Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Hello, and once again, welcome to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg, as always today joined by... my good friend and wonderful co -host for episode 514. Zach, mate. How you doing? You good?
Zak: Yeah, mate, I'm not too bad. Again, frustrating. draw up the weekend but hopefully it's not going to matter and we'll never think about it again ah Fair play to Bolton. uh Ref is rubbish.
Zak: We summarised it all in an episode you can go back and listen to. But that's pretty much the TLVR.
DailySaintsPod: Well, that's it. Look, but we've as as alluded to in yesterday's episode, there's there's not a midweek game to have to immediately preview this week. We can... ah take Take a step back, take a breather and...
DailySaintsPod: Have a little look at the rest of the championship and see what's going on. and give those games some context to to what that means for everything and everyone around us.
DailySaintsPod: um so As always, mate, I've got the list in front of me. And as always, I'm going to go in your favorite logical order of... Uh, Chronological reverse alphabetical.
DailySaintsPod: And...
Zak: Sure.
DailySaintsPod: otherwise known as in order from the BBC. But kick it off with Friday night and... Wolves. Back to winning in ways, beating Burnley 2 -1.
Zak: Yeah, but let's not ah you know let's not discount the fact that Jamie Vardy managed to get a goal.
DailySaintsPod: That is, yeah. wild. ah
Zak: It's kind of weird he's playing for Burnley. I'm not going to lie. It just feels kind of odd. and i understand it's because obviously he probably didn't want to take ah as much of a jump down
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: But it just feels like a... I don't know. Like, Burnley just seemed to be a bit of a sinking ship at the moment. um They're one of the teams that have come down and equally...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: their fan base are not happy I guess like West Ham Not that much of for a problem. Wolves having a bit of ah a funny five minutes every so often.
DailySaintsPod: Burnley.
Zak: But yeah, but I don't know what's going on at Burnley, personally.
DailySaintsPod: I mean... all the way down in 22nd not like the table holds a lot of weight at the moment but does give you an idea to how much they're struggling for form and another
Zak: I don't know
DailySaintsPod: but i'll also add
Zak: You say it a holds no weight, and that's true, but like when you've got a team that we're going to talk about later that's had nine losses... kind of kind of adds to it a little bit, right?
DailySaintsPod: and
Zak: Unless there's less there's going to be big things happening, and like you know big January windows, that some of these... You worry that you're going to see another straight from the prem. down into league one which we've now seen in recent memory with both leicester and luton
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: And yeah, it's ah just a bit weird. Bye. I know, fair play to Wolves. We still... Haven't seen a record championship goalscorer out of Armstrong much.
Zak: On the, you know. on the score sheet. recently. I don't know if he was if he was out or what.
DailySaintsPod: No, sure.
Zak: That's the problem.
DailySaintsPod: No, not in the team.
Zak: I don't really know much about Wolves, but I noticed that he wasn't in the he noticed he wasn't on the bench. or the styled lineup.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: um but former Saints loanee Armando Breuer was. in the starting lineup. Uh... Sorry, not the stunt line -up. It was ah as a sub.
Zak: for Burnley as well just little things I like to remind you of Greg
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Uh... crazy. Uh, Peace.
Zak: I'll be lying if I said I watched this game, but I will tell you that I did see a ah series of tweets. basically atting Karl Walker saying leave you before the the football before the football leaves you. So I don't know what's going on there, but it's just...
Zak: Yeah, it's just... um it's kind of a a difficult spell for the the previously. you know, demoted clubs, right, I guess. bar West Ham, because they still have...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, it's It's crazy. ah
Zak: a big team
DailySaintsPod: adam armstrong by the way out with a back injury uh potentially back in time for their game against Pompey, which... you know maybe there's maybe there's some story to be told about ex -saints player scoring against them, so...
DailySaintsPod: But yeah. Tough, tough times. Burnley, Wolves... I don't know, seem to... Up and down, like a loss in the week, but... for Winning here.
DailySaintsPod: I don't know.
Zak: Is it bad to say they seem like a championship side?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Let me do it. They're doing a much better job of... of of it than burnley right up in eight in the table which like i say not a huge amount of weight because a couple of good results turns that around but
Zak: Yeah, I think.
