Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 286: Matchday Review: FRUSTRATING draw against Middlesbrough!
126 Plays25 days ago
Southampton – A draw that should of felt like a good results, made to feel incredibly frustrating. But there are plenty of positives to take away, can we build on them as the week continues on?
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/gspndailysouthampton
X - https://x.com/GSPNSouthampton/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@gspnsouthampton
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@gspnsouthampton
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/gspnsouthampton
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Daily Southampton Podcast
00:00:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always today joined my good friend, wonderful co-host, Sackinga Finch.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing buddy, you alright?
00:00:29
Zak
I'm alright, not too bad. It's probably about the energy that everybody left some notes with yesterday, right? Like, oh, well, almost won.
00:00:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, look.
00:00:38
Zak
That was nice.
When Draws Feel Like Losses
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, we talk about draws that feel like wins and draws that feel like losses. And despite that, before the game, like thinking it a draw would be a result and it like a draw would almost be a win.
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
This, because of the way we once again conceded the lead, feels like a draw that's a loss, doesn't it? it's
00:00:59
Zak
I mean, it was a very it was a very fluky goal.
00:01:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a final game.
00:01:03
Zak
Like, really fluky goal. Obviously, it has to be in the right position. have to strike at the same time. But I don't feel like they're... Other than if you'd moved McCarthy a couple of inches to his left and it struck him in the face, i don't think there was a huge amount that could
Game Stats and Missed Opportunities
00:01:18
Zak
have been done.
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah Look, I mean, I know that it's not a stat that we give much, if any, credit to whatsoever, Zach, but I'm going to tell you that Middlesbrough had 0.3 xg, so it definitely wasn't deserved, right?
00:01:26
Zak
you if You're going to pull out XG again.
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's what we're taking from that.
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's Grim, isn't it? It's really grim.
00:01:41
Zak
instance
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Other than that, like, their only other chance that sticks in the memory was Matty Target hitting the post with a free kick. I can't... I'm struggling to think of any other, like, good chances.
00:01:53
Zak
slightly more on target than most of our free kicks that game.
00:02:00
Zak
A couple of couple of you know sky high from or completely over the side by Ryan Manning. So yeah, maybe not the next second coming of James Ward-Prowse, but you know, it was right. The fact we got those three kicks was good, considering the ref basically gave us nothing else. so
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh Yeah, what was their number 12 doing? Like, just playing and also in goal? Like, you just handling the ball for fun?
00:02:18
Zak
Oh, yeah, mate. You can smack the ball out the goal if it annoys don't know if you knew that was a rule.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
mad. I mean, i feel like
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I feel like, despite the absolute frustration of the result, I feel like there's so many positives to take from it. Like, I feel really, like, at war with myself internally because it is horribly frustrating.
Striker's Clean Goal Celebration
00:02:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we've got, like, Prime Championship armour back with a beautiful goal.
00:02:51
Zak
having Having a striker actually score a striker-like goal that wasn't like deflected it off his head or a penalty or anything like that, it was just a good goal, was really nice to see.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:03:02
Zak
I thoroughly celebrated that one. It was it was fantastic.
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
We moved the ball forward nicely.
00:03:08
Zak
Yeah.
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
We created chances. We were still a little bit more sluggish in build-up than I would like to see. You know, it has to be said, but...
00:03:18
Zak
Yeah, I didn't feel didn't feel like our defence were going to accidentally like collapse and result in them scoring. Keeping pretty much what the the same defence was bold, and I think it worked, to
00:03:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
Impact of Strategic Player Changes
00:03:30
Zak
be perfectly honest.
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:03:31
Zak
And I think that a lot of what we've been talking about, especially when it comes to, like, hey, maybe if you replace all of the personnel with ones that aren't as tainted by last year... you know, we might start to build positivity and then you can reintegrate those guys later when we've had some results seems to be coming sort of into fruition.
00:03:49
Zak
Uh, like I said, didn't really expect Tom fellows to be in a position he was in, but he played really well. I actually think bringing him off sort of killed it. Uh, I don't, yeah, like, and that's, that's no disrespect to Fraser.
00:03:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
We looked a lot worse for it, right? like It almost, at that point, felt like, right, this game's done.
00:04:02
Zak
I just think that he was playing really well and it seemed that we weird to take off one of what was our creative powerhouses. Right.
