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Episode 67: Premier League Catch-Up
25 Plays1 month ago
Southampton – We have a glance over the premier league table and how it's shaping up, and look all the way up the top of the table. We have a catch up on our predictions and how our fantasy league is going!
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott. I'm joined again today by my co-host, Zach Ingo Finch. How you doing, Zach?
00:00:20
Zak
ma Yeah, I'll see about a busy day for me today. So just of sort of I'm here. ah There's some vibes. The vibes are calm.
International Break and Premier League Insights
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
it look we're we're struggling our way through this international break looking forward to Sunday to get re-energised and hopefully back with you know that three points that we're all expecting but moving away from that we are gonna have a chat today about the the Premier League as a whole and how it's going so far this season and and take a chance to catch up now
00:00:38
Zak
man
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess it goes without saying that we never really claim to be experts, but at least we watch Saints every week. That might not be the case so much with other game teams, but but you know, we we talk and watch enough football that I think we can paddle our way through it, right?
00:00:59
Zak
This is true.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:01:09
Zak
To be fair, we both we both watch what's ever on, right? like i need to I need to justify my Sky Sports subscription somehow to my poor wife.
00:01:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:17
Zak
so yes it's it's been It's just ah a a bit of a weird gear. It's almost like it's returned to the old old school with the top six being the same.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes right
00:01:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's that forest.
00:01:28
Zak
except you have the wonderful addition of Forest and Brighton this year instead.
Surprising Teams and Managerial Impacts
00:01:33
Zak
But it's like chel fruit one i mean like Chelsea back up there, sort of almost replacing Man United. ah ah some Yeah, it's a bit of a weird year.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's a bigger surprise for you? Forest doing so well or wolves doing so poorly?
00:01:47
Zak
I would probably say... wolves doing so poorly but I would point out that Nuno was in charge when wolves did really well and he's at forest now and doing really well with forest and fair play to them because like it's it's the kind of it's like forest are having in my opinion what we had when we got like sixth seventh and eighth etc they're having those kinds of seasons right and like seeing like Chris Wood like well like a New Zealand striker
00:02:21
Zak
who i think a lot of people at that time were kind of skeptical about that transfer and a lot of people just kind of like that seems like a waste of money and they ended up paying dividends for them so so yeah um Liverpool being at the top isn't isn't really a surprise or should it be because because like with Klopp going everyone wondered what would happen they sort of like they've invested hugely into their team
00:02:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
Arsenal and City's Struggles
00:02:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just think they've they've got a process, right? like It's not like slot really is. It's not like us where they're so hamstrung on this identity and playing football a certain way.
00:02:42
Zak
they've always just had that level of quality right
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
They just they have good players and play to their strengths. like It's almost simple, isn't it?
00:03:02
Zak
Oh, if only that was how
00:03:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
like Yes, and it was always going to be the case. of you know When you play like that and you have that quality of player, y briadein you a quality manager that's going to play those players in the right positions. and this This is the way it's going to work out. I don't think it really should be a huge surprise. They've hit the ground running. I'm a little surprised that, you know, that they're doing as well as they are, or maybe it's more surprised, I guess, that that the other teams have dropped off. Like what we expect in Arsenal and City two have dropped even as many points as they already have.
Chelsea's Chaotic Success
00:03:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably not.
00:03:40
Zak
No, but I think it's it's that sort of burnout of chasing the title, right? Like if if ah for ah from Arsenal's perspective, it's just like year in, year out, it seems to be sort of just like this elusive golden stag, they can't seem to hunt properly. And then they keep trying to get everything into the to like every single puzzle piece that's missing to try and and sometimes like just doesn't work out that way. City, I don't know, since they played us have had like a meltdown, it's bizarre.
00:04:07
Zak
I'm totally honest, that's very, very strange.
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's ever since Pep Guardiola said he was going to learn lessons from Russell Martin.
00:04:12
Zak
yeah Yeah.
00:04:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've lost every single game.
00:04:14
Zak
And then obviously, it's obviously Chelsea as well. like we've We've talked about it, I think, in the build-up, and with me and you have talked about it before I started doing the podcast. We talked about it quite a lot because I kind of found their summer sort of plans and the buying of the players to just be absolutely insane.
