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Episode 151: Throwback Tuesday - 10th March 2024 and 2023!
70 Plays19 days ago
Southampton – Technical Issues meant no Tactic Tuesday, with it ending up as Lost Media. It's fine though, Zak once again has a video essay! Today? Let's talk about the where we were at on the 10th of March 2024 and the 10th of March 2023!
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Transcript
Introduction and Solo Hosting
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. As you can notice from the fact that I'm sat on my own without any of my Daily Southampton colleagues, what we promised you was a Tactics Tuesday.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Greg and Oscar filmed a Tactics Tuesday. And alas, they were lost in the world of technical issues, which aren't things that we like, but they are unfortunately something we need to put up with again.
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Due to commitments, both of which being football, both of my colleagues are unavailable. so I've done a bit of a research episode. I like to put these kind of things together on occasion, as anyone who is a long-term listener is aware.
'Throwback Tuesday' and Team Reflection
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
and What I've decided to do for well what I am calling Throwback Tuesday is put together something about how but where we were this time last year and where we were this time the last relegation season and how that compares how we're doing now.
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, it turns out that it makes for some... Stark, kind of crazy reading. I'm filming this just after the appearance of our previous manager, Russell Martin, on Monday Night Football, talking about how he wishes that he could have recruited done recruitment all over again and how they needed a bit more athleticism, et cetera, et cetera.
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And looking at it, there isn't as much change as you kind of think there should be between the two relegation seasons. And I'll get into that a little bit later. But I thought I'd start off with this time last season.
00:01:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So this time last season, we were fourth in the table. So we were kind of on that last sort of rundown to not wanting to be in the playoff spots. But unfortunately, we we didn't really hugely move.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we were at 73 points at this point. We were five behind Ipswich, who would obviously then go on to overtake Leeds and win promotion, not in the really stressful Wembley way.
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
At this point in the season, we hadd had had 22 wins, which honestly feels like a fever dream at this point. Seven draws and seven losses.
Analysis of Sunderland Game and Defensive Issues
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's just a very much a different time. And the game at this time last year that we had just played... it was the reverse fixture of when Sunderland beat us 5-0 at the beginning of the season, in which we all started going, oh, this Russell Martin fella, maybe it's not that great.
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
We actually won this game 4-2. And there's some interesting points about this game, which I'll point out. So... All four of the goals are scored by people who are no longer with the club.
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adam Armstrong is technically with the club and under contract, but as we know, he's currently on loan at West Brom. But other than that, it was Stuart Armstrong and two goals from Joe Rothwell. Arguably extremely important goals from Rothwell.
00:03:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was his goals that sealed the win after we managed to let in two after being 2-0 up. So... even in the championship, we still hadn't quite sorted out that let's not concede as bad as we do now.
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is you know slightly upsetting, but the team that we had in that game contained Harwood-Bellis, Stephens, Bednarek, Manning, Smallbones and Downs, which considering both Manning, Bednarek, Smallbones, Smallbones, Smallbone Harwood-Bellis were all part of the team the other day against Liverpool, shows you that We probably haven't changed the team as much as we probably should have.
00:03:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Downs wasn't even in the squad. I don't know what that's about. Maybe we'll find out this week.
Lineup Continuity and Recruitment Challenges
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, it's just a bit strange to think. yeah I'll start to talk later on about some of the players we've had that come in this season and how many times they've actually appeared and what they're doing.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it isn't it doesn't make for good reading, <unk> put it that way. So one of the things I thought was interesting about this game was Dibbling was actually on our bench for that game, which I thought was quite bizarre. So, you know, looking back,
00:04:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
If only kick-started him a little bit earlier, maybe he got that little bit of championship experience. But I do worry that he would have just gone down the sort of path of , Edozie and Shea Charles and be loaned out anyway.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sulemana Ariba both came on as subs during that game. The bench had James Bree, who's also been a regular starter for us. Shea Charles, who's currently out on Wednesday, having a good loan spell.
00:04:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Edozie, Lumley, and Mara, obviously departed now. So I think that last season demonstrates some of the problems that we have now.
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And We've basically ended up almost keeping the exact same like lineup of players that we had then with a few differences. like you know I'm not going to underestimate the the influence of, say, Matias Fernandes. He's played so many games for us.
