Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 422: Matchday Review: SCRAPPY BUT STILL 19 UNBEATEN!
95 Plays10 days ago
Southampton – Another game, another win. This one felt a little bit trickier but the belief continues to grow through the squad!
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/dailysouthamptonpod
X - https://x.com/DailySaintsPod
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@dailysaintspod
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@DailySaintsPod
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/dailysaintspod
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email us - dailysaintspod@gmail.com
Copyright | 2026 | Daily Saints Pod | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Team Celebration
00:00:04
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg. As always today, welcome back to my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach and mate.
00:00:16
DailySaintsPod
Another win. Can you believe it
00:00:18
Zak
It's awesome. Thank you for holding down the thought. I've had like, what? Like, I
Zach's Health Struggles
00:00:23
Zak
don't know. I've been i've come down with an illness because apparently I have the constitution of a Victorian child. But luckily, as always, always my wonderful co-host here is there to hold down the thought. And today, whereas usually I would like read loads of reference points when we're talking, I'm going to struggle to do that today because somehow I've scratched my glasses. So it's just just not going great in my world, Greg.
Saints' Winning Streak Discussion
00:00:45
Zak
Except for, as you pointed out, the mighty saints, where you get to turn and be like, oh...
00:00:51
Zak
Oh, thank goodness. But I'm not going lie, mate. I was having a bit of a mare during that game yesterday. Like, pause I am astounded. it was fantastic win. really, really, really pleased for Archer.
00:01:03
Zak
I'm really pleased for Yanda. I'm really pleased for Shea Charles. I'm really pleased for all of his fans. I'm really, really pleased for the team. I'm pleased for us. It's just like, when you say feels like we're never going to lose again,
00:01:20
Zak
every single time there's like a wobble, they're like, do you know what? Let's actually never lose again. is phenomenal to see what this team is doing.
00:01:30
DailySaintsPod
I
00:01:31
Zak
And like, what was the stat I sent you other day? So you're like, the first time we've won that many games of row in the league since like, don't know, in the last like 120, 120 odd years, which is just,
00:01:40
DailySaintsPod
think it was 1907.
00:01:46
Zak
just badness
00:01:48
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:01:49
Zak
Yeah. Like, I don't know how else to put to words. Like, I know that that's kind of what we do for fun. Again, we do this for fun. But, like, it's just...
00:02:03
Zak
Yeah, absolutely phenomenal is the only word that I have for you, Greg. I would like to point out, or put on record, that that was definitely a score prediction I got right. I told you they would definitely score against us.
00:02:15
Zak
I didn't think it would be as a frustrating game as it was, but it doesn't matter.
00:02:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:02:20
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:02:21
Zak
We won, didn't it? So, yeah. Sorry, that was if that was a two-minute spiel and answered your question of, oh, we won again.
00:02:23
DailySaintsPod
Well, yeah, look, I mean, no, that's far right, mate.
00:02:27
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:27
DailySaintsPod
Look, mate, it, you're right. It could have been a very different podcast.
Game Frustrations and Strategy
00:02:32
Zak
Yeah, i I expected it.
00:02:35
Zak
You could tell because you could you could tell from our WhatsApps back and forth that was getting... it's not I wasn't losing faith. I was just frustrated. That first half was very similar to the Derby game.
00:02:45
Zak
like Even my wife was like, are we just just watching the same game we went to? I'm like, no. I get that though.
00:02:53
DailySaintsPod
I mean, look, Swansea came out to to frustrate and to displace us, and they did a much better job of it than anyone in the current run that we faced has managed to do yet.
00:03:01
Zak
o
00:03:08
DailySaintsPod
They...
00:03:08
Zak
They played really well. They played good football, I'm not going lie. And, like, obviously knowing what Downs was like, they specifically picked a target to spend their entire first half winding
Player Incidents and Substitutions
00:03:21
Zak
up. And, boy, howdy, is he lucky that he got away with it. If it wasn't for the fact that...
00:03:27
Zak
when he picked up his yellow, you know, the player went for a little bit. I, I don't think that that would have ended up as a yellow. So should we just talk about that straight up?
00:03:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, well... Yeah, let' look let's get out of the way nice and early.
00:03:36
Zak
There's,
00:03:38
DailySaintsPod
You're right. i said I said to you on our chat, I said, it's it's only a yellow because he he reacted instead of instigated. And although in real time it looked like he just bundled the player to the floor, he slightly went for the player and the player threw himself to the floor. Yeah.