00:04:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's look forward to Tuesday and give give him a rest for then, which was... i mean, it was just never how it was going to play out. I'm pretty sure i'd text you. One's not going to be enough.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:04:23
Zak
No, think that's, you know, it was a mistake. It was literally what the their goal was about five five, six minutes after Fraser came on, right?
Referee Decisions and Yellow Cards
00:04:34
Zak
And then, like, you know, bringing Jay Robinson on as late as he did just, what's the point?
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:38
Zak
It just didn't give him enough time to really get to do anything.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:04:41
Zak
I think, potentially, we kind of expected more added time, right? But, like, if you want an indicator of of how, I guess, messy their game was, they they had six yellow cards, mate.
00:04:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, is crazy considering how bad the ref felt against willingness to give us anything.
00:04:55
Zak
ah Like, that is...
00:05:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:05:04
Zak
Yeah, just we can go on about that as much as we want. But again, like it you keep talking about it. It's the whole, we need to kill off the games. And we're just not doing that.
00:05:15
Zak
wasn't glorious game by any sense of the imagination. But like we had like double the amount of shots for them. There was that that one chance that also, again, should have gone in and then just didn't.
00:05:26
Zak
And I don't know if that was the occasion getting to us as or what. But just...
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And right before half time, a header from Quasi where he's head it almost headed it two down and it's bounced over the bar just...
00:05:35
Zak
Yep.
00:05:41
Zak
Yeah, again, like, and you're right, getting into the right positions is is fine and so until they don't it's they slow down and they don't go in and and we lose out on points. And like we were discussing before the game as well, you know, you're looking at how, if you want how bad we were last season, Sunderland are already on 11 points.
00:05:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's crazy.
00:05:59
Zak
That's a team that nobody expected to go up. one you know, on ah the playoff finals like us, and have already picked up almost as many points as we did an entire season in like first four five games. Mad.
00:06:12
Zak
Absolutely mad.
00:06:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like also, ah ah draw against a team with five wins and a draw coming into this, and based on our form, actually on paper, pretty good pretty good result, right?
00:06:25
Zak
Yeah, no, it's good.
00:06:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Especially if the rest of this week we kick on from that and get six more points to add on into it, right?
00:06:31
Zak
but That's what's key to me, right?
00:06:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:33
Zak
like Because the thing is is, as much as we're like, oh, it was really good we got that draw, and it's like, yeah, we should have also beaten Hull. We got battered 3-1. So states yeah I know you can sort of look at the results and deal with the games that you've got coming to you, but it is is frustrating that you know we still haven't quite kicked into gear yet. And I think if we do this week,
00:06:58
Zak
everyone will probably calm down a little bit. like you probably Me you talked about it earlier as well, like some rumour going around that apparently some captain AEFL Championship Club is leading a revolt.
00:07:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Oh, well, we will get to that for sure. That is on my notes to discuss. Before we get to that, I've got some other positives to point out in the game that I want to talk
Message from Podcast Partners
00:07:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
about.
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first, let's have a break and a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, mate, we are back. So I have got three big positives that I want to take from the game and that I hope we can take into this week and build upon.
Game Positives: Ball Movement
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
The first positive is stat-based. And it's just a direct comparison for you of one statistic, which I didn't really, I've never paid attention to before, but maybe I should have.
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And on the BBC website, which I presume comes from Opta, it is backward passes. All right. So yesterday against Middlesbrough, we played a total of 72 backward passes.
00:08:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And against Hull the week before, in a much worse performance, our backward passes were 95. And so that stat alone tells me how much better we were moving the ball forward and like into attacking areas.
00:08:54
Zak
Thank you.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was so much less just knocking it about at the back for the sake of possession. like We moved forward, we found gaps. Yeah, we did go backwards sometimes to try and like prod in different areas.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
But a huge amount of the play was positive. And, you know, we'd get it out to the right to fellows and then he'd either take someone on or he'd turn back round and we'd very quickly get it out to the left.
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
to I think armour was tended to be slightly more out on the left or Manning running up with the overlap. and just It was just nice. It was good football. I've really enjoyed watching us play the game.
Individual Performances Highlighted
00:09:41
Zak
Yeah, I was entertained for the whole hour.
00:09:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know...
00:09:44
Zak
ah ah Sorry, the whole minute.