00:05:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it is one of those sort of crazy things to think about that we should have had a major shake-up. Most teams do. I think of sort of the likes of Nottingham Forest when they first came back up.
00:05:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we ready really didn't. And I know that part of that is due to the whole Russell Martin wanting to show loyalty to the players that brought him up. But that has meant that we've we've missed out majorly And his admittance tonight on Monday Night Football that there has been a problem with recruitment and that sort of everyone was kind of recruiting for a Premier League window that they'd never really experienced before in, you know, being a management team in the Premier League.
00:06:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
it Yeah, it's extremely stark because we've ended up, a lot of the players we're still playing are the players that we had last season, as opposed to all of the sort of new recruits we've brought in, or alternatively, a lot of the new recruits on the bench.
00:06:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Les is probably another one who who has been instrumental in the last couple of games, but he has not played as many games as should be as you would think that he has, considering the influence he's had since Djuric just come in.
Promotion Reflections and Expectations
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, it's a very so very strange one. But obviously it was a much happier time. And we kind of were all aware of the warning flags and at that point, right? Again, like we were too live up. We went 2-2.
00:06:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it took some heroics from a a player that's now on loan at another championship club that are flying for us to kind of realise what was going on. so yeah, it's actually...
00:06:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whilst it was significantly more positive to now, and we all had that feeling and the wins and the draws and the losses don't really paint a picture of the naivety we had coming into this year and the naivety that Russell Martin had coming into this year.
00:07:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the naivety that I think the ownership still demonstrate a little bit with how tough this league is. But it was a happier time because all that the focus was was us getting back up. But remember, we still did it the hard way. We didn't get one of those top two spots when we were very much expected to probably do that.
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, think that shows you that it was going to be a lot harder at that point. And and bear in mind, we were fourth coming up. So, yeah, it's a lot of...
00:07:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
A lot of change has taken place and I don't know whether or not it's all been... I don't think that a lot of it has been as positive as it felt at the time, but I also am very aware that they were probably doing the best they could at the time.
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And all I know is that I missed the championship greatly just due to the feeling around the club.
Relegation Season Comparisons
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think that if we'd looked and maybe paid more attention to...
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
what was going to happen and the fact that we've barely realistically changed the team considering. Yeah, it's a bit of a strange one.
00:08:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what we'll do after the break is we'll talk about the season before where we actually went down from the Premier League. Our relegation season. Our relegation season was not an enjoyable one.
00:08:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
However, it turns out we were actually in a significantly brighter spot than we are now, which is really shows you what the last couple of years have done and whether you want to blame the managers, the recruitment, Sports Republic or whoever.
00:08:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just going to lay out to you some of the facts that I've got written down. But you'll hear more from me after a break and a word from our partners at Bionique.
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back. So, I said we'd talk about the 2022-2023 season. So, let's talk about it.
00:09:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
this time in the twenty twenty two twenty twenty three season we were actually nineteen We had 21 points in comparison to our measly nine, which, if you remember like the sort of sense of foreboding and doom that was around the club, even at that point, it was still a very, very different sort of landscape and situation.
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
We had managed six wins, and I can only tell you the two I remember. And one of them is one of the ones we're going to talk about. The other one was sort of the win at Chelsea when Selles was first in charge. But we had three doors three draws and 16 losses. So we were you know we had quite a sort of, we'd racked up the the sort of what is now the Saints way of of losing and throwing away points, which is a bit sad. Because again, like during this period of time, we've now been through like, what, four managers, which is wild.
00:10:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Bournemouth were actually behind us at the time, which shows you the stark contrast in fortunes between the clubs now, right? Like Bournemouth are on to try and get Europe.
00:10:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, they are our rivals, not rivals. And in my opinion,
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's one of those things that like I'm happy for Bournemouth because I don't really see them as real rivals. But there we are. So...
00:10:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
The goal difference at the time was minus 21, which in comparison to now, like we have only scored 19 goals overall this season.
00:11:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you know it it was still pretty bad, but not half as bad as now. And I think a lot of that is thanks to the odd free kick from James Ward-Prowse and other bits and pieces.
00:11:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... This time in that season, we'd just managed to play Leicester. So I think previously on the show, I've talked about this game before. And we won that game.