00:04:31
Zak
But
Expectations: Big vs Small Clubs
00:04:31
Zak
something something seems to be going kind of right there. and Like everyone thought Pochettino would be the savior and before that everyone thought Potter. Now it seems to sort of be Lester's old manager that got promoted somehow is you know doing pretty well with ah a young Chelsea squad that means that maybe they don't need to buy 100 players every year.
00:04:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah well they're kind of the uh i guess they're kind of the antithesis of what i was saying earlier right if you just get good players and a good manager and they play but i think that the problem is there wasn't like livable have a of a structure and a system and a shape where it's chelsea just bought 43 million attacking players and it was never going to work out right
00:04:51
Zak
But I guess we'll see.
00:05:09
Zak
Well, again, it's it's like it reminds me of see after they got taken over because of you know, everyone knows why. is this sort of reminds me of like, when C originally got taken over, right? And then like, they just bought a bunch of players, none of like, nobody who knew how to speak the same language, half of which played in the same position, shoved them all into a team went, look, it's a superstar team. Except I think the baffling thing to me is that Chelsea seem to do that like two or three seasons in a row. It's just mad. And then it must be weird being a Chelsea fan and like the things they complain about, like in comparison to like what we have to deal with as a club, like it's
00:05:45
Zak
It is mad. It's like you watch the absolute meltdown that man you fans have and you kind of see like, oh, you imagine what it's like supporting a club like ours where like pain is just, is a daily
League Competitiveness and Historical Comparisons
00:05:55
Zak
thing. Like that I was, I have a driving lesson today. So I'm driving through like the back ends of Southampton. Like for I say back in Southampton, it was close to Fairham in the pitch back. I'm chatting away to to my driving instructor about sort of, ed we was who was we were talking, cause I was mentioning about how how I do the podcast and and sort of like the the I had like a medical thing.
00:06:19
Zak
I I ah probably mentioned it as well around the Everton game. But like we got this win and it was like somehow it just made the the light in my life sort of lit up because we managed to just get this one measly win in what was probably not really an amazing game of football.
00:06:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:06:36
Zak
But we managed it and that is like that is like an incredible moment in between watching us go. We almost did a win. We passed the ball lots. We had 70% possession.
00:06:46
Zak
And then you've got like these other clubs. It's just like, it's ridiculous.
00:06:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:06:48
Zak
I can't, I can't believe we haven't won week in week out every, every day. And it's like, man, I don't know.
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I guess it's just what they've got used to right like the past few seasons the the points tallies at the top have been insane like it's not
00:06:55
Zak
I don't know if how I could deal with that.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just the way it's been on an upward trajectory and it sort of feels a little bit like our struggles aside the top of the league sort of leveling back out to some form of normality where you know like last season Arsenal and City 91 and 89 points like that's you remember when we looked at the 2016 season and Leicester won with what was it 68 something ridiculous like that which is
00:07:28
Zak
Yeah, exactly.
Advertisement Break
00:07:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
crazy
00:07:32
Zak
yeah but but thatta That's what I discussed at that point as well, mate, because we we literally said like that seemed to be the sort of last season where you didn't have the sort of bigger clubs be as dominant as they have been in recent years at the top, and it's almost like you know I'm not saying, let's make a super league. you know We all know how that turned out last time. But it is almost like there's like an elite version of the Premier League. And it is very much a divide between top and bottom.
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did them a misservice, it was 81 points, but...
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes yeah.
00:08:04
Zak
Yeah, you but producer so i mean but then also, yeah yeah as much as we say things like that, we're we're coming at it from a ah that's that's struggling right near the bottom.
00:08:13
Zak
And then a forest forest is fifth and fifth, of deservedly so. And you're right, like when you asked me, because obviously I never actually answer your questions, I waffle, make a real good politician. ah ah But like when you asked, you know, what's more surprising, wolves or forests, I'm like, i'm I'm really happy to see forests where they are, but I am still very surprised that wolves have sort of fallen down as low as they can.
00:08:34
Zak
But I'm wondering if that win that they got against us will boost their confidence enough.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
kick him on.
00:08:39
Zak
Whereas with us, we got the win and then apparently just did nothing with it. And again, like momentum can be key. I do worry about this sort of next stretch of games. I know that we're doing a general Premier League overview, but you look at sort of, you look at every team and you think, well, every um their day, every single one of them could beat you.
00:08:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
15 points.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:56
Zak
and Maybe that's what the beautiful thing about the Premier League is.