00:04:00
DailySaintsPod
you know it it It was made to look worse than it was. That said, if he gets sent off, I find it very hard to create a defense for him there.
00:04:10
DailySaintsPod
like like If the decision does go that way, don't think we're sitting here going, that's ridiculous, it's never a red.
00:04:11
Zak
Yeah, like, I think
00:04:17
DailySaintsPod
I think we go, yeah, maybe. So...
00:04:21
Zak
It was very lucky it didn't escalate, right? And I think because the ref could tell that he was being wound up on purpose, it's probably the only reason it ended up being a yellow there, right?
00:04:29
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:04:33
Zak
And, sure it you know, he managed to get through the rest of the half before obviously being not hooked off at halftime, swapped out, you know? And it's a good thing he was, to be honest, because Che Charles went on to score a goal.
00:04:47
Zak
But yeah, i just wanted to just kind of like approach that at the top because it's going to get, it's probably going to get a bit of traction. I've already seen people complaining about it. It's not half as bad as the, that we've just it's just, as time we've recorded, it's just been the Arsenal City game. Not half as bad as, you know, the the the really bad foul in that game that should have definitely been a red.
00:05:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:05:09
Zak
However, like, it's, As yeah you pointed out, like if he had been sent off, I don't think we'd be like, well, that's just ridiculous.
00:05:18
Zak
It'd be like, I can see how it went either way. But luckily, you know the the fates were with us.
00:05:21
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. which Which isn't, which isn't to say that I think it was a send it off.
00:05:23
Zak
so
00:05:25
DailySaintsPod
I think a booking was the right decision. just think it was close and he was a bit lucky, right? Like I think that because, because, and you know, like say it, the, in real time, it looked like bundling
00:05:33
Zak
Yeah.
Midfield Performance and Rotation
00:05:38
DailySaintsPod
a player to the floor, but actually to be fair to the player, I think he actually tripped over his own player as opposed to throwing himself.
00:05:44
DailySaintsPod
So it was just a bit, a bit messy and a bit silly, but, but,
00:05:48
Zak
you could He couldve just not held on to greg i'm i'm sorry like you could have just just not.
00:05:53
DailySaintsPod
i I find it very hard not to empathise with Flynn Downs as someone who shares that level of passion when it comes to playing on a football pitch.
00:06:04
Zak
No, I get it. I i genuinely get it. and It's one of the things that, to be honest, is is a thing that we, a characteristic we want in our players to an extent and a characteristic that, you know, we know Flynn Bounds has.
00:06:13
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:06:18
Zak
So, but let's take it back to the start, Greg, with the lineups. So,
00:06:23
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:06:24
Zak
bit slightly slightly changed not really hugely any massive surprises I guess kind of feel bad for quasi that's kind of it kind of feels like don't know if he's played much of a role in the rest of the season what do you think
00:06:39
DailySaintsPod
I'm sure that he will play again this season, right? We've got...
00:06:43
Zak
you reckon hmm
00:06:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I think we've got more games coming. Like, the game's going to come. Like, Stephens, you know, presumably was was rested because, you know, we we saw him come on, admittedly, incredibly late in the game.
00:06:54
Zak
Yeah, because he came on.
00:06:58
Zak
Yeah.
00:06:59
DailySaintsPod
but But, you know, clearly he is... He's in a position where he's going to need that rest sometimes, and... you know Wood has been excellent and made a game-changing block.
00:07:14
DailySaintsPod
and and was you know Despite also getting pretty wound up at points in the first half and getting himself in the book.
00:07:22
DailySaintsPod
But yeah.
00:07:23
Zak
he took he took more of He took more of my ire than he deserved.
00:07:26
DailySaintsPod
oh He actually didn't get booked, which was a lot from judgment.
00:07:27
Zak
Put it that way. that yeah was going to say, i was like it was Azaz and Downs that got booked.
00:07:34
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:07:35
Zak
But yeah, it was he he probably got more of my ire than it deserved because of the fact that I was just very frustrated with that first half.
00:07:46
Zak
And I think it's just we haven't watched a hi first half like that in a while, I guess.
00:07:48
DailySaintsPod
But...
First Half Challenges and Recovery
00:07:51
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it's... it And look, it was just... It was frustrating. It was it was frustrating because we still were creating chances.
00:07:55
Zak
Yeah.
00:08:02
DailySaintsPod
Probably not as many as we should have been. And it was frustrating because the chances we did create were not... click We didn't look like scoring them. And they...
