Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Hello and... Welcome back to the Daily Saints pod with just Zak as my wonderful co -host alluded to he is off for a lovely week on holiday getting some winter sun before winter kicks in massively jealous of the fact that so far he's avoiding all of this.
DailySaintsPod: Horrid rain. What? That didn't dampen the spirits of such a fine Saturday afternoon. where we've managed to beat West Ham. away from home for our second away win of the season.
DailySaintsPod: in what is quite frankly an incredible result. There's a lot of West Ham fans trying to tell us that it's nothing special beating West Ham in 2026, and you know they might believe that, but...
DailySaintsPod: Let's not you know get things twisted. They are a promotion rival to us and are expected, rightly so. by their fan base and the wider football community to be in those positions.
DailySaintsPod: of either automatics or at least high playoffs so yeah quite frankly a fantastic result And one I'm really looking forward to talking about. It would be a lot better with my co -host, but unfortunately he was only able to catch the second half. whilst having a pint in the airport bar. So I wish him well and let's just get straight into it. So anyone that listened to...
DailySaintsPod: Greg's preview will know that he he was pretty... pretty right with the lineup. He was actually spot on that if Lowry didn't start, he expected Dobbin to. Cienza obviously came back in on the left which was incredibly... important and i'll get into that a little bit later uh obviously is ours who you continue to do as as things today as well Matzki on the right.
DailySaintsPod: We had both Jander and James Ward -Prowse in the middle. Yander, who had an excellent game, in my opinion, as did James Ward -Prowse. James Bree, Ryan Manning. Stephens, Schlotterbeck, and obviously Peretz in goal.
DailySaintsPod: So... Yeah. One of the things of note, however, is that both Downes and Larin. one on the bench which says to me that although when we get to the post -match press conferencing bit That supposedly isn't anything to worry about.
DailySaintsPod: the fact that they weren't even traveling you know and probably were just be rested says to me a lot about where they're both at currently so hopefully that won't have too much of an effect or at least it didn't today So.
DailySaintsPod: How do we get on? well Obviously 3 -2, but that doesn't really describe how the game went. uh we came out pretty much gunning. for it. And we we showed that by going one nil up within like two minutes, Matsky scoring really, really early on.
DailySaintsPod: off of the back, again, of of a ball from Sienza. And, you know, just showing our attacking intent to the point where the the bubbles were still landing in the London Stadium.
DailySaintsPod: and it was just a really high energy start to the game we just seemed really up for it Uh, We were in full voice. You could hear all of the away fans and how happy they all were.
DailySaintsPod: And... Before. We'd even really... you know gotten into the game proper we'd already had five shots and scored and as I was noting down the statistics and the notes. I look up again. and Before you know it, James Bree is just scoring an absolute cracker of a ball. you know,
DailySaintsPod: He's done goals like this before, and obviously vitally important, such as South Coast Derby. But... previous seasons when he's played in those cup games and just managed to kind of score from ridiculous positions and only ever really score worldies. And that was... a uh sentiment backed up by our captain Jack Stephens at the end of the game as well And obviously us going 2 -0 up, we then kick into what...
DailySaintsPod: is our usual thing after we go 1 -0 up, which is all of a sudden we slow down a little bit. and then the pressure just piles on and we're having to defend pretty much non -stop for at least the first, at least the 10 minutes after that happened. and there's some very almost goals is what i've got written down Peretz managing to deny Bowen.
DailySaintsPod: and there was just continued pressure with corner and crosses and crosses and crosses and eventually that sustained period of pressure ended at about 22 minutes when we finally They picked up a a foul. which gave us free kick.
DailySaintsPod: And then we were able to get rid of the bull. and Eventually, however, the pressure does win. with unfortunately what is to be an excellent strike from our former player Kyle Walker -Peters.
DailySaintsPod: I still hold. Absolutely. Zero ill will to that man. I think he is was an excellent servant for us. I'm seeing a lot of criticism from them. West Ham for him for whatever reason. Scored a really good goal against the run of play. Well, I say against the run of play, against what you'd have expected from him. right When the ball kind of comes in, you're expecting maybe him to do...