Zak: yeah But also, off the back of two losses, when you then come back and get a win, it's um it's ah it's a better situation than...
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: than where they could be. And realistically... ah they're they're on the same amount of points as us at the table. so
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: We just have the vibe that if feels better, I guess.
DailySaintsPod: yeah but we've also had to score four more points to get there so the run is.
Zak: True. through that through that.
DailySaintsPod: is feeling better because of that. um Right, next. Up on the list, the early kickoffs on Saturday. Middlesbrough 2, Cardiff 2.
DailySaintsPod: Uh... I think Cardiff had a player sent off towards the end of the game. uh Middlesbrough were 2 -0 down, so clawed back a point. at home but Oh, Jesus.
Zak: Yeah, when I um when i text my my friend who supports Bolton, I said that, you know, maybe luck's with you a little bit more today, considering both of the promoted sides were at that point.
Zak: uh up against uh you know reflective sides they played. and Yeah. I guess, unfortunately, the next time I looked at the score sheet, I was like, oh, they're drawing now. and But, you know, I think that...
Zak: It's got to be frustrating. But also you're playing Middlesbrough and you've come up. you know, you've come up from the league below. And on top of that... you've managed to stop them from scoring when you're down to 10 men for that sort of last 10 minutes of the period of the game.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: Because I think at that point, if you've... blown a 2 -0 lead. it's it's kind of written in the stars that at that point you should then lose 3 -2, especially when you have a player sent off.
Zak: That's kind of the way you'd expect it to go.
DailySaintsPod: For sure. i I think it's... i think it' it i think Cardiff will be looking at it as a good point. to be honest.
Zak: Yeah, that's that's what though that's what that's what I mean.
DailySaintsPod: it's there
Zak: It's like, it could have been... Could have been so much worse.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, absolutely.
Zak: But also Middlesbrough will look at it as if to say, you know, oh. few. that's sir It's an embarrassment.
DailySaintsPod: I mean, if you want to if you want to see the story of the game written out in stats form, the the three the two ward the two stats that matter are shots and shots on target, spell it out.
Zak: lost Like, you know, I missed out there.
DailySaintsPod: Middlesbrough with 36 shots, 12 of which are on target. Cardiff with a total of seven, three of which are on target. Of course, two of which went in. so
Zak: Well, yeah, this is the other thing we always talk about, right?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: This is also the problem with um with with the Championship in general, is that you can play a side that that doesn't... but Look, I'm not saying... i but I'm not going to talk about Rotherham again. that's ah That's an old -school throwback for any of our are like older listeners who've been with the podcast a long time.
Zak: But, you know, it's kind of the vibe, isn't it?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Doesn't matter.
DailySaintsPod: I mean... That's... Cardiff set it out for a point, getting a good point. A shame to have thrown away a 2 -0 lead in the middle there. um Good stuff. Next up, Millwall 2, Lincoln City 2. Another... um Crazy games. Strange parallels, right? 2 -0 down at halftime. two goals to equalize a red card.
DailySaintsPod: Still for just a draw. I mean... again, Lincoln will be looking at this as a good point, surely.
Zak: like to the point To the point where the red card is almost at the same time as the Middlesbrough Cardiff red card. Like, it is...
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: Again, the way I saw it was, oh yeah, Lincoln and Cardiff are both up. Oh, they're both drawing. Oh, they both have players set off at the end of the game. Oh, it's... ah kind of a Yeah, you're right. Really strange parallels.
DailySaintsPod: Mmm. And it goes in a similar route. Millwall with 18 shots with 6 on target to Lincoln's 9 and 3 but I mean, like we say so often, the stat that matters is the the score at the top of the board.
DailySaintsPod: and
Zak: Yeah, all four of those teams have got ah themselves a point.
DailySaintsPod: Like I say, a good point for Lincoln, that. to be honest.
Zak: It doesn't matter how many you know shots you've had at that, the keeper.
DailySaintsPod: Yep.
Zak: Although, again, I really wish that ah that had been the case with us, right?
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely. But look, we're doing all right after coming up. uh, you know managed to get themselves 12 points on the board so far which is pretty good going and Like I say, probably a good point away.
