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Episode 229: MATCH PREVIEW: Eastleigh vs Saints!
124 Plays9 days ago
Southampton – It's our first match preview of the season as Pre Season begins away to Eastliegh! Last year was a goalfest, will this year be the same?
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Transcript
Excitement for Preseason Match Against Eastleigh
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing mate?
00:00:23
Zak
It's weird to potentially start talking about a match again. feels like we're never ever going to play play a game of football again, but here we are, slowly catching back up to it.
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah?
00:00:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
butma It is here. Pre-season is here. Tomorrow, Southampton take the short trip down the road Eastleigh for the opening pre-season friendly.
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you weren't one of the lucky people to get a ticket, it will be streamed on the Saints player.
00:00:51
Zak
Yep.
00:00:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
well t the It's good to have football back, right?
00:00:56
Zak
Yeah, regardless, I can't expect too much from a
Preseason Expectations and Manager Tactics
00:00:59
Zak
pre-season friendly. However, the fact that we're actually going to get to see the game, like see football again, is going to be nice and start to maybe see what we'll you'll end up with in the championship. Because at the moment, it's a bit going to be a bit of a question mark, right?
00:01:13
Zak
It's going to be difficult for us to put together a lineup when don't know who's going to be here, Greg. Yeah.
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, that's what makes it so exciting. We get to see Will Steele's first, I mean, like you say, it's pre-season and it's going to be more about fitness and running than anything else.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it still should open our eyes to what some of what we can expect from Will Steele as a manager and what sort of formations and tactics he's feeling and what sort of shape the team might fit into. It's exciting stuff.
00:01:46
Zak
Agreed.
Goalkeeper Debate: Ramsdale's Future
00:01:49
Zak
It's going to be, again, I'm just really interested to see who gets minutes because I know everyone's got to do preseason, everyone's got to get their fitness up, but it's going to be, you know for example, like let's just get straight into it in a bit, Greg, but like who's going to be a goal?
00:02:04
Zak
Obviously Rambo, right?
00:02:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, right?
00:02:05
Zak
But if Ramsdale's going to be a goal and he's not going to be goal for the championship season,
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe?
00:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:11
Zak
like We saw Liss, who went to Gestepi, play, I think, the Eastley game.
00:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
He played in the last Eastley game, yeah.
00:02:19
Zak
Yeah. so So like you know maybe we will see sort of McCarthy get a run in or Bozzunu or whatever.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Azunu back. He's been in training from what I've seen, so
00:02:28
Zak
Yeah, so so it's going to be interesting. I think like that's one of the ones that has the most question marks for me because obviously they're probably going to give everybody a run, but ah ah is it going to be used as a statement of intent? Because i don't know if you saw Will Stills' comments on sort of if they can play football and they can prove to me that they're all right in training. I don't really care about age. They can play.
00:02:48
Zak
They can get game time.
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:49
Zak
So...
00:02:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't care if you're 16 or 36. If it's the best version of you out there and I like it, you can go on the pitch.
00:02:56
Zak
you go. so is But in my in my head as well, I'm like, haa why would you waste a lot of your preseason on players that potentially aren't going to be here? So, swings and roundabouts.
00:03:07
Zak
But like again, it's just
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's going to be good
Eastleigh Squad and Ex-Saints Academy Influence
00:03:08
Zak
going be exciting.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
for him as well, right? To get to see... Seeing people in training is one thing. And even though it's you know it's pre-season, it's a friendly, it's down at Eastleigh.
00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's still seeing players in a different capacity and in a different light. And he might get some of the answers to questions he might have about the players.
00:03:29
Zak
yeah And I think that'll be one of the the most exciting things about it, right? It'll be, well, these games are going to sort of shape semblance of a team, but I'm very excited to see who who gets a run in.
00:03:41
Zak
And obviously, like, we've got like supposedly predicted lineups coming up. But, you know, it's going to be interesting to see who who actually gets on the pitch, right? Because I know that they've had a lot of the sort of youth start training with the first team, mainly for exposure, and that's great.