00:09:00
Zak
It's because you you see those matchups where on their day, anyone could beat anyone else. Bournemouth beat City this year, you know?
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:06
Zak
No one probably expected
Arsenal's Title Chase: Over?
00:09:07
Zak
to see that. Least of all City fans.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got more observations and thoughts but first a message from our partners at Zencaster. So here at the Global Sports Podcast Network we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and Zencaster came out the clear winner with 4k video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically promotes all those ums and r's. It's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay me so I want to talk about Arsenal and like we we're we're a third nearly a third of the way through the season now right is it is it too early to say that their title chase is over or like they're nine points behind Liverpool at this point like i sounds like a lot of points
00:09:55
Zak
I mean, they and unless something happens to Liverpool, unless you get like a severe injury crisis at Liverpool that completely wipes them out, or something just suddenly stops clicking, or or there's enough footage on all of artists in Liverpool to be able to throw all the managers to sit around a table and decide how they're going to beat them. Yeah, because the thing is, is they've just quietly been playing their game, winning game after game after game after game, the odd draw here and there, the one loss they had, which was literally just described as a setback. And that that weight of expectations seems to just like not be on them as much as
Fan Expectations and Impatience
00:10:36
Zak
everybody else. And from an Arsenal perspective, it's like,
00:10:39
Zak
It feels like that was all that Mikael Arteta was sort of brought in to do. I find it wild that like Arsenal fans are already, I remember seeing one of the, from our from my colleagues at GSP at Arsenal, talking about how they'd heard murmurs amongst the fans that get rid of Arteta, and I'm like, snot, absolutely nuts, because it's like, but then again, that's, that, as you pointed out, is I guess how cutthroat the top of the table is now, is that there's such a high level of expectation.
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's mental
00:11:05
Zak
you know, whereas like, you know, we would be, we're just dreaming about coming to 17th so he can build in the future years. And then you look at sort of under the top four, you look at sort of like five to 10 and every single one of those teams are like decent teams. It's it's just so an extremely competitive league now. And I think more so than it ever has been. but also that, that, that divide from those sort of top clubs is just unreal. Like what do we consider a result on Sunday, mate? Like, do we consider a result?
00:11:34
Zak
to be we don't get battered four or five now do we do we consider result you know yeah especially the way it's been this season but like
00:11:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
the way this season's going, that's always the first four part of parcel of the result. I want to shift us back. I want to talk about managers under the Cosh in North London. Do you think that the calls to sack post a Spurs are ridiculous? Like, he seems to have instilled his mentality in the players and that style of football that he wants to bring. But 10th, it's clearly not where they want to be.
00:12:11
Zak
It's weird because it's like how they don't seem to be able to develop like a run.
00:12:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I mean, 10th almost doesn't, but also I guess 10th doesn't really do them service of
00:12:15
Zak
It's win-loss, win-loss, win-loss.
Relegation Predictions and Unpredictability
00:12:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
like, they're literally one win away from third if all the other teams above them lose.
00:12:24
Zak
Yeah, that's the thing.
00:12:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So.
00:12:26
Zak
When I say i say the goal for the top is is quite large, right? But like you look at the gaps, you know, you've got Chelsea, Arsenal, Forest, Brighton, all the same amount of points.
00:12:38
Zak
And underneath them, you've got Fuller, Newcastle and Villa on 18. And underneath them, you've got Spurs, Brentford. So, you know, depending on how...
00:12:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
3rd to 14th there's only 7 points difference.
00:12:47
Zak
It's just, it's the exactly.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's crazy isn't it?
00:12:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's like a free game in a form and West Ham could be from 14th and in trouble having a woeful season and up into Champions League places.
00:12:49
Zak
so So maybe, maybe I was wrong.
00:12:56
Zak
But this is the thing, is there's still, there's still quite a lot of people to play. And this is why, like, I think that the whole, like, you need 40 points to survive, and like, you need this many points by Christmas just means nothing now.
00:13:07
Zak
absolutely nothing because realistically it's it's nothing, it's not about that anymore. I i don't know. it just I can't can't work out how I feel about the Premier League this year, which is probably while I'm waffling a lot about it because it's just just really weird.
00:13:22
Zak
like I kind of miss the championship a little bit.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
after
00:13:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
you no ways right
00:13:27
Zak
I don't want to say that too loud.
