Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Hello! And welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg. And once again, today, joined by my good friend and wonderful co -host, Zach. zack Mate. How are you doing?
Zak: I haven't seen my mate. We've got another game coming up. We're thick and fast. We can kind of... you know, go into today with The knowledge that we have. a win under our belt.
Zak: And also the knowledge we're probably going to end up seeing a bunch of ex -players as well, because apparently that means a lot to a lot of people.
DailySaintsPod: but
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, I mean... It - It sure is a game of football that I'm sure means something to someone, right? Carabao Cup? Second round, that prestigious tournament that we don't really care about until if we maybe we get as far as the semifinals.
Zak: Yeah. to me is the fact that they don't even like Eckert came out right in the the press conference after the game and basically said he doesn't know who he expects to see.
Zak: to today in the game because there is like that little sort of thought about the Carabao Cup, I guess. I don't know. I don't need to say like disrespectful, but kind of I guess things like the Taylor Harbour Belly stuff, the the transfer window closing soon and them wanting to do business, the upcoming game against Millwall. I would have thought by now he would have had a plan.
Zak: The fact that he just outwardly said, I don't know yet. I honestly don't know yet. is for me. but uncharacteristic right usually seems to kind of Time from next to the next to the next. but I guess if this isn't considered to be hugely important.
Zak: I think this is more important. personally, for West Ham than it is for us. not because it's the chance of getting a trophy for them. because they they need to write some wrongs right when you get beaten like you did on the weekend.
Zak: you have to deal with the weight of expectation.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: West Ham are a team that you know have a lot of expectations.
DailySaintsPod: Will we?
Zak: They have come down. Ugh.
DailySaintsPod: We've seen it a lot a lot in ourselves the last couple of years right where winning is a habit As is losing. So it's kind of important to try and get.
DailySaintsPod: some level of momentum if you can. But... I guess, in the same in the same thought.
DailySaintsPod: Are they going to want to be playing? what players they've got. I was listening to some West Ham fans. Obviously, they're saying some of their players... Won't play for them because they want to move. They seem to be short in...
DailySaintsPod: least the center back department and kind of in the middle of the park too It's...
Zak: I was speaking to...
DailySaintsPod: Bode well.
Zak: you a West Ham fan over the weekend. And to be honest, they were more excited by the downfall of Spurs than their own team. And I think that says everything you need to know about how positive and how happy they are, like obviously before before everyone was touting them to win the league. you know they've managed to keep going that was supposed to be a really really big deal But yeah, realistically, like they've still got the same manager. They've still got the same system. They went down.
Zak: they haven't really changed much but doesn't it mean that they're not a threat. and yes there might be turmoil but again if you're going to start playing all of the second tier you know, players who you might have heard, by the way, might be, you know, might be first start for forever for Jameson Pratt, right?
DailySaintsPod: Mm.
Zak: If you are going to play...
DailySaintsPod: Which crazy that even after, what is it now, three seasons since he left us, that that'll be his first time back at St Mary's because he's...
Zak: all right
DailySaintsPod: managed to, like...
Zak: Injury God knows what else, right?
DailySaintsPod: transfer to a team that we've already played. I think every season
Zak: yeah Yeah, it's just... it' Yeah, it' that is woe. But my point is is that like he'll be knocking on the door to try and get into this squad. I don't think he's going to be...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: I don't know if there's any suitors for him to go elsewhere. I don't know what they're planning to do, right?
DailySaintsPod: Is it?
Zak: I don't know if...
DailySaintsPod: Is it because Nuno needed something more embarrassing to happen to him than being called Baldi to get over it? Is that... like the relegation has been his saving grace because it's no longer his biggest concern.
Zak: Maybe, look, I... i try Try to take it a little bit seriously. I think that there are going to be players that... get to have a go at the Carabao Cup. probably know they're going to be sticking around at West Ham and they're going to be wanting to play minutes. I'm going to want the chance to impress. I think with us, it's more of a managing the fitness of the players that have come back. And I reckon we'll probably see a lot. large rotation.