00:08:12
DailySaintsPod
didn't really create a lot, but did score a silly goal and kind of, and in the same way, like they, it's not that they were bad.
00:08:18
Zak
yeah
00:08:22
DailySaintsPod
They, they were bringing the ball forward. It's just, they weren't at a couple of half chances, but nothing like decisive. So it was frustrating.
00:08:32
DailySaintsPod
And of course, you know, getting wound up and it being sort of a bitty scrappy game.
00:08:47
Zak
How about Yander coming into midfield? Were you happy with that? Because I thought you had a fantastic game. Obviously, he assisted the the towards the end.
00:08:53
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:08:54
Zak
So...
00:08:54
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I thought he was... Look, this midfield is such a beautiful problem because in the last game Yander played, he was except exceptional.
00:08:59
Zak
i
00:09:03
DailySaintsPod
Like, didn't put a foot wrong and was... was going to say unlucky to get dropped, but it's not even really that, is it? It's just rotation because all of...
00:09:11
Zak
Rotation is literally rotation.
00:09:14
DailySaintsPod
all of the players in that position are excellent. that They just step up and do their job and and more, obviously. Shea Charles stepping in and just just becomes a crucial goal scorer for the season is not what you'd have labelled him as at the start of season either, right?
00:09:32
DailySaintsPod
like That's not not the profile I'd put on him, but here he is stepping up and getting another goal.
00:09:32
Zak
Yeah.
00:09:38
Zak
all under the tutelage of Romain.
00:09:38
DailySaintsPod
Just...
00:09:40
Zak
But like I guess this is why he was such a popular face at Sheffield Wednesday, right?
00:09:45
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:09:45
Zak
like Obviously, like we know his his brother's there now, but like he he was very, very decisive for them and you know played really, really well for them. They definitely wanted to keep him.
00:09:56
Zak
We brought him back and he basically has come in tenfold to what we wanted from that player, right? Especially when, you know, considering he's out on loan, it's kind of nuts when you think about it.
00:10:03
DailySaintsPod
Mm.
00:10:08
Zak
But yeah, you're right. The midfield is such a a beautiful problem to have and isn't even really a problem. But I was i was really impressed by it.
00:10:15
DailySaintsPod
But other than than those changes, right, as that's coming in because he was fit to start fully expected.
00:10:16
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:10:21
DailySaintsPod
Nice to see him getting and a full 90 minutes as well.
00:10:21
Zak
yeah
00:10:24
DailySaintsPod
So that's promising.
00:10:24
Zak
Yeah, so clearly it wasn't like a horrific... We didn't know how bad the injury was, right? Like, I don't know i don't know if Tom mentioned it much in the presser beforehand. I think i i was in I was in like the illness fever, so I missed all the pre-ramble up to it.
00:10:38
DailySaintsPod
I mean... it was a slightly weird one where like the a pre-match for both of the games this week were done like directly after the post-match of the game before it.
00:10:52
Zak
oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:10:58
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, Tonda is what he is. And even if that time was allowed to feel like perhaps we wouldn't get those answers anyway, because he'd like to keep them guessing. But,
00:11:07
DailySaintsPod
But yeah, it's good to see him back in and getting 90 minutes because because he's such an important part of the team. And it it didn't surprise me to see Stewart starting because I just think that's what we're going to be having for the rest of the season, right?
00:11:21
Zak
Yeah, him him swapping out for Lauren.
00:11:22
DailySaintsPod
Stewart will start this one, so Laren will start Tuesday.
00:11:25
DailySaintsPod
So it seems to be the the way that that front line is going to rotate.
00:11:25
Zak
Yeah,
00:11:26
Zak
makes sense.
00:11:31
DailySaintsPod
And yeah, But yeah, it was it was fine. yeah No problems with the lineup
Second Half Improvement and Key Players
00:11:36
DailySaintsPod
at all. the But the first half, you know, Swans who did their job and came out to frustrate us.
00:11:42
DailySaintsPod
I think it's safe to call it a scrappy goal. I don't think it was a good goal.
00:11:45
Zak
Yeah.
00:11:46
DailySaintsPod
I think it was probably the first time I've seen Perrette kind of flap at something and it go completely amiss, to be fair.
00:11:56
Zak
yeah
00:11:58
DailySaintsPod
But... But you know it is was it was just a a well-worked ball in from the second phase of a set piece. So...
00:12:07
Zak
Yeah, it's just frustrating. But like the fact that we're not conceding as many of those goals and you know it's not like we we've got to come up against Arsenal anytime soon again, it's not as much of a problem.