00:13:30
Zak
I guess I miss the simplicity of it. I miss being surprised as much and I don't know. like It's ultra competitive, but I also feel like you know that it's going to be either a Liverpool city or an Arsenal that win the league, right?
00:13:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean it's lift tools to lose now right five points are clear I know it's early in the season but that's
00:13:45
Zak
thats That's, I think, my problem at this point.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah in previous years at this point you'd expect that team to just go on and win it. I mean we could cause an upset and throw the entire title chase back into chaos frankly. That's I guess the biggest dream. so It's gonna be the way it's headed but yeah you're right it's a baffling season.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
is even the teams the teams that were in that sort of mid-range seem to be pushing towards the top end more, but also some of the teams that were in that top end are struggling.
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like West Ham won a European Cup two seasons ago and frankly could be down amongst us in a relegation fight based off of their form.
00:14:34
Zak
You've got,
January Transfers and Southampton's Strategy
00:14:35
Zak
you've got like supposedly, you know, Moise was the problem. Get rid of Moise, that much different, really.
00:14:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's another manager under the under the under pressure that's being talked about.
00:14:41
Zak
You know, you've got.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's sort of the Wild West out there at the minute. I wouldn't want to be a manager in the Premier League.
00:14:50
Zak
Yeah. No, I would never want to manage in the Premier League. i so I speak from my extensive football manager experience, which means which means i would I would much rather like win three or four titles in the J-League than have to try and desperately keep like a Crystal Palace or a Saints up towards the end of you know after like two or three seasons.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
The pressure's too much. You've got to get the results.
00:15:15
Zak
just gets It's just a little bit harrowing. I think it's the stark the stark contrast. of like you just is really really hard to to predict games across the board apart from you know you look at the bottom of the table and there's ah as a ton of losses but the fact that you've got sort of what Chelsea, Arsenal, Forest and Brighton on the same amount of wins, same amount of draws and the same amount of losses after 11 games is just bizarre like it's it's very that it's a very strange makeup of what's happened and when you say with Tottenham it's like
00:15:45
Zak
Well, they've won five, lost five, true one. Like, it's what? Because that's what I mean. Like, how do you even get a run going? So is it is it too early to say, Poster Cogley goes, yeah, in my opinion?
00:15:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:55
Zak
Like, I feel like a lot can happen in the next 10 games or so, right?
00:15:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:00
Zak
And this is where, like, I know you talk about it with us specifically and and Saints in general, but it's one of those things where, like, I hugely don't see us moving up the table a huge amount in those next five games, if I'm totally honest.
00:16:14
Zak
But then stranger things have happened. you know The year that
Premier League Schedule Impact
00:16:17
Zak
Leicester won the league, no one expected that to happen.
00:16:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah it's a really sort of crucial part of the season now right because by the time you get to christmas we're nearly halfway through and it's things start to sort of fill into their normal shape but also sort of a really thick and fast run of games not just until christmas but actually the next real time off is the international break in march so it's really like a an almost five month period of just non-stop and especially you know
00:16:19
Zak
but
00:16:25
Zak
Yes.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Carabao Cup, we've got a lovely, you know, picture against Liverpool, and just the miraculous happens and we go through that. That's fantastic, but then we've got two more legs to think about.
00:16:55
Zak
and
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's two more fixtures in that sort of very congested period. It's it's a bit bit interesting, really.
00:17:02
Zak
how What do you think is going to happen?
00:17:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
People talk about the fixtures coming thick and fast in the championship, but it feels battering down in the prem.
00:17:08
Zak
Yes, you're right.
January Transfer Window Prospects
00:17:12
Zak
what what do you think of How do you think the January transfer window is going to play out? Because I've been thinking, so there's lots of conversation. like Today, we we've been linked with what, like, Endrick from Real Madrid, which
00:17:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I saw that. A nice loanne sign little bit offended by that lad Bible posting that that was going to be to a club that most fans wouldn't be able to pinpoint on a map.
00:17:24
Zak
Fine. Sure. Sure. Whatever.
00:17:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we're just above the Isle of Wight, mate.
00:17:36
Zak
i just Just throw it out there.
00:17:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's easy. Shocking.
00:17:38
Zak
Like, throw it out there.
00:17:40
Zak
Like, Titanic Southampton. Right?
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:44
Zak
As most people know where Southampton is, they might struggle to point a map.
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Crazy.