Zak: Literally because there are going to be players that can't play directly after the game right on Saturday.
DailySaintsPod: yeah I fully agree.
Zak: and
DailySaintsPod: I expect to see... Maybe as many as 10 changes.
DailySaintsPod: I'll cut that in.
Zak: I don't think we've got enough centre -backs for that, mate.
DailySaintsPod: on well I mean yeah maybe
Zak: who who do i Who do I... Okay, so let's let's just get into it then. obviously parets would probably stay unless they decide to put long on i think that Peretz wouldn't have a problem playing again.
Zak: you know, the goalkeepers are slightly different.
DailySaintsPod: He's one of these keepers that likes to play every game, whereas... i think in the past sometimes we've specifically used these cut matches to to bring in other keepers but i don't know It would be very interesting to see.
DailySaintsPod: whether we play George Long and Cole. that might be seen as the
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: as the first name on the team sheet as a real statement of intent of the fixture, right?
Zak: Well, that's the litmus test, right, for whether or not we're we're taking this seriously.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: and you know I think that... I think it will still be Perez. I do think that the back line will change. i personally think that it maybe me may might be wooden.
Zak: quasi to give Stevens a rest because it's very, very quick and fast.
DailySaintsPod: Yep.
Zak: I think we might end up seeing Thomas Levin. for Bree to start with because Bree's going to need a rest.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Maybe we see Wellington as well.
DailySaintsPod: Definitely. Yeah.
Zak: I think the...
DailySaintsPod: I think.
Zak: midfield is going to be a big question mark. It's like, who do you bring in? Is it going to be like Braga and Akachukwu?
DailySaintsPod: Brogan Akachukwu, yep.
Zak: Yeah, that's what we reckon.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: okay so Okay, okay, We're cooking with fire here.
DailySaintsPod: Yep.
Zak: And by that, I mean that we're picking all of the players that haven't played or started.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Fringe players, right?
Zak: Yeah
DailySaintsPod: We're giving people a chance. We're going to see Sammy Dozie.
Zak: Okay, where's Sammy Odozie going?
DailySaintsPod: We're going to see.
Zak: On the right.
DailySaintsPod: On the right, yeah.
Zak: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: You'll see Ben Burton Diaz through the middle.
Zak: All right. On the left.
DailySaintsPod: But in like the ten roll Yeah. We've.
Zak: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: With me bomber up front.
Zak: Not Cam Archer.
DailySaintsPod: Night. I don't think we see Cal Archer.
Zak: Okay, that said that's interesting. and then so So then what? And then we've got Dobbin on the left and then starting...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: We palma?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: what's as fun as that is mate we're seven minutes into this podcast
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Uh, no, look, that's the thing.
Zak: Yeah
DailySaintsPod: Right, that here's the thing I do want to talk about, right? Because...
Zak: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: I think that... that That lineup is genuinely 10 changes, right? And... And it's not a 0 % chance that that's the lineup we see. right though like It feels like that is very realistically the Saints team we put out.
DailySaintsPod: Now without meaning to... continue to to... point to one particular player and have it as as the the sort of...
DailySaintsPod: the player that we always single out in these moments but With that being the case... Why are we paying... £25 a ticket. to watch ben burton diaz Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Because this is the issue I want to talk about coming into this game.
Zak: Because they're chlorine.
DailySaintsPod: We saw it a lot last season.
Zak: They're clawing back all the money that they have they expected to get through promotion and they couldn't do it.
DailySaintsPod: Right.
DailySaintsPod: Are they though?
Zak: But they couldn't do it for season ticket increases. because if they did if they did probably what they initially planned with season tickets.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: they've had to they've had to drop down on, right? My father.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: And so you know we we know that because of how late all the information came out. So they're going to have to incrementally increase other areas, and that will probably end up being cut games.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Now, I know you're probably going to say, surely that's going to discourage people to go. And you're right, probably.