00:11:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was Charlie Alcaraz that scored early on. We had a penalty from James Ward-Prowse that was missed. And it was just one of those ridiculous games where Iheanacho kept...
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Trying to get the ball in the net and somehow it just did not go in. Like Leicester probably deserved to win that game by far. They just kept missing absolute sitters. Both Sulemana Bella-Kothchap , Janny B and Gavin Buzunu all played that game.
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
We had four yellow cards and we were the last team in the Premier League to keep a clean sheet. So i'm guessing that was probably like our first clean sheet the season, which says so much.
00:12:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's still like, I think we discussed it the other day, Oscar and Greg, like, the team needs to be built around it's like not letting goals in. and we we were really bad that season for it.
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We didn't really fix that problem with the championship. And now it's it's just catastrophic. And it seems that we keep trying to play systems where we can't actually defend the ball properly. And again, I'll leave that to more of the more tactically astute colleagues of mine.
00:12:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it is kind of crazy thing that we just haven't sorted that out and that hasn't been a focus, despite the fact that it it has been our biggest area of concern. and And now we're a point where we can't even score the goals.
00:12:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
At least back then, we could rely a little bit on sort of the odd free kick here and there. Whereas now, you know, as we will remember from the first half of the season, most of our set pieces don't really do a lot.
00:12:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're starting to get better, maybe. at least maybe my standards have just dropped so low that I think that I take it as a win when we get a corner. But there we are.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So after this game, we went on to actually draw against Man United, but that would be our last win of the season. against the layer win against Leicester was the last win we managed that season.
00:13:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We actually went on to draw a couple of other times. The Manchester United game, if remember right, it was from 0-0. And the rest of our games were a draw with Spurs, a 3-3 draw with Arsenal and a 4-4 with Liverpool.
00:13:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
So those are the only games that weren't losses right up until the end of the season. It was a much closer affair as well, because the difference between us and 15th was three points. There were a bunch of teams at this time with 21 points at the bottom. So, you know, really sort of, again, contrasts the fortunes of now and how different the league is. It's it's
League Changes and Team Dynamics
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
just kind of wild. Like you forget, you forget realistically it's two years.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
two Two years, and you don't think a lot can change. i know I've ended up doing a video essay on how 10 years can be a long time in football, but even two years at this point, just the the money, the athleticism, just in general, you know is one of the best leagues in the world for reason.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know if I'm going to necessarily say it's the the best league in the world. That is not for me necessarily to decide. But, you know, there is a reason that the Premier League is popular, but I don't think that this year has been a good advert for it.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It You can laugh or you can cry... on the opinions of what's going on with Manchester United and what's going on with Tottenham and all that kind of stuff. There have been some nice stories. I think that Bournemouth is a nice story.
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the Nottingham Forest is a really nice story. I think that the collapse of Manchester City is maybe teaching people to not base their entire football club around one guy, whether that be Pep or Rodri, you can make that decision.
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's it's a kind of, it's it's mad how much of it has changed in the last couple of years, but
00:15:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that this season has been a sense of we know what to expect next season. I remember the mood, even at this time, the first relegation season being so different because we had been such a staple in the Premier League at this point.
00:15:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
We had narrowly escaped a couple of years previously with a win very, very last minute against Swansea, with Gabby Adini being the hero that we maybe maybe didn't deserve. So, yeah it's been...
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's a weird one, and it's weird to talk about in general and look back retrospectively because... To say now, oh, yeah, I know, I'd i'd love to take that position. i I still think that the mood was was different then.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was far more desperate, far more depressing. We didn't want to we didn't know what relegation meant. We didn't know how the championship would be. We assumed we'd lose all of our best players. We lost a lot of players, but we didn't lose, you know, know that James Ward-Prow was bent, but like there was a lot of sort of grass is green on the other side for a lot of our players that went on.
00:16:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, it was just a generally strange mood, I think, for for most people. But it's fine. We ended up having to deal with relegation. And then we got to see sort of a rebuild and we got to have the season that we had, which again, we didn't fundamentally stop a lot of the problems we've now seen this season.
