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00:00:01
Episode 210: Season 2 Premiere!
101 Plays9 days ago
Southampton – We are back after a short break! We talk all the things that have happened the last couple of weeks and look forward to what we hope to be a much more exciting season!
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Transcript
Podcast Return and Technical Glitches
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello welcome back to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. We have had our off period, our time away, our holiday, and now, as with all new seasons, we have to remember how to do it all again.
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
My name is Greg Elliott, and as always, joined today by my good friend, a wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch. How you doing, mate? You alright?
00:00:32
Zak
so Let's not pretend we didn't spend the last 15 minutes trying to set up tech
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I've got a lovely Father's Day present of some new recording equipment and look, even as the the one of the most technically proficient people, it still involves setup.
00:00:50
Zak
up tech. I'm just really hoping you can get through the next 25, 30-odd minutes without knocking it off of the desk, mate.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be fine. There's going to be teething problems. That's just the way it goes with these things.
00:01:02
Zak
yeah but
00:01:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
How are you anyway, mate? You feeling nice and
Cruise Tales and Sports Season Hopes
00:01:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
refreshed from some time off?
00:01:06
Zak
Yeah, I have been gallivanting.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Been out califantin'.
00:01:10
Zak
I've just got back from a cruise to the to Norway, went up through some fjords. That was really, really nice. Did some other bits and pieces. Yeah, it's been kind of weird. I kind of...
00:01:22
Zak
I've still been pretty locked into Saints news as much as I can be.
New Manager for Saints and Team Dynamics
00:01:26
Zak
Maybe out of interest myself, but sort of looking forward to the new season because I just can't imagine it being worse than the last.
00:01:35
Zak
But I feel like that's pretty much what every Luton fan said last season too, probably.
00:01:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going be great. i think that all of...
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, look, mate. All of the stars are going to align into something beautiful, right?
00:01:46
Zak
i hope so, mate.
00:01:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, we've got we got ahead of the game. We've brought in a promising young manager. We're doing all of the due diligence, if possible, on his backroom staff and bringing in these people.
00:02:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hopefully... hopefully with some input from him. So, you know, there's some sort of chemistry.
00:02:07
Zak
Yeah, it does it does feel very much delegate task to director of football on Football Manager, doesn't it? The fact that we're sort of interviewing. I'm hoping he does have some level of input. But if they' if they're going to put together a crack team of people that know how to do things with the right experience, rather than just, you know, because I think sometimes it's good to have not entirely...
00:02:30
Zak
disputes in the changing room etc but it's good to have differing opinions right rather than people like like when you talk about Russell Martin and how he has Matt Gill and it just seems that Matt Gill is 100% behind let's just do this type of football yeah sounds great and absolutely no other input
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 100%. Look,
00:02:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
and look without making it too political, mate, without a difference of opinion, what you get is Twitter. So...
00:02:53
Zak
but and I know I've seen some people argue on there good lord
00:02:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's...
00:03:01
Zak
Oh, dear.
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah the Yeah, it's it's good. I think that we're positive.
Player Signings and Optimism
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
we made a sign-in while we've been off.
00:03:08
Zak
We did?
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
The fastest player in the second Bundesliga. I don't know how much looking into it or research you've done on...
00:03:18
Zak
Add a little bit. I saw, obviously, all I can think of is the the last stat we had around the fastest player was Suleymane.
00:03:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Suleymane.
00:03:26
Zak
Yeah, being the fastest at the World Cup and yet somehow just not being able to make the runs that he should be able to.
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:03:33
Zak
But I think this is a different kettle of fish, right? Like, he seemed really happy to actually be at the club. That was just nice positivity in itself, right? Actually seeing someone... happy to be at our club after what seems to be a season of everyone doing everything they can to try and leave.
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and and you know, it seems like a bit of a... you know He's a centre-back, which is an interesting position to sign for. I mean, it it definitely you know adds fuel to the fire that we're not going to be keeping some of the players that have been playing in that position last season, right?
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:04:10
Zak
Yeah, I think we all kind of need that with a £6 million pound relegation clause for B and Taylor Harwood-Bellis wanting to stay in England, the England squad. I kind of see them both going and to be quite frank, like, you know, we've had a bit of time off and a bit time to reflect on the last season and a bit of time to, I guess, just...
00:04:26
Zak
allow the wounds to heal because when it was relentless week in, week out of us just getting battered and then we'd have the international break where the hope would build up before we just immediately got shot back down again. It's kind of nice to have a little bit of extended period of time without games and try and sort of evaluate the season as a whole and see where we're at And it's nice that I kind of, I don't think if they go, they go.