DailySaintsPod: and And I'm looking at the tickets left on sale. Bearing in mind the time of recording it is... you know The game's tomorrow night.
Zak: Yep.
DailySaintsPod: And I'm looking at the amount of tickets on sale. everywhere in the ground especially considering the the kingston stands i think closed fur for the game. And...
DailySaintsPod: Mate, it's... Is there going to be any fans there? It's going to be like a trip back to COVID football.
Zak: but how How many people are just going to rock up on the night though? Because that is that that that's probably what they're but they're hoping for, quite frankly. And if you so spend money in the fan zones and this and the other, they'll still make a profit.
Zak: from it i reckon and i reckon that part of that is by putting the increase in the ticket prices And like, I know it's...
Zak: the young
DailySaintsPod: 5 ,000 fans could rock up unannounced on the night and purchase tickets and we still couldn't wouldn't fill three stands.
Zak: Yeah, but I don't think that that they know that they're going to fill three stands. And I think that they can make it slightly cheaper and try and fill the three stands. But also it's a Tuesday night. It's a Tuesday night. you know
DailySaintsPod: In between two home games.
Zak: In between two home games, it's already, you know, it kind of came out of nowhere because obviously we beat our last game. i don't think that many people are invested in it everyone cares about the league
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: I'm not hugely surprised. So, you know, if we can add an extra five on the price.
DailySaintsPod: But if the ticket... but And I fully agree with all of those points you're saying, but if you drop the... tickets to £15. Right.
Zak: Hm?
DailySaintsPod: instead of 25. i I would have been substantially more likely to buy a ticket. I'm i'm not attending this game. But you drop it to £15. Suddenly you're dropping it into a...
DailySaintsPod: Zone of pricing that that becomes much more attractive and then you start to actually managed to cater to these fans who are... who might not.
DailySaintsPod: Care that it's Carabao Cup or not? The opportunity to go and see Saints play for £15? I might. It's the summer holidays. I might use this as an opportunity to take my kid to their first game because it'll be quite a quiet game.
DailySaintsPod: But with the pricing point...
Zak: Yeah, but then you you set a precedent
DailySaintsPod: like If you want to take a kid... to the game with you you know you're already looking at like 40 quid before you've even tried to travel. like it's It just seems really tone deaf.
DailySaintsPod: and silly from the club. Like it really feels like. And you know, we heard a lot. in the post -match from... from Saturday's game about...
DailySaintsPod: Making St. Mary's a... hard place to come and how It was the atmosphere and St Mary's crowd that drove us on to victory. How can you do that? With...
DailySaintsPod: But like... I think, genuinely, attend if based on the amount of ticket sales that there still are available. I think you're going to have less people in the stadium for this game. than when to see the under -21s play Real Madrid at St. Mary's last season.
Zak: I guess we'll have to see. and I understand. your your points but like from a business perspective yeah that's that's a smart idea and then the problem is is that then it sets a precedent they'll have to do that for every game and they're not going to want to do that and the problem is is that
DailySaintsPod: but I don't think it does set a precedent, especially in these early rounds, because, because you know, the next if we get through to the next round, then it's another home fixture. Let's run around deeper. And so even if you increment it up to £20 from 15, you can go, well, it's it's one round further.
DailySaintsPod: So we...
Zak: I just think it's more of a...
DailySaintsPod: See the increase
Zak: a symptom not to get to get too external it's more of a symptom of where we're at. as a society in general and the fact that prices will go up for some ridiculous reason whether it be a war or whatever right and then they're like don't worry guys it'll come back down and it never goes back down
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: So I feel like it's just...
DailySaintsPod: Is this...
Zak: that basically.
DailySaintsPod: It's just baffling and I just I think it's really silly I feel like they would have made a lot more money. dropping the price point even like a marginal amount
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: I think it's going to make for a very flat St Mary's, which is going to feel really weird. And... Yeah, it's just it's really odd It's just a really odd one for me. Surely you want to...