00:03:56
Zak
But, you know for me if you're playing them at preseason there's an intention if they end up sort of getting into the you know of kind of break into the match squad but then again we also played a guy that we then sold to gesteppy and i feel like that was kind of planned right so don't know greg i'm just excited it's gonna be fun it's gonna be interesting to see who plays
00:04:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, I mean, it's... Yeah, oh look. without thinking too hard about the scoreline, because we'll come to that in our later segment.
00:04:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, the last last year when we played them, was 7-1 heading into, like, Premier League season. Is that, like, the minimum that it can be now?
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
what's the What's the sort of expectation heading in here?
00:04:42
Zak
i I don't know. but Again, it's preseason. like we could have a la sort of if If we're rotating like 40 players or whatever, could could end up anywhere.
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:49
Zak
But I think that realistically, we want to show that standards haven't dropped that much. like If we scrape a 1-0 win, I think everyone's going to be a bit disappointed. If we batter them like 10-0, I also don't think that that's an indicator of us being like you know incredible and we should get overconfident.
00:05:05
Zak
So I think we should win depending on how comfortably... you know i think it would be nice to just see
Defensive Lineup and New Signings Impact
00:05:10
Zak
some goals. It would be nice to see sort of some of our our new signings get strikes away. right like I want Downs to hit the ground running, realistically, even if it is preseason. It's not like a proper competitive game. so i don't really know. I feel like a loss would probably be ah lot of question marks, but it depends how much, how how different still is expecting the players to play, right? Because we've always said this before, Greg, that theoretically there should be some football fundamentals that are able to to get them through, but maybe the influence of philosophies now are so strong that some of what you would refer to as fundamentals are being forgotten about, which is slightly upsetting and worrying, right?
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be an interesting one. Obviously, I think for both you and I, Eastleigh, technically our most local team, uh,
00:06:04
Zak
Correct.
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do what you know about Eastley? Obviously still managed by Saints legend Kelvin Davis, although it looked like he was sort of likely to depart at the end of last season. They're sticking with him and and giving it a go. Yeah,
00:06:20
Zak
the old Spitfires, you've got, they usually end up taking sort of a lot ex-Saints Academy players. Jake Fokins is currently there.
00:06:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's still there yet.
00:06:28
Zak
Yep. So they, There is a will they, won't they get promoted like every single season and sometimes they start strong but never get quite over the line. So,
00:06:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's such a difficult league to get out of, isn't it?
00:06:41
Zak
but but If I remember rightly, we were talking about it last season, right, where at one point pretty much every single club could still win the league and also mathematically go down.
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like it...
00:06:49
Zak
And I think that was crazy. Or I want to say like the top 10 were within three points of one another or something ridiculous like that.
00:06:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:57
Zak
And ah so, yeah, obviously like me and you have been seeing together at one point. That was a really good game. That was during a... a Saints dry spell way back when during the COVID times and we went and watched a 4-0 win i mean after they'd not won for forever and that was good fun so it's it's a nice like sort of local team to go and see play I like that there's a a strong partnership between Southampton and them as like a sort of nice wouldn't even say feeder team but just to have a nice relationship with a local club is good in my opinion and I think that these pre-season friendlies are really good good revenue driver for them as well
00:07:31
Zak
But yeah, other than that, mate, EC were a team that I always used to play on Football Manager and have a really good like good time trying to get as high as possible. And, you know, that's basically the extent of it.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah and left In an effort to do some research for this build-up, I tried to look on
Significance of Preseason Friendlies
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
the Eastley website for their current squad. Obviously, it's the start pre-season for them as well, and They've let quite a few players go at the end of last season, and they'll be bringing new players in. But currently on their website, listed as their entire men's first team, they've got four defenders, three midfielders, and two strikers.
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
No goalkeepers. So maybe we'll be right. Like...
00:08:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:12
Zak
But yeah, there's some some like mainstays there.
00:08:14
Zak
As I said, Jake Fokin has just joined them.
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:16
Zak
Paul McCallum has been there quite a while. so but you're But you're right. That is not a long list of players in front of me yeah
00:08:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's... look i yeah so I'd say loosely follow Eastley, and I hope that they do well. Like you say, it's nice to see these sort of friendlies, and it's a nice proper old-school ground, little terrace to go to.
