Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 345: Matchday Review: Points dropped at home?
46 Plays3 days ago
Southampton –What a game, against the leaders! Points dropped? A point gained? Worth the scrap? lots to talk about today!
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/gspndailysouthampton
X - https://x.com/GSPNSouthampton/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@gspnsouthampton
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@gspnsouthampton
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/gspnsouthampton
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
00:00:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the
Introduction and Match Overview
00:00:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always today joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
How you doing mate, you alright?
00:00:41
Zak
We ended up with the draw. So it's not like the end of the world. I think it's just the manner in which it happened. The fact that Frank Lampard's a bit of a wetty.
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
one
00:00:51
Zak
so
00:00:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
A bit, yeah. I mean... yeah
00:00:55
Zak
It's... but
00:00:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, look, straight out of the gate, right? I personally have been
Lineup Choices and Injuries
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the stadium when Frank Lampard has been called worse in previous years and never seen him rise to it like that.
00:01:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, I mean, to celebrate like that...
00:01:15
Zak
but
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
after a draw with every piece of time-wasting and dark arts in the book. I mean...
00:01:22
Zak
not only that, like, it's it's the way that they celebrated the draw, as if, like, it's not like they went down to 10 men due to injury and they used all their subs, right?
00:01:32
Zak
They went down to 10 men because one of their players made one of the stupidest decisions in football I've ever seen, which is to absolutely go flying in and get just sent off straight away.
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:01:44
Zak
Then, to have Coventry fans boo Wellington, a guy whose crime was being absolutely wiped out. LAUGHTER as if he was some sort of villain, because like, don't even think he protested it.
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:56
Zak
I think the red card came out before he even stood back up. So, you know, it's not like he went down.
00:02:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:01
Zak
i can understand
Tactical Analysis and Performances
00:02:03
Zak
to a, to a small extent, Greg, I can understand when players get annoyed that Sienza goes down and pundits will say he goes down easy. I don't think that's true.
00:02:12
Zak
I just think he gets brought down because a lot of defenders don't know how to deal with him. Right. And that's just what I can see with my eyes.
00:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's just... He's deceptively quick. So, like, he he is...
00:02:21
Zak
yeah
00:02:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
He shifts the ball in a position where any defender thinks they can get it, but then in the blink of an eye, it's gone. So, subsequently, he just gets kicked time and time again. And now, sure, sometimes he'll go down a bit easy, but also, most of the time, three times yesterday, i saw him just stand up and keep running with the ball.
00:02:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:02:44
Zak
Yeah, so this is the thing.
00:02:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
egypt
00:02:45
Zak
like i can so I can understand. But when you just like completely wipe out a player, studs up, and they get sent off, I don't really understand what you could complain about.
00:02:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:55
Zak
Now, obviously, you know, in the stadium, it's a bit of different. You don't see it. as easy. You maybe think that it's a whole lot of nothing, but also like you don't see straight reds given nowadays for unless there's proper infractions, right?
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:09
Zak
That's where I'm at. So it was frustrating, but we should take it back to the start, Greg, and talk about the team sheet that we both didn't predict, which was slightly surprising.
00:03:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:18
Zak
so So yeah, how did you how did you feel about Wellington being a right back who is our left back? That that was weird, right, to start with?
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
o cream I think my exact words to you, Zach, were that it was bold.
00:03:27
Zak
Maybe?
00:03:35
Zak
Yes, that was...
00:03:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that it's...
00:03:36
Zak
That was... That was... That was in words. Like, we didn't even really get to discuss the fact that Stevens was out, but...
00:03:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that... Yeah, I think that it's one of those decisions where if it works and pays off, it's a Will Steele decision, right?
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It either looks like genius or crazy. But, I mean, it was very clear that Fellows wasn't as fit as we were hoping he would be.
00:04:03
Zak
Yeah, it's not as it's not as fit as we were told either. That was very much sort of the build-up was, he's fighting back now 100%, and that clearly is tactical.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's...
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I kind of get that. Yeah, that's tactical, right? like You want them to prepare for Tom Fellows, and then if they don't have to deal with it, that is what it is. but But that was evident when that tackle was made on Wellington, when when preparations were made in case Wellington had to come off because he was injured, it was Robinson that was sent to warm up and not not Fellows, because that would have too early to bring Fellows on.
00:04:32
Zak
Mm.
