:14:55
Zak
And the only person that got anything at the end of it, the nearest we got was Taylor Harbour-Bellis right at the last sort of last kick of the game where you know he just about managed to get his head on it.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Yeah.
00:15:04
Zak
But even that, like all the chances we had in that game were like the weird archer flick, couple of other bits and pieces. But that's my problem. is it just It was just a whole lot. It was 90 minutes and nothing.
00:15:15
Zak
Yeah.
00:15:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
one because honestly at no point in the entire 90 minutes despite how you know we weren't we weren't good but at no point in 90 minutes did I feel like we were at risk of losing the game there was a very there was a very dicey moment where it very nearly went in completely by accident from what I could tell but but at no point in the game did I feel like we were in danger of losing it but also didn't really feel like at any point we were likely to go on and win it was like I'd see you come around and say
00:15:28
Zak
I did.
00:15:43
Zak
No, because again, like, it's like we're relying on these sort of like Wrexham moments where Jack Stephens is to come to the score of Screamer. And like, is it because we didn't get a striker? We apparently weren't starting to get a striker.
00:15:54
Zak
Are our strikers good enough? Clearly no. Okay. They need to get a goal for their confidence.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, but I mean, I mean, can we i did say can we blame it on the strikers when
00:15:58
Zak
When are they getting a goal, mate? Because that's part and parcel of it. It's not really Archer's fault. He didn't get the ball most of the time. and
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
75% of the time the ball doesn't, you know, it's 75% pass activity.
00:16:12
Zak
so so So here's where the problem is.
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
those And those, half of those passes are in our own half. Somehow we seem to be trying to skip the midfield and go for a long ball half the time, which we know doesn't work Cameron Archer.
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
He has, you know, when we're trying to play a ball up to Archer to hold the ball up, he had both centre-backs on him and one of them was almost twice his height. Like, it's not, it's never winning an aerial ball.
00:16:32
Zak
Okay.
00:16:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, he then he's, like, trying to spin off and get the second ball, but is he's got no, you know, he's trying to get into a position where he can run on if they miss, but it's just so unlikely they're going to miss a header in this at this level.
00:16:48
Zak
Where's
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's
Player Analysis and Missed Opportunities
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
crazy.
00:16:49
Zak
the problem with?
00:16:50
Zak
Because what I found bizarre in the first half was a lot of our creative outlet ended up coming from Fellows. He he did well for a debut in such a hostile, weird game. It must have been really strange.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:00
Zak
But also, Roroslev got absolutely bullied by Murthy the entirety of the game. It was the only time that I've ever really, truly missed Carl.
00:17:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, the shocker.
00:17:10
Zak
I don't think he had a shocker. I just think that Murthy was just a better player than him. And I think that it's the only time I've ever truly gone, oh man, I miss Karl Walker-Peters. But the problem is I can't make that point to you anymore without making a joke about when he chanced his move from Beskitas to so West Ham.
00:17:29
Zak
Some guy like popped off in loads of the de Southampton socials where like you can keep your Karl Walker-Peters. And that's all I can think of now. But like, you know, looking at the ex-Sylab the players that also didn't have a great weekend playing for West Ham.
00:17:43
Zak
However, it's like in that moment, I was just like, man, I wish we had someone that could take on the physicality of Murphy and then also drive forward. Because I think when Roristov had the ball, he didn't really look like we still a lot either.
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that whole thing, like I think defensively against Murphy, he seemed to have more or less more or less the mesh. There were a couple of times where he'd properly continue with him and stole it.
00:18:02
Zak
Nah, lost him a fair few times. Like, I'm surprised he didn't.
00:18:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But every time he was, I don't think he passed it to a Saints shirt once. You know, like it was just...
00:18:08
Zak
No, i don't think oh no well if he if he did, it was back. So then that meant that if you've got Fellows, who's our most creative outlet, and the person behind him not really passing to him, because as you've established, we skipped the midfield for at least the first 45 minutes of the game.
00:18:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, I genuinely...
00:18:21
Zak
And then on the left-hand side, nothing was really happening. So... Yeah.
00:18:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I genuinely forgot Finesas was on the pitch. Genuinely. He was so quiet in the first half. And, you know, like like you say, it's only his, what, I guess he he did play in the last game after being in the building for a day.
00:18:36
Zak
yeah
00:18:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so this is not technically his debut, but pretty much his debut.
00:18:39
Zak
And also, it is a massive occasion. And i the problem we've got is that, is it a case of the fact it was a massive occasion, they messed up over the back of that?