00:12:19
Zak
But yeah, it's just frustrating, I think.
00:12:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. But then, you know, with the second half came and like you say, Downs came off for call ahead's sake, presumably. and and And we went on and we, you know, we we just did it.
00:12:37
Zak
push push through.
00:12:37
DailySaintsPod
Got a goal.
00:12:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:12:38
Zak
Because the problem is is that, I don't know if you feel the same, and again, it's it's getting to a point where like I don't want ever to be arrogant, so I never want to feel that comfortable, because it's just not how life is as a Saints fan, right?
00:12:50
Zak
But like it was very apparent to me, and probably to you again, that once we got that first one, the second one at that point becomes inevitable.
00:12:50
DailySaintsPod
e
00:12:58
DailySaintsPod
Oh, yeah, it really felt inevitable.
00:12:59
Zak
And it Yeah, and it's just is such a strange feeling to kind of still, week in, week out, have that. It's just like, well, it's fine.
00:13:11
DailySaintsPod
But you see that...
00:13:12
Zak
Well, now we've scored one, it's fine, we'll score the other. It's bizarre.
00:13:14
DailySaintsPod
big But you saw that confidence was in the players because by the very nature of the goal itself, I mean, a little back-hill flick from Leo to put Yander into acres of space to deliver a ball into Archer is the...
00:13:17
Zak
Yeah.
00:13:29
DailySaintsPod
in his own postcode. Like, just, yeah. Like, it was a play created by confidence. And I think that that really is the main the main difference, is the belief, right?
00:13:41
DailySaintsPod
Because earlier in the season, when we had these situations where we were chasing the goal and needed to create something, it was hurried and rushed, and there was no belief behind it.
00:13:42
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:13:54
DailySaintsPod
But there's none of that. There's no... rush, hurry. There's no complacency. There's just, yeah, we're going to score. We'll just do our football things well and it's going to go to plan and and then it, yeah, upsets Cam Archer with his second massive goal of the week.
00:14:10
DailySaintsPod
And just, yeah.
00:14:12
Zak
isn't Isn't that that... mad though because we we really hoped he'd have a part to play and after the it couldn't have been easy after the the lone move at Rangers you know fell fell apart and it wasn't it wasn't that we had got back to I guess the level of morale we're at now during that time either because again like me me and you were quite sceptical at what two potential changes could do to the team right which is looking back at such a such a silly thing
00:14:23
DailySaintsPod
No.
00:14:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's an it's an absolute credit to Cameron Archer and his mentality and his willingness to build because...
00:14:46
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:14:50
DailySaintsPod
you know We've always seen, or at least I've always seen, that there's a a good player in there with an eye for goal. We saw that as far back as when he first signed for us and banged one of the best goals I've seen in against Arsenal, where he just picked up in the box and curled it around the defender into the top corner and scored again in that game. And, know, he's clearly just a confidence player. So to work hard enough in training, and you so you can clearly see that he has because he's not you' not been getting minutes to keep himself competitive, really. You know, the times he has come on in the game, he's not it's not been a part of the game where he's had to force the opportunity or been able to force the opportunity to do something. And it's clear that he works hard for it because you just see the way the rest of the team react to him you know getting these big moments. It happened on Tuesday and you saw them all you know throw him out for the celebration in front of the team because he was excellent and played his skin off on Tuesday. just just ran and worked the entire game and and was good. And then you know to come on today and and put it away,
00:16:06
DailySaintsPod
It's just perfect. Just everyone on the team stepping up at the right time. And yeah, just an absolute credit to him and his work rate. Because like you say to come to expect to leave the club and mentally turn yourself around and come back and make such a crucial impact at such a crucial time of the season.
00:16:24
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, fair play.
00:16:26
Zak
Well, ultimately it's this the difference between us having three points and not. Like, that's that's it. And, you know, and I'm not saying that it's not a collective team effort, but but that individual effort is the thing that pushed it over the line. And I think I can't credit where I've seen it, and apologise, but There was somebody put out a tweet about how Leo kind of like made him do his signature celebration. I don't know if you've seen that, Greg, where like as he's being sort of the reason pushed to the crowd, Leo himself does the sort of archer pose thing to say, go and do it.
00:16:59
Zak
And he did on top of obviously the celebrations and stuff, because I'm guessing the level of togetherness that you see with the team now is just is just something... that is absolutely incredible and all we've ever really asked for.
