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Episdoe 245: Match Review: DRAW! Against Brighton!
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Southampton - There is a lot to take away from what turned out to be 2 friendlies against Brighton! We talk about who was there, what impacts they had... and who was missing?
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Transcript
00:00:09
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 today by my good friend and wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Pinch.
00:00:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing, mate? You alright?
00:00:21
Zak
Yeah, so it's been a busy weekend. haven't put to I got to watch the second half of the football yesterday, which was good. But the first half I was indisposed. was actually in and about Southampton, down Wollstone.
00:00:34
Zak
went for a walk around Western Shore with my wife. um But was just kind of like, hey...
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lucky you, mate. That was the better way around to do it.
00:00:39
Zak
it But it was.
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... Yeah.
00:00:42
Zak
that's That's the problem, is that yeah I started watching, and was like, don't know how I feel about this. And then obviously you saw like a goal from them, and then all of a sudden we scored twice. That was nice. but But yeah, I feel like I definitely got the latter half on stick, and I went through the stats, and you were there and chatted to you about it.
00:00:58
Zak
um But a match happened. it was ah it was It wasn't, remember, it pre-season.
00:01:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:04
Zak
You always have to caveat that. It was against Premier League opposition. ah we drew.
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
We got a draw.
00:01:08
Zak
Drew. drew Especially after going 2-0 down, after calling of the after being 2-0 down, the fact that we came back and drew, it's like you know it it shows we've got character.
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
How many times last year did we call out for that?
00:01:22
Zak
um The problem is is there seems to be like two sides of the fence now, as to but the season is doomed and we're going left-up finish 10th, that's the worst thing ever, especially looking at the sort of the transfer activity.
00:01:33
Zak
And there's the side of, like well, Rob Martin didn't really start off well, you know, and looking at his Rangers, turns out kind of similar, similar vibes going on in there, nothing to do with us. And, you know, still love the guy what he did, but yeah, it it just seems like there's either the fence of, well, everything's doomed, or the fence of, well, it's not that bad.
00:01:53
Zak
But there doesn't seem to be a fence, Greg, of where you usually sit, which is like, well, obviously we're still going to like completely dominate the league and win every game. And I think that's a good thing.
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, look, that where there were so many promising things to take from that friendly.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
There were there were areas of concern too, but like...
00:02:08
Zak
Yeah, but...
00:02:11
Zak
Yeah, don't get me wrong, but that's my point, is that, like, i wouldn't expect us to go into a friendly like that, like, beat Brighton 10-0 and everyone be like, we're with the league, because, again, you you completely blow expectations out of the water, and then sort of people talking about the line-ups and stuff, so do you just get, like, directly into the line-ups, or have you got anything else?
00:02:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, hey, let's just get straight into it.
00:02:32
Zak
Opening thoughts?
00:02:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
The rest will all come up naturally, I'm sure.
00:02:40
Zak
So, i okay, ah pretty much I pretty much called Goal, but bear in mind the weird thing, which which they announced, like, don't know, like an hour before the game started, right, was they already played the pre-season friendly game right in the morning.
00:02:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
God.
00:02:53
Zak
set
00:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:02:54
Zak
Which is good. of The problem is it's filled up the physio room because I... you know We've kind of low-key talked about that before. and like Again, I'm not talking about general fitness as human beings.
00:03:05
Zak
I'm talking about fitness of professional athletes that have to you put 90-minute stints two, sometimes three times a week.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:11
Zak
right I am very aware that I am not in a position to point out people sort your fitness out.
00:03:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:18
Zak
right like I only, you know off the back of being of wheezing for the last three years not really noticing, you know I've just found out i' horrifically asthmatic. and There's a bunch of other things that i do her that are really, really unhealthy.
00:03:29
Zak
um So I'm not the first person to call up that kind of stuff. But as we discussed before, when you are a professional athlete athlete and you you have to keep to that level of fitness, it is obviously sometimes decided by your coaching staff and how hard you're told to train, how it' hard you're trained.
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:43
Zak
But it is not gone unnoticed that we have had a lot of a lot more pre-season injuries and niggles than we probably should but because of the fact that we had to run.