DailySaintsPod: get as many people in as you can. And surely, you know from... when it was moaned about in the same breath last season, that... these adopt the bands of prices that are gonna get people in get people interested especially in a week where you're already at St Mary's twice in seven days, adding that third game in.
DailySaintsPod: you know, People aren't going to want to splash the cash for that.
Zak: Yeah. But they're also they're also going to want people to turn up and drink and turn up and spend money anyway. And I think that if you're going to turn up...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, but you surely you're also more likely to do that if you've only spent on a ticket. If you spend £15 on a ticket, you can immediately justify your first two beers at £7 .50 a pint. If you're in and you've not even planned to park anywhere yet...
DailySaintsPod: You're gonna... Bring sandwiches and a flask and deal with it, you know?
Zak: to to me To be clear, mate... I'm playing devil's advocate. I also think this is absolutely insane.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: I understand why it's so expensive.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: I'm just trying to understand it from the perspective of, I don't know, rich business people.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: And as you can see from the fact that none of my arguments go anywhere, I don't.
DailySaintsPod: yeah Yeah.
Zak: yeah
DailySaintsPod: no i just It seems really silly to me, and like... sure if you get less people in you can pay less catering staff and less stewards sure but you achieve that by closing one of the stands.
DailySaintsPod: But if you're effectively going to have... Two of the stands still empty. Like, it just seems... It just seems crazy to me.
Zak: Three. All of it seems a bit silly.
DailySaintsPod: this Hmm.
Zak: Oh, shit. Okay, well... Let's... move on from how ridiculous the pricing is.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: I wanted to have a look at the previous two games we played against West Ham. so uh one of the last times we met them was actually Yeah. Ivan Djuric's first batch, if you remember that.
Zak: which was a Boxing Day thriller where we lost 1 -0.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: where they had Lopetegui.
DailySaintsPod: And that was. The upsetting part about that was at that point of the season, that was progress, positively.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Do you want to know who was lining up for us that day?
DailySaintsPod: Well, I tried to think.
Zak: Uh, Ramsdale.
DailySaintsPod: Yep.
Zak: Jan Bednarek. Remember him?
DailySaintsPod: Yep.
Zak: Taylor Harwood -Bellis, who might not be a Saints player much longer. ago Yukidari Sagawara. who, you know... His hair, but basically not. Nathan Woods. Karl -Walker Peters, who now ironically plays for West Ham United.
Zak: from Downs. Matias Fernandes, who in the time since we've last... Played West Ham. has left us. Gone to West Ham. has now left West Ham for...
Zak: Spurs, which looks to be a fantastic decision by the way.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: uh
DailySaintsPod: It just loves a relegation scrap, doesn't it?
Zak: Leslie! Apparently so!
DailySaintsPod: That's all it is.
Zak: Leslie Uguchukwu, who obviously went off to Burnley and has now left and is in Turkey. I'm Bob Strong, not wolves. Paula Babacu, Turkey's best goal scorer last year.
Zak: I'll substitute to Joe Eribo. James Bree, Tyler Dibling. Kamadeen Suddhumana. Ryan Manning and Adam Lallana. On the opposition, things to note.
DailySaintsPod: All right. really really like shows the churning up evil we've had in the squad.
Zak: Oh yeah!
DailySaintsPod: in the last couple of years.
Zak: also Also for West Ham, considering that they had a Kudus in their squad, who obviously then went to Spurs and is now basically, you know...
DailySaintsPod: right
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: Not being replaced, but went out injured for so long. and the fact that you've now got Karl -Walker Peters in their squad. Christian Somerville, who came on as well. Well, see, that was our loss to... to See you then. with Ivan Djuric's first game.