00:17:11
Zak
And i think that, you know, regardless of what happens with the promotion and all that kind of stuff in the summer, it's going to be for me, like, to to enjoy what's left of the season, regardless of which way it goes, because I don't know how long that will last, right?
00:17:27
Zak
And we should enjoy every moment of it because it is it just incredible to to watch and see. And you're you're right about,
00:17:34
DailySaintsPod
You're 100% right.
Team Unity and Motivation
00:17:35
Zak
like, the...
00:17:36
DailySaintsPod
All we've ever asked for is work rate. And if if all of the players worked as hard last season as Cameron and Archer worked both Tuesday and and against Swansea... we'd have had zero complaints on the show, even with the embarrassing position we found ourselves in, honestly. Because if they were working like that and it wasn't happening, it kind of is what it is.
00:17:58
DailySaintsPod
But that wasn't the case. But yeah, you're right. It's just nice to see them come together and the the unity and the team bond. And it's just night and day from where we were, isn't it?
00:18:10
Zak
Yeah, I think that's that's that that's the main sort of thing, right? And it's the point that you keep making about the fact that one or two would come over and that would be it. And now it's it's like that is a dressing room for the people that have an eye on a goal and are working towards it to the best of their ability, backed by, you know, a massive fan base of people that...
00:18:27
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:18:34
Zak
I've had to watch some absolute dross in recent years who are now being rewarded through, you know, rewarded
00:18:44
Zak
rewarded for their support by some absolutely incredible you know football and some incredible teamwork from a real gem of a group of lads.
00:18:58
Zak
And it's really, really nice to see. And like the chances are we'll probably be getting Laren because that looks like it's been a really, really really cheap deal. So that's some nice news.
00:19:05
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:07
Zak
you know i guess we'll see what's in Cam Archer's future, but in the present, he you know will have the accolades that he deserves for getting us over the line both of those games.
00:19:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:23
Zak
you know
00:19:23
DailySaintsPod
Absolutely. And look, we've talked about before, right? I'm sure that some people somewhere are saying, oh it's just adding money to his price tag or whatever, but who cares? Like, but honestly, who cares what but is motivating you when you're playing like that and putting winning those crucial matches and crucial points at the crucial time of the season when it matters most?
00:19:44
DailySaintsPod
no No judgment from me at all if that that is the case. And it's just nice, isn't it?
00:19:49
Zak
I think you've we've got you've got both though, right? Like there's the motivation of the team, but everybody has personal goals. Like i I want to do well at my job, but I also have my own personal ambitions. It's when you're able to combine them both, right? Like Laren wants to get to a World Cup.
00:20:05
Zak
That was an obvious reason.
00:20:05
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:20:06
Zak
The rest of them probably well to get to the Premier League. Like everyone who joined said that that was one of the things that is one of the things that they wanted to. Correct has talked about how that's what his goal is and he'll probably leave if not.
00:20:19
Zak
So, you know, of course, of course they're all going to have their own individual things. And it might be that Cam wants to put, you know, get an extra a bit of money from from leaving. But i also don't think that's in the necessarily the forefront of all of their minds at the moment anyway, just because of what we've got coming up. And,
00:20:36
DailySaintsPod
Well, you're right. It's very clear that the focus is there and the focus maintains to be, right, next game up, let's focus and smash
Post-Season Scenarios and Promotion Chances
00:20:44
DailySaintsPod
that. And and yeah yeah, the belief is there. the The stuff is good.
00:20:49
DailySaintsPod
I just, yeah, it's it's crazy. What's really crazy, mate, is we we started briefly earlier talking about like our our post-season content and what that might look like this year.
00:20:59
Zak
Yes.
00:21:00
DailySaintsPod
And isn't it going to be nuts when we do keep, bench, sell, and everyone's just keep? Yeah.
00:21:05
Zak
think I think what's even stranger is that like there are so many... constants and variables and everything in between that are being that trying to plan for this post season content is always impossible because we might be in the championship.
00:21:21
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:22
Zak
We might not. We could potentially be Europe. We might not.
00:21:27
DailySaintsPod
if
00:21:27
Zak
We could be in the championship and in Europe and also go, there are, is, is the fact that it's this far down to the wire. Uh, Greg's a maths guy, a numbers guy, if you guys haven't noticed, right?
00:21:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:41
Zak
I am not. And because of that, he often just uses me as what I feel like just a notepad on the ground to do calculations. And that was his warning. So when he talks about post-season content, he also went into this period where he started figuring out what we need and what other teams need.
