Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod with Zach and Greg. Greg, my co -host, is unfortunately still away enjoying some winter sun and having an absolute whale of a time.
DailySaintsPod: uh So that leaves it to me today to preview our... upcoming league game against QPR at home on Saturday. Yeah, but just before that. Just want to talk about a small news bit.
DailySaintsPod: The club has announced that there is a limited number of half season tickets that available to purchase from 2 p .m. on Thursday. Obviously, by the time you're hearing this, it will be Friday. So there might be some left if that's something you're interested in.
DailySaintsPod: but other than that let's just jump directly into the matchday preview so I had a look at some of the stats from the BBC. which is always fun. Southampton have won each of their past six league games against QPR.
DailySaintsPod: as many victories across their pride 21 meetings with the hoops combined so yeah we've uh we've got a good track record against qpr and i'll get into how quite frankly they were the start of a good thing last season.
DailySaintsPod: for us So hopefully they won't be the opposite this season. qpr have lost their past three away league games against southampton only once have they lost four in succession doing so between 1957 and 1969 and records like that i I always have fun as somebody that's like an ex -history student, just like bizarre, weird stats are a big fan favorite of mine.
DailySaintsPod: I... We don't the usually run four going that far back. I think one of the only times I remember us actively quoting a quote like that was after the Leicester game because of the fact that you know we that was pretty historic to come back from 3 -0 down and win.
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, just fun times. Southampton are unbeaten in their past 16 home games, 12 wins, four draws, which is our longest run since the run of 24 between December 2010 and December 2011. So it really is. Fortress St. Mary's at the moment, right?
DailySaintsPod: and we I still remember a lot of the debates we had, me and Greg, during the Premier League season on air about sort of the idea of the Northern Wall and whether or not...
DailySaintsPod: the home atmosphere. Whatever. get good again after just such a torrid season. And we wondered if that potentially that was one of the reasons is that by moving the away fans away.
DailySaintsPod: you know far from the northern it kind of removed some of the atmosphere and i think there might potentially be some people that still think like that Bye. I think that if you look at... where St Mary's is at now in comparison to where it was, obviously the results have helped.
DailySaintsPod: And, you know... It's been. Such a pleasure to be there. in comparison to hoping we won't get beaten by five goals. So yeah, I guess that probably has more to do with it. But it truly is, you know... a really great three feet 12 wins four draws that you know It's not ninety anything to be laughed at. so Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: that's hopefully will give us a good running in the next game on saturday QPR have netted nine goals from set -piece situations in the Championship so far this season, the joint most of any side in the division alongside West Ham.
DailySaintsPod: Now that is something to potentially be wary of. We have been... significantly more defensively solid. in the the last you know couple of games up until West Ham.
DailySaintsPod: And with West Ham, it was always going to be a struggle. But the fact that we had a bunch of clean sheets beforehand is is really good because we were really struggling. and have always continued to struggle from set pieces.
DailySaintsPod: Hopefully. that won't be something that comes back to bite us. and hopefully if you know Tomda and crew are aware that this is a thing that QPR have done well at so far will have.
DailySaintsPod: better plans in place to deal with those situations. I have faith. This is where I'm at. a bit it would be I think it's a good test to come up against the the team that are doing the best of set pieces.
DailySaintsPod: Southampton have been in winning positions for 43 .2 % of their championship matches so far this season, the highest percentage of any side in the competition. So yeah, we we are really having a good time of it, right? you know, we're we're flying up the table.
DailySaintsPod: we're showing our credentials for promotion by far. We've just beaten West Ham, a team that we really...
DailySaintsPod: I don't know, Greg was almost not... Somba. but he was far more cautious about... predicting a win. Couldn't not because it's not in his nature.
DailySaintsPod: and then obviously we proceeded to go tune up really really quickly so you know Strange things happen in football, but we don't want to write off QPR. Right.
DailySaintsPod: we even Even if what I'm about to speak about next shows that we we have a a fairly good history against them. When we last played them in February 2026, we won 5 -0 with a goal from Finnazaz, a double from Matski. a goal from Leo and a goal from Jamesbury. So it was a very, very decent game. And the lineup is almost, it's fascinating because it's very, very similar.