00:08:40
Zak
yeah
00:08:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
like a football day out at Eastley when Saints aren't playing, on occasion, when I can convince the wife to let me drag the kids out. But...
00:08:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be an interesting in one, for sure. All right. Well, look, let's get into predicted lineups and see if we can take our best guess at who's going to start the game.
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first, a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:09:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So, what way round do you want to do this? We normally tend to start the back and work our way forwards, but do do you think it's more prominent to start on the front and work back today?
00:09:59
Zak
No, I'm happy with the old school way because, again, we've we've already started conversation around goalkeeper. so So do you reckon it's going to be Rambo or do you reckon they'll show intent of the Zunu?
00:10:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:10
Zak
Because, again, still not having a goalkeeper on our list. Unless I think Rambo goes, then maybe it will become more of thing. more of a thing
00:10:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, the thing with pre-season friendlies is they tend to do like different halves, right?
00:10:25
Zak
yeah
00:10:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I would expect Rambo to get 45 minutes and probably Baz to get 45 minutes. Hmm. Hmm.
00:10:33
Zak
Well, yeah, because he's he has only come back as well. Like, he he literally came back at the end of last week, something like that. So it's not like he's been around a long time to...
00:10:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so maybe I'm thinking Buzunu to start is where my head's going.
00:10:50
Zak
Interesting.
00:10:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
what What about you? How are you feeling?
00:10:52
Zak
I think potentially Buzuni McCarthy, if I'm totally honest, because of how how he's come back.
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah?
00:10:57
Zak
Yeah. And to kind of see how we'll do without him. Right. Because that's kind of what we did with Liss is like, let's see how we do with the goalkeeper that isn't used to it.
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, knowing that this is very public and the first start pre-season, do you think that... like The political messaging of it comes into play a bit if they if they take that approach.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
like It might be the sensible approach to weigh up the options that aren't Rambo, but if he doesn't play, it kind of makes that declaration, right?
00:11:32
Zak
Well, this is what we've discussed before anyway. We're like, do we think, you know, is every player who's going to play, is that a declaration of them playing or not? Because if I remember rightly, the year James Ward-Prowse won, still played most of his preseason.
00:11:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:44
Zak
So i know it's kind of contradict tro contradictory to what I said before, but this is what I mean where like, we overthink things lot because we spend a lot of time analysing it. It might be as simple as they're trying to get everybody to get as many minutes as possible.
00:11:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:57
Zak
Rambo's been, in my head, it's not as complicated as that. It's just that Rambo's only just come back whereas McCarthy and Bazzouna have been in pre-season training since the beginning. So you'd put them in the first game, and then we'll probably see Rambo in the next one. That's that's that's the only that's the only reason.
00:12:11
Zak
But I can understand how they might end up playing Rambo's down to make sure that people don't think he's leaving, which is bad, because also he might just leave.
00:12:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:12:18
Zak
So ah just don't know how i just don't know how complicated or how if selecting players for a pre-season match is like looked into so with that much depth.
00:12:31
Zak
You know, i don't think it's like they care about the messaging or are they more concerned about just getting everybody minutes on the door? So...
00:12:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have no idea.
Possible Midfield Arrangements
00:12:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wish I knew the answer. All right. Right back. How do you think we might have?
00:12:42
Zak
It's going to be Sigoura, right? Because he seems to be the proper one in favour. James Breeze are right, but I think that like he's the one, you know, again, also speculating on, I guess, what we were talking about earlier. Like, he's had a lot of... He's had some focus over over the pre-season, right?
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
e
00:12:58
Zak
And he's had like his day in the life and, you know, they haven't massively gone out of their way to try and get another right back. So yeah, I could see him. could see him being right back and probably 45 minutes. And then afterwards, what about for James Bree?
00:13:12
Zak
Because that is our entire right back offering now at this point, right? There's no one else.
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, potentially. Center backs, two or three of them.
00:13:21
Zak
I think he he wants a two, right? So let's actually hope that it's a two.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:25
Zak
That would be nice.
00:13:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Walshie and Jack Stevens.
00:13:27
Zak
I don't think Korshi will start. I think he'll come on later.
00:13:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:30
Zak
I wouldn't be surprised if it's Taylor Harbour-Bellis and Jack Stephens, if I'm totally honest.