Zak: The next game we played against them, Greg, Ivan Djuric was no longer in charge. It was Simon Rusk.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: And we managed to equalise and get a draw out of that game as Leslie Ogichuk grew scored in the 93rd minute. where to be honest the lineup wasn't hugely that different
DailySaintsPod: you
Zak: Jack Stephens was in instead.
DailySaintsPod: next
Zak: of words. Spill it Martina played That was basically the huge changes Yeah. Let's see who we check with. And obviously on the bench, the the only difference was subs, really. Cam Archer came on for Nalachi. Ross Stewart came on for Taylor Harwood -Bennis. Wellington came on for Manning. Tyler Dibling came on for Suleiman.
Zak: They had a bit of a difference. I completely forgot that at some point Evan Ferguson had a loan spell there. Okay. But...
DailySaintsPod: Man.
Zak: James Ward -Prowse did play against us, but I don't think that that was at St Mary's. It was at the London Stadium, which is why why this will be his quote -unquote...
DailySaintsPod: was that Yeah, West Ham.
Zak: homecoming which if if we can still call it that But yeah. We had...
DailySaintsPod: Not scoring a free kick for him yet, has he?
Zak: We had spent...
DailySaintsPod: That's the funny thing that keeps coming up.
Zak: We had spent at that point Greg a record 170 days at the bottom of the Premier League. All right.
DailySaintsPod: by
Zak: we had failed to keep a clean sheet in 46 of our last 50 away games of the premier league And 51 goals have now been scored in the 14 games of the Premier League since the 1st of January 2025.
Zak: 12 -4 and 39 against. so
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Was it great?
DailySaintsPod: But I like... i know that we never really put a lot of weight into these historic statistics e anyway
Zak: it's more to show you how different it all is right that's that's my point is that now
DailySaintsPod: Hmm. Look. but Also, it's so much harder to make a prediction for a game that is... I mean...
DailySaintsPod: Effectively likely to be. each team's B teams going out and... I mean if it...
Zak: It's going to be who wants it the most, who wants to impress the most, right?
DailySaintsPod: And also it's... Probably, the I mean, it's it's the last round of... It's the last round of this. competition and therefore the last round of games where
DailySaintsPod: Players either... fighting for their spot. Oh. fighting for a move. have the opportunity to showcase themselves before the window closes Right? Like it screams of that Gillingham game where...
DailySaintsPod: uh the likes of lianco were never seen again right like just play a load of players
Zak: but just Not just the Anko making Gineppo, that was like, yeah, blah.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. But... But, I mean, it's but but it's the unfortunate scenario where... you know West Ham are going to be having the same problem, but maybe even slightly worse because of the...
DailySaintsPod: you know the the difficult times that come as being a club who are... were regulars in the Premier League getting relegated, right? like West Ham were in the Premier League.
DailySaintsPod: For a very long time. And... And we know the the kind of upheaval that comes with getting ready for a championship season and the difficulty that comes with it. And they're, you know, they're in in proper trouble. uh realistically at the moment you know i'm sure that there's quality enough in the squad to turn it around and as we saw last season you know they've probably got a bit of time to do that there's no I guess immediate rush. But also...
DailySaintsPod: you know, is this from them going to be seen as an opportunity to turn that around or a distraction from a rather important game coming up at the weekend against Watford.
Zak: I don't think, yeah, well, I think because it's championship position, I don't think it's quite that, like, Gillingham game. But also, I decided to have a look at that, since you pointed it out, and the line -up for that game, mate. Peru. Do you remember him?
Zak: Uh, Leanne Cohen?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Bree was somehow considered part of the you know fringe at that point, which remember, he was for quite a long time.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Magoma, who ended up going to Leicester. Gineppo. Stuart Armstrong. Shay Charles at that point. Amu Emayu, who obviously left.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Sekou Mara and Shea Adams. And, yeah. it's not you know some of the substitutes oil I don't remember that name if I'm perfectly honest. How about you?
DailySaintsPod: He was a youth... youth player.