00:09:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:46
Zak
You know, like, I was entertained for the game, which was the most enjoyable thing for a long time, you know, since since Liverpool. Because, again, I went into Liverpool expecting nothing, hoped that today would be a bit of the same, depended largely largely on, obviously, what the line-up was going to be.
00:10:04
Zak
And, obviously, you questioned in the the build-up and the preview, you know, the lineup, right? And you questioned sort of like how important it' was going to be and what do you think is going to happen at all? Was he hoping to justify how that Alex McCarthy? Well, it turns out he just put Alex McCarthy in anyway.
00:10:19
Zak
doesn't really matter.
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:19
Zak
As as I pointed out, he's about a manager who can do what he wants.
00:10:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And at the end of the day, whether... I feel like that was a correct decision or not, is irrelevant. Because he very nearly... He wasn't at fault for the goal.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
None of the...
00:10:33
Zak
really
00:10:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
He didn't make a mistake all all afternoon, really. ah ah You can't really...
00:10:37
Zak
Very near anything at one point. It's a bit rapey.
00:10:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. But, I mean, both four-keepers have that in them, so...
00:10:43
Zak
But... Yeah.
00:10:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, it was good. Another outstanding positive, my second point that I want to bring up, is Kasper Yander and what breath of fresh air he is in the middle of the park.
00:10:52
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's not scared of the physical side of the game. eat He almost looks like Flynn Downs, like good Flynn Downs, like the way he flies into tackles.
00:11:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But just the way he carries the ball forward and creates the space. And he was a huge part of the reason that we were getting the ball forward the way we were. He was very impressive. I was very impressed.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I enjoyed watching him play. I hope that he continues to play that well and be that impressive. But, I mean, it made a huge
Kasper Yander's Energetic Play
00:11:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
difference. And Che Charles benefited from that too because...
00:11:30
Zak
So we've changed some of the personnel that might not be in the right head space yet.
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:39
Zak
We've changed, you know, and we've we've put in people that are wanting to prove themselves after a good performance on Tuesday. And the backwards passes went down, Greg, and forward passes started happening more.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm
00:11:52
Zak
These players, you wanted to get in there and do that.
00:11:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:55
Zak
And so, yeah, no, I think I kind of said, i kind of, I was far more excited for him after that we did our preview. Yeah. you know, about, I was kind of like, didn't really expect much when I initially saw the signing and a lot of people were talking about it.
00:12:08
Zak
But again, it's like everyone, you know, bases it off of like the five minutes they get to read after because no anyone that pretends they're sat watching Bundesliga two week in, week out is lying.
00:12:20
Zak
I'm sorry.
00:12:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:12:21
Zak
so we didn't really know who the guy was. Like we knew he was touted to be, touted to be a new talent. It's just nice when you kind of start to see it pay off a little bit. Right. And I think, yeah, I think he's going to be a very good footballer for us. I hope so.
00:12:35
Zak
Very much so.
00:12:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And the last positive, I mean, this is probably the one that...
00:12:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah I'm not going to say it's the most controversial, but I can see other people disagreeing with this. The last positive for me was Ross Stewart. Now, I think that he did a lot of what he was supposed to do on the pitch very well.
00:12:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was competitive in the air. He got up, he won the ball. Sometimes he held it up and waited for one of the others to run off of him. just made a nuisance of himself. Now, he definitely
Team Formation and Tactics
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
got very tired towards... Oh, there was an argument that he should have been taken off the pitch maybe as many as 10 minutes before he did, right?
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And that showed. And some of his first touches were not spectacular. But he was very effective at what he was supposed to be doing.
00:13:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
The whole point of having the two strikers in that... I don't know what what what you call this formation. Three, I think we called it a three, two, two, one, two wide.
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:13:41
Zak
That is what that is what you you said, and it did make me feel a bit aneurysmy, because it's just not like trying to read it.
00:13:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:47
Zak
Three, two, two, one, one. I'm about to send some sort of... but If it were one and zeros, mate, I thought you'd be trying to talk to me a binary code, but alas.
00:13:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, it's it's kind of like a skew with five back, right? Because Manning, although he's very good at getting forward, does sort of tuck in and do this defensive role.
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fellows is not expected to drop back and do much of the defending role. He is very much a winger. So it's kind of like... a I don't know.
00:14:14
Zak
Woo!