00:04:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because clearly he was didn't have, you know, 40, 35 minutes in him, which is, you know, a bit upsetting, to be honest, because we could have done with him at full fitness, but kind of is what it is.
00:04:48
Zak
I mean, arguably, he did end up with 45 minutes of the amount of added time. But it's again, all of that comes off the back of...
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:54
Zak
But it's interesting that as as much as we lament the fact that it was a draw, we we were well on to potentially...
00:04:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:04:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:05:00
Zak
We could could have easily lost that game, especially if it carried on like the first half, right?
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:05:04
Zak
Especially where we went 1-0 down just before the end. Like, I wouldn't have put it past and beaten us 2-0, 2-1 at that point. However, you
Upcoming Matches and Optimism
00:05:11
Zak
know, the fact that that Wellington was the one on the field and he was the one that was taken out is what essentially resulted in us getting a point.
00:05:17
Zak
And I know that it feels like two points dropped, but in my opinion, it's still a point earned considering.
00:05:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm in the same boat. And I mean, to credit to Wellington, he did as good of a job at right back as you could possibly expect a left back to do.
00:05:28
Zak
Yeah.
00:05:31
Zak
Yeah, I didn't expect it to do worse, to be honest.
00:05:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
i don't see I don't think you can judge him negatively on on it. I think he was he was fine. Obviously, he wasn't going to excel in that position because it's not the position he plays. But but you know he did a reasonably good job covering and he was sort of aggressive in the right spots. In the same mannerisms as Manning, where he does have a tendency to...
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
turn around and pass the ball backwards too easily, which is not something that Fellows does because he's either passing it forward or running it forward. And that's sort of the big difference. But yeah, I mean, he did he did fine.
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And to touch on your point about point points dropped or points gained, before the game I'd have taken a point.
00:06:16
Zak
Yeah.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
At halftime, I'd have taken a point. And sure, there was a red card that changed it up, but it wasn't it wasn't because we didn't go for the win.
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I don't know if you noticed that we put Baz up for corners when there were still five minutes on the clock.
00:06:35
Zak
Yes, and and it was slightly interesting to see the second tier podcast make a point of the fact that we technically had like...
00:06:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tell us
00:06:41
Zak
Well, they said that we had like five defenders on at that point. I'm like, I don't i don't and think I've ever the fuck counted fellows as a defender. So don't know if that's necessarily true.
00:06:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's not a defender. Yeah.
00:06:50
Zak
But I'm not really a defender.
00:06:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Manning is also not a defender.
00:06:54
Zak
So I can kind of understand where they're at, but also...
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
that said That said, the person left furthest back from the corner was Tom Fellows. So, don't know, maybe maybe you can count him as a defender in that instant.
00:07:05
Zak
yeah Yeah, but they maybe that's because at that point, yeah, because he's not fit enough to be able to do it.
00:07:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's purely got to be a pace decision, right? There's nothing else to it. Yeah.
00:07:13
Zak
That's like he's already...
00:07:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he'll have the pace to chase them down and he'll take the yellow or red card from from taking the hit if that's the chance on the break, right? Like, fine. Yeah.
00:07:23
Zak
exactly that. The only other thing I would say, Kosh played well. He did good. He had a couple of wobbly moments at the beginning, but towards the end of the game, he was very... I think i think like his his physical qualities are coming into the foray now, right?
00:07:38
Zak
we we we We're past the sort of hang on this Bundesliga, two defenders being shoved in in a prime championship team.
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:44
Zak
This is difficult like it was early season. and And now he seems to sort of be able to slot in and out when they need him to, which is perfect that we've actually got a plethora of defenders to choose from.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:54
Zak
So, yeah, just you know he was the only one that we didn't really expect, but we put a question mark on.
00:07:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I,
00:07:58
Zak
More so, we expected Stephens.
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, I,
00:08:00
Zak
I'm not going
00:08:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah, I mean, I genuinely feel like he stepped into the role and did a better job than I think Stevens would have, which is kind of crazy. But his composure on the ball has come on leaps and bounds.
00:08:11
Zak
lie. Mm-hmm.
00:08:17
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:08:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And something extra that he brings to the game, which which in itself might be a consideration when we sort of think about the bigger picture, is, my God, can that boy launch a throw?
00:08:30
Zak
but yeah we finally have We finally have our long-throw specialist, right? But yeah.