00:04:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:48
Zak
I'm not as, I'm not upset.
00:04:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
100%.
00:04:51
Zak
Like if anyone wants to leave, now is the best time because hundreds of them.
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
hundred percent i think I think it came across as flippant and and maybe hurt last season when I said the transfer window is as important as let's keep one of Matty Fernandez or Diblin and build from there.
00:05:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But honestly, that that's how I feel. I'm open for redemption arcs.
00:05:15
Zak
Yeah.
00:05:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm open for players you know saying, no, I ah really want to be here and ah make it good. Great. All the more for it. But But honestly, don't think there's a single player in that squad that but I would be upset to see leave.
00:05:33
Zak
Yeah, that's
Player Movements and Management Debate
00:05:34
Zak
true. And then it was interesting that, you know, after the season ended, some of them and we'd done our wrap-up, some of the players that kind of put out messages and sort of saw Flynn down sort talk about how next season he wants to get us back up.
00:05:47
Zak
But within the last few days, I've already seen him go to something that we haven't yet talked about, which I'm sure we will do later on the episode, to Russell Martin's Rangers. That's a... That's a weird statement.
00:05:59
Zak
No Russell Martin derby.
00:05:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:06:01
Zak
We only get four derbies this year instead of six. Devastating.
00:06:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
it yeah that's an interesting one.
00:06:05
Zak
How would I possibly live without him at Leicester?
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, a real real upsetting indictment that both him and Juric are likely to be Champions League managers next season while we're stuck in the Premier League.
00:06:17
Zak
so So Russell Martin and Juric, who oversaw the worst Saints campaigns ever, are going to end up managing in the Champions League, potentially.
00:06:28
Zak
Yeah, you're right. i that is that That is the definition of falling upwards. I just don't understand.
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:36
Zak
like It turns out that you know this was a lot of the fear that we had when we brought in, not Juric as much, but Russell Martin, was that he was going to consistently stick with his style of football until he was brought up by a team that had the squad to be able to do it.
00:06:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Vincent company approach.
00:06:50
Zak
And I don't know if... Yeah, right? But especially where we saw that happen. And I don't think we saw, we kind of thought that would happen. And I don't think that Bayern is the same as Rangers. I guess if you're asking Scottish football, it's a bit different. But like, maybe his approach will work in a league where two teams have dominated forever, apart from that one time that Rangers went down due to, I want to say points, right?
00:07:14
Zak
And then they ended up coming back up.
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:16
Zak
So...
00:07:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, it was, yeah, they went into administration.
00:07:18
Zak
Yeah, it's just the definition of failing failing upward. That's where I'm at.
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. um um And look, would we be surprised to see some of Russell Martin's favourite players go to Rangers? No, absolutely not.
00:07:34
Zak
Do I think that...
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Will those players be of Republic of Ireland heritage? Absolutely not. That's not how politics in football works. Come on, guys.
00:07:40
Zak
but is
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:41
Zak
That is one of my favourite lists and the amount of people that thought, well, he's obviously going to take Ryan Manning. I'm like, courageous. I'm like, look, I don't want to make our podcast political of all places, but like that that's just the due diligence you need to do. like This is where I think sometimes you people can get a bit too locked onto the statistics and forget that regardless of whether or not you want for like politics involved in football, in the Scottish League, it's if fundamentally is. So yeah, I think Smallbone, Puzunu, Manning, all will probably <unk> be staying with us or at the very least not going to Rangers.
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. And and look, it's... Yeah, there are a couple, right? You could see going maybe Fraser, who, you know...
00:08:30
Zak
I wouldn't be surprised. Apparently, i saw some sort of rumour somewhere on Twitter that apparently he's quite settled down here with his girlfriend. So who knows? But at the same time, you know, he barely got a look in towards the end of the season.
00:08:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Great, look.
00:08:41
Zak
He had that game at Leicester and then we've not seen him since. Not even, don't think we've even seen photos of him training. You know, Juric said that he'd heard of him and he was like, oh, he's just not as good as all the other players I want to play.
00:08:54
Zak
Didn't get played under Rusk. So remember Rusk? he was our He was our manager for a little bit.
00:08:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:08:59
Zak
Or did you blank out that side of that that part of the season?
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
right look Arguably, Rusk is the manager who left last season with the most credit in the bank with Saints fans.