DailySaintsPod: Uh... Let me look into it. to take that. Probably Millwall feeling like that's points dropped, but... they're kind of in a weird up and down spell themselves right they They drew in that derby game with West Ham, then got a win, then lost.
DailySaintsPod: So...
Zak: Yeah, so I think it's still early doors, but you are starting to see... some teams you know not quite managing to reach the heights of last season. It's a bit more competitive.
Zak: You know, we are, Swansea are doing... really well, much better than expected.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: You've got Borough that are on a promotion hunt alongside us. You've got West Ham where the expectation is that they get promoted. Wolves probably the same. Burnley were probably expecting to be doing better off than they currently are teams that are underperforming teams that are overperforming you know they're sitting in that sort of at the moment like you know lower to middle bit alongside
Zak: Charlton and Bristol, who you'd expect to be doing better. Watford, who you'd also expect you to be doing better. like The table at the moment is just a bit of a... Bit of a mess, really. Like.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: But i guess's just how that's just how it is at the beginning, isn't it?
DailySaintsPod: Let's go. It's because this we're early enough on, mate, that a couple of literally like one week can flip the table on its head when you've got so many games coming and happening and such a small amount of points between it at the start of the season.
Zak: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: It's it's not really until like Christmas time where you seem to sort of... shake out the... the ebbs and flows that come with the start of the season into some kind of like solid table it's really at this point it's more just uh the the form running than the actual like table positions you'd expect. So.
DailySaintsPod: Um, Next up, on also on the early kick -offs, I guess you also mentioned Watford. They won 2 -0 against Charlton, so not a great result from Nathan Jones' side. Went 1 -0 down in the 58th minute and then ah a last minute. 95th minute Goal just to solidify the three points.
Zak: Yeah, well, both teams had gone seven games without a victory, which is all you kind of really need to know at that point.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: Watford is a strange one, right? Like did pretty well against us early.
DailySaintsPod: The resistible force versus the movable object or something like that, right? like
Zak: Well, it's just um obviously beat us earlier in the season.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: and he kind of looked like a stronger side. And then obviously... struggled and then you've had Ludo. such prestigious names as elton john come out and criticize them and the ownership and you know this constant firing the manager.
Zak: replacing the manager. like It must be hard to have any level of stability. ah when you know that that's just such a threat. And, you know, having
DailySaintsPod: and
Zak: known people that have worked in environments like that it's really hard to kind of expect people to perform very very quickly and work absolute miracles and when they do And they they they they can't really stop. And there's no, it just seems a bit all over the place. It's really hard to know whenever we play against Watford.
Zak: How are they going to play?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: What's their team makeup going to be?
DailySaintsPod: Who's that manager gonna be?
Zak: Who's their manager? Is Wesley Hoyt still there? yeah odd' That's no, by the way.
DailySaintsPod: But yeah. ah Probably a decent win for them. I'd like to say it's hard to gauge what's going to happen with their season because of the the chaos that surrounds it.
DailySaintsPod: um But, you know, nothing good tends to come from chaos, so...
Zak: No, then when it comes to Cheltenham, it's like you've got one week of like Nathan Jones being the main part of the story with him. like jumping up and... Hugging the... bench or whatever.
Zak: celebrating this draw. And then obviously when the thing goes on to lose, it's kind of just... I just think it must be like they must be you happy to have him as a manager and have someone that shows that much passion.
Zak: But when you're like celebrating a draw like that. ah You know, you should probably expect a little.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: bowl. I don't know. Maybe my bias comes in against Nathan Jones a little bit, mate.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm. Yeah, Charlton not on a good run at the moment though, right? ah So... Yeah. We'll see how their season turns up. They just about hung in last year in the end after a solid start.
DailySaintsPod: so see if they can kick on and find some of that form that they had when they had james brie playing for him which seems to have frankly been their their main downfall.
Zak: We'll just have to...
Zak: We'll just have to see, um especially with obviously like last year, it was there was Sheffield Wednesday as like the entirety of the league's punching bag to essentially get. you know six points from. And there isn't going to be that this time around. um I don't know, you're actually looking at looking at Preston and Burnley, maybe maybe that is the case.
DailySaintsPod: well Yeah.
Zak: However... you know i just think that I think that when you've got someone of that character. kind of outshines the rest of of what's going on.