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
everything's cut it's coming back into fashion, right? Because Coventry had a a long throw, as like a crazy long throw as well. So it's it's interesting to see the sort of cycles of football back from like the Rory DeLapp days.
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
that Springs to mind of Boaz Myhill kicking the ball out for a quarter instead of a throw in. But like, yeah, it's, I mean, it's something else that he brings as an offering, which is is nice, but
00:08:55
Zak
Oh, dear.
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, hes he stepped up and stepped in. I don't know, like you say, whether it was a tactical decision based off his physical presence to sort of oust Stevens or if Stevens needed a rest because he's old in footballer terms now, with er a you know, an ancient, what, 32?
00:09:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like, yeah.
00:09:23
Zak
He's not goalkeeper mate, he's only got five out of years left.
00:09:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:26
Zak
It's just like us thinking Romelu's like in his 50s and he's only like 34.
00:09:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. to the craziness of football and the the way it goes. But yeah, I mean, look, he stepped up and it it proved to be a solid choice. Like I say, for me, it's a genuine flip of the coin, him or Stephens.
00:09:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they're both perfectly as capable and I'm sure that there are other qualities that you don't see that might separate them. and I know that Stephens is a lot more on the pitch.
00:09:52
Zak
Oh, yeah. Also, Captain.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:09:54
Zak
Like, one of them's our captain, one of them isn't.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but
00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
But if you know it's nice that we're in this position, right? I think I said it to you as well before the game. of It's nice that actually any of those five centre-backs could have gone in in any order.
00:09:58
Zak
Yeah.
00:10:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I don't really think I'd have had a concern about it. I think that it's fine, which which when you look back, it's nice, isn't
00:10:13
Zak
Just wish any of...
Key Player Performances
00:10:17
Zak
any of the three who were playing, I just wish stood in front of that ball when they headed it in. That that was probably my only only bit of criticism for them.
00:10:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:26
Zak
The rest of the game, they play pretty well. But, you know...
00:10:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the the shame, right? And that's the the small parts of football is because that was really defensively the only time we even remotely switched off for the entire game. And in just like a split second of a lack of concentration and that was it.
00:10:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was 1-0 down.
00:10:45
Zak
Well, yeah, but that was a very good chance that that could have happened again we not then spent a solid half just kicking the ball at them.
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:10:52
Zak
And I think part the problem with first half, which me and you, already kind of discussed, right, is we ended up... It was just very frantic. Every ball was being released early.
00:11:06
Zak
Like, armours, whatever... don't know if you can really call it strike, right? It went so far wide. But like a couple of the times, a couple of the... a couple Whenever we kind of got away and we... we we got a breakaway.
00:11:18
Zak
Everything was just sort of like a frantic, oh, we need to take this chance right now. So we need to kick the ball right now, right now, right now, right now. And then it was kind of like, okay, it's flying over the bar.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:26
Zak
And, you know, we could have maybe put the game, we could have at least...
00:11:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Leo tripping over his own feet as well, right?
00:11:31
Zak
Yeah, but again, it's just that it's the desperation to score.
00:11:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:11:33
Zak
And then it was the complete opposite of the problem we had on like the second half, where it was exactly like...
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:11:39
Zak
And and the sad reality of it is, Greg, you turn around and it was like, I really hope that Nathan Jones quote about it not being harder against 10 men don't come back to bite us.
00:11:49
Zak
And I feel like a lot of people will probably feel that was the case. Again, like, there's dark arts involved, but then there was nine minutes of added time.
00:11:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh,
00:11:56
Zak
But I said to you, I didn't feel like we were knocking on the door a lot, but i didn't feel like there was a goal coming in the last sort of 30 minutes. And that partly is due to...
00:12:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did. i felt like it was coming. it was building. It was building. I really was surprised that it didn't.
00:12:08
Zak
This is where we disagree. yeah You say that, but like every sort of time it was like, oh, and it's almost clear.
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:15
Zak
Oh, and it was almost clear. And I think I was kind of surprised by the substitutions. i don't know how you felt about both of them, right? I kind of felt like... specifically Archer for Yander was a bit of a weird one for me.
00:12:28
Zak
Like Fellows for Wellington made sense. That was probably always going to be a face that Fellows wanted to play. They wanted to get his pace into the game.
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:34
Zak
They wanted to get his delivery into the game. Sure. Wellington was already playing in a you know, unfamiliar bit. and And basically he'd done his job at that point, right? Like he had he had guaranteed the game to be a draw at that point, essentially, especially after, you know,
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. right Or arguably he had survived long enough in the game that we could get our preferred player on for the rest of the game, and that was his job, right?