00:17:48
Zak
They might accidentally point a Bournemouth or Portsmouth or whatever. It's the south. It's the south coast. It's who you need to be. Look at where the other white is.
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
not
00:17:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:54
Zak
Look at that little dot at the bottom.
00:17:55
Zak
Just above there, that's where we are.
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
but yeah
00:17:58
Zak
Yeah, it is kind of mad that we're being linked with that.
00:18:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's going to go to one of two ways right it's either going to be far more quiet than anybody wants because they've got a plan and they're going to stick to it and you know that that will probably mean bringing in I think Martin said in his interview he's got three or four players he wants in And that's fine.
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll probably see, hopefully we'll see some of the dead word chopped. We'll see the likes of Bellacott Jack gone and he can be removed from the conversation. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if Toolpool goes, although I feel like that would be more controversial than anything at this point.
00:18:25
Zak
Yep.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But ah to me, it feels like no big loss if we replace that with ah ah someone quality, improving quality. But yeah, I don't know. Or it's going to be panic stations again.
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
that I think is probably just as bad.
00:18:45
Zak
Yeah, that's, this is the problem, right?
00:18:46
Zak
Like what do we do?
Premier League Season Reflections
00:18:47
Zak
Cause I wouldn't be surprised if we end up terminating some loans similar to a lot of Mason Hallgate. Like I feel like there are players that we've got a loan that probably
00:18:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah like corny what's he done some would say he's not really been given a shot but then when he comes on the pitch he looks scared to take a man on so yeah surely we don't find another goalkeeper
00:19:00
Zak
So yeah, this this is the problem is is that so I won't be surprised I don't know but like, you know, not even just just with us it might be you know You've you've starting injuries are starting now. We've got quite a a major one with Rambo out for a while So yeah I wouldn't be surprised if all of a sudden January ends up exploding.
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
we're bad to coming back at some point like that would be crazy right got some final talking points uh to finish up on but first i think we've got a message from our partners at the global sports podcast network
00:19:22
Zak
Oh What would you mean like do you want do you want the six registered goalkeepers for the Premier League regs?
00:19:41
Zak
The Global Sports Podcast Network is changing the face of football podcasting with dedicated daily content for every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football and a daily Premier League wrap-up broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcasts.
00:20:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, so for our final statement, I want to change it up just a little bit. You weren't here with me at the start of the season when we did our preseason predictions, but ah at the start of the season, who would you have put to win the league?
00:20:15
Zak
would have been say
00:20:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, mean that's what I put. And what would your three going down have been?
00:20:21
Zak
City, I reckon Arsenal would have come a close second again.
00:20:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry, bottom three going down to
00:20:26
Zak
Oh, bottom three. Optimistically, I'd have liked to have not put us, but I would have probably put Ipswich. I'd have probably put Everton because Everton's time has finally come.
00:20:40
Zak
And obviously, I know as much as it might upset former fans, but I know that they flirted with
Fantasy Premier League Experiences
00:20:46
Zak
relegation. I certainly wouldn't have had Palace and Wolves where they are.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I had Forrest and Lester in there who definitely deemed to be defying that prediction, which is pretty wild.
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, I mean, it's been an unpredictable season. I do a predictions league with the the rest of my family and the scores are ah through the roof.
00:21:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
It being a golf style aim where you aim to score as few points as possible. We're in the hundreds, all of us. It's crazy. It's not ideal.
00:21:18
Zak
Yes, it's been, it's been weird. And I think this, the the way the competition of the league and and how competitive has been has really been.
00:21:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:21:27
Zak
but This is what I think while I was trying to point out, like the top of the table doesn't seem to shift much, but the rest of the table means that all of those places that you predict at the beginning of the season, we could pick points off of all those teams that you look at and go, Oh, we could pick three points off of there.
00:21:41
Zak
I genuinely don't think that that's the case anymore.
00:21:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
All the problem is we've played a lot of them already, right?
00:21:44
Zak
And it comes down to a knife edge. Yeah, that's the other thing is that it comes to a knife edge. so So the flip side of that is we've just got to hope that these teams that you were like, oh, we won't beat a Brighton or we won't beat a Liverpool.
00:21:55
Zak
We just got to hope maybe they slip up and maybe we we we take our chances.
00:21:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
We always shove up in the big games. That's the the beauty of Southampton.
00:22:03
Zak
so This is true.