Zak: And again, like midweek antics of him, like jumping around and stuff, far more exciting.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: burden. you know. uh the ultimate results they end up getting. But, you know, I'm sure they'll do well in the end. Or won't.
DailySaintsPod: Indeed.
Zak: It's not a big story.
DailySaintsPod: Right.
Zak: It's a video.
DailySaintsPod: ah On to the three o 'clock games. um Birmingham City 3, QPR 0. This is a... A bit of a crazy one, right? another Three.
DailySaintsPod: uh Yeah, it feels like another game that... The stats don't suggest it was as one -sided as the score does, but at the end of the day, the... The schools are what they are. Burnley, uh, Birmingham.
DailySaintsPod: just Just doing enough to to get that win. They're flying quite high at the moment, all the way up and forth. That's their third win on the bounce.
Zak: Yeah, they've only they've only lost they've only lost one game, so technically, you know.
DailySaintsPod: That's some good stuff.
DailySaintsPod: Mmm.
Zak: Where they are on merit, they're probably... More where they were expected to be. when you were predicting where they'd finish last season. um
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: And you know again, it's like having that yeah extra year in. the the championship provides you like a sense of maturity right and you know what to go in for a little bit more um But yeah, they're they're doing really well. um They're not a team that I'm looking forward for us coming up against anytime soon.
DailySaintsPod: Well, they invested heavily in an effort to push for this position, so... um not a huge surprise to see some of you coming in um reading some of the match report ah interestingly notes that ah Miller might have had his hat trick, but fired straight at the QPR keeper, Pierce Giles, of course, brother of Shea Giles, who seems to be having a really good season at QPR.
DailySaintsPod: I have read only good things and saw his, of course, saving the game against West Ham for the penalty as well.
Zak: Well, yeah, because he's only on loan, right?
DailySaintsPod: So.
Zak: I think he joined, if I remember rightly, he joined City and then got sent straight out on loan there.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: But, you know, they had a they had a pretty decent game, I think.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: They had at least one good, decent game midweek, but it just shows you how quickly things can flip around. But five five unbeaten for for Birmingham now.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. it's some some good stuff but you know qpr Uh... You know, that's their first loss in a while as well. I know a series of draws, but...
DailySaintsPod: hanging on in there to be up and in the points and sticking with it i think they're looking Pretty good this season as well. just Such a competitive league this year. It really is fascinating. It makes for some really interesting stuff.
DailySaintsPod: um Right, next up, Bristol City 0, Sheffield United... one Um, good Good win for the Blades. They're another team that have been like up and down and can't seem to turn any of their wins into any kind of momentum.
DailySaintsPod: right like
Zak: Yeah, they're kind of a bit... all over the place, but you know scoring so early on and holding on for the rest of the game is is nothing to shake her. shake a leg at and you know they're now the current home of
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: ben brereton diaz as well you'll be you'll be you'll remember but um Yeah, it's just... a I... There obviously was such significantly higher expectations last season.
Zak: they went through a really, really tumultuous time. they've come into this season and it kind of has gone from the expectation that they will be Promoted.
Zak: to... at least from an outsider's view. I just kind of like they' they're just kind of like another championship team. And I don't know how they would feel about that. because you go from sort of losing a playoff final to then You're just mid -table championship team again.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: That's got to be frustrating, especially. you know coming down from the premier league not that long ago but they were significantly you know significant yo -yo team for a while, right?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: something we'll hopefully try to avoid if we manage to get back up this year.
DailySaintsPod: Indeed. um Yeah, just... Like I say, sticking on there, but good result for them. Of course, the aforementioned Burton Diaz got 79 minutes in this game. Seems to be taking a position out on the right wing for them, which is interesting.
DailySaintsPod: um But... what Whatever works, I guess. are I know.
Zak: They've got some quality in their team, right? Like Calvin Phillips coming to them has has been...
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: really really beneficial But it's again, it's like consistency, right? it's This is the problem. As you pointed out, this league is so competitive. It's why I worry about dropping points. like I'm hoping this 0 -0 from the weekend means nothing.
Zak: Bop. you never know with with how important it is to try and pick up the points where you can. But as you also pointed out, there's plenty of football left to tape left to play.