Zak: Charlie Alcaraz, who obviously still technically, I think, still technically plays for Everton. I don't actually know where that's at. On the bench was also Don Ballard, though. That's crazy isn't it?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: So, yeah, no, you're right. But then, obviously, I don't know if West Ham are going to have...
DailySaintsPod: now scored an absolute wonder goal. Bristol, by the way.
Zak: I don't know if it's going to be at once I want to go off the weekend. I think it's going to be quite... that I genuinely think it's going to be down to... Which BT monster impressed the most, right?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: All right.
DailySaintsPod: And I think it's probably us, or not even which team wants to impress the most, which which rotated side.
Zak: Are you?
DailySaintsPod: has more fluidity and quality.
Zak: Have the most coherence is what you actually mean, right?
DailySaintsPod: And it's it's probably us, right?
Zak: We thought
DailySaintsPod: Like a lot of that side that we named with 10 changes came on and had an impact on the weekend, right?
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: So whilst our rotation players or or squad players, if you will. They are. you know, at a dangerous level and going to be looking, I mean, I'm pretty sure Mbamara is going to want to be scoring. every single time he's at St Mary's and keeping that record. And... you know it's Dobbins going to be wanting to... to pick up where he left off in pre -season and to keep you know
DailySaintsPod: Goals are are the currency that those strikers and attacking players thrive in, and they're going to be... Hopefully looking to reap those rewards against... the a rotated West Ham side who are, you know, not loving life in the championship at the moment because, because it's a big adjustment as we know, right? You can't, it's not easy to just.
DailySaintsPod: get relegated and hit the ground running in a league. that you... on paper should be better in, but... It's just not that easy. with all of the the stuff going on.
DailySaintsPod: as we well know. But yeah.
Zak: 100%.
DailySaintsPod: I think... you Thank you. bodes well for a win for us whether a win for us is actually good news or is a fixture congestion headache. I mean, that's a different debate, right?
Zak: Well, yeah, we've already we already discussed that in the first game, mate, to be perfectly honest. We were talking about whether or not it's just going to add pressure. And it's again, it's it's exactly what we've talked about multiple times, which is it's the...
Zak: momentum versus you know you don't want to like necessarily drop heads And you don't want to know really it's like take the loss at St Mary's just because we consider it to be unimportant.
DailySaintsPod: Mm.
Zak: I'm sure it will be taken seriously. But again, I think that the fact that we have had... The players that we have as a B team are not team they're not people that are trying to break through that haven't had any game time. A lot of the time a lot of with what this is going to be is players that actually play in our first team.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: that usually don't start. because of the fact that you know we've... We've got a very sort of settled, what we'd expect to be starting XI, and we are resting them.
Zak: Whereas I think that... With West Ham, it is going to be... Here is all the players that haven't played for us that really are going to want to stick around and we're going to have to see whether or not... Yeah, like... yeah yeah you do wonder if if this is their Gillingham game basically
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: And if it is their Jillian game, then it puts us to win 3 -1, which means that that's my prediction before you get in and ask me. Whee!
DailySaintsPod: Nice. who's Who's scoring those goals, mate?
Zak: Yeah. I would love to see another... Obama goal because we've already discussed that. I'd love to see Dobbin get one so we can put to bed this noise that he's not that great because all of our opposition in...
Zak: Preseason was not. The best opposition, right? And... it's a cup game So if you're not having one from James Brie, let's have one from Roryslev because like...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: Why not? Why not?
DailySaintsPod: Sure.
Zak: You know? Let the insanity, insanity reign.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: There you go, mate.
DailySaintsPod: Fair.
Zak: and who
DailySaintsPod: And what's what's the West Ham goal?
Zak: Aww.
DailySaintsPod: I don't normally ask you that, but I feel like there are a couple of like slightly football poetic answers.
Zak: Are you hoping it's me going to be like James James Ward -Prowse when in actuality it might just be like a Karl Walker -Peters goal instead?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, that something like that.