00:14:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
guess it's kind of like a wonky 4-3-3, like a 4-3-3 with a slip on a tilt. so I don't know. mean, I think the problem is that once you try to put actual football tactics into a tidy set of numbers, it ceases to function properly, right?
00:14:33
Zak
It becomes a game, mate, and then the problem is is somebody builds a broken tactic and you can use that to win everything and then you realise that isn't how real life works.
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:40
Zak
So it's a pretty bit of garbage nonsense anyway, isn't it?
00:14:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
But but it was it was really good. It seemed really balanced. But yeah, I mean, in that in that setup with the two strikers and the the very clear, definitive big man, little man setup that, let's face it, we have been asking for for a year, right?
00:15:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, this is not... Long-time listeners to the show you will know.
00:15:03
Zak
That was more like the first thing I thought of, to be perfectly honest, right? When and I saw this, I was like, they're finally doing it.
00:15:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:09
Zak
it
00:15:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:10
Zak
They're finally doing the the tool pool art the combo with two different personnel, but basically the same profile.
00:15:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And it worked. It worked. and You know, we should have probably scored more than we did. And we definitely needed to.
00:15:23
Zak
Well, isn't that just this not just the the story of our season, mate? The story of our season, the story of our last five years, probably our story of our decades.
00:15:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but...
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
no I don't know, mate. I don't know, mate, because I feel that a lot of the time the story of our season has been if you don't kick the ball at the goal, you don't win. But at least this time, we did try and kick the ball at the goal.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this is this is why it's improved, right? Like... da You can't take away that basic basic criticism. We had shots. We kicked the ball at the goal.
00:15:52
Zak
I agree.
00:15:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Were we still a bit slow and build up?
00:15:52
Zak
I
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes. Were there still times where people should have shot and didn't? Yes. but there so Are there some people who need to never shoot again? Yes. Like, and it's just... All of these things can be true, right? something and And, you know, i think that it's a real change because actually I think my most uttered phrase sat in the stat or stood in the stands behind the goal this week was, no, not him, as everybody else urged people to
Humor on Shooting Practice
00:16:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
shoot.
00:16:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I sit right by where they warm up and I watch shooting practice and some people you shouldn't be saying that to.
00:16:28
Zak
You always text me about shooting practice and it's always great because it's like, man, it's crazy how these people have managed to get to become professional footballers with the amount of times they are unable to hit a ball a open goal.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Shooting practice this weekend was very awe-inspiring, with a couple of exceptions. if If the goal post was as high as like row F, Fina Zaz would be a top world-class striker. And Taylor Harwood-Bellis, now I think that he mishid it.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
but the only shot he took at the goal in shooting practice cleared the side and the top of the safety net and genuinely like nearly took half the brass band out. It was chaos. But
00:17:15
Zak
it's
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
look, I think that there are so many positives to take from the game and it is still a frustrating result. I just hope that we can kick on from the positives and take those for what they're worth.
00:17:29
Zak
I agree, because Sheffield United had their first win this weekend, and that's going to embolden them a little bit.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:37
Zak
So it's going be probably tougher.
00:17:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Their new manager bounce, right?
00:17:40
Zak
Yeah, it's going to be tougher.
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Their Chris Walder manager bounce.
00:17:41
Zak
I see a new manager bounce, but it's more like they just got another clo clone of Chris Wilder out of cryo status in the basement. It's genuinely how it feels at this point, you right?
00:17:52
Zak
It's like that guy that they always bring back to Eastleigh every time they fire anyone. That's not a current for his name, but you know who want about.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I do, is it's Richard someone.
00:18:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes. You're right, mate, 100%.
Rumor of Captain's Plot
00:18:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, let's get to the interesting talking point and talk about this conspicuous rumour because, you know, it there are some interesting viewpoints on it.
00:18:20
Zak
That's another crazy conspiracy on a Monday morning, guys, eh?
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first...
00:18:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
We love love it. we love it right. let's But first, let's have a break and hear a message from our partners at Zencaster.
Zencaster Promotion
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform.
00:18:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster. All right, mate. Now, I'm going to tell you how I came across this post.
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know that you sent it to me, but I saw it slightly before you sent it.
00:19:02
Zak
Good.
00:19:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I saw it on one of my Facebook groups. I think one specifically about championship banter, which is, you know, it's good.
Captain's Meeting Rumor
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the article...