00:18:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:48
Zak
Is there more at play here? ah ah it It just feels like that whole first half, nothing happened. The second half, we did better.
00:18:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:55
Zak
The second half, I visibly saw Shea Charles do a little a lot more. I don't know if that's because Flynn went off and Yander came on, because Yander looked pretty good when he came on. The times that, again, these players were allowed the ball before they were hacked down. The referee stopped the game.
00:19:10
Zak
The referee did allow the game to go on for advantage a few times. That time that Ryan Fraser got absolutely bodied then just... For some reason, I blinked and he was stood back up again. Fantastic part of the game.
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:19:21
Zak
Which shows you again how good Fraser's been this season in comparison to a man at Monimus last season.
00:19:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:19:26
Zak
But with all this money, all these people we've brought in, Ryan Fraser, a guy that was out in the cold last season, is probably one of our best players. And also, no matter what, was unable to really make an effect on the game. I'm like, where's the problem, Greg?
00:19:39
Zak
Is it literally just that... Where is it? I don't understand. Why can we not get the ball forward? Why is our midfield able to tear up the midfield of every other team?
00:19:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
it no it just seems It just seems to be that midfield, and I don't know if it's them... I don't know if it's them getting bullied or they're just not enough or they're finding themselves out of position.
00:20:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, considering we stood back off of the goalkeeper to try and do this sort of pseudo man marking with that in mind, every time the ball got across to the man that Archer wasn't running at, Finnaz was absolutely nowhere near him.
00:20:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm feeling like if we're standing off the goalkeeper to be man for man, you should be closer to your man. I don't know.
00:20:21
Zak
It's like when when Archer managed to actually get, ah when the goalkeeper came out too far and then he basically tried to get it into the open goal, there was just absolutely nobody there.
00:20:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Why didn't he shoot? Why didn't he just shoot?
00:20:30
Zak
Well, because he hoped, because clearly they're probably traded that there should be someone there.
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just... Look, football's really simple game, Zach.
00:20:36
Zak
There should have been.
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
All you've got to do is kick the ball at the goal. ah ah It's not hard. Like...
00:20:47
Zak
What do you mean? Mate, you need to...
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to drag it back into three defenders because no one else is up there.
00:20:51
Zak
you
00:20:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And even if someone was up there, they probably aren't getting to the ball first. Just put the ball in the net.
00:20:58
Zak
oh
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's what you're paid to do.
00:20:59
Zak
Oh, mate. yeah but that's That's my point is the frustration from every side is boiled over but because like we all wanted that game you said the atmosphere was electric it was gonna, you know, we finally got this this League game at St. Mary's the first time in however many like 30 years or something like that.
00:21:18
Zak
It's a league game so it's it's far more on the line and just absolutely nothing.
00:21:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, look, I mean, the signs were there that it was going to be a disaster from the off because literally the pyro set itself on fire. Like, don't know if that was shown on the TV, but literally two of the pyro boxes set themselves on fire and had to be removed from the equation.
00:21:35
Zak
so
00:21:37
Zak
that does not surprise me. They keep telling us Pyroes are dangerous, mate, so what do expect?
00:21:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Pyro is dangerous.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Literally stood there and watched it set itself on fire.
00:21:47
Zak
but ill i'll tell you I'll tell you what was weird.
00:21:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm like, well...
00:21:49
Zak
It was seeing the... it was i thought I didn't know if the Pompey set off flares, but I thought it was weird because it was white smoke. and What happened is, obviously, after all the adverts finished, because not ITV instead of BBC is a travesty because I had to watch so many adverts.
00:22:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:04
Zak
And then eventually it kicked off and I thought, wow, that's weird. There's so much smoke. like I would expect that. That looks like a flare or something. So now that you've pointed out the pirate boxes were on fire, I'm guessing that's what it was. and it It was an out a counter flare from a Pompey fan suit.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then they like, and then they like bought the brass band out to play, but didn't switch on their microphone or something. And so it was like, they were playing silently. It was just, it was just weird, right? It was just bizarre.
00:22:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, and
00:22:32
Zak
It is not understanding. I think that from an ownership, management and even a player base, there is the understanding of a derby. And then there is a derby.
00:22:43
Zak
They
Derby Significance and Match Atmosphere
00:22:43
Zak
thought they understood the derby. They did not understand or get the derby, right? And again, how are you going to do that if you don't have a team that's been gelled for more than a couple of weeks?
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:22:53
Zak
That's my problem.
00:22:53
Zak
and There are players there that understood. Stevens understood. Even Taylor Harwood-Bellis understood. Buzunu understood. You could tell. like Even if he did have one shaky moment, he played very, very well that whole game.