Zak: Just ask, you know.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, one of those answers feels poetic, doesn't it?
Zak: If he doesn't celebrate I'll respect him more. That's where I'm at.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Zak: I actually, need to be clear, I have no real ill will against him or James Ward -Prowse at all.
DailySaintsPod: No.
Zak: uh you know. if anything you know the only good thing about carl walker peters moving on is it did kind of allow this uh allow the current version of james brie to flourish right
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: So yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Absolutely. well before i give you my prediction i'm going to run through quickly the historic stats and some interesting bits i've picked out with some of the summaries uh 27 matches in the data set i am looking at dating back uh, quite a few years.
DailySaintsPod: against West Ham. We've only won seven of them, lost 12 and drawn eight. Bye. you know, when you bring it to a more recent form.
DailySaintsPod: Uh, West Ham's win rate away from home is 17%. So... A team. team's struggling let's be real you don't get relegated in that fashion without put in some pretty gross numbers like that.
Zak: There are a lot more people.
DailySaintsPod: You're right.
Zak: like the The guy I was speaking to the weekend was basically like, I think we would be more... me to pull a Leicester than win the league. And that is genuinely how a lot of West Ham fans feel.
DailySaintsPod: Wow
Zak: And if they if that's how you if that's the vibe you've got... two games into the season. Bear in mind, only one of them was a loss, one of them was a draw against previous Premier League opposition.
DailySaintsPod: Hmm.
Zak: i don I don't know. I don't know what you do with that.
DailySaintsPod: It's lit. Oh. stuff Look, I don't see them getting any joy. I think... All right. know if it's going to be like an absolute hammer in or around i think maybe You know, I really think 1 -0 Saints.
DailySaintsPod: just Just like a...
Zak: Very much.
DailySaintsPod: Look. Like a nothing burger.
Zak: and like. Yeah, but that that could also be, yeah you could also just see, it is there a specific area that goal's coming from?
DailySaintsPod: Me.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, me pal, man.
Zak: It's going to be like an Accenture equipment guide over in Balmer again.
DailySaintsPod: is he's now No, Mubama's going to be starting and he's going to get a goal.
Zak: Okay.
Zak: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: yeah like the The confidence that radiates off the boy is... it's You feel it. right like he he gives off the aura of someone who is going to score. And as I think it was Glenn on TSP pointed out. Like you went on preseason with Man City in Asia.
DailySaintsPod: and was, you know... training alongside harlan so if you're gonna be like picking up pointers from decisive strikers. It's a pretty good one to pick. like
Zak: I don't know, he fell pretty flat. He fell pretty flat this this game week one, didn't he?
DailySaintsPod: oh yeah
Zak: My wife seems to think it's because he's cut his hair. It's the source of his power.
DailySaintsPod: lost all of his power.
Zak: It's now gone.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, absolutely.
Zak: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: I can see that. but i mean
Zak: It's not quite like when Thor did it and it was cool.
DailySaintsPod: I kind of feel like it's the same at the start of every season where after one game, everyone's like, oh, Harland's lost it. he didn't score and then he'll go on and score like 73 goals in the season.
Zak: Bye.
Zak: We'll see.
DailySaintsPod: You'd be like, all right, well, maybe.
Zak: See?
DailySaintsPod: But look. Yeah. Both of us picking Saints wins, not particularly surprising. from our Saints show. But look, let us know your thoughts, your opinions, your match predictions in the comments.
Zak: Sure can.
DailySaintsPod: on the socials. We are Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere. We are on X, Blue Sky, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Everywhere. Hit us up and let us know what you think the score is going to be.
DailySaintsPod: uh However it plays out, though... We will be here to talk about it. We will be back with the first... crazy late night post -match recording of the season. We know that it's all of your favourites to watch us in our semi -delirious post -match state.
DailySaintsPod: But until then, everyone, I hope you have a wonderful day, and come on you Saints!