00:09:11
Zak
Anywho. oh
00:09:15
Zak
e
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, well, look, that leads us to a nice, comfortable rest stop before we move on to to the other news whilst we've been away.
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first, a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:10:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So, yeah, I mean, lots of other change at the club. Obviously, we've had our released, retained list as well. No huge surprises in that.
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Card Walker Peters, as we know, out of contract, have just got the official confirmation. Lumley gone as well. We're a bit surprised by that with the but the fact that we don't probably aren't going to have a goalkeeper.
00:10:33
Zak
Not even slightly. i mean, how many goals did he ship in the games that he played when he tried to then then he tried to be like, yeah, I'm going to be an England international. It seemed a bit...
Performance Critique and Sunderland's Future
00:10:42
Zak
He's just not good enough. That's not his fault.
00:10:44
Zak
He was brought in to basically be a third goalkeeper choice, right? like
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:48
Zak
So i'm not umm not devastated by it. I think that I feel bad for the guy. like He seemed like a nice enough guy, but we need people that are going to stop the ball going in the goal. And he clearly proved that he was unable to do that.
00:11:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do that. Yeah. the The main job of a goalkeeper, despite some managers' beliefs.
00:11:01
Zak
but
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the other name on the list, Adam Lallana, released from a playing perspective. But... but highly likely to be part of the mix in the coaching staff.
00:11:16
Zak
Well, is he highly likely? Because it sounds like everybody's going through some sort of interview process or they're all being looked at or their credentials. And I think the fact that some of them actually might have to prove their worth, I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing, really. Because, like, you know, some people you've got to think of loyalty a little bit. But also, after last season, the people that have been with the club for a long time, you know,
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:41
Zak
it's I think it's fine to, you know, this is what I don't understand, the the absolute hatred of Sports Republic. And they are trying to do a clean out as best they possibly can, right?
00:11:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, it needs to be a hard reset, let's face it. if It's not been good enough. Even in the year we went up and had that amazing Wembley moment, there are periods of the season that weren't good enough, right?
00:12:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, we we still finished fourth that season and we should have been in a much better position.
00:12:05
Zak
hit his' Here's a weird one. Here's a weird side one to you. Do you think we were better prepared than Sunderland are going up? Because obviously we came down from the Prem and then basically went straight back up. And looking at Sunderland, you know one of their best players being Joe Bellingham has now gone off to Dortmund like his brother to follow in his footsteps. Do you think that they will suffer a fate worse than ours? Or do you think that they could have learned from the lessons of you know the last couple of years of back-to-back demotions?
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think they're goingnna I think they're in for a really tough season, one regardless of how much they eat try and prepare.
00:12:36
Zak
a
00:12:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they're in for a very long and very painful season. Will it be as bad or worse than ours? I mean, only time will tell. I mean, even looking back on how woeful our season was, there are three or four points of the season I can point at and think, well, we could have done slightly better than we ended up doing had a couple of bits or decisions gone our way.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, it's the luck of the draw for them, but it's it's going to be a long season for Sunderland for sure.
00:13:13
Zak
and what was the I sent you a stat yesterday because you were like really happy that it wasn't... yet so The first thing I sent you back after coming from back from holiday was that we are we were third on the table of points
Tottenham's Season Recap
00:13:23
Zak
lost dropped from winning positions.
00:13:26
Zak
You were happy that we just weren't first, but we were only... Tottenham at the top with 29 points, Fulham with... followed with
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Europa League champions Tottenham.
00:13:36
Zak
Europa League champions longer managed by Ange Postacoglu, but Thomas Frank. What a weird couple of weeks that's been that we haven't talked about.
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, fuck. I feel like there's a whole episode there about how ridiculous of a role being a manager in football in the modern day is. like Imagine like being being ah paul in charge of half of the season of the second worst team in Premier League history to go on and take up a big European job and in an alternative universe winning a European trophy and getting sacked.
00:14:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Make both of those things make sense. Because my brain can't. It's...
00:14:12
Zak
the the types of ownership, the i feel, I think a lot of that, if if we're if we're completely sideballing this from the fact that we we were bad, because let's face it, we've talked about how bad we were for a season solid.
00:14:26
Zak
I think that a lot of it can come down to to character. And I think that one of the reasons that Russell Martin did really well is he's quite charismatic. I think if he was sat in a room with a bunch of Americans and he explained his philosophy clearly, like with his masterclass, I think they would happily buy into it. And as we found out during that time off,
00:14:43
Zak
The Rangers are now owned by the same people who own the 49ers of all strange NFL crossover right there. And obviously we know who's in charge of Tottenham.