00:21:59
Zak
And the fact that we were both actively paying attention to the Ipswich Middle Whisper game, because, well, if it's a draw, this means this, but also goal difference is going to play a huge part here.
00:22:04
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:22:07
DailySaintsPod
I was looking at all of the permutations, right?
00:22:08
Zak
i think...
00:22:10
DailySaintsPod
And it's... So, look, I mean, look, let's spell it out in in the simplest way I can because it's...
00:22:17
Zak
Please, it will help me.
00:22:20
DailySaintsPod
So, right, the draw between Ipswich and Middlesbrough today in some ways does do us a huge favour, right? So, effectively... but talking about the easiest way to calculate being the maximum number of points, right? So if we do what we need to do and win all three of our remaining games, then then the maximum amount of points that we can finish on is...
00:22:44
DailySaintsPod
is 84 points right now currently speaking the maximum number of points ipswich can finish on is uh 87 points but one of their games is against us so if we beat them then then they could finish on the same points as us
00:22:48
Zak
Right. Right.
00:23:08
Zak
right
00:23:10
DailySaintsPod
but their goal difference is currently better. They are five goals better than us, right? So even beating Ipswich, we either need to hammer them or they need to drop a point for us to finish in second, or for us to finish above them.
00:23:27
DailySaintsPod
The other player in the picture now, because Middlesbrough, by dropping points today, cannot finish on as many points as us, right? Their maximum points from their three games now become 81. So if we win all three of our games, we're above them.
00:23:41
DailySaintsPod
Simple.
00:23:41
Zak
Right.
00:23:42
DailySaintsPod
So... so Yeah. So the other player in the picture is Millwall. They've got three arguably pretty easy games, to be fair. They definitely have the easier running of the the four teams that are chasing it down.
00:23:57
DailySaintsPod
They are one point above us currently with the same amount of games to play. So naturally, if they win all three of their games and we win all three of our games, they finish one point above us and finish in second. so So for us to go up automatically now, we just need...
00:24:14
DailySaintsPod
Ipswich ideally to drop points as well as us to beat them and Millwall to drop points at any point in the next three games. It doesn't have to be a loss though, could just be a draw.
00:24:26
DailySaintsPod
And so it's it's achievable,
00:24:26
Zak
So what
00:24:30
Zak
I'm hearing is that Gavin Bozzunu needs to make wonder saves at Stoke and make Bitwool lose.
00:24:42
DailySaintsPod
Who'd have thought that maybe automatic promotion hinged on Gavin Pizzunu making saves even in the long run? That's crazy. But mons a guess most importantly, like obviously, automatics are are the dream.
00:24:58
DailySaintsPod
right That's the best possible outcome because you can't lose playoffs if you're in automatics. right Very simple. Simple equation.
00:25:06
Zak
some simple math there, yeah you're right.
00:25:07
DailySaintsPod
yeah But, mean you know, that isn't in our hands. We are relying on other teams dropping points or or big goal turnovers. or a Right, to be fair, if if Ipswich don't drop any other points, but we beat them 5-0, that's as good, right? So it's it would be going up in second on goal difference, which wouldn't feel like as much of win, but it's it's achievable. But really, that what we will be doing is watching Millwall's results closely.
00:25:37
DailySaintsPod
But the important number is probably the most interesting one, which is easy to overlook in the midst of all of this looking up at second and seeing if we can do it, is that seventh place, Wrexham, obviously three games to play on 67 points, meaning that their maximum achievable points are 76. Their goal difference is 24 goals worse than us.
00:26:01
DailySaintsPod
So realistically speaking, even a draw to Bristol City on Tuesday will effectively confirm us a playoff spot.
00:26:13
DailySaintsPod
Which, would you know, if you think about even as recently as three games ago, that was the target, right?
00:26:15
Zak
which
00:26:19
DailySaintsPod
Or we might just squeak sixth.
00:26:23
Zak
Yeah, but then but then we won more games in a row than we have managed since like 19-0-something.
00:26:28
DailySaintsPod
Ever. Yeah, like 19-0 something.
00:26:32
Zak
Right, exactly. but that's a lot to take in, right? Considering that there was not a 0% chance we were worried about relegation.
00:26:42
Zak
And then, of all of the ex-Premier League teams to potentially be relegated, I don't think anyone at the beginning of the season thought it would be ex-Premier League winners Leicester, who are now languishing in second from bottom and lost to Pompey.