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
What happened?
00:23:06
Zak
But there were players there...
00:23:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
What was he doing? How did the how did he do that?
00:23:11
Zak
What happened is he tried to make, he made a decision. Then he realised he shouldn't have made that decision. Then he realised that, oh wait, I can't reverse that decision. And then luckily he didn't come to anything. But if it did, he would have gone from like a, yeah, you had a good game to the absolute disaster class of the season.
00:23:28
Zak
And people would be saying that we should replace him McCarthy. That's what happened. He almost, he almost broke his career with a split second, but managed to recover it.
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
madness.
00:23:35
Zak
But then that's, that's, yeah.
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, mate, look, we need to take a break. I've got a completely left-field question for you, but first, a message from our partners at Zencastr.
00:23:42
Zak
Oh, good.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AA editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:24:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright mate, my left field question is not even really based on the game itself.
00:24:15
Zak
good
00:24:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
because the went ah to the match. It was carnage. It was chaos. Saw a ludicrous amount of police on the way in. troy Had to go around to the ticket office because they spelt the email address that they sent the ticket to wrong for one of my tickets.
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I had to go around and deal with that. Now, walking down the Northern Fans, though, normally they make it expressly clear that you have to have a walkway. And it was just carnage, right? Absolute chaos.
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just people everywhere. And it yeah it was good atmosphere buzzing, but like it was just proper busy. And then you got in and there were stewards everywhere. And the stewards by us who are normally very good seem to be picking fights with normal standard Northamers for doing nothing from what I could tell.
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I just wonder, did they put so much effort into stopping there being trouble? that they just like stifled it completely and i made it a lot harder for everyone.
00:25:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And not just for us, the Saints fans, right? like Pompey had to be picked up at 7 o'clock in the morning from their stadium and get shipped down the M27 on a bunch of buses.
00:25:31
Zak
Bye. Bye.
00:25:35
Zak
And then they kept closing all the junctions with like police bikes and stuff to stop.
00:25:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:40
Zak
I don't know.
00:25:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:25:41
Zak
What, like a bunch of people are going to drive by with cars and throw bricks or something?
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
just ludicrous.
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know it's a derby, I know it's serious, and I know there's a lot to it, but it just felt so over the top. like Like, needlessly over the top. And it really, I think that, I don't know if it itself stifled it, but it definitely led to additional frustration to watching what was unfolding on the pitch, which in itself was also incredibly frustrating.
00:26:09
Zak
I think that for everybody that was there, for sure. And i could i can you can tell that very, very quickly. like i I made a couple of decisions, and there's ah there's a lot of reasons why i ended up not going in the end.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:26:20
Zak
I made the decision to to watch at home. And one of the reasons that I did was was part of all of that faff, quite frankly, because... you pointed out yesterday, like you're worried that they're going to put so much effort into, know, policing the occasion that that'll end up riling up people more than anything else.
00:26:37
Zak
And that seems to be the case. And it, and it didn't stop a lighter from being thrown, which is dumb.
00:26:42
Zak
That idiot decided to then run on the pitch as we pointed out and get halfway down the beach.
00:26:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Equally one
00:26:47
Zak
And that was banned probably from every stadium forever. So bravo.
00:26:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
have dumb. like This is the worst game you could choose to do because instantly 12 security guards were on him. And about 45 seconds after that, the steward in front of us stood up and started moving towards him and we all cheered him and said, great reaction time, well done.
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fastest move all season.
00:27:06
Zak
Wow. Well, yeah, considering that there's been the last time we had a Pitch Invader, mate, where they barely got up and the amount of stick you gave those clearly contract stewards that have decided to just not do anything at that point.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mad.
00:27:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
my
00:27:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
who Well, look, it's not like me to nearly get myself in trouble with stewards or security.
00:27:21
Zak
100%,
00:27:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
That would be entirely out of character. But there was one moment where they all came, you know, my seat is next to the little walkway down into the concourse and the whole team of additional security came out to sit in front of the the little advertising boards and they all just stood in the walkway for a solid 30 seconds before a term round and went, come lads, shouldn't you be keeping the walkway clear?
00:27:28
Zak
yeah, mate.
00:27:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they didn't like that. Uh,
00:27:51
Zak
But yeah, like, I think they they've obviously been they've obviously been, you know, told they need to be really, really on it. but But yeah, I think that, like, there there's probably, it was a ridiculously expensive policing operation, right?
00:28:06
Zak
I
Security and Policing Concerns
00:28:06
Zak
think it was like £200,000.