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright mate, and the my final series of questions for you before we wrap up as we're sort of heading towards the end of our time here. FPL mate, how's it going?
00:22:16
Zak
ha I started really strong and then I ignored it for a little bit and that was my biggest mistake. I'm sitting on 553 points, which isn't great.
Fantasy Premier League Strategies
00:22:28
Zak
So our in our work league that you're part of, Greg, I was at one point like sitting sitting high at second and I'm now two underneath you, and three underneath my friend JP and I'm really struggle bussing. And I think one of the problems is is like I had a really good team at the beginning.
00:22:44
Zak
I made a lot of really, really smart decisions. And then I did what I usually do, which is hit panic stations and start moving things around. And that's why I've most recently done again and picked almost an entirely new team for going into next week.
00:22:56
Zak
And I think this is where I get whittled down because I start, I start doing too many transfers that start costing me too many points. I'm like, ats fine
00:23:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, no, never cost points, mate. Only three trans has otherwise you stick with it It's uh, oh, yeah as you allude to i'm only doing slightly better than you I think i'm i'm on 5 7 7 but I mean most upsettingly it means that i'm currently third in my family league and that's That's a hard one to swallow, mate.
00:23:17
Zak
west waste thats so That always hurts.
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's it's tough That's uh a consistent winner normally normally riding high in first all the way through the season but got some Got some work to do. Banked early on Adam Armstrong, getting a few goals. and maybe that was Maybe my faith was misplaced.
00:23:40
Zak
Yeah, see, this is my other problem. is I spent a lot of time... I always had Harland and I always found it foolish to take him out.
00:23:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
right I have never had Harland all season. I have stuck to my guns and hit his it has been tough going on some of those games. but You know, he had that two game period where he didn't score and everyone decided to sell him because he cost too much.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe now's the time to bring him in.
Podcast Wrap-Up
00:24:03
Zak
Yeah, brought I brought him back but last game and was able to get some points off of him.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go against the grain.
00:24:07
Zak
and I always keep Sun in. Sun is always a T.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did bring Chris Wood in early before he started of scoring all the goals and he has been probably my top point scorer so far.
00:24:10
Zak
He's always a guy I keep, same with Virgil. say
00:24:18
Zak
Yeah, that might that might have where you've been.
00:24:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
That almost fell off.
00:24:21
Zak
I trusted Archer after he stored two on the bounce, and then I think maybe I should just stop having a Saints players. I'm actually looking at it now, mate.
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know what? i did I've got to tell you that I did so much better in my FPL last year when I didn't have an abundance of Saints players in my team because they were in different league.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I flew.
00:24:40
Zak
I'm looking at my team now, and I've just realised, mate, that since I've made all my changes, I don't have a single Southampton player, which I think is really upsetting, because usually, just for posterity's sake, I usually would keep somebody in.
00:24:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got one tank to play, mate.
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Aaron Ramsdale, so that's going to be coming out before the...
00:24:55
Zak
Yeah, you should probably say you start seeing her rather than later, mate. And also, you've got the whole clean sheet this entire season, so...
00:25:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
got that one against Everton, what are you talking about?
00:25:05
Zak
Yes, by point, a whole one clean sheet.
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
One clean cheat, yeah.
00:25:11
Zak
But yeah, it's like, no, my FBL not done great this year. And it's my own fault for ignoring it for like two weeks because that's all it takes.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I guess that brings us full circle. I started the episode by saying that we cannot claim to be experts and our tallies in FPL definitely prove that.
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
like a fitting place to wrap up yeah It's been a blast.
00:25:30
Zak
Perfect.
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will be back tomorrow with some final talk about real football. We've got our crossover episode with the Liverpool team. It's exciting.
00:25:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't wait.
00:25:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll be good.
00:25:44
Zak
It's going to be really really difficult to tell them that we're going to cause a huge threat to them without keeping the ball for all of.
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, 15 points from the next five games Champions League next year. It's coming.
00:25:55
Zak
i Mate, I told you before, I'd love to see it. I just don't believe it.
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
that Put those bets on now It's got to be done. All right.
00:26:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much joining me today. Zach. Thank you everyone for listening we're We're a young podcast if you've enjoyed our our rambling about the Premier League us know in the comments but your thoughts.
00:26:04
Zak
Thank you very much, mate.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's more surprising to you wolves or wolves or forest stuff on Yeah, thank you very much and we will see you tomorrow