00:26:42
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:27:03
Zak
just... Man, it's going to be so... Like, if we do get promoted, and you know, I know that's what the goal is. It's going to be so...
00:27:13
Zak
It's not going to be this much maths and fun, right? For you, especially. But, like, this has just been such a...
00:27:17
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:27:20
Zak
I know that we always talk about how the Championship's such like a such a mad league, but genuinely, like, this has been such a crazy, like, topsy-turvy, you know, at one point, Charlton were in playoff places, you know,
00:27:32
Zak
West Brom looked bang on to potentially get relegated, a as did Sheffield United, right? That was like a genuine thing.
00:27:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. The reality of it is that but regardless of the permutations, even with you know all of things either going our away or not going away, it's going to come down to the last day of the season for arguably as many as six teams, right?
00:27:59
DailySaintsPod
Even as far down as Derby, are not out of the playoff equation. So, so everywhere from Millwall down to Derby, even with all results going, you know, it's, it's going to come down to the last day of the season and who is winning and who is losing.
00:27:59
Zak
man
00:28:17
DailySaintsPod
and And look, the form we're on at the moment, we, we can only really bring ourselves to look up and assume that we're going to win all of our games and where that will put us. But,
00:28:29
DailySaintsPod
you know, despite the confidence that the form will give you, winning every game is just not something that people do.
League Competition and Upcoming Matches
00:28:36
DailySaintsPod
Ask the bloke who wants to cut his hair, right?
00:28:37
Zak
yeah
00:28:42
DailySaintsPod
totally So the more grounded reality approach is we are one point away from guaranteed playoffs.
00:28:53
DailySaintsPod
And that is fantastic, right? to To think about how far we've come. Yeah, like you say, from a not 0% chance of looking down the table towards relegation to...
00:29:05
DailySaintsPod
we might get automatics if results go our way, but actually from our next three games, we need a single point to, to at least be in the playoffs. Yeah.
00:29:15
Zak
Bear in mind as well.
00:29:16
DailySaintsPod
Obviously, it's it's more important as well, right?
00:29:16
Zak
like
00:29:18
DailySaintsPod
Like, the higher you are in the playoffs, the arguably the better your draw. Because if you get as high as third, then you play sixth. And sixth might genuinely be Derby, who creep in on goal difference on the last day of the season or something daft like that.
00:29:35
DailySaintsPod
And obviously you get the advantage of playing at home second. And we know what kind of atmosphere you can create for a vital need to win playoff semifinal.
00:29:46
Zak
Yeah, we do. Oh,
00:29:47
DailySaintsPod
So it's, but it's, it's kind of irrelevant. We could completely switch off and and only get a draw from the next three games.
00:29:58
DailySaintsPod
And, uh,
00:30:01
DailySaintsPod
would be fine. And that's a nice position to be in. It doesn't matter because we're going to win them all anyway.
00:30:08
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:30:12
Zak
goodness gracious me, Greg. Yeah, you're right.
00:30:14
DailySaintsPod
But yeah.
00:30:16
Zak
it's Football's bad. But I tell you what, mate, I do enjoy being an a Saints fan.
00:30:19
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:30:21
Zak
And whilst that was a really scrappy game and fair play to Swansea, and they'll probably feel a little bit hard done by because maybe they feel like Flintdown should have been sent off.
00:30:21
DailySaintsPod
That's it.
00:30:32
Zak
And I think at one point they had a penalty shout because Wood tapped into somebody. We're going going to address that now. I don't know how you feel about that, but it feels like a bit too late for us to really have a proper conversation about it now anyway.
00:30:40
DailySaintsPod
It
00:30:46
DailySaintsPod
it didn't even register in the memory as a proper penalty shout is how much I it.
00:30:49
Zak
day There you go. So now we we roll on to Bristol City, which will contain both me and you. I'll i'll be joining you on Tuesday night, so that'll be fun.
00:30:59
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:00
Zak
I look forward to losing what little voice I have left. And yeah, and then hopefully we'll be celebrating another win.
00:31:05
DailySaintsPod
confirming playoff spots, mate.
00:31:07
DailySaintsPod
if Just think, like, I've heard some, like, discussion of, oh, I don't know about playing City at Wembley, though, because, like, getting yourself hyped up for that big game and potentially losing could, like, really kill the momentum, but just might not matter. We might have already, like, confirmed playoff places.
00:31:07
Zak
Sorry, mate.
00:31:27
DailySaintsPod
So that will be enough confidence to take us into the FA Cup final as well.