DailySaintsPod: to what we'd expect to see now. except and we don't have Taylor Harwood -Bellis, but we do have Schlotterbeck. And it was Downs and Yander that lined up. except now obviously we've got James Ward -Prowse. And I'll get into the... what I think the starting 11 will be later and my reasoning as to why.
DailySaintsPod: But I don't know if it'll be exactly the same. but it shows you that we have beaten this team once before with a team we have very similar as to the team that we have now. We also beat them much earlier in the season in what...
DailySaintsPod: some consider to be a turning point. It was the first game, Antonda's first game. after Will Still was fired, after the... Bad loss against Preston. And... we were considered at that point. even though you know, Eckert was in charge.
DailySaintsPod: we were considered to be managerless a lot of the reporting around that time uh talks about managerless southampton and it's strange because obviously we've gone on to have you know tonda as such a fixture of the side currently and a fixture of southampton yeah obviously a lot of that.
DailySaintsPod: that bond i think has grown through the whole of the summer during the event that should not be named but it's just very interesting to see sort of the difference as well between that first game and the later game. That first game actually had goals from both Jay Robinson and Leo Cienza, and just we managed to secure the win despite a consolation goal from QPR. In that starting lineup, we had Adam Armstrong. Obviously, Jay Robinson, who is continuing to do well on his loan.
DailySaintsPod: Since my episode about Loan Watch, I think he managed to get another assist yesterday. So he's having quite a good time of it. And obviously Harwood Bellis before he made his move. to Aston Villa.
DailySaintsPod: In this game as well, Damien Downs played as a sub, as did Mads Rorslev and Joe Aribo. That was during the time that I think a lot of people thought that maybe we just needed to play Joe Aribo more.
DailySaintsPod: But obviously... the difference here is we're coming up against a slightly different QPR. This is a QPR that have just beaten league leaders Swansea City 5 -0.
DailySaintsPod: And that's nothing to be, you know, it's not something to write home about when when you beat the league leaders regardless of whether or not. we think Swansea will be up there at the end of the season. they are currently up there and they are up there on merit.
DailySaintsPod: This is a slightly different QPR. We have... We are coming up against a team that have just beaten... The lead league is 5 -0. Right. That's nothing to.
DailySaintsPod: you know, Blink hat. this is a team that... are going to be brimming with confidence, hopefully too much confidence. And that is actually something that their manager has warned. they've told he's He's told them specifically to not have their head in the clouds and has described us as one of the best teams in the championship, pointing out our win.
DailySaintsPod: most recently against West Ham, as evidence of that. Bye. we should still be careful right, with what... what we're doing. We have the same points tally. We have very, very similar results. I don't know if it will quite be.
DailySaintsPod: the walk in the park that we've seen. last season with a 5 -0 demolition and Eckert's first win. And I still remember... When we first beat QPR 2 -1, there was a lot of talk around...
DailySaintsPod: oh, well, it's only QPR. Can we sustain that? We've only just managed to get sort of a consolation win. And I just don't know if that's the same team anymore. and we should we should go into this you know,
DailySaintsPod: acting like that they are a team on the same amount of points as us right admittedly we've we've had deductions and things like that but it's not like that they're not where they are on merit and it will probably make a tougher game than we expect, although I still predict that we'll probably... Do all right.
DailySaintsPod: So. Let's jump straight into a predicted lineup, shall we? Obviously, the goalkeeper conversation, we don't really this i have much anymore. uh which is Wonderful for me. Wonderful for Greg and probably wonderful wonderful for you listeners. Daniel Peretz will be in goal. that's that's the long and short of it. I feel like he is cemented as number one at this point. And unless we end up with an almost injury crisis like we did in the internationals, we won't have to talk about that. until at least until the end of the season.
DailySaintsPod: I would probably see Ryan Manning in the left -back position. He's been playing really, really well. I think the only time that he's really missing out is when I don't know if it's tactical changes. It doesn't seem to be. It seems to more be just resting him.
DailySaintsPod: However, you know There was the game that the both him and Wellington played at the same time, so who knows? But I would expect him to start in this game. And in the middle... when you have a center back pairing that managed to keep.
DailySaintsPod: a few clean sheets to like, you know, especially during a time where we were really struggling to keep clean sheets, you will probably do your best to keep them in the starting lineup. So I imagine Schlotterbeck on the left.
DailySaintsPod: Stephen's on the right. But I imagine both of them to start, unless there's and any injuries that we've heard about. A disclaimer, as per usual, I am recording this, before... There is a press conference. I left it.