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But because it worked at the time, it worked at the time. and you know it says It's why I think now we have such a, especially in the fan base, such a bigger... sort of wider look at the future because we do not want to be a yo-yo club and the reality is at the moment it looks like that's going to be the case unless we start getting in people who are able to run the football club efficiently and have a plan and understand it and part of that is down to you know lost members of staff we've we've been through all of this there's a couple of episodes we've got you fancy listening back if you don't i can understand talk a lot
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're listening to an episode now, so if you're still here, I appreciate it. But yeah, it's very much... there there are lots of There have been lots of warning signs, and I still somehow think that as much as it's harrowing this season, it didn't have the the feel of desperation and worry that it had the last relegation.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And last season, we were we had too much of our sort of positivity blinkers on, except this was around the time it started to turn because we were trying to catch up to those top spaces and we were ultimately unable to get them. And, you know, as as much as we as much as we were pro promoted, we were one of the teams, we won the playoffs. We didn't get the top two positions.
00:17:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as we can see from both Leicester and Ipswich, now it's still a massive struggle. So yeah, it's a bit of an odd one. But now after another break and a word from our partners at Zencaster, we're going to talk about some things that I've written down for for
Zencaster Advertisement
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
this season.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So obviously we we talked a lot about this season. We've been doing a daily podcast about the entirety of this season. So I've just noticed that noted down a few stats and a few little things here and there that I thought were slightly strange or things that I'd forgotten about genuinely.
00:18:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah Yeah, just some fun tidbits to kind of show where we are now in comparison and and show you, I guess, when we talk about how recruitment's failed, I think that some of these things that have are glaringly glaring highlights of that.
00:18:29
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After a word from our partners at Zencaster.
00:18:34
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00:18:52
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00:18:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, we are back. And by we, I mean me. And I didn't go anywhere because I read that ad out. Sometimes when you talk to yourself, you you go a bit loopy.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I apologise. But let's crack on with this season. So, we all know the position we're in. We have nine points.
Current Season Struggles and Player Highlights
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And... Nine points is not a lot.
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's, you know, we're on course to be the worst team in Premier League history. We keep making that point and stressing it, which is why for some of my colleagues wanting to get these sort of illustrious, glorious wins, I will happily take out us drawing nil-nil until we get past that points tally.
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... We have dropped 23 points after taking the lead so far this season. So if we managed to hold on to all of our leads, it would be a very, very different kettle of fish. And I think that says a lot about the mentality and the way this league is, is that we we've always struggled to do that. this Over the last two or two seasons, it was a thing we struggled.
00:19:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
We managed to find some quote-unquote character in the championship and, you know, the Huddersfield game, the Sunderland game I just recently spoke about. Both of those things are examples of us being able to sort of get back in it after having the mentality knocked a little bit. But I guess if you've lost pretty much every game in a row,
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
you can see what it does to the players when they go down. You can see what it is, you know, especially like the nature of the Liverpool game, right? We've already discussed it, but to to have two goals in such quick succession to go from winning to all of a sudden losing, you're shell-shocked. And by the time you're trying to come back, you just know that ultimately wasn't going to be, to wasn't going to be, we we all knew it and it was, it was difficult, but It shows you how important the sort of the mentality and and the physical side of the game is. And like I think long before anyone that we've heard out in the media space and that kind of saying this, I know that my colleague Greg is specifically banged on that he finds it wild that so many of our players can barely manage 90 minutes, especially because of just the sheer amount of running they need to do.
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we have got some players that have managed, uh, you know, a lot of minutes so far this season, obviously one of our most athletic players, uh, with the player, the most full appearances in the premier league this season, it was Carl Walker Peters with 29.
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
So like him or lump him. I know that some people were controversially, in my opinion, don't think that he's been great. I think he has been one of our better players. I'm not saying he's but set the world alight, but I think that we are a better team with him in it.
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, he's managed a lot of games this season and he will be gone at the end because, let's face it, I very much doubt he's going to re resign to you go back down to the championship if there is ample opportunity elsewhere.
00:21:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, there's quite a few crossover episodes we've had. I think most recently, actually, our crossover with Liverpool, Louis from the Liverpool team spoke about how he would take Carl Walker-Peters in his team, even as a sort of s sub.
00:21:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, and then we've got one of our big problems, which I've already pointed out, is that we have 19 goals overall. And our top goal scorer in the Premier League is Joe Eribo, with three, who is not our striker, and not either of our strikers, which, are you know, arguably at the moment, it depends if you count Sulemano in that position. I still don't, despite the fact he's often kind of played like that.