00:31:33
Zak
Plus, you've got you've got the fact that, you know, that City have now got a run-in to potentially win the Premier League.
00:31:33
DailySaintsPod
mean, just...
00:31:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:39
Zak
So, us completely demoralising and destroying Arsenal has the resulted in City maybe looking not at the FA Cup, but another Premier League game against, you know, which means that they'll probably be concentrating on that a little bit more, which may maybe it was all Tonda's master plan from the start, mate.
00:31:57
Zak
I can't put it past him this point because I'd like to say, ha yeah, that's a joke.
00:31:57
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:32:01
Zak
Also, like, I don't know what that man's doing. I still... do you remember when we talked about when he first joined and we were like, man, it's not sustainable that he just sleeps at Staplewood and like continues this. And then we had our little bit of a wobble.
00:32:13
Zak
And i don't know what happened now other than that that maybe he just like lives there.
00:32:15
DailySaintsPod
It's no secret what he's done.
00:32:17
Zak
Like... just
00:32:19
DailySaintsPod
he has tried to make it incredibly clear and incredibly visible to anyone who pays attention. What he's done is build a team around him that he has enough trust in to not have to do all of those things.
00:32:32
DailySaintsPod
That's exactly the reason he's never willing to accept sole credit and puts it on the team.
00:32:33
Zak
through that.
00:32:38
DailySaintsPod
and always gets the whole team up for the manager of the month award because that's what he's done. He's built the team of people he trusts enough to not have to do all of the things himself and more power to him.
00:32:53
DailySaintsPod
It's clearly paying off.
00:32:54
Zak
Man. So you you say that Spores was the master all along for for getting in Tonda? to potentially succeed Will still, even if it ended up being earlier.
00:33:05
Zak
I'm like, wait,
00:33:08
DailySaintsPod
I don't know. don't know, mate. Like, it's hard to disagree with more league wins in a row than ninth since 1908, right?
00:33:12
Zak
no, wait. hey
00:33:16
DailySaintsPod
Like, right one
00:33:18
Zak
it to to be To be clear, it was bait. And I don't want to put all of i don't want to put the achievements of an incredible coaching team and an incredible bunch of players on one guy who managed to hire somebody correctly.
00:33:30
Zak
right Maybe we'll talk about a little bit more in the summer, especially where you know we we're going to start filling in with some of that evergreen content. Because we we don't disappear over the summer if anyone that's who that's been with us since last year, we just we just carry on.
00:33:42
DailySaintsPod
We keep of it going.
00:33:45
Zak
It turns out that there is the there is an ability to talk about Saints every day, regardless of whether the season is happening or not, if you try hard enough.
00:33:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, because there's always so much happening and so much to think about. And if you don't think I've already booked Europa League fixture release date off. But you don't know well enough at all.
00:34:06
Zak
No, I do. That's the problem. Well, we've got a match preview coming up to tomorrow, right? I'm guessing we'll talk about Bristol City and the fact that, you know...
00:34:12
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Absolutely, mate. Yeah. Look, that's you're right. that's That's all we've got time for from from this review. Great. Good stuff. Not pretty, but effective.
00:34:24
Zak
that's...
00:34:24
DailySaintsPod
Excellent. Yeah.
00:34:26
Zak
but but Imagine if we'd had that in the Premier League, man. that's so That's what we wanted, is that we would have begged for any win like that. We got one when we played Ipswich, ironically, right?
00:34:35
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:34:36
Zak
So, so yeah, well we're, you know, scrappy game, a game that Greg got to to see scared Zach again, full on in text.
00:34:37
DailySaintsPod
and
00:34:47
Zak
And now we go into Bristol City.
00:34:49
DailySaintsPod
It doesn't matter, mate, because as we talk about so frequently, the only number or the only stat or the only thing that matters is the score on the end of the sheet of the day. And that was two goals to Saints, one to Swansea.
00:35:01
DailySaintsPod
And, mate, we march on to more undefeated games. what What great time to be a Saints fan. We've got to keep saying it because it's hard to believe. got pinch yourself.
00:35:10
Zak
Yeah.
00:35:11
DailySaintsPod
But listen, let us know in the comments and socials how good you're feeling. Because, yeah, what a time to be a Saints fan. We are Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere. TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, everywhere. Blue Sky x Hit us up, let us know you're feeling about that particular win. Like Zach says, we'll be back to preview Tuesday night's game tomorrow morning. But until then, everyone, enjoy the continuous winning and we will see then.