DailySaintsPod: like cross it in but he seems to you know maybe it was an accidental cross but it did go into one that so then all of a sudden it's it it's a bit more dicey because now we're We're at 2 -1. Quite frankly, we just need to... calm down a bit because five minutes on we're still doing this thing where we we're just being dealing with the pressure of west ham they're clearly looking for a second And we'll get the ball and we'll start to maybe move up the field and then we'll just silly lose it again. Like at one point, you know, Scienza got done by Bowen. Bowen then lets off a strike. Peretz manage to save it.
DailySaintsPod: Not a problem. And it kind of just. feels like scoring twice has really fired them up. And as I'm writing that down... uh Similar to the the second goal. It's. uh dobbin nix it from uh from from a move from which started with sienza
DailySaintsPod: ended up with James Ward- Prowse, who hit it, who ended up to Azaz, ended up back to Scienza, who struck it again, but no, Dobbin manages to knock it in for, I want to say, his first career goal with Saints, or at least first goal in the league. Hey. really, really happy for him.
DailySaintsPod: I, myself, I would just like to say I've been overtly critical. But I have questions. why he's in the team. some of the time right and why we've got this big physical player in obama that's very similar if profile to larry and we keep trying to play dobin but clearly it's work today you know The fact that he was there for a tap -in doesn't matter if it was a tap -in or not. You need to be in the right position to be able to get that. It's a point that would be a great...
DailySaintsPod: constantly make. And he was able to do so. And yeah, then all of a sudden it's 3 -1. And then there's quite a a few... you know attacks from West Ham again they somehow miss another goal at one point tatty misses what is essentially an open goal uh But somehow...
DailySaintsPod: you know completely just... knocks it off to the side luckily it turned out to be an offside anyway but that was a a solid 45 minutes and we kind of go into to halftime.
DailySaintsPod: And it's it's pretty much... I felt. Very shell -shocked. It was a bit like, phew. I was texting greg Greg back and forth from it. He had such a look of his concern on his face after we went.
DailySaintsPod: tune it up so early that his wife was worried about him. Wait. Probably also because he's trying to navigate an airport. So a look of worry on your face at that point isn't going to help anyone's situation. However, obviously, we kept up with the with the game.
DailySaintsPod: and yeah so we head into this half after half time there's no no changes for us there is at least i think one change for west ham and they are out of the gates almost immediately once again. jumping back on top of us and you've got a stop from parets immediately to deny them Matsky goes down and you think he's picked up an injury. It kind of looks like it. They start prepping a dozy. But yeah, he manages to get back up and just sort of carry on with the game.
DailySaintsPod: You've then got... a rash challenge from yanda maybe who picks up a yellow card and loses a free kick at the edge of the penalty area for a push on Bowen.
DailySaintsPod: He takes that free kick, hits the wall, results in a corner. And again, it's just like, it feels like so much of this game. After we scored those goals, up until sort of the end, it's just sustained.
DailySaintsPod: p pressure from West Ham and they really did try. you know Again, it's just the finishing, I think, and and all and also... on top of that having such a good goalkeeper. and you You kind of...
DailySaintsPod: think back to when we were having the argument about McCarthy and Bazunu every week. You've got McCarthy, who's struggling now in in League One, admittedly with a Leicester defence that isn't seemingly helping him. in what in the slightest.
DailySaintsPod: Baz, who's doing all right for Bolton and played very, very well against us. There might be some extra motivation, but just isn't the level of calibre that Peretz is. And Peretz has come in for a lot of... criticism.
DailySaintsPod: But it's days like today and those three points on the board against the team that we really needed. hopefully try and get three points from. that will come in to show later on why it was such a Fantastic.
DailySaintsPod: purchase. and why he deserves, rightly so, his place. at number one in the team. So... Yeah. We end up. Almost getting...
DailySaintsPod: a Another go. After a beautiful pass. from Azaz him doing the Greg talked a lot about the preview He really hoped that this would be the type of game that Azaz turned up for because we don't know what Azaz we're going to get.
DailySaintsPod: I still pointed out that even when we have Azaz on his off days, he would still usually end up picking up an assist or a goal. you know, today very sort of... things you'd expect from him. But, Manny, just to find a ball to dub in that... nobody looked like they knew was going to end up there that kind of included Dobbin maybe he just took like a half a second too long or whatever but he struck it Somehow it did not go in the back of the net, but it... it it did just take a little bit of a nick off the post
DailySaintsPod: It adds up. Going back to them. after that point. and at one point. They... Stripe. Dried down the entire length of the pitch. Luckily, James Ward -Prowse tracks his man and and keeps it on and just goes out for a corner.