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:53
Zak
And clearly he was not happy with the club's league position because I think that that was more important. However, what did they hope would happen? Like arguably they qualified for the Champions League. Doesn't matter if they did it 17th or 4th.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah That's crazy as well, though, right?
00:15:05
Zak
They did it. So...
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because if you reflect on the Spurs season, yes, they finished 17th, but they could have finished as high as, like, 12th.
00:15:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
If they... didn't specifically at one point decide to focus on the the European League.
00:15:24
Zak
and you know And that was because of a combination of things.
00:15:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, but there were decisions specifically for that, so...
00:15:29
Zak
And then you look at Manchester United where, well, I'm I'm not saying it's something nice to watch, but
00:15:37
Zak
our downfall and our absolutely poor season was kind of ignored because of how bad Spurs and Man United were. And like I kept banging about that all season. And I think that that Europa League final, you compare that Europa League final to that Champions League final, mate, you'd think they're two different universes.
00:15:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 100%. 100%, just awful.
00:15:53
Zak
Even the Conference League was slightly more exciting.
00:15:56
Zak
Like, oh, you know, I text one of my friends who's sort of a, I've mentioned him before, my friend Peachy.
00:15:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
just the
00:16:02
Zak
So he's actually a Bolton fan. His dad's big Spurs fan. and I knew he'd be watching it, so I'd text him. and he he his His impression was it was of it was to sack Postacoglu the next day because of how awful the football was.
00:16:14
Zak
So I can understand that. But also, I don't think any other other managers managed to get them there. like As much as they talk about how much they love Pochettino, they've had Mourinho, they've had Conte, they've had...
00:16:27
Zak
like Who else are they going to get in? Thomas Frank, I guess, he's going to be next up on the chopping block because they've got they had Nuno for a little bit who's managed to do...
00:16:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
baffling to me It's baffling to me that Thomas Frank would choose to go to Spurs over Brumford.
00:16:40
Zak
It depends.
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
but That's a step down at this point, right?
00:16:41
Zak
how but pay At this point, it is a step down, but also Champions League football. Also, it depends what the pay is as well, right?
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:48
Zak
Like, if I'm paid more to do my job, you're you're right.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah. You're right.
00:16:51
Zak
I probably will, you know, and
Player Health and Scheduling Issues
00:16:53
Zak
I don't... It's just... it It really compounds how weird this whole season has been. And like, it looked like early on that it was just going to be classic, you know, the top four are going to absolutely steamroll it.
00:17:04
Zak
The bottom three are going to go down without a fight, which, which did kind of happen, but there's all that weird stuff that happened in the middle, like Palace finishing 12th, also winning a trophy.
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
In the middle, yeah.
00:17:13
Zak
Like what a crazy, crazy season.
00:17:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now might not get to play in the Europa League anyway because they're owned by, you know, multi-club ownerships. Interesting development.
00:17:22
Zak
Well, we we'll cross that bridge when we come to it mate.
00:17:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll see how that one plays out. Yeah.
00:17:25
Zak
Like, let's face it, the but at the moment, we've still got come back up if we want to do that.
00:17:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, also interesting. Also interesting. Like, it's been no secret, but I feel obliged to mention that You know, we lost FA Cup replays because of so-called congesture fit fixture congestion.
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then Man United go on like a six-game Hong Kong tour directly after the season finishes.
00:17:48
Zak
Yeah, but that tour was basically for revenue only and seemed to do nothing but make their chemistry worse.
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mad. But
00:17:55
Zak
Because the amount stories that came out of that...
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's still more games. Like, it's still exactly the problem, right?
00:17:59
Zak
Yeah, but was it's the fact that club the Club World Cup started.
00:18:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:03
Zak
The Club World Cup, the thing that nobody has asked for, nobody cares about, and it's just an excuse to get Messi to play, I don't know, some Qatari team for some reason. And then, you know, you've got Uru and Reds playing against Orlando, and then in between there, PSG's there for some reason.
00:18:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:20
Zak
It's just... ah ah sir It's a stranger one, but even even my wife pointed out, like, do they ever get time off anymore? And you're like, considering a lot of the other big European leagues will have like a winter break, we really don't have that.
00:18:32
Zak
And I think that you, I won't be surprised if you see more sort of season-ended injuries like with Rodri, with just the sheer amount of fixtures that they're expected to play.