DailySaintsPod: Most of Thursday. I was hoping maybe we'd get one Thursday afternoon. But as we constantly discuss, it's a it's a thing Tonda probably doesn't have at the forefront of his mind and will most likely do tomorrow.
DailySaintsPod: And back to the predicted lineups. Right back, James Bree. Yeah. I feel like I don't need to discuss why. Scored against them last time out. scored an absolute cracker goal. last weekend scored in the South Coast Derby.
DailySaintsPod: been one of our best, most consistent players since he returned. Speaking of... best consistent players that have returned. moving up to the middle of the park i I imagine James Ward -Prowse will still start.
DailySaintsPod: I know that Downes is back in the squad. Supposedly Obviously, I haven't had the press conference yet. but You know, that was he was. He came to see the players play on Saturday.
DailySaintsPod: He was working towards last Saturday, missed out. So I imagine he's working to be back this weekend. Whether or not he gets a start, I don't know. I don't.
DailySaintsPod: think so, just because of the fact that, you know, if you're out for an injury that long, it's probably better to just get sort of 45 minutes. If he does start, I do expect him to then come off at halftime. However, I do think James Will Prowse will start.
DailySaintsPod: obviously alongside Jander. Jander's been great since he came back. is i I worry that he may end up like being poached at some point and be seen as the one that got away.
DailySaintsPod: he He has a good one. Just absolutely fantastic footballing talent. and We see that time and time again. And to be out. injured and not start and not get as much time and to just come back in the side and play the way he has. shows the type of caliber of footballer that he is.
DailySaintsPod: So yeah, that's kind of where I predict the middle to be. up top i'm going to keep basically the same team that we had in our last win against qpr which is obviously sienza on the left there has been discussions around sienza's form i Again, I only... as I constantly, you know,
DailySaintsPod: You could say that maybe I give too much praise, but I think it is because of the standards that he set himself. He was still involved. in west ham he was still involved in creating those goals as Greg constantly says, there is something just magic about him.
DailySaintsPod: Unless it is a sort of... injury that he is carrying or there is a tactical decision otherwise i would imagine him to start Same with Finnazaz. quite frankly, undroppable.
DailySaintsPod: in all competitions in my opinion. Finn. has been incredible, just an absolute assist machine. and I know that we discussed whether or not Sometimes which version of Finn turns up? Is it going to be the version that does everything or the version that looks like he doesn't do everything?
DailySaintsPod: But... when you look at the stats he still kind of manages to so obviously he will start in that position On the right. Greg calls this a position that's up for grabs. I don't. think that's the case anymore. I think with the goal contributions, the assists, the... the the physicality I think Matsuki at this point has.
DailySaintsPod: Displaced Tom Fellows. And he is the the the starting. up on the right right here's the starter I. I don't know whether or not. I think Fellows will probably eventually get some more chances again.
DailySaintsPod: i don't know baski's been carrying something clearly he's been taped up pretty much every game for the last three or four weeks so i won't be surprised if you know eventually he gets a rest But in the form that he's in...
DailySaintsPod: And I just don't think he's droppable. in my opinion. But that moves us up to... the top of the park. So this is an interesting one because...
DailySaintsPod: obviously with larry Went off. He had an injury. He was supposed to be back at the weekend, but also wasn't in the squad. so couldn't have been that close to to coming back. he was interviewed in the week doing some media duties so you know he seems to be Seems to be up and about.
DailySaintsPod: And obviously if he's fit, he starts. If he's not fit. we've now seen that there has been a you know we we've carved that place out. for for Dobbin.
DailySaintsPod: And Dobbin played well last game. You know, he got a goal. can't really complain. So. I wouldn't be surprised if that he's not quite fit enough to start Dobbin plays. However, I would see if he's if he is fit enough.
DailySaintsPod: He will play. I don't know if he'll play the full 90. I can't see that. Maybe he plays 50, maybe he plays 60. which then leads to you know most likely Dobbin replacing him, which kind of puts me in a weird position as to what happens with Mubama, right?
DailySaintsPod: I did a player profile in the week on Tuesday, if anybody's interested or if anybody's not listened to it, going over his sort of early career and how he's managed to get into the position that he's in now. The amount of goal scoring contributions he had in the under 21s and Premier League too are massive. And sometimes that doesn't necessarily...