00:12:58
Zak
This is also true.
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He survived that long out of position without doing anything wildly stupid and contributing in a positive fashion to to it, right? Which is all you can ask for someone playing not in their position, right?
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is...
00:13:11
Zak
exactly Well, that's the thing.
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I've got got thoughts on the substitutions, mate, and I will share them in detail.
00:13:16
Zak
It's
00:13:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
but first, let's have a little break and hear from our partners at Bionique.
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, wait, and we are back. Right, the substitutions. Okay. So, yeah, like you say, Fellows for Wellington, it was, like, scripted, right? was always going to... Yeah.
00:14:10
Zak
Yeah, that that made sense.
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
right
00:14:11
Zak
If anything, we'd expect of it to have happened earlier, right?
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah And then Archer for Yander. Now, on the on the face of it and on paper, that that might seem like a slightly strange substitution. But when you look in the... It's probably the sort of thing you don't really see on TV. But looking at the pitch, and where I was, you could see that commentary was still leaving their striker up the pitch. He did not have defensive responsibilities. And he was their out plan. But it was just him.
00:14:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And beyond that, the middle of the field, the midfield area had been where they sacrificed their play to drop back into defense, having lost a player.
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they were skimp in the midfield area, I would say.
00:14:56
Zak
Yeah, because they subbed off and went into a back five, right?
00:15:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and so with that in mind, losing a midfielder for a striker kind of makes sense, right? You want to push forward. And sure, there's an argument for maybe, you know, with that many attacking players on the field, they might kind of get in each other's way. But I can see the intent of...
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
the the you know Flynn is more than capable of controlling the midfield as it stands on his own without another midfielder. So let's bring on a striker in a position to you know make that impact and make the change and score a goal.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know, honestly, did Cameron Archer actually have a touch?
00:15:40
Zak
Controversially though, Greg, I think that Yander probably would have had more of a chance at shooting and scoring a goal than Archer. And that's that's why I'm surprised by it.
00:15:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but...
00:15:49
Zak
because like Or maybe maybe taking off Yander instead of maybe Flynn was also a bit of a surprise for me. Because, like, Yander's been far and more of an attacking outlet.
00:16:00
Zak
And I kind of just, I guess that's what, it's more that the personnel change. And, like, after that, you didn't really have, you know, you're right.
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:07
Zak
Okay, Archer may have not really got the ball, but that's kind of like...
00:16:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you don't know the fitness levels.
00:16:12
Zak
oh
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't know if they're... I couldn't really see if, but maybe he was starting to be a bit leggy. mean, there are any sort of number of reasons like that it would be him over Flynn.
00:16:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But actually, I just think generally because Flynn is naturally slightly more defensive of the two. if you're going to leave one on in lieu of another midfielder, I guess it it it kind of makes sense for it to be him, but...
00:16:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's it didn't have the impact that we were hoping for, right? And i mean, it's it's unusual, to be honest, to only see two changes, right?
00:16:46
Zak
No.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even pushing for the game.
00:16:50
Zak
Yeah, that was that was one of the one and the more, but I think that that shows you the desire to try and get it over the line, right? And that we had enough added time as well to easily get over the line if we were
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:02
Zak
We just didn't. We fall back into that little trap as well of like the the whole hashtag trust the process where it's like, it was kind of not frantic until right at the end where you had like Baz being set up for the last kick of the game.
00:17:16
Zak
And everything
Young Talent and Goalkeeping Critique
00:17:16
Zak
just took so, it just everything took so long in my opinion.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it was kind of frantic. like there There was some backwards and sideways involved, but none of it was like for the sake of it particularly. like They were trying to progress it. They just needed to reset and find the space. It felt...
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
it definitely felt, or at least from my sort of vantage point, it felt more with more intent than we'd seen definitely under, sort of under Will Steel, but definitely under Russell Martin when it was just like possession for the sake of it.
00:17:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, like I could see the, I could see the intent.
00:17:48
Zak
No, I agree with that.
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I could see the movement, you know, it wasn't through lack of movement. It was just, oh, we've gone up this side, we've hit a dead end. We need to roll it back and find that quick switch out. And then, and you know, It's just, yeah, I mean...