00:18:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
definitely I mean, we've taken, what, a couple of weeks off to to regroup and get our stuff together ready for the new season. We're already only, you know, we're less than 10 days away from fixture announcement day.
00:18:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
like Like, it's that close. It's coming. Yeah.
00:18:57
Zak
And on top of that, we've we've missed absolutely loads. that's That's what's crazy about it. is like you know because Some people touch on my family and other bits and pieces when I was on the cruise. was sort of like, how do you do like a daily podcast? How is there that much to talk about with Southampton? You're like, yeah, no, you're right. I thought that when we started doing it.
00:19:13
Zak
Turns out, if anything, our podcast could be an hour daily. But also, I need to like eat and do work and live my life a little bit.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Come on, Andy.
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it.
00:19:21
Zak
But it's it's yeah just it so much moves so quickly.
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it.
00:19:25
Zak
And
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, well, speaking of running long, it is time for our second break to and a message from our partners at Zencaster. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zencaster came out the clear winner with 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that
Charity Game and Pitch Conditions
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
automatically removes all those ums and ahs It's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description learn more about Zencaster. Okay, and we're back. Yeah, I mean, the ever-evolving busyness of football, right? Like, it never ends. And it's, you you know, in a way, it's good.
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, I mean, i feel sorry for the pitch at St. Mary's. that's one thing that's worth talking about.
00:20:16
Zak
do you do you Do you want to also talk about the charity game you attended where you...
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely I do, yeah.
00:20:20
Zak
but
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I took my kids down to to the Inter Legends versus Pie Face FC charity match, which was which is fine it was all right. It was, you know, I had a great day.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
The vibes were great. Uh, the football was fine. Uh, the pitch, I mean, it was an unfortunate day of weather for sure, but man, the pitch was like a throwback to the 1970s.
00:20:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
some of the, the ball just, like they try and pass the ball along the floor and it just stopped in holding water. Just absolutely insane. But, Yeah, and then, you know, saw they had a penalty shootout event today at St Mary's, I didn't enter. as I don't think that I am and you anywhere near good enough at taking penalties for that.
00:21:09
Zak
Nice.
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But did go and have lunch at the Dell pub, which was nice, wander around St Mary's and see.
00:21:13
Zak
nu
00:21:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, yeah, I mean, it's it's literally only a couple more days of events at the stadium they've got until they, you know, dig up the the ground and start again with the grounds...
00:21:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
ground staff. It's just, it's crazy. But yeah, the pitch definitely has looked like it'd seen better days, which I had to wonder if that was, you know, a consequence of the poor season or maybe even part of it, right?
00:21:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like,
00:21:41
Zak
The grass itself has become sad.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, it really looked that way. There were real big brown patches, like, yeah.
00:21:49
Zak
Oh dear. But you know, it's onwards and upwards and before you know it, it will kick off again. but yeah, it's just it's kind of crazy how, how it feels like the time between not having football and football has, is getting shorter and shorter, right?
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:04
Zak
Like we're like, oh what are going to do? what We're going to talk about over the space of the the time off. And obviously we've had like a week and a bit or whatever. I think it might be potentially two weeks, three weeks. Who knows at this point we've been away for a while, but it's,
00:22:17
Zak
you come back and, as you said, two weeks away, we've got fixtures. And before you know it, we're going to be full so full sort of swing of the season. And we've just been stressed out talking about the games. If you're the athletes, you know, i don't know how much time they get realistically to sort of chill a bit. Like you look at PSG, they've gone from winning the Champions League, going on ah ah probably a boozy holiday for a week, come back, and all a sudden now you're back to the same level of intensity of competition.
00:22:43
Zak
Yeah, it's absolutely nuts. But, you know, at the end of the day, is I guess it's nothing but a good thing for people that actually want to consume that content. It's just that eventually you're going up with, you know, some of these players' lifespans or life cycles in football, I reckon, are going to be reduced significantly more than we think they are.
00:22:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:59
Zak
I doubt there's gonna be people playing to sort of 38, 39, 40 with the sort of rate of exercise they're having to do in their sort of, you know, you talk about Lamine Yamal, you know, IOT, what, 17, 18? And, you know, the absolute, you know, people are comparing his stats to Messi, but also you should be in the youth team.
00:23:15
Zak
He should be growing up a little bit, not being absolutely rinsed on a like a daily basis running 90 minutes.