DailySaintsPod: And it just kind of continues in in that frame for a while. And you have Scienza who comes off for a dozy. who kind of struggles to get into the game a little bit.
DailySaintsPod: Peretz looks to have a bit of a knock and that's kind of worrying for everybody. Goes down for a little bit. But luckily, it turns out to be nothing. but you know He was winded at least twice during this game, either being clattered into players or...
DailySaintsPod: you know making some punches and some very brave goalkeeping that definitely you know course course a little bit for for himself. However, As I said, no real issue. Then obviously... We have another substitution where Matsuki comes off.
DailySaintsPod: And Wellington comes on, which threw me off a little bit. but you can see that like obviously a daisy's been moved over to the right guess you know. Manning's still back. Wellington's kind of up there. We're very much at this point trying to defend the lead is kind of how it feels.
DailySaintsPod: but kind of expected at this point we're we're managing to to deal with the pressure it's very very sustained And then after another sort of long spell eventually falls to us.
DailySaintsPod: For the first time in a while after some excellent defensive work again from some fantastic saves from Peretz. And eventually, the 88th minute, we bring off Dobbin and bring on Mubama. And it's it's kind of difficult because... I don't really know what these cameo appearances are kind of...
DailySaintsPod: four like Obviously, it's probably because at this point Dobbin's tired, but you're you're constantly bringing on a player for like two to three minutes. Who isn't? isn't going to be able to make as much of an impact to the game. like We knew we'd probably have about five minutes at a time because of Matsky's injury early on and some of the stoppages due to Pratt. That's what happened.
DailySaintsPod: I kind of feel bad for Bababa because... Whenever he does get on, it's just there's just it just feels like there's not quite enough time for him to settle into the game. or be able to make a difference but there also seems to be an expectation that He will.
DailySaintsPod: Amen. Obviously, after more pressure from West Ham, Souček scores a great goal, which results in a a nervy last few minutes. However, at this point... you can still only hit Saints fans. The London Stadium is just empty at this point. There's a lot of people. where I was watching people leave at like the eighth minute.
DailySaintsPod: I think me and Greg differ a little bit on opinions on leaving the stadium early. I feel like it's your right to do anything you want if you've paid the money for it. I think it's a baffling decision. I will stay until the end.
DailySaintsPod: However, I... won't be like angry about it. But it does seem sort of like... You are a... Top tier. championship side with an expectation to potentially win.
DailySaintsPod: you know, uh i've released automatic promotion at the very very least sorry you know, through through the playoffs. you'd think they'd have slightly more faith in their team. And bear in mind, they did end up... scoring another goal after that period of time.
DailySaintsPod: But also, it was a miserable Saturday. Everybody on that field was soaking wet by the end of it. But I just wanted to point out that you could hear our support and our away support is always very, very good. and they were very very vocal today and you know and rightly so because we we had an incredible performance and an incredible result
DailySaintsPod: the right at the almost the the end of the game, the last couple of breaths, a ball comes in and somehow Peretz manages to save a... header gets a goal kick and we managed to get it back out and then eventually sort of the last part of the game is that they manage a corner but it's too long at that point the whistle's blown they're kind of annoyed about it and then we win three two I don't really have any complaints about any of the...
DailySaintsPod: the refs today or ref actions which is nice because of the championship is a flip of a coin. Did some of it go our way? Yeah. Did some of it go West Ham's way? Yeah were most of you know were all the cards deserved yandas was yes dobbins silly pull of the shirt was as well So...
DailySaintsPod: That's pretty much how the game went. So let's talk a little bit. about where this leaves us and the post -match listen to the post -match interviews read some of the Obviously articles and bits and pieces have been written down too. Seen some of the, what we can only describe as fan sentiment from both sides.
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, as I as i alluded to at the beginning, it is absolutely incredible result for us. We are. Coming up against a team that... earlier in the season We lost like 4 -1, admittedly, as Greg also pointed out in his preview, in a comp competition that means nothing.