00:18:05
Zak
Do you think it was a surprise? Because as we said, from like the first half, we we we felt we both felt how everything was a bit frantic, right? is it and then And then the second half, it's almost like they weren't expecting to suddenly have an entire half of just dominating the other team.
00:18:20
Zak
Because obviously they were down to 10 men.
00:18:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah, I mean, i think...
00:18:22
Zak
And so then then we all of a sudden ended up in that problem that we have where if we don't play a team that also comes at us, we end up stuck trying to break down a defensive side, which we still we still haven't quite...
00:18:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm, struggled to break it down.
00:18:33
Zak
like maybe mastered the art of yet.
00:18:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah, I mean, you hear from the players that Tonda's so detail-oriented, right? But, you you know, no level of detail orientation is going to prepare you for a sudden red card and the way that's going to change the game. And so I'm sure it wasn't necessarily quite what they were prepared for. I mean, we can talk about the fact that I definitely think for some of that first half,
00:19:07
Zak
yeah
00:19:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you're right, I don't know if we would have quite have been prepared to be as dominant as we were, but also, you know, it was a very defensively organised Coventry team, sitting back with no intent of really playing it forward, and I mean...
00:19:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
but without wanting to point fingers, obviously Leo Sienza is the creative spark of the team generally. like Whenever he picks up the ball, you get the feeling that something is going to happen.
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he was good at initiating those moves and getting past players and getting into spaces.
00:19:51
Zak
You're saying he should have passed, aren't you, Greg?
00:19:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But But all of his shots were really bad. like and and you know Look, I love Leo. like Honestly, probably one of my favourite players on the team at the moment. But his shots were not good at all.
00:20:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, there were two in the first half that went over the bar. One where he tripped over his own feet. And then all of the other ones were pretty much directly at the goalkeeper. And, and you know, to be fair, to credit to to him, it's not like he shot every time. There were passes.
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just unfortunate that none of those passes really landed in a position for anyone to actually get a decent shot off. I think the closest we got was Manning, who just absolutely leathered one with pure frustration, you could only imagine, that forced an incredible save.
00:20:41
Zak
Yeah.
00:20:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, yeah, I mean...
00:20:45
Zak
You understand it, right? Because if if he's been in...
00:20:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
so we've had so many of these draws since we've been doing this podcast where the frustration is I wish we just kicked the ball at the goal and and this isn't that right like it's frustrating that we weren't able to get it in the goal but also we had 23 shots
00:21:00
Zak
not for lack of trying...
00:21:05
Zak
Well, we also did manage to get it in the goal at least once, because let's not remember that when this started and that red card happened, we were 1-0 down. And it took it took Nathan Wood's first goal for the club to be, you know, and I think that's a nice little bit of redemption for him, considering that a lot of people's prevailing memory of him most recently at Samary's is, you know, going to be when he put two fingers up to the entire crowd, which a admittedly feels like a lifetime ago at this point.
00:21:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:29
Zak
And he has been...
00:21:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:30
Zak
completely solidly since then came back into the side did his little apology and yeah i think that must have been a fantastic moment for him and a fantastic moment for us because you know we're we're taking it like oh i can't believe it was just a draw we should have won well least we managed to score one if we hadn't scored at all which was perfectly as the rest of that half showed that could have actually been what happened like you know
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
perfectly feasible yeah you're right and you you have to add in the additional context right because also that that that's the leaders of the league right and they're not that because they don't know how to defend so it's in you know is it right to be frustrated that you know against 10 men we probably should have put two away and one yes that's probably fair
00:22:02
Zak
Yeah, exactly.
00:22:12
Zak
Mm-hmm. huh
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it the the absolute end of the world? No, definitely not. you know At least we got something from it. And like you say, going into the game without all of the other bits, we'd have happily taken a point. And I think I am happy with it. And and even because, you know, I think some people will feel like it's points dropped with that second half being pretty much the entire thing against 10 men. But...
00:22:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like I say, you know the it's not like it was a, oh, we gave up and passed it around the back at 1-0. We shot the ball as best we could. It's just unfortunate in this instance it didn't go in.
00:22:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
But on another day, Baz scores a header from the corner and we're on the pitch, right? like that's just That's just the way it plays out.
00:22:55
Zak
Yeah, well, not only that, as as the point as I made me was like, wood scoring and us getting back to 1-1 is what gained us a point.
00:23:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:23:03
Zak
We were losing at that point.