00:28:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was just ridiculous. i was I just don't like... I get it, but it felt over the top. It felt unnecessary.
00:28:15
Zak
I wonder if the cost of arresting like another 30 people would have been would have made the if they'd reduced out the budget.
00:28:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:23
Zak
but if you're if you're asking like Yeah, I think it probably would have had an effect on why people are frustrated because they think if I had to go all through this and we beat Pompey 4-0, everyone is happier.
00:28:34
Zak
Having to go through all of that and then sitting through just the most dire game of football, you're like, not only is it, well, what was all that fuss for? It's what was all that fuss for? And now I've got deal with all this going around, all these people messing about and And like, yeah, you're right. It's going to be like, it's like having one wasp flying around you. It's annoying.
00:28:53
Zak
But then you've got second one flying around you. Like, yeah, of course it's going to wind people up. Like, I don't think, I don't think for, I don't think that would have had an effective result. I don't think the players paid that much attention to it. I think that they, they tried to be up for it as much as they, they, um like to be clear I why I don't know why I'm defending them. I don't know. Maybe they were up for it and they're just bad.
00:29:15
Zak
ah ah I don't know what happened. like
00:29:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, look, it's time it's time to take us home.
00:29:17
Zak
like
00:29:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I want to finish with my favourite description of the match that I've read on on the forums and on social media from a Saints fan today. And that was that the game was all fart, no poop.
00:29:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that is that it sums it up perfectly for me. though
00:29:41
Zak
but
00:29:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
No single phrase could encapsulate my feelings.
00:29:44
Zak
everything about it by the sounds of it was good apart from the actual game like even the frustrations you're talking about because you know how big it is like we've been dreaming about it we've been talking about it non-stop we've been thinking about it even my wife has said the last three days in a row she's dreamt about it it's annoying her she just wants out the way it's a shame she's got another one to look forward to but then it happened and it was nothing
00:29:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:30:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:10
Zak
It was just nothing. It was a nil-nil draw. we That was an actual... That's going affect our league position. Our league position's a bit rubbish.
00:30:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah It is rubbish.
00:30:19
Zak
You know, they're a team that realistically, if you take the if you take the fact that it's our biggest rivals out of the equation, a promoted team from last season managed a nil-nil draw against us in a similar way to the last couple of games.
00:30:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:30:35
Zak
Now, as I said, the positives are, I think that a lot of the reasons of this is the fact that, yes, Will Stiller's now got his team. Has he had a chance to gel them together? No. This came at the worst possible time.
00:30:48
Zak
We discussed that in our fixture episode way back when.
00:30:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:51
Zak
We hoped it would be okay.
00:30:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:53
Zak
We hoped it would be okay. It would have been okay, I think, had we done transfer business earlier. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. We've done the transfer business late. It's kind of ruined the occasion. All we can do is hope that It's onwards and upwards.
00:31:06
Zak
But, you know, with only one win against Wrexham so far in, you know, five, six games now, I'm not saying you should go, but it's like people will want to see an improvement sooner rather than later because it's just a bit sad, isn't it?
00:31:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's time to not shut up, right? We got to really push on and we got, you know, everyone I'm sure is really looking forward to traveling all the way up to Hull next
00:31:25
Zak
but
00:31:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
A dreary place at the best of times, let's be honest. Yeah.
00:31:35
Zak
That's not fair.
00:31:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look,
00:31:36
Zak
We work with someone who lives in Hull and she absolutely loves it. Admittedly, she doesn't go outside and only plays games, but...
00:31:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
the i
00:31:45
Zak
It has the fastest internet with the cheapest rent, apparently. least
00:31:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Look, I mean, whatever floats your boat, it's not for me.
00:31:50
Zak
yeah
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, we've got to try and look forward to that, and we will as the week goes on, I'm sure. Look, let's put this to bed.
00:32:02
Zak
Oh, boy.
00:32:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
We have rapidly run out time. Zach, thank you very much for joining me.
00:32:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you, everyone, for listening to our therapy session that we've come to know and love on a Sunday evening for your ears on Monday morning. We will be back tomorrow and we cast our eyes to other parts of the championship where there were some goals and some football.
00:32:08
Zak
Yeah, thank you, mate.
00:32:21
Zak
Thank goodness.
00:32:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:32:23
Zak
that was so There was so much worse things to happen to other clubs than us drawing to Pompey.
00:32:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
think yeah that's it.
00:32:30
Zak
Let's talk about them. LAUGHTER
00:32:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you everyone for joining us. Like said, we're back tomorrow and we look forward seeing you then. Until then, have a wonderful day.
00:32:53
Zak
but the seats.