00:03:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not really a surprise though, is it? Because we've struggled with fitness and injuries. We've been plagued with it since, I mean, even since our last d season in the championship, Downs was out for a period of time.
00:04:04
Zak
Yeah.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, it's crazy to me.
00:04:08
Zak
So, yeah, I don't want to come across like attacking those, but I think it's from like a conditioning standpoint, they've tried to get them into a point where, you know, is going to be better going forward.
00:04:18
Zak
But the problem with that is it's meant that it's, know, the first hurdle of that is that there are going to be people across the way that end up missing out.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah let's go through the injury list before we go through the lineups and establish how concerning it really is, right?
00:04:30
Zak
Sure.
00:04:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we've got Harwood Bellis, who's out our for at least two weeks.
00:04:35
Zak
Two weeks out.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Flynn Downs, who's still not been back in training with consistent...
00:04:41
Zak
It's supposedly going to start Saturday. It's Wrexham, which I highly doubt.
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. ah Burton Diaz with locked hips. Will Smallbones out with an arm in hand injury, which he suffered in Spain. ah Sammy Adozi and Charlie Taylor both suffered injuries during the training camp and have only been in limited training actions.
00:05:02
Zak
A dozie could be transfer, but what do we know?
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And ah Matty Fernandez is quote-unquote ill.
00:05:04
Zak
Carry on.
00:05:06
Zak
yeah
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:05:08
Zak
Look, Matsuki missed out on training camp.
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
played
00:05:11
Zak
and is I think he played the game in the morning, right?
00:05:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
he played the 60 minutes yet.
00:05:15
Zak
You said he was sat in your robe, so..................
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, yeah, Charlie Taylor, Matsuki, Harwood Bellis, and Will Smallbone were all sat four seats down from me. So, you know, that's how involved they were ever going to be.
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Instantly swarmed by a bunch of kids who immediately noticed them because what were they expecting?
00:05:38
Zak
because obviously they will.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:40
Zak
Well, yeah, where where do you think going to sit?
00:05:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:05:42
Zak
What do you think is going to happen?
00:05:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:44
Zak
but But yeah, know so that that is, that's a big list of points.
00:05:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... a list, isn't Yeah. ah Quasi, I mean, he he came off eventually, but he went down with an ankle a couple of times in the game.
00:05:57
Zak
Yeah, again, but it depends on how busy he was beforehand. Like I said, he was doing a lot of Bundesliga too, and the odds sort of here and there, but probably not worked as hard as recently.
00:06:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And, you know, there were a couple of other, like, knocks here and there in the game that looked like it was just... The injury list is just a lot this early on, and it's going to be a point of concern, I think.
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But look, the players that did manage to start the game, they did all right.
00:06:25
Zak
Yeah. Are you sure about that? Because the first 45 wasn't exactly...
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
It wasn't inspiring, but it wasn't awful either.
00:06:31
Zak
but I called four out of three.
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:35
Zak
I called four out three defence, by the way.
00:06:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:36
Zak
I knew Steven to start because he's captain home.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:38
Zak
I knew that i knew that a debut in would start in front of St Mary's, course. The only one I didn't call was Bree.
00:06:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:44
Zak
I think you said Bree should start over him. I think Wellington, when he came on, played better than Manning. So I think that yeah ah you're probably right there.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Sugawara looked lost for a little while when he came on. like He was repeatedly looking over to the bench for instructions on where he was supposed to be ah but eventually settled in, and when he did, boy, did he provide some danger on the wing.
00:07:02
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And really, that was, in the first half, what we struggled with the most, because we played this lineup that was really attacking, like you had Fraser in this sort of central number 10 position, and then the three forwards, Armstrong, Downs, and Archer, who were all sort of rotating in and out of positions where they were slightly wide, or wide, but or you know a bit narrower, or they'd play two through the middle and try and play off each other.
00:07:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what that led to was was good attacking chances, but just nothing in the wide areas, which is why when Sugawara came on, pressing forward, it's closer to a winger than a fullback, let's be honest. it
00:07:49
Zak
Yeah.