00:23:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah physically hasty he's going to hit an absolute wall at some point. And yeah, yeah it's fascinating. i mean, you know, like I say, we're only what, I think actually, yeah, 10 days away from fixture release.
00:23:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're only pretty much exactly a month away from our first preseason friendly. So...
00:23:38
Zak
So are you going to go to the... Have you got tickets this year for Eastleigh, Southampton?
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
i didn't manage to get any, no. I don't know if they're completely gone yet, but...
00:23:45
Zak
That's a shame.
00:23:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know Yeah, I didn't go for it yet.
00:23:48
Zak
I like that that's now become a thing. I really, really do like that. I think it's good for both both clubs specifically.
00:23:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:23:54
Zak
Obviously, both of us being near or close to Eastleigh residence, apart from Matchday, where I live in an undisclosed
Anticipating the New Season
00:24:00
Zak
location.
00:24:02
Zak
yeah good um You know, it's nice...
00:24:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fly to a lovely villa in the south of France, I think.
00:24:06
Zak
Yeah, it's it's nice to see as long as to see the but sort of connections between the clubs together.
00:24:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:12
Zak
i think it's just I think it's just nice to finally move on from last season. And all of the problems aren't going to go away instantly. And we're definitely going to go through some turmoil, especially when the transfer window opens up again and everything starts to go a bit crazy.
00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:27
Zak
But again, again like I don't think any of us are under the illusions that it's going to be smooth sailing. but I don't think it's going to be as negative as I think people want it to be already.
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Aww.
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be an interesting summer, though, isn't Like...
00:24:52
Zak
Yeah.
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:57
Zak
Yeah, but like at least it was just Liverpool would take half our players. You already could predict it. With this with this season, we have no idea. We could have half our team going back to West Ham, Brentford, vice versa, everywhere else. go to be yeah It's going to be wild see. It would be interesting see where Karl Walker-Peters ends up.
00:25:13
Zak
Maybe he'll be back at Spurs. Looking at it, I think that's where realistically he'd love to be back. so but wish him very, very well. I wish Lumley well. Not that I really saw much of him and what we did see if it wasn't.
00:25:24
Zak
ideal. I wish Ivan Juric an absolutely terrible Champions League campaign. ah really really you know I can't understand his comments complaining about how he didn't get a full pre-season and he needed that to take over a club.
00:25:38
Zak
and If that's the case, why did you take over a club where you didn't have a pretty full pre-season?
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why do you take it on? Yeah.
00:25:42
Zak
But again, failing upwards. at I wish Russell Martin all the best considering he's not going to be a league rival. LAUGHTER or anywhere near the Premier League until inevitably he gets some sort of Brentford, Aston Villa-style job after winning a couple years for Rangers.
00:26:01
Zak
So, yeah, happy days.
00:26:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Look, what's not to look forward to this season, right? We've got we we got We're in the best league in the world. We've got the South Coast Derby back.
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to talk about that for sure coming up.
00:26:15
Zak
Oh, 100%.
00:26:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got some other fantastic games and away days. You know, we've got Hollywood Wrexham to play. We've got Nathan Jones' Charlton to play.
00:26:26
Zak
Nathan Jones Derby. it's gonna be fun, mate. Buzzing for it It's gonna be good stuff.
00:26:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, look. I can't wait. I can't wait for the transfers to get back into it. I'm just so excited to be back talking to you every day about Saints.
00:26:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got so much to cover. When I tell you I've written a spreadsheet with episodes that we have got planned coming up, it's not an understatement.
00:26:46
Zak
you
00:26:52
Zak
He's shown me, it's just true.
00:26:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:26:56
Zak
well While he couldn't text me non-stop about football when I was away in the mountains of Norway, he just wrote it all down instead.
00:27:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I had to channel it somewhere. Yeah. ah So we've got weeks upon weeks of content coming your way. We're going to be previewing the season.
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to be having some fun, looking back on some stuff. We'll be reacting to the fixture list when it comes out. We're going be talking about what fixtures we're most looking forward to.
00:27:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
or just, I'm excited. It's great to be back. Season two, here we come.
00:27:33
Zak
Great.
00:27:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Season in the best league in the world. I can't wait. And we're going win it. It's going to mad. Right.
00:27:42
Zak
yeah It's open, mate. It's open. It's
00:27:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is all we've got time for today. We will be back tomorrow. Thank you for joining us. We hope you've enjoyed your break. But it's it full steam ahead into the championship from now.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's go. Thanks, everyone.
00:27:59
Zak
open.
00:28:10
Zak
And he dropped the button.