DailySaintsPod: We are also a team that likes to step up when we play so -called big opponents. And it is a very saintly thing to draw nil -nil with Bolton and really, really struggle to get it past them and then come and play at the London Stadium away from home against a team that we don't really usually do well at away from home and then end up winning through to.
DailySaintsPod: uh you know it doesn't put Greg's prediction of 1 -0. you know, to much. However, I'm sure that he will be delighted when when he lands to find out that we have won. So...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. immense performance from Perez. He made a total of 10 saves throughout that game. It felt like more. uh just the sheer amount you know of all different areas and types and It was just...
DailySaintsPod: Constantly, it felt like... just it's so nice to have such a level of confidence in your keeper that you see a ball go towards the goal and you kind of know he's going to get there. and you know, that that's absolutely.
DailySaintsPod: you know, such a nice feeling to have as a Saints fan after for so long. of not really having that and i know that you know arguably at this point it's been like almost a year it'll be a year in january that we've had him still doesn't stop me from Really, really enjoying the fact that we have such a...
DailySaintsPod: professional oop I say professional, they're all professional, but such a Safe hands goalkeeper, right? As I said, like occasionally he's got like a weird... Boruch -esque. not mistaken him, like might do a weird thing. run out to the halfway line, kick the ball forward.
DailySaintsPod: Sure, whatever. It hasn't really been a problem thus far. but on a day where we really really relied on him he really really stepped up We had another goal from Matski again.
DailySaintsPod: you know, he is. solidifying himself in that position. And I understand... and feel bad for tom fellows because as me and greg talk about quite a lot You know, we both have a lot of love for fellows, Greg probably more than me, just because he also has affiliation to the Baggies.
DailySaintsPod: Because of that. you know, we kind of have considered it to be a role. He he always talks about it. where it's like a a up for debate position.
DailySaintsPod: it's it's not I feel like it's not really like that as much anymore, right? I feel like the fellows were started last game. because of the fact that Matzki has also been carrying something. You've seen he seen his leg taped up for the last couple of weeks now.
DailySaintsPod: But the heat the difference he has in his game is that he has that goal in him. It's taken Fellows a long time to get his first goal. Matsuki has always been a player that's willing to just sort of you know take a punt. He is proving to be...
DailySaintsPod: one of the few successes of the multi -site model. And I know that's not really a thing that you'd expect me to bring up now, but it is a thing that sometimes we should pay attention to. and you know say that maybe sending him out on loan to Turkey, bringing him back and then letting him develop the way that he has has resulted in the player that we have now, a full international.
DailySaintsPod: However, as much as... you know everyone knows that i would quite happily talk about Matsuki for a long time Let's not. This camp, James Bree. That goal was. absolutely superb and again like just the type of goal that Only he seems to school.
DailySaintsPod: And... that I saw a lot of talk around the fact that it was absolutely wild that we'll still let him go out on loan. And, you know, he went to Charlton and did such a good job there because so for him to come back and since he's been back, just...
DailySaintsPod: the player that he is and the contract that he then received. And you know sometimes when you give a player a long -term contract, you can worry, but is that going to... diminish their performance at all and i know that you shouldn't think like that It's just how people are. and it's it's It's a thing that...
DailySaintsPod: Sometimes you can see, especially... in some players but for him if anything again helped us secure the win at the South Coast Derby, scored an absolute cracker of a goal. And it's meant that when we feel like we don't have those outlets to score, when we worry about the striker situation, like Larin...
DailySaintsPod: being out. you know, injured and not really having to know whether or not we would rather play Dobbin or Mubama. it's incredible that we can kind of just turn to a lot of different areas on the pitch but more so the fact that we can turn to right back and have him score in very almost... Kyle Walker Peters -esque fashion, right? Like just very...
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely crazy. You wouldn't expect that. Out of nowhere, hits the ball, goes in. Fantastic goal. And yeah, and of course, Dobbin as well, as I've alluded to and spoken about already.
DailySaintsPod: Everyone has opinions on whether or not we should have done different striker business. We paid a lot of money for a player that... we are only starting to really see now. He is.
DailySaintsPod: slowly working his way I guess into the game a little bit more. and being able to play roles that maybe isn't expected of him however You know, I'm just really happy that he managed to get that goal because hopefully that is a a confidence booster.