00:07:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
He got the ball into these positions that were dangerous. We got balls in. like we We had some crosses that were won in the air by our players. We had like a record number of corners, but compared to anything we had last season, like the ball was in the box.
00:08:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
We had shots. Zach, we had a set piece. We had a free kick where they did like a little rehearsed routine got shot.
00:08:13
Zak
That was my most exciting update from you. for you
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
LAUGHTER
00:08:17
Zak
I've never seen man so excited about the prospect of a free kick being taken and it not being absolutely terrible.
00:08:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Yeah, look, we had like a free kick that was in like that no-man's-land sort of area, and at any point in last season, that's getting passed backwards and sideways and ending back at Bozzunu's feet.
00:08:26
Zak
ah
00:08:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, we didn't. We passed it forward and then you know did a little bit of work and got a ball in. And yeah, k Quasi's header was about three miles wide, but he tried.
00:08:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
you don't You don't win if you don't kick the ball at the goal, and eventually they'll go closer to the goal. Like... There's so much promise. it's It's not polished and it's not there yet, but and it was enough to get me excited, Zach.
00:09:02
Zak
What a time to be a lot Alice, because she obviously misspelled alive. I mean, it missed by a lot, but the thought was there. That was her exact thoughts at the time.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Yeah.
00:09:10
Zak
of so so yeah, exactly. like The fact that that happened was was good. um Obviously, Charles was kind of expected start. ah let's Let's talk about some of the others. So, Fraser, a point of contention, the fan base, which is like kind of weird, because I thought we liked Ryan Fraser.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:25
Zak
I thought we liked Wee Man. I get that he probably wasn't good enough for Premier League. Maybe he'll be good enough for the championship again. It has been two years...
00:09:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
he seems to He seems to be this... He is willing, and in the friendly showed this, to run and run and run. He was all over the pitch.
00:09:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was absolutely everywhere. He was tracking back. He was getting forward. He was driving forward. He seems to be completely owning this role as this like attacking option in midfield that's willing to track back and do the work. and Great.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm there for it. That's exactly what we need. We need legs. We need running power. And, you know, he... he put himself about in an effective way and it was good. They didn't do him any favours by standing him in the team line-up next to Kwasi because that really, i mean, it made me laugh.
00:10:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But look, what can you say?
00:10:19
Zak
Oh, like three foot nine versus seven foot five. if You're right. That is that is not very fair.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
but but I'll tell you what, mate, he competed for balls in the air in midfield in aerial battles and won some of them. So might be damned.
00:10:32
Zak
So, yeah, it's potentially a lot of it is criticism of people that either didn't watch the game necessarily fully or alternatively have already made up their mind. And I think there are a lot of people that have made up their mind that he should go and think that we should need more exciting attacking options.
00:10:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:10:45
Zak
And the problem I've always got is that occasionally we've done this before, where we get like really excited and we get shot of a player that's a useful player and then we get a new player in and that new player doesn't... It was like Grombeck, right? Like everyone was like, oh, at least we bring in Summit in January. And it was like, we played once.
00:11:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah but ah look How many times last season did, or particularly me, I think that... um I think to paraphrase maybe my most used phrase at St. Mary's last season was something like, why don't you put a bit more effort in and try and tackle him?
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or words to that effect. but But look, the front the attacking four that we had, ah what they lacked in width is definitely ah like a concern, but boy, did they run at players and make it hard work and get there and like just putting pressure in the right places and pressing together. And it was it was like a world apart. It was like watching a completely different team.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like there were still mistakes and there were still points of concern. And it's not a fully finished, like we're going to absolutely romp this league with no like roller coasters for sure.
00:11:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
But there's enough there, right? to the The promise is there.
00:12:03
Zak
Exactly. Right. So we've definitely gone over. um so So how about a word from our partners at BioLeague and then we'll talk about the rest of the lineup.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sounds good.
00:12:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So yeah, after all of that, Zach, I don't think we actually got all the way through the lineup. But like you say, front four, Charles and a slightly surprising appearance from Cissé in midfield.
00:13:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he held his own. And I guess with the um with the earlier friendly taking up minutes, I guess that makes sense, right?