00:22:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dibling I guess, kind of, but also he's not a striker. Paul and Cameron Archer both sit on two. So it says a lot.
Recruitment Failures and Squad Management
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that is one of our biggest problems. And I'm relatively sure the lads discussed it in the now defunct and lost media tactics Tuesday that would have been.
00:22:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
So one of the other people i wanted to talk about was how Grombeck has had two starts and one substitute appearance, which is more than Cornet managed in the entirety of his time with us in the league.
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
He had one appearance and one substitute appearance. So once again, recruitment being a huge issue. And despite the fact that
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
we didn't we We obviously had a big changed squad when we went into the Championship. A lot of the players we sort of brought in were utilised significantly more. Like, I'm talking about David Brooks and Rothwell, kind of players we brought in were utilised significantly more than both our loan signings and new signings. Obviously, we're getting a lot of use out of Les now, but he went fair bit of the early season without getting the game time that he probably would have wanted, expected, and we probably should have used.
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, I think it, again, is it demonstrates our problems now in comparison to the last sort of two seasons is, you know, they, we kind of went all out a little bit in that first, in that first relegation season to try and save the season with January signings.
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Grønbæk our only January signing other than Wellington, which was obviously pre-agreed. and Wellington has actually had three starts. which is a more than one of our left backs who we have signed this season, which is Charlie Taylor, who has started twice.
00:23:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, he's had more substitute appearances. But again, the fact that we have somebody that came in in January who has started more games than somebody we bought in the summer specifically for a role, it just shows you how disjointed the whole thing has kind of been.
00:24:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lallana started a couple of games. He started five. I'm guessing they were early tenures because I genuinely don't remember seeing him start. But he has had nine substitute appearances. But in comparison the amount games we played, I don't know if I... I don't want to say if it if it was wasted.
00:24:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he's not changed the game to the level that I think that he should have or we'd have expected him to when we brought him in. And I thought a lot of us, like myself included, thought that maybe that was a shrewd good bit of business.
00:24:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And kind of just feels it's not it's not giving me the vibes of when Theo Walcott came back, right? Like Theo Walcott came back for two seasons and yeah, he was a bit sort of rusty, but like he could still run. He still put some goals away. And it just kind of feels like, you know,
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
with Lallana being as injury prone as he was anyway, it does feel like very much he's having a really harsh lesson lesson in coaching through what he's had to experience so far this season.
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And maybe the experience is going to be good for him. Maybe, you know, maybe having that senior player behind the scenes is is good. I genuinely don't know because we don't get kind of told that stuff.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think I remember sort of... Russell Martin spoke highly of having him behind the scenes. And I don't really know. Juric hasn't really said much of anything about him, to be honest. So, yes, it's one of those weird ones where, like, I do wonder if maybe we should just brought him in as a coaching role immediately rather than, you know, as someone to have around the club that's good as opposed to trying to have him as a player.
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Regardless of whether there's no transfer fee involved, there are wages involved. And I don't know if that would have helped us get somebody else or whether or not people didn't want to join us. I guess we'll have to figure out. out So some other people on my list is obviously Ryan Fraser has had four starts and four sub appearances. You would be inclined to think that he wasn't here anymore because we haven't heard or seen anything from him in a long time. I think he had a couple of times where he made the bench, but obviously we know that he was quite close Russell Martin and that relationship is no longer there.
00:26:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we haven't really heard or seen much of him. And he obviously he played a pivotal role in our promotion campaign last season. But this season, you know, the most that people will remember him for is that that one red card he got, which I still kind of think was a bit harsh.
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But at the same time, that that is unfortunately what he's going to be remembered for. Adozi, Alcaraz, Edwards and Amuamehu have all had a substitute appearance at least once this season.
00:26:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So before they all had sent out on loans and their loan spells, they have all had a sub appearance, which is wild because I kind of forget with Alcaraz now being at Everton, Edozie spending the season at Anderlecht.
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Edwards now having a nice time at QPR and Ameyaw out now to Frankfurt for the foreseeable. Yeah, it's a bit of a bit of a strange one because it shows you, again, we have quite a big squad that and some of players that we kind of just, we don't think about because they're not in the forefront of our mind. They're actually still here.