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:05
Zak
it wasn't It wasn't guaranteed.
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:07
Zak
Like, we have been in positions before where it's not guaranteed that just because a player is set off, we are suddenly able to score again.
00:23:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:14
Zak
And yeah, okay, with all the attacking we should have had, you know, we could have been able to.
00:23:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:23:20
Zak
okay, Armstrong misfired a bit, Leo misfired a bit, Azaz misfired a bit, like, is what it is. Like, as long as it's not permanent, I'm not really too bothered. And we have a perfect opportunity to to kind of show the attacking intent up against Oxford coming up soon.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:35
Zak
So, yeah, not the end of the world.
00:23:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's it, right? And like, that's, this was, this was always the toughest game in this run of games and we've come out of it with a point and that's the important thing.
00:23:37
Zak
Hmm.
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's now five unbeaten at home, which is nuts.
00:23:49
Zak
Yeah, you'd be more sort of more surprised we got a point out of this and i lost to Norwich than anything else.
00:23:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But,
00:23:55
Zak
If it would like if we drew to Norwich, I probably would have been annoyed about it. I just can't bring myself to be annoyed that we drew the current league leaders.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:24:04
Zak
And I can't bring myself to be as upset and annoyed as everybody else is about the afters and Frank Lampard in that lot, because quite frankly, I don't care.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, let's get onto it and have a nice detailed chat about the afters, mate, in in what some of the people around me described as the most entertaining part of the afternoon.
00:24:14
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
left But let's get to that. But first, let's have a little break and hear from our partners at Zencaster. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network,
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
We spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. And Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:24:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. And we are back. So, yeah, let's... Let's get into the afters. Now, right. Frank Lampard, giving it large after a one-all draw and some of the most offensive time-wasting I've ever seen in all of football is...
00:25:17
Zak
Oh.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean... i mean, look. he What do you expect from Harry Redknapp's nephew is all on that. Like...
00:25:26
Zak
Look, OK, the only defence I'll give is flip the script, right?
00:25:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:25:29
Zak
We're top of the leaderboard and Tonda Rekker gives it to a bunch of fans after like we beat, don't know, name another team that's on a good run, right?
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:40
Zak
If if after that Norwich game, Tonda Rekker had given it a bit of, you know, if we managed to draw off the back of that, right, what would our response be?
00:25:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:47
Zak
Probably similar to what Coventry fans are.
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, mate, he's
Controversial Decisions and Missed Opportunities
00:25:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
here's the the funny thing about all of it, right? And perhaps it's just because I am maybe not very good person, but I am i am fine with him giving a bit of stick to same... Saints fans, in the same way that I am equally as fine with how fired up the Saints fans got and gave it back to him at that moment. I'm also perfectly fine with Leo Cienza going over and having a quiet word, and then someone went over and shoved Wellington, and then it turns out I'm also absolutely fine with the brawl that took place, because
00:26:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Honestly, after some of the effort so some of the performances and the head loss we saw last season, it's just nice to see players willing to fight for it, you know?
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:37
Zak
so so What you mean is you're happy to see they care, right?
00:26:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:41
Zak
and And as much as that all off the TV commentary will be, don't like to see that.
00:26:45
Zak
No one likes to see this after game.
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
nobody likes to see this in football.
00:26:47
Zak
Nobody.
00:26:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And actually, aren't they going great? I mean, look, long to I feel like if you go back and watch our episodes, and you know i think I've mentioned previously in ways to improve football, I'm pretty sure we've thrown around the idea of one ice hockey-style fight being allowed.
00:26:54
Zak
But,
00:27:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I'm just saying, yeah.
00:27:09
Zak
Oh, between that tweet between us and the NFL and everything else.
00:27:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:13
Zak
Yeah, that you're right. how does it feel How does it feel that you've picked sports teams where both sports teams this weekend, Greg, in separate sports, separate parts of the world, would have started a mass brawl during their game?
00:27:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just saying, like, it it's it's good entertainment, and I love it, and I'm there for it.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:28
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I feel like that that is much more in one of those teams' image than the other. don't
00:27:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
know if it's
00:27:37
Zak
to To be clear to the listeners that haven't paid attention to the 300 and something episodes of Law, Greg is also an Eagles fan in the NFL.
00:27:46
Zak
So you're right, that is far more their forte than Southampton's.
00:27:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:52
Zak
But, uh...