DailySaintsPod: translating to senior football. We've seen that with Oyekunle, , who's had a bit of a hard time over in Leyton Orient. And Prince in the under -21s has been doing... absolutely fantastic and there is a increasing cry for him to step up and be used in the first team.
DailySaintsPod: And I can understand why everybody likes an Academy boy. and They've turned around and sort of said that some some of the players need to be ready you know to to to make that step up. And. he is probably going to be one of them.
DailySaintsPod: But... it does make me again feel kind of bad for what position Mubama's in because even when we we were dominating and I can't remember if it was the game before where he was they struggled to get him on the pitch. Like I wanted to get on the pitch. It just wasn't enough.
DailySaintsPod: places left and you need to think about how low down the pecking order you need to be So to not have that player put on and playing sort of... if he was to start as Cyle Larin understudy.
DailySaintsPod: to then now become sort of the third. choice. striker must be difficult. And he did have a really good season at Stoke up until he was hampered by injury last season. So I don't know what we need to do to get the best out of him.
DailySaintsPod: or whether or not we are going to at all, because as also pointed out, he is a low knee. And we are in a... Fight for promotion. It isn't. like we can you know if if the manager doesn't feel like he can make that step up or make, you know.
DailySaintsPod: take that responsibility or or change the game. and has would prefer Dobbin we kind of have to trust in the manager I think it's just an unfortunate set circumstance for both player and also probably parent club.
DailySaintsPod: because I imagine they hoped he'd probably get a bit more game time. But we could also say the same about Zach Abbott, who I haven't mentioned here once. It'll be interesting to see what the bench looks like. I think is a...
DailySaintsPod: is what I'm most fascinated by. especially with Roerslev being on the bench last week. And you know there's a couple of other player you players that... we might see on the bench that we don't expect again like Prince so yeah we'll just have to wait and see So that's my starting lineup. All of that just then to say. I think it will probably be Larin. But yeah, looking at up when we beat them last time around, it was 5 -0.
DailySaintsPod: But I think this is two teams that are are fighting really hard. We are very much up in form. as are they. It's very much sort of unstoppable force meets immovable object. If they come to play football, which clearly against Swansea they did.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. What? you know we always tend to do a little bit better because we can get behind them we can score it's not like we're we're fighting extra brick wall so will they change tact and just hope that they can get set piece goals, maybe.
DailySaintsPod: But... i I want to be a bit conservative in my approach as opposed to normal. So I've predicted a more humble. 2 -0 win. this time around so i'm really hoping that you know we can just get a clean sheet again get back to that It's St Mary's. It's almost impossible at this point to predict the loss, especially during the current run of form that we're in. I don't think it's going to be an absolute demolition job, though.
DailySaintsPod: I think, you know, surely they'd have learnt lessons from last time. And obviously off the back of such a... a good win at the weekend for them such a strong win they have been told they need to focus up. So, you know.
DailySaintsPod: maybe they will but i think we do have the firepower to get through we have the home edge and But I just don't think it's going to be. an absolute demolition i think you know two goals and a clean sheet Be fine by me.
DailySaintsPod: Where are those goals coming from? I'd love to see Kyle Lahren get back on the scoreboard. I think that's important for... him and you know to continue the run of form that he was on before he kind of went away on international duty And on top of that, James Brega, why not?
DailySaintsPod: He's been scoring for fun. He scores great goals. They're fantastic to look at. And hopefully we get another one this weekend. So yeah. slightly shorter runtime than usual. without me and greg arguing about the semantics of positions you've just got the the sort of full full unfiltered opinions of myself today.
DailySaintsPod: But thank you. very, very much for listening. we are on all the social medias we are on facebook we are on twitter slash x the everything app we are on youtube where our video podcasts go up. We are on blue sky.
DailySaintsPod: We are on Instagram, TikTok. other places, I believe. Those are the ones I remember I update every day, put it that way. So, yeah.
DailySaintsPod: We will be back. come rain or shine to talk about. the result Hopefully, it'll be with my co -host. I should probably check with him when he actually comes back. Because if not, it'll be... myself again uh to discuss you know whatever the result is uh have a Wonderful weekend. hope you We hope we have fun watching Saints. If you're there at St Mary's, have a great time.
DailySaintsPod: And most importantly, Come on, you Saints.