Zak: and that the league table at the moment can be completely different in like a month's time so
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely, as it all shakes out, we kind of find out where the form was temporary and where the the rest has been fixed, but we will see how it goes. Right, next up, Derby County 0, Stoke City 1, another...
DailySaintsPod: win for Stoke. They're kind of flying at the moment. um Despite a loss in the week, plenty of wins before that. um And... Dobby. very much the opposite, very much not so. That is not... Good for them, right?
Zak: Whoa.
DailySaintsPod: ah
Zak: Stoke did right. last season until they stopped doing all right they were flying last season early on and then they dropped right back off and finished where they always finish so i feel like it's just being consistent
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Gallagher's goal beat out um Wellington's strike right for a really, really good goal.
DailySaintsPod: Yes, so the goal of the month. Yeah.
Zak: Yeah, so... you know, like, they're they're doing good things, but it's it's kind of, for me, with Stoke it's it's just history. prevails with them right
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: But with with Derby, it's kind of nuts that they've just not... they didn't really they've not really capitalised on the momentum from last season. Uh... I said to you, it's part of that, the fact that they they lost out on Ben Brereton -Diaz or the fact they haven't, I don't know how much they've they've really invested, to be honest. um I can't say I pay enough attention, but I know that...
Zak: they probably last season were hoping to just not get relegated. then they got quite close to playoff places. And now they're probably just seemingly back.
Zak: you know
DailySaintsPod: was the first time. Stoke have won away at Derby since 2007. ah which is crazy and leaves Darby. Still looking for their first. win at home this season, which is just not...
DailySaintsPod: the place you want to be. ah really despairing at the bottom. And yeah. What more can you say about that?
Zak: as just As I said, it's probably the expectations were higher when you finished eighth. like they did last season.
DailySaintsPod: Good.
Zak: they'd probably be hoping to have have pushed on from that, but there's probably a lot of factors to that. And we all know that, you know, Having a good summer in terms of investment and getting the right transfers can be absolutely crucial.
Zak: I just don't know if they've managed that. Obviously, they they originally, I think, were we're pushing big for... for for Brereton Diaz right and then He just went back to Sheffield United for like...
Zak: his third spell. So...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Must be frustrating.
DailySaintsPod: Indeed. Right, next up on the list, Norwich City fans will be having nightmares about South Coast teams as Portsmouth go to Carrow Road and also win 1 -0. It was a penalty.
DailySaintsPod: that side of the game. And... Yeah. I mean... Puts Pompey up into 13th. Uh... drops Norwich all the way down to 21st. Norwich now losing five games on the bounce. Not a great run of form to them.
DailySaintsPod: Uh... not quite the season they will have been open for. by any stretch of the imagination.
Zak: No, again, it's another another team where the expectations are that they're always supposed to be in and around the playoffs when they don't quite get there. that's a problem. But considering the impact that Clement had when he came in last season.
Zak: you don't really see them replacing him anytime soon even with five games being pretty bad, right? All I can think of is how... bad it was having Liam Manning last season for them.
Zak: Switched up. did a lot better We'll just have to, I guess, wait and see where they play out. But they're never a team that... we really like playing as we always pointed out there is supposedly lots of goals um but I also pointed out to you that I think that's just skewed by that one 4 -4 game.
DailySaintsPod: that one game, yeah.
Zak: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: ah But yeah. um I guess I've seen some rhetoric from Pompey fans that getting beat by Saints might have been the best thing to happen to them this season because it's kind of... galvanized the squad and made them actually play a bit better So.
DailySaintsPod: ah I mean, whatever helps you cope is fine. Uh,
Zak: That's nice. I i remember us getting beaten 9 -0 and then the next season being neat beaten 9 -0 again.
DailySaintsPod: critical Yes. okay
Zak: And I'd have loved for that to happen with us. but Hey hey.
DailySaintsPod: Right, next up, Saints 0, Bolton 0. Of course, we covered that in great detail yesterday. So if you haven't listened to that and want to hear our thoughts, go back and give it a listen.
DailySaintsPod: ah Next on the list, Swansea 0 West Ham. One. Uh... West Ham now up into second in the league.
DailySaintsPod: Uh, Uh, a good win against league leaders.