00:27:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're just out on loan and they are going to hopefully come in handy next season or alternatively, they will help us build a war chest to unfortunately rebuild again.
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
One of the last things as I wanted to mention was Belakocchap now has as many starts as Ross Stewart and is one-off matches in his sub-appearances of three, because Belakocchap has come off the bench twice now, both to replace an injured Jan Bednarek.
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, we Stewart has obviously become another one of the forgotten men. And really, I think all of these points and these little weird stats that I found just kind of demonstrate how strange the season is and how strange it's become and how I think a lot of us are kind of just just willing to get over the line. I don't think there's anyone here that that now believes that we're going to stay up. I'm pretty sure it can all be but confirmed in the Wolves game now.
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
but it's it's such a strange mix of emotions because, again, I still feel remember feeling slightly more distressed in the first relegation just because of simply...
Season Comparison and Listener Interaction
00:28:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
the process of events and the getting rid of Hassenhutl , and the Nathan Jones and the getting rid of Jones and keeping Sellis and the lots of transfers in to try and save it. It all seemed even more chaotic. Whereas, obviously, they've tried not to have that level of chaos this time round and it's not worked out either.
00:28:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I just, you know, thought I'd do a nice sort of retrospective. I say nice, it might have ended ended up just bumming you all out a little bit more. Yeah. But, you know, that's the reality. And maybe we'll we'll do this again next season, this time next year.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, we could be flying high with 90 points to the championship right at the top. Or, you know, God forbid we end up with sort of in a Luton situation where we're right at the bottom. I'm already terrified about the fact we're going to have to deal with two massive derby games next year, looking at the current table.
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, it will be what it will be. But thank you for joining me in this retrospective. If you are still here. It's always, as I said, always a bit a strange one when you do these sort of like video essays to yourself. But, you know, it's kind of a a last minute thing to to save to save our Tuesday and give you some fresh new content, you know, off the back of.
00:29:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, another sort of. week where we're going to end up building up to another game where we're inevitably going to get excited. Greg is definitely going to predict a win this time round.
00:29:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to think it's all good because of XYZ and Kuna's out. Maybe we'll get a chance this time and then we'll probably do Southampton things. But there's always that little bit of optimism that lives in everyone's heart that maybe we do get a win.
00:29:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe we deep beat Derby's record and then we can actually go on to trying to build something for next season. But How our fortunes have turned and how different the last three seasons have been is yeah, something something beyond me. And I know every season's different, but I think once we were when we were an established Premier League team, it was always about just sort of climbing up, especially after we we had our lofty heights of eighth.
00:30:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And and then now we were then we were trying to rebuild to that period of time. And then the harsh realities of the last couple of years have have kicked into gear. But all we can do is look to the future. And I know that there are a lot of fans that are upset right now, you know myself included. It's hard to do a daily podcast for stuff like this when when it's the mood around camp is so harrowing. So heroines we do our best to kind of, say I say, balance each other out, I guess is the main thing, so to produce some sort of entertainment and fun for you all.
00:30:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we appreciate you all as always. Thank you very much for joining me and keeping me company today. You can catch us all on the social media. So obviously we're on Facebook.
00:30:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are on Twitter. We are on Blue Sky. We are back on the GSPN Southampton YouTube where we will be posting shorts and the full episode. So if you want to hear me ramble into myself and watch me look up and down and up and down as I read out my notes and i try try try and try keep something going, you can check us out there.
00:31:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And other than that, we're on obviously the Instagram and TikTok. So, yeah, that's not your thoughts. it Does this season feel different? How disconnected are you with Southampton now?
00:31:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know Do you you think this relegation is worse than the last, or has the inevitable sort of tally of nine points tempered expectations so there doesn't feel like there's going to be any last grasp attempts to kind of stay up like there was maybe the season before?
00:31:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, the season before when we got relegated. so yeah, share your thoughts. And other than that, wish you all a wonderful Tuesday, whether you're listening to the in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening.
00:31:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we will see you tomorrow for a fun wild card where we basically play on popular opinions, which is kind of almost like our Room 101, but we're far more brazen in what we actually think.
00:32:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So you can look forward to Greg... definitely try to rile some people up. And until then, we will see you in the next one.