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:13:34
Zak
Harbour-Bellis looks like he wants to stay with Jan. I don't know. It's it's just weird, right? There was a lot of noise about his £6 million pound contract when we get relegated, and we've heard absolutely nothing since then.
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yanni B?
00:13:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:46
Zak
At all. But also, we keep buying centre-backs, so there feels like there's something going on there, right?
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:54
Zak
It can't just be me.
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Yeah, we've got quite a lot as well because we've got like Edwards, Ronnie Edwards and Nathan Woods kicking about.
00:13:57
Zak
If they're identifying a center back and transferring one. ye Yeah.
00:14:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
like Do we see how many different centre-back pairings do we see in this one game is is a very real question.
00:14:11
Zak
I wouldn't be surprised if we see Jack Stevens and Taylor Harba-Bellis and then maybe swap out for Corsi and Edwards. I don't know if Wood's going to get time eventually. well I guess we'll see. It really depends.
00:14:23
Zak
Because obviously where, of course, she's the new signing as well. They probably want to see him in a matchday situation. Plus they know it's sort of fans going, doesn't it?
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:29
Zak
Well, that's a hugely important part of preseason, but, you know, it's going to be interesting.
00:14:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I disagree, right?
00:14:32
Zak
It's going good for them to get
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
At the end of the day, what they want is to build excitement and sell tickets, and they do that by playing the new players they've signed. Yeah.
00:14:41
Zak
i guess yeah The flip side of things, but also you don't want to give him 90 minutes in preseason.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah.
00:14:45
Zak
So either way, I think that he'll start because of that reason.
00:14:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Left back.
00:14:52
Zak
It's going to be Wellington, surely.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:54
Zak
Manning's done well, but like well I think it's going to be both of them rotated.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wellington, Manning. Yeah.
00:14:58
Zak
I don't know who's going to start the game. But, you know...
00:15:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Charlie Taylor's still on our books?
00:15:02
Zak
Yeah, true. don't know if he's going to get... I don't know if... He's going to get like, because he said he wants to be on the front foot. So I wouldn't be surprised if we end up having sort of left backs and right backs that are quite attacking again, right?
00:15:15
Zak
To be able to get the ball forward.
00:15:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:16
Zak
And I just don't know if Charlie Taylor fits that. He's a very traditional left back. So I feel, you know, you might get some minutes, but I think if you're going to try out, you're going to try this new system, I'm like, out of the three set left backs we have, who fits that profile more?
00:15:31
Zak
I'm like Wellington and Manning. Both have proven to do it, right? Charlie Taylor, not so much. also, he is still here for like another year, and he's got another year at least, right? So...
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's an interesting one. Someone that's been consistently radio silence over since he was seemingly the player out of position on the penalty spot for Russell Martin early last season, right?
00:15:55
Zak
Yeah, and they had like a game or so. again like we had like a game under Rusk, didn't he, where he did a right. was just a bit weird to see him more than anything else. It was like, oh, I forgot he played for us.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, seems to be a bit theme. right, moving into the middle of the part. A three or four? how do you think we're shaping up?
00:16:15
Zak
i don't i don't know, Greg. I like... I don't know where we're going to go from here, right? Are we going to go have trust a striker and a bunch of attacking midfielders and then two midfielders again?
00:16:26
Zak
The problem is, is like, when I picture the team sheet, I've pictured it in the formation that it's been for so long now. I've forgotten if we can have any other other other people, but like, I feel like we're probably going to see the reintroduction of Shea Charles.
00:16:39
Zak
And I also think we'll probably see Matsuki play this game. I don't know if we'll also see Downs or Eribo or whatever.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:16:46
Zak
Like, we've already seen rumours of Eribo supposedly out the door.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:16:50
Zak
You know, Downs has been linked to Ipswich, but apparently we're not going to sell him to a promotion rival, which makes sense. And also he has kind of tried to win back favour and recommit to the club. So I can see him also getting the minutes as well.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Seems to very much be a personality deal between him and Juric, right?
00:17:03
Zak
I just...
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
So hopefully that that's just
00:17:07
Zak
Yeah, it seemed it seemed to be the case.