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
from ah ah can't remember the newspaper source, but they had tagged the newspaper at the bottom, but it was like an unknown, ah ah mystery EFL championship captain has arranged a meeting with their chairmen.
00:19:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
because their team are not happy with the coach. And what they had was a picture of ah ah a championship football at St. Mary's Stadium. Now, I don't want to put too much credence into that particular choice of picture, because anyone could have just picked championship football picked the first one, right?
00:19:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, man... but ba did Did I then see some response to that from some of our fans?
00:20:02
Zak
Yeah, so I saw it via the second tier podcast and that's what that photo did. It was via a ah ah Twitter page from a guy that does Patreon called Reluctant Nico, who I think occasionally has leaked stories in the past. I don't know how many of them are legit.
00:20:19
Zak
I think he has, like, his own Patreon post that people pay for and stuff. So, like, he makes a living of it. So, he must get something, like, right sometimes. But it's one of those things to me where I'm like, so is this why is this why Jack Stevens was dropped?
00:20:31
Zak
There's, like, a lot of what I'm seeing. And, like, oh, it's all to do with William Stewart. I'm just kind of there, like... So, in this world that you live in, Jack Stevens gets dropped for one game. And at that point, decides to try and stage a rebellion with who?
00:20:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:44
Zak
Taylor Harwood-Bellis and...
00:20:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh no
00:20:47
Zak
Maybe now it's like, I don't, it just seems weird to me.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's just so unlikely that it would be us to me because so much of our squad are new players or players who are playing well.
00:20:51
Zak
It's a very odd.
00:20:59
Zak
just new. Like,
00:21:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like you say, the only players...
00:21:03
Zak
who's rocked up and gone like, hey guys, yeah, like, I heard that we don't like this new guy. you Should we rid of him? And it's like, he might never play a again, mate. That's the reality of the situation.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I like the earth the only three, and I don't even like want to speculate on on it too much because it's ridiculous, right?
00:21:17
Zak
the since Yeah, it is ridiculous.
00:21:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like the only three that you could even, at the highest level of conspiracy, think about right would be Stevens because he's suddenly been dropped.
00:21:21
Zak
good
00:21:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Harwood Bellis because he's struggling and Flynn Downs because he's been out of form and sick. And I did see some absolute insane conspiracy like, oh, he called in sick after another poor performance. It's just poor mentality. i not Or it's poor immune system. He literally poisoned himself last year.
00:21:51
Zak
i feel i feel like I feel like you don't have like the club literally do more medical investigations into why you're sick if you're just put in a sickie.
00:21:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... Yeah.
00:22:00
Zak
like I realise that that is like a...
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:22:02
Zak
I realise it's so hard for for people in the current day to live in a reality where like not everything is just a conspiracy. because okay Because to be honest, half the time turns out to be true.
00:22:13
Zak
can understand why people feel that way. But I think sometimes you just take it at face value. like I don't see that at... the club we're at i just don't see this it being and i think people just want a job to jump
00:22:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
Rumor Skepticism and Fan Exaggeration
00:22:25
Zak
to it so like
00:22:26
Zak
yeah no if will still goes it's because everybody fought him off and it's just like guys uh and the idea that our owners are just about to fire a manager after checks notes like getting like three or four draws a win and two losses it's just it's
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:41
Zak
nuts. If anything, and the problem is is that that that summary could be most of the championship, right?
00:22:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it really could be.
00:22:49
Zak
That could be Black Red Rovers, right? Because they've just they've just banned their local journalist from turning up because he apparently he's too critical of them.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:59
Zak
You've got loads of people speculating. It's Watford. You've got other people speculating. People were speculating at Sheffield United. Very funny. People speculating at Sheffield Wednesday.
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sure, mate, surely Watford haven't kept her coach long enough for the captain to be moaning about him.
00:23:08
Zak
Like,
00:23:12
Zak
Well, that might be why at this point the captain knows after like four months and whether it's going to... You know after a week or two if it's going to work out if you're replacing every month, right?
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've got
00:23:21
Zak
Like, they're like, nah, not this guy.
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
will We have exhausted the talent pool of managers at Watford. There is nobody left who hasn't managed us. But yeah, look, and I mean, honestly, I think...
00:23:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
i even as as ridiculous is, right? I just don't possibly see it being true to be about us. But if it is, to to completely shut it down, if that set of players from last season are unhappy with our coach, I'd honestly rather lose all the players, right?