Zak: that
DailySaintsPod: Swansea, who up until that point were absolutely flying. Ah. Tschüss. I mean... Feels like one of those things right West Ham are going to at some point find their footing properly in this league and then just... Stop.
DailySaintsPod: go in hammer and tongs
Zak: If the universe... had a soul. West Ham would have stayed up and Spurs would have gone down.
DailySaintsPod: Mm.
Zak: And I don't know how much you've paid attention to the Premier League. And considering I pointed out to you before this game started that Sunderland were really struggling and you were like, but they're like in the top. And then you check the table.
Zak: I know that it's barely anything. However... it kind of feels like... Spurs managed to just kind of... make a deal with the devil and obviously the devil is coming to to collect at the moment.
Zak: and and West Ham were punished for it. But obviously they've kept Bowen. they're doing very very well it took them a game or so to get kind of into the rhythm But yeah, they're going to be they're going to be right up there. We just need to...
Zak: when we play them.
DailySaintsPod: This game.
Zak: We just need to go at them. And hopefully what we end up with is is quite a ah fun fun game for both sides.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: Obviously, we were beaten by them once in the cup. this year. Um, them beating the beat league leaders shows you you know the level of quality that they have.
DailySaintsPod: but Yeah. And look, it was a game where they were put to the cosh by Swansea, who who kind of dominated them in almost every statistic. But one thing that jumps off the sheet to me, mate, is Swansea shots 11, shots on target.
DailySaintsPod: Zero.
Zak: Well, there you go.
DailySaintsPod: And as we have alluded to on the show many times, if you don't kick the ball at the goal... What hope do you stand?
DailySaintsPod: a simple game where you break it down.
Zak: Not a lot to my knowledge, mate. Not a lot.
DailySaintsPod: laughter But yeah. um Look. a tough game you know putting in West Ham Into a... A good run.
DailySaintsPod: a Two wins on the bounce now. I don't know. Makes next week look a little bit scary, but... We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. ah Right.
Zak: the other The other thing I would like to point out before we before we move on. it's Obviously, they they didn't have have a Ross Stewart, so I don't know if that made a huge difference. But considering...
DailySaintsPod: I mean, he's, you know... for the longest time, right?
Zak: he he comes but He comes back in and has made some contributions but goes back out. But it's it's one of those things where I've seen a lot of um criticism online that one of the reasons that we're we're struggling so much is we should have thrown the kitchen sink at keeping him.
Zak: and that, oh, we should have come back with a bigger offer. And as me and Greg would like to point out. that we have done multiple times, like when they tried to renew his contract. he he He went to his legal team to be like, no. Because obviously that was an automatic renewal clause, right?
Zak: And then after that, like, and it's kind of one of those things where if a player doesn't want to play for us, I don't understand why we'd throw the kitchen sink because it's not like he's lit the world of flight.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. he he wouldn't have challenged on a technicality, right? Because it was a timeframe based off of...
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: at the end of the season, and we renewed it the day after we got kicked out of the playoffs, but that was, of course... after our last game of the season. And he... decided to legally charge that and get his lawyers involved. And at that point...
DailySaintsPod: You know the one who signed for us is not going to happen, and even if he had signed for us... probably wouldn't have kept him fit. So, yeah.
Zak: Yeah, it's just it's just one of those things that... i kind of like ah and it's always when you look at where some of our past players have gone. especially, you know, and and how the so they were supposed going to you know set.
Zak: the wilder light kind of thing. And then it's just, you know they're now a footnote in a story somewhere else. And... With Swansea, it's like probably really nice to be part of a team that's currently top of the table.
Zak: but he you know, is his contribution there going to be as big as his contribution could have been here? Who knows? um It's just a thing that I notice occasionally.
DailySaintsPod: Indeed. Right, next up on the list, West Brom 3, Blackburn 2 in a pretty nutty game. West Brom were 2 -0 down inside 12 minutes. ah with Andre Goodjohnson.
DailySaintsPod: ah put in a way of Quick brace. ah to to put them away. But West Brom... Bouncing back, three goals. um 3 -2 win continues there. Pretty good run there, flying high up in as high as fifth place on 20 points.
DailySaintsPod: Doing alright, looking like a good season for them. Uh.
Zak: Yeah, black Blackburn aren't doing too bad as well, to be fair to them.