00:17:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
out of the way and dealt with. and Yeah, I think as you know he was such an important part of our last championship campaign. It's hard to see that he wouldn't be again this time around.
00:17:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, I don't know. You're right. Matsuki, Matty Fernandez,
00:17:26
Zak
Well,
00:17:26
Zak
went blank. So yeah, I think we're going to see a mixture of Smallbone, Shea Charles, Matsuki... and downs. Maybe Aribo gets on, but I think that the attacking options are going to be the most exciting, right? I think we'll probably end up having sort of 2-3 in the middle.
00:17:41
Zak
And yeah, Fernandes will definitely play a part of that. Do we then end up having sort of Dibbling on the right? And then on the left now, we have more abundant options than ever needed before, right?
00:17:52
Zak
so now we've got a dozy back...
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:55
Zak
We've got Ben Burrott and Diaz, which don't know how that's going to pan out.
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:59
Zak
Maybe he'll play, but you haven't really seen a lot of noise around him going. and So he's going to be in the squad. Ryan Fraser is is now there. like it kind of It's kind of weird, right Because with Suleymane gone now, he took that position for so long on the Juric. It's like we kind of forgot.
00:18:16
Zak
that we even had left wingers and we actually have a bunch and they all have an opportunity to step up and I think we're definitely going to play with them. I think we'll play single striker and I think it will probably be a mix between Ross Stewart and Downs.
00:18:26
Zak
Or maybe, what do we feel about Armour?
00:18:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Archer?
00:18:29
Zak
Armour Archer? Again, like, or we play two at the front and we mix all those four up.
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think we could sort of go with... like a 4-2-2-2, where we end up with like two holding midfielders in like Downs and Charles, two more like creative midfielders in, let's say, Matsuki, probably on the right-hand side of that, and Matty Fernandes on the left-hand side, or Tyler Diblin in the mix somewhere.
00:18:44
Zak
Okay.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then like the combination of someone like Downs or... or Ross Stewart playing off of someone patier like Armour or Cameron Archer.
00:19:11
Zak
I mean, that would make sense, right? If we've got two people have similar profile in like Armstrong and Archer and two people that have a similar profile in Stewart and Downs, to play them together would make more sense.
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:19:20
Zak
And it was something we've all we called for beforehand with Paul and Amatu. It's just that the problem with Paul is that doesn't matter how tall he was. He could have been nine foot seven. He just struggled to be able to ever get it on target or be able to run it on those balls. So having players that kind of, you know, hopefully the end of Stewart's injury crisis is there.
00:19:39
Zak
you know, having having downs with like an Archer would be interesting and exciting, I think. So, yeah. Just weird to talk about like a lineup, mate. so It's been so long.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's been
00:19:49
Zak
And also, how many players are both different and the same is always exciting.
00:19:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
fascinating, isn't it? All right, look, we're going to talk about score predictions for the first time in what feels like forever.
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00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:20:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:20:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencastr. Okay, so we are back. Zach, as always, as tradition stands, I'm going to throw you under the bus first.
Prediction for Southampton vs. Eastleigh
00:20:39
Zak
Classic. I think, I've thought about this a lot, I think about 4-0 and I don't think it's going this absolute putting them to the sword.
00:20:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
are you feeling, mate?
00:20:48
Zak
I think four goals would be good and comfortable. I think the nil bit there is going to be the most important because, you know, we've had we had Russell Martin who went because of how defensively leaky we were.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:20:59
Zak
Juric was supposed to shore that ship and just didn't. Made us worse, conceded like at least two goals a game. Rusk kind of tidied it up. you know We managed to draw against City, sure, without a goal being scored. But I think it's important that we show that we're able to defensively seal ourselves up now.
00:21:15
Zak
Because it's been like that's been a problem since our first relegation season. Oh, we concede too many goals. like Okay, we need to defensively shore up. We never have. Yeah. yeah So I think it will be an important statement of intent to not just let a sloppy, easy goal in, which is why I'm also kind of like, maybe it'll be interesting to play some other defenders and other centre-backs to, you know, because there's a common theme that like couple of those players, Greg, sort of Stephens and Bedarek, have been at the club the entirety of the time that we have had this defence that leaks goals.