00:27:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
i like to I'm sure that there'll be the FL come out and slap him on the wrist. But look, does does it make Frank Lampard potentially a bit wet for coming out and reacting like that?
00:28:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, probably. does Does it really matter? No, I think it's great. I i love it.
00:28:13
Zak
is it Is it going to be forgotten about by next week? Yeah.
00:28:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:16
Zak
Yeah.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, if if any... Honestly, I mean, I i am such a strong advocate of the away team just fully embracing being the bad guys. body I long for one of the halftime substitutes warming up from the away team to two foot one of the kids in the halftime relay one time because it will be peak entertainment.
00:28:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it's... It's like...
00:28:41
Zak
Greg, need to also remember, you need to calm down and pull yourself back a little bit here, where your background is maybe an ex-wrestler and really enjoying the heel turn and and and lovely and loving kayfabe, which isn't something I ever thought I'd bring up on our football podcast.
00:28:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's great.
00:28:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look look, if you want to...
00:28:59
Zak
maybe Maybe you buy into it a little bit too much, and what you actually forget is that, you know, it is what is.
00:29:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love it. it's all loose it's It's all about entertainment. and you know Everyone loves to see it, really. and No one really got hurt in it. and It was like a few handbags. and it It is what it is. but But also, I have to say that at least in in my exposure to social media after the game, I think that it the afters in itself has taken a lot of the sting out of the disappointment that may have come from the result.
00:29:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:29:38
Zak
Yeah, that's a very fair point.
00:29:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And look, not I'm not saying that it should be a disappointment. Like I say, a draw against the league leaders, regardless of the situations and the the sort of thing, is is a result to be happy with, frankly.
00:29:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, we should go into the rest of the Christmas period with that. And and honestly, the fact that Frank Lampard is as willing to celebrate and give that stick and you know Coventry celebrated that win like it was or that draw like it was the win that got them the title should be taken as a compliment to the quality that our team has to bring that out from them.
00:30:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because for them to feel that way shows that they you know are perhaps surprised that they managed to hold on against us. So...
00:30:23
Zak
Yeah, yeah exactly exactly that. Like the fact that they celebrated it and we're like, can't believe celebrating this sockets like they've won the season. like, well, it's nice though, isn't it? Like, it's nice that that's what they, that's what kind little old Southampton has meant to them.
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:38
Zak
as despite you know and Yeah, sure, it's just another notch in their belt to retain, you know to to win the title. and The only thing I can say is good luck to them for the rest of the season, apart from when we next play them.
00:30:49
Zak
And I'm sure if promotion comes comes you know comes to fruition, which it looks like it's going they have the wonderful joys of what going up to the Premier League you know works out for them.
00:31:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
that I don't know, mate.
00:31:00
Zak
Because, you know...
00:31:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got a different opinion to you on that.
00:31:00
Zak
it's
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
i hope they lose every game the rest of the season and they fully deserve it. But that's just part of it.
00:31:06
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:31:09
Zak
Look, right?
00:31:09
Zak
You can't see that in this world. We need to be nice to him.
00:31:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, I'll stand by it.
00:31:15
Zak
you Well, think we ain't going get any different opinions off the back of that now, are we? So...
00:31:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Also, i've got to say, is it really any surprise to anyone that the first players on the scene, whether deliberately or not, to be involved in a bust-up were Wellington
00:31:36
Zak
Yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah no I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying. I understand what you're putting down.
00:31:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Swiftly joined by Nathan Wood. like It's just fully the characters we're expecting, and I'm fully here for it, but...
00:31:42
Zak
a
00:31:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, that's a story for another day.
00:31:47
Zak
Look, we hashtag we march on, right?
00:31:51
Zak
That might be cringy way to end this podcast, but at the same time, we're pretty cringy people. so
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I take it. Absolutely.
00:31:57
Zak
yeah
00:32:05
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:32:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know the comments or on the socials, how are you feeling about the draw? Positive? Negative? Right in the middle? Did you just enjoy the fight more than the game?
00:32:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know. we're We're happy and open to all opinions and we love hearing from you. We are GSPN Southampton on all of the socials, on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Blue Sky, everywhere. Look us up, hit us up.
00:32:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will be back tomorrow to cover the rest of the weekend's championship goodness, because there was plenty of it. Until then, though, have a wonderful day, everyone, and we'll see you then.
00:32:39
Zak
Yeah.