00:13:15
Zak
Yeah, but but also it's just nice to see some of the academy lads, like, you know, kind of threw into the first team and maybe we've actually got some solid backup options. it for through our own academy, that thing that we keep talking about, what we want to, you know, check, like sort of ah pin into it. It might simply be that the reason that, you know, we've tapped into a lot of the academy lads is because of, you know, the knackered. Some of them played a game this morning.
00:13:40
Zak
You're trying to get everybody minutes. You're trying to get sort of everybody a bit more exposure. It's the best time to do it. It might not be how it works out in the championship. um But if it wasn't for that, he wouldn't have breakthrough prospects like Tyler did bloom.
00:13:54
Zak
But, more excitingly this season, somebody I do want to talk about, he wasn't in the starting line-up, right? He did come on to make an instant impact. It's...
00:14:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Instantly, yeah.
00:14:03
Zak
london
00:14:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. so First goal at St Mary's for Jay Robinson.
00:14:07
Zak
and
00:14:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Was a handful as soon as he came on the pitch. um And just... gave offered something a bit different up front, right?
00:14:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like the others were all wanting to run in behind and get on the ball and press and get that that way, which was fine.
00:14:20
Zak
Yeah.
00:14:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
He was willing to sort of drop a little bit deeper, pick the ball up and take a couple of players on. And it caused them trouble basically the entirety the game after he came on. And he's just slotting into that.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tyler Diblin roll beautifully to be our sort of breakout youth prospect this season. it was It was good see. And yeah, good, lovely goal. ah You know, was, I think, involved in the winning of the penalty.
00:14:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think he was the one that, I don't know if it was a handball or a foul. I've watched the highlights back three times and I still can't work out what it was given for. But...
00:15:03
Zak
Yeah, i was I was confused because initially I thought that if I remember rightly, I of course, he's like a red card wouldn't waiting to happen, right?
00:15:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:11
Zak
That's what I saw.
00:15:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:12
Zak
i just Because he gives he gives, we talked about, he gives Van Dyke energy. yeah like I know that that's who he who he has as his hero, and that's great.
00:15:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:21
Zak
But like also, I'm like, please don't be one of your first contributions to our club that you get red carded because you accidentally knocked somebody out. like I don't want another Gillette car moment.
00:15:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's He's pacey.
00:15:32
Zak
yeah
00:15:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
e but like the only i ah I wish I knew in ah enough about Brighton players to know who their number 11 was yesterday, but that boy could run.
00:15:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
and the only player getting anywhere near to him was Kwasi. And to be honest, he you know he was still left in the dust by him, but his pace, keeping up, and his recovery runs with every other player were impressive and good.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who really impressed me, talking of impacts off the bench, was Ronnie Edwards.
00:16:02
Zak
Yeah.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He was... Man, he looks like he's going to be a sensation. ah He's just so composed.
00:16:07
Zak
Considerating...
00:16:09
Zak
We had a lot of opinions, not necessarily just us, but like Saints fans general, right? Like he started, what, like a Carabao Cup last season early on and it wasn't like great. Again, it might just be the system and obviously got loans at QPR.
00:16:21
Zak
like I think he was what they're like, young player of the season or whatever.
00:16:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:25
Zak
come Come through, he kind of just waited to be able to actually put him into put him into play and then he comes in and he does does a solid job. Again, like I think you pointed out,
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just like calmness personified. Like he just is... like, getting pressed by two attackers as he's, like, on the ball defence, and he's just, like, in his happy place with a penguin, like, just completely chill.
00:16:45
Zak
there There's like a reason we picked them up from like a good loan spender league one, right? Because I think that we said it was going to be one for the future, and the future is now.
00:16:56
Zak
And so...
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Honestly, by the end of the season, i would not be surprised or disappointed if our main central defensive partnership is Ronnie Edwards and Kwasi.
00:17:06
Zak
Yeah, that'd be fun.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that'll work. And I don't think that's going to happen at the start of the season. I think the experience that Stephen brings is always going to be,
00:17:15
Zak
So it's going to be prioritised, right?