00:21:49
Zak
and have been quite primary centre-backs.
00:21:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:52
Zak
Maybe I was a bit harsh on Stephens the other day. kind of i don't know how I feel about it, but at the same time, I'm like, you know maybe swap out the puzzle pieces and see what happens. And if all of a sudden we end up with some clean cheats, that's where I'm at. Where do I see the goals coming from?
00:22:07
Zak
As I said, I'd love our debuts to get some goals. So at least Downs, Korshi has a go, that would be good fun. Masuki gets a go, that would be good fun. And then obviously just a Matty Fernandes goal to finish well off, right? Yeah.
00:22:18
Zak
Perfect. Perfect day out.
00:22:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice.
00:22:20
Zak
Perfect Saturday in the heat wave. Happy days. What about you, mate?
00:22:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Look. Look.
00:22:28
Zak
Oh, no. Oh, no. It's going to be like, it's going to be but beyond optimism. We're going to score 10.
00:22:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm feeling, no, I think 9-0 because it feels poetic, right, to start preseason off that way.
00:22:35
Zak
Good.
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to get a couple from Downs, one from Matty Fernandez, one from Sugawara, one from Matsuki, a couple from Archer, and one from, don't know, a really left field player-like
00:22:58
Zak
Why don't you just say bazoon this point, mate?
Reflecting on Last Year's Match Against Eastleigh
00:23:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ryan Fraser will get one. It'll be...
00:23:03
Zak
You think Ryan Fraser's getting on that field? Interesting.
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah No, I don't know.
00:23:06
Zak
Okay.
00:23:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, it'll be... think it's going to be... As it always is, a reality that We know that we should be levels above Eastleigh.
00:23:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
No disrespect to Eastleigh. They're also in sort of a period of change. So it it kind of is what it is. That's not the point of these games, though. But you're right. The clean sheet will be good.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be hot. So, you know, there's going to be lots of substitutions, right? value yeah
00:23:34
Zak
Yeah.
00:23:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to see probably the whole squad would get on the pitch. for some period of time I'd have thought it's just going to be really interesting really exciting but yeah
00:23:44
Zak
Yeah.
00:23:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like we say, it's it's pre-season, isn't it?
00:23:45
Zak
That's where I'm at. I'm just happy to see it. I'll be back.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
The scores don't matter. The outcomes don't really matter. We've seen in pre-season some incredible goals from players that go on to do not a lot. And also some incredible goals from players that go on to do huge amounts for the club. So, i mean, look, ah was looking back at the goals from the seven one last year and, know, Mara, Sugawara, Alcaraz, Manning were all on the score sheet in that game.
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right? Like, Mara and Alcaraz are no longer with the club. Like, Armour scored two. He spent half the season on loan at West Brom. It's... don't know.
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:26
Zak
That's some really upsetting statistics.
00:24:27
Zak
Maybe it's the fact that Alcobranz then went to Premier League rival and is still in the Premier League. Ah, c'est la vie.
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:34
Zak
Such is life.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. But look, I think it'll be a good game. Should be exciting. Hopefully there'll be lots of goals. Hopefully a lovely day out for all of the fans lucky enough to get a ticket. It's always a nice day out Eastleigh. They do some amazing food there as well at like not football prices generally, which I'm always a fan of.
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's like £4.50 for a massive chicken tikka wrap last year. That's the dream.
00:25:01
Zak
Happy days, mate.
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. But that's it. That's our first match review of season two, mate. Match preview, sorry. Getting ahead of myself. Jumping all the way ahead to Monday.
00:25:10
Zak
It's like, mate, we haven't played yet. What are you doing?
00:25:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, our first match preview of season two. it's It's weird to be back talking about actual football, isn't it?
00:25:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's good.
00:25:19
Zak
Mate, this is good stuff. I'm excited.
00:25:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Well, look, that is all we've got time for today and all we've got time for this week. We will be back on Monday with the inevitable review of whatever goes down on Saturday.
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure we're all feeling much more confident than we are at any point in Season 1 at least. But we're very much looking forward to it. Have a great weekend, everyone. Enjoy the game and we will see you on Monday.