DailySaintsPod: Mmm.
Zak: like you know you're Considering where they were last season, I'm pretty sure at the moment they would take 10th, right? uh you know they were very close to being relegated um so i think that
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Very close, yeah. it was talk about
Zak: hairy moment, right?
DailySaintsPod: uh sheffield wednesday being some people save graces so
Zak: they they they saved They saved more than a few teams, I think, last season, if I'm totally honest.
DailySaintsPod: with
Zak: so
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: yeah I think they're probably doing better than they initially expected to be doing. um But. You can't throw away leads like that. It's frustrating.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: uh you know if you it's we've We've seen it happen. before. I don't remember. as I think that, you know, probably as brutally, there's definitely some sort of goals that have been scored in past the 90th that have then secured three points for our teams.
DailySaintsPod: yeah
Zak: um But yeah, to go 2 -0 up and then kind of bottle it. But then let's not. you know discount the fact that the Baggies were able to do well. They were doing much better this season. than than they were doing last you know
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, Raiders seems to be pushing on. and um And... Holding that position up top, James Morrison, of course, their manager. first full season in charge seems to have been against the front. And it's the sort of win coming back from two goals behind like that to win 3 -2 that can really...
DailySaintsPod: um like kickstart momentum and bring some confidence in as well so Hmm. Might be, uh... Give some good times to them. but uh Not great, as I know for a fact. They're on our upcoming fixture list because I've got my tickets already. so that's There we go. Right, and then last but not least, Wrexham 4. press them. One. I mean, Preston, really.
DailySaintsPod: Really struggling. Nine losses.
Zak: Yeah, is it is it last but not least?
DailySaintsPod: now
Zak: It feels more like... Preston up. doing shocking. Honestly, I feel like the They're losing Dobbin to us. Obviously, I know that Dobbin was only alone for them, but you know he was quite instrumental in scoring for them last season.
Zak: And now they're just just like languishing at the bottom. I know that they were the first to fire their manager, right?
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: So clearly isn't doing... you know it clearly hasn't helped yet they've not had a new manager bounce by the looks of it um And yeah, it's kind of, I think, flattered Wrexham a little bit as through disrespect to the fact they've managed to score four. But it does kind of feel like we're pressed in that moment. Anyone can kind of beat them when you're that devoid of confidence. and you don't really have a direction to go forward.
Zak: what do you What do you do, you know?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. it's uh
DailySaintsPod: It's just one of those things. It's very hard. Losing is a habit and it's a hard thing, as we know, to pull yourself out of it. But but nine losses in the league, one draw, one win. it's not Not where you want to be sat. if you're a preston fan at this point in the season that's for sure and uh i mean look It's not too late, plenty of football to be played. Comebacks can happen, but...
DailySaintsPod: What? She wouldn't fancy it, would you? It's not. Even the optimistic gambler I am probably wouldn't be putting money on that. So... Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Crazy times. Well, look, that's it. That is the full championship roundup. So... Some good stuff. we You know, we're doing all i right, mate. I think we're we're well up and amongst it. and I think we can...
DailySaintsPod: Push on.
Zak: It's sometimes nice to see... the results around us because like even before when we were chatting pre -show it was sort of you were kind of almost taken aback by preston where they were considering how last season they were doing And then some of the teams at the top, you kind of awe.
Zak: that's this very And it it kind of just proves that the Championship is is such a competitive league. With the fact that you've got Bolton now sitting in 15th.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: you know both of the newly promoted teams are ah kind of in and amongst the the nitty -gritty part of the championship whereas we're really trying to fight up the top and, you know. Regardless of the fact that they they lost against West Ham, Swansea are still top. so yeah it's just a bit of a wild start
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Yeah, ah but ah but a strong start for us, right?
Zak: And by start, I mean... What?
DailySaintsPod: were we're What, a quarter of the way through now?
Zak: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: just about or just under a quarter and uh Yeah. It's so good fun. Oh yeah. i love it right Anyway, that's that's it. That's all we've got time for today. So thank you as ever for joining me and thank you everyone for listening. We'll be back tomorrow.
DailySaintsPod: to talk about some more football goodness but until then everyone I hope you have A wonderful day. And we will see you then.