DailySaintsPod: and it means that as much as i would love colaren to start the next game if it's dobbin I won't be as concerned as I've been previously. And yeah.
DailySaintsPod: as much as i could talk about some of the players that didn't get to play or some of the players that only played obviously those three scored and those three need to be highlighted as does the incredible heroics of Peretz because we would not have had the scoreline that we had had he not kept those balls out now I know that as me and Greg also point out to win a game of football. You just need to score more than your opponent.
DailySaintsPod: One last performance I'd like to mention before we move on to sort of some of the post -match press conference comments is obviously Scienza. Whilst not had the most electric few games, he is arguably responsible for two of those goals. Today, he's helped assist both of them.
DailySaintsPod: So. as Greg pointed out. There is just something about him on the pitch. Maybe it's that people have stussed. Out. how to deal with him a little bit better than last season and early this season. Or it could also be that he's been carrying an injury longer term, which I think...
DailySaintsPod: is Greg's hypothesis and theory. I don't really care. to To be honest, I think that he still... is able If he's even able to do what he's doing now.
DailySaintsPod: whilst being a little bit off and again the only reason we consider him to be off is in comparison to what we've already seen and and how good his performances are and almost like what we expect from him in our team now.
DailySaintsPod: I think that... He continues to be an incredibly important player to the side. And I think he showed that again today. So moving on to the post -match press conferences, Tonda said that... They worked all week on starting the game strong. I think you'd be surprised that although they worked a week on it,
DailySaintsPod: probably didn't expect necessarily to be two goals up within 10 minutes so either way whatever they worked on certainly did work He also spoke about how James Ward- Prowse physically sort of pushed through what is visible cramp on the field. I started to notice it a little bit towards the end of the game. I just noticed he was a bit more sluggish and was wondering if he would get brought off. But no, he managed to...
DailySaintsPod: battle through against his former side show them what he's been missing So yeah. like I'm... really really glad for him and i'm really glad he got that mention and you know didn't really didn't really go crazy in front of his either previous you know previous clubs fans either which is nice to see uh on top of that Tonda was really happy with Dobbins' goal. He was very aware of how hard he works for the team.
DailySaintsPod: and it's great to see that. He had a lot of praise for Peretz and his performance as... Yeah. Quite frankly, as we as I've pointed out many times, even though we did well without a solid goalkeeper, we wouldn't have won that. he hopes that both downs and laran will be ready for today.
DailySaintsPod: But alas, they are not. Hopefully that means there's going to be more positive news about next week. Or alternatively, it's just another double bluff again. He talked about how Downes was quite close to having it had a second injection. It was quite close to being able to come back.
DailySaintsPod: so hopefully it doesn't mean he's back for next weekend and and gives you know a selection headache But I'm not exactly going to be upset with James Ward -Prowse and Jander again. Jander, also another team that had a brilliant game.
DailySaintsPod: He also revealed he wasn't expecting a lot. from the January transfer window. However, we do have flexibility to make some moves if we need to like one or two or three players i think is what he actually said hopefully it doesn't come to that again though it would be interesting to me to see how some of the parent clubs feel about the loans. If I was Nottingham Forest, for example, and Zach Abbott had made one appearance and there was an expectation that maybe he'd be getting a bit more time.
DailySaintsPod: probably have some conversations around that. Same with Mubama where obviously he's come on loan to develop a little bit more. and has not really in my opinion half the minutes that he probably needs
DailySaintsPod: That's a wrap. on today's episode. absolutely excellent result against a really really tough promotion seeking site who... you know.
DailySaintsPod: It's a strange one going from 0 -0 against Bolton to winning away from home. 3 -2 against West Ham. Is it the curse of the away kit and the fact that we kept the third kit? I don't know about that one, but I'm sure me and Greg will discuss it when he's back. Obviously, he's away on holiday. So just keep an eye out. Keep an eye on the feed. We'll probably have some episodes out.
DailySaintsPod: There might be a day or two that's missing, but I'll try and let you know ahead of time with the socials. Speaking of which, we are on... X the everything up. Facebook, YouTube. Instagram.
DailySaintsPod: TikTok. other places where you can find information about podcasts our full video episodes go up on youtube so if you want to see me Moving my head a lot. You can go there. but yeah thank you very much for listening Have a wonderful rest of your week and we will see you in the next episode.