00:23:41
Zak
Oh, no.
00:23:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... a
00:23:55
Zak
front The problem is, is like ah ah feel I feel bad, but I understand why people have jumped that conclusion, because we've, again, managed to pull out a couple of names out the bag. We feel like they might be annoyed. I'm basing that entirely off the basis they've been dropped.
00:24:08
Zak
right However, I don't think that they have that character to do that.
00:24:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. the fact And and but the fact that it's...
00:24:12
Zak
like
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I agree. I don't see it. I don't think that it would be the case. I don't think that it's...
00:24:19
Zak
like I apologise because it seems insulting to even be like, oh yeah, I reckon these guys, because it's just insane.
00:24:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, you're right.
00:24:25
Zak
like
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
like This is just the highest level of conspiracy theory, but I don't believe for a second that is any of them. And I don't think that Jack Stevens is the type of character who, because he got dropped for one game, is going to be suddenly kicking up a fuss.
00:24:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
We hear about how much of a good presence he is in the changing room. that that is not That's not what but would be directly against that view of him.
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just don't see it.
00:24:53
Zak
just
00:24:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's definitely something else
00:24:54
Zak
look, if the goal was to start conversation, drum up interest, put the guy's name out there, it's worked.
Focus on Upcoming Games
00:25:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:01
Zak
we've We've mentioned who it is. We've mentioned the second tier podcast.
00:25:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
else. Yeah.
00:25:04
Zak
Like if it was entirely, you know, we don't It might be nothing, might be something, might genuinely come out.
00:25:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:09
Zak
I just have a feeling like it's going to be like Blackburn Rovers have fired their manager off the back of this. And then it's going to be all those people, you know, it's so weird to see so much of our fan base almost will our new manager out of the club before before it's even really out of go. like i've I've been frustrated. I was incredibly frustrated at Hull.
00:25:33
Zak
You can see because me and you disagreed on so much, right?
00:25:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Yeah.
00:25:37
Zak
And then, you know, um but at the same time, it's like, to a point I made earlier in the episode, Sunderland are 11 points. Sunderland.
00:25:48
Zak
like we have got We are trying to undo a lot of damage, and maybe we've just not been that great, and it's going to take a while to bring anyone in. like We are not a club that has ever relied on a new manager bounce, because we've never had one.
00:26:01
Zak
if We just don't get them.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it mate. Do you know what puts all of the noise to bed as we head towards the close this episode, mate?
00:26:08
Zak
A win at Sheffield United. Right.
00:26:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, not just that, mate. Six points as the week comes on. That's what we're that's what we're building towards. And look, mate, championship.
00:26:15
Zak
Okay.
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
The game's come thick and fast, and that is why we love it. But...
00:26:22
Zak
Yeah, but then afterwards, you know what we've got to deal with? ah ah Another international break. I swear it was last week, mate.
00:26:27
Zak
Like...
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure that we can find something to watch. Okay.
00:26:33
Zak
hip Please join us as I bring you new video gaming podcast. Greg will bring you one about the Eagles. It's going to be great. It's going to be absolute chaos. There's going to be 15 minutes apiece. You're going learn about whatever I'm playing.
00:26:46
Zak
Greg will tell you about why this HushPush is still going to absolutely storm the season. fucking
00:26:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. well But look, let's let's wrap up and summarise the weekend. A draw that should have felt like a win, frustrating because it's a draw that felt like a loss.
Episode Summary and Match Preview
00:27:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... a point is a point and we're getting there. And now we head on to the next one and we see what happens then. And you know what, Zach, tomorrow we're going to talk about what we think is going to happen then, because that's how thick and fast they come.
00:27:15
Zak
Whoa! Oh, man.
00:27:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Crazy. Uh, listen, thank you very much for joining me, Zach. Thank you everybody for listening. Uh, like i say, we'll, we'll be back tomorrow with our match day preview of Sheffield United, uh, as our boys go away for a long week up North.
00:27:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it. Let us know. how are you feeling about this weekend? are you in the area on the side of positive, taking the positives or are you deeply frustrated or both?
00:27:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know. Let us know on the comments or on all the social media. We're on all of them. We're on X blue sky, Tik TOK, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, everywhere.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look us up. You will find us. Let us know. We'd love hearing from you. Like say, we'll see you tomorrow. But until then, everyone, have a wonderful day.