00:17:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know
00:17:17
Zak
And plus club knocked in and this or the other.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:18
Zak
um
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
but therere gonna you know, But we don't make it through a season without injuries. so There's going to be times in the season where that partnership is going to be to come to fruition. I think it can be a good thing. I think that that could really work.
00:17:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Wellington was really good off the bench as well.
00:17:34
Zak
Yeah.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really see something in him.
00:17:37
Zak
So that's what we talked about, especially in the profile episode, you know, potentially actually coming out now. Because again, like he's got a longer much longer career than I think most of us realise, to be perfectly honest. And maybe, you know, again, like dived into the Premier League with both feet and, you know, even managed to win in his first game, which is, when I look back, it it's still an absolutely mad start.
00:17:57
Zak
considering the state of our season sort of last season.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much so.
00:18:01
Zak
But does that mean that Manning, who was a bit of a surprise last season in the Premier League, do you think that, you know, kind of puts him in a bit of a bind?
00:18:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I don't know. See, it's an interesting one because I don't think Manon had a bad game, but I think what benefited Wellington as well is that he is also quite an attacking-minded fullback. And, you know, like I say, these wide areas is where we were really lacking until him and Sugawara came on, and that's where he found success.
00:18:18
Zak
Hmm.
00:18:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And some of the, there are just moments and little sparks of just a little bit about him that I can just, I can't put it into words, but I just think that he's really got potential to be one of the breakout players of our season. like I think he really could go on and be that good for us.
00:18:44
Zak
I really hope so. like Again, it would be nice to see... and There is a lot of worry, understandably so. We've still only got two out of the three sanctioned transfers from our owner, ah and it's a week away, which means that they are now going to miss out on pre-season. We're going to try and slot them into an already kind of settled site.
00:19:04
Zak
There's a lot of things going on with externals as well. I just want to throw a couple of mentions out to Cam Bragg and... Romeo Akachukwu who also managed to get on in front of St Mary's fans which is always a big thing um but yeah exactly but obviously I think there is going to be some concern about transfer activity you know I've got some concerns which I'll discuss with you after a word from our partners at Zencastr
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brilliant. It was great to see.
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep, here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. 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 podcast. It sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:19:51
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. All right, we're back. Go on then, Zach. What are your concerns? Because I've got some concerns too.
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wonder how much they'll overlap here.
00:20:04
Zak
Okay, so Zulu is fine. McCarthy potentially fine.
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:10
Zak
um You know, we'll see.
00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:13
Zak
McCarthy. ah You know, he is 4,005 at this this point. so
00:20:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:19
Zak
So it's one of those things where Adam Blackmore put out about, you know, he thinks there's no no concerns. And sort of my reply to him to that was, I'm not necessarily...
00:20:30
Zak
concerned about their ability per se, is the fact that Hans went out with a season-ending injury and then he had worked hard to come back, was not back in time for the Premier League season, went out on loan in January and then had a loan-ending injury and has come back and worked his way back up to fitness.
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:47
Zak
But that concern, unfortunately, like it or not, is now going to be there because it's happened twice in the space of two years.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh, look, there's, there's concern because i think in the past, um, the like goals conceded to shot saved ratio of Pizzunu was not like particularly tremendous. Although that's a, it's a statistic is what you make of it. Right. What, what does that even mean?
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, I think that he's shown he's made some fantastic saves over preseason. I think that he's shown that he at least deserves to be in there ah around our number one spot, and that's fine.
00:21:24
Zak
the noise as well. like As much as we'd like pretend they ignore everything that goes up on social media, they'll see the noise.
00:21:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:30
Zak
And I think that he knows, and I think he's probably got a point to prove.
00:21:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:33
Zak
And, you know, if he ends up...
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. But you're right. If he gets injured... We're stuck with McCarthy, Ken, and we know that that's not great. I mean, he didn't he has not covered himself in glory this preseason.
00:21:44
Zak
and It's not even...
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Opzunu has been fantastic, but McCarthy at Eastley was...
00:21:46
Zak
It's not even that. it that Like for me, it's not even the fact that, okay, McCarthy's okay, he's good to cover. My problem is that he also, when covering for Ramsdale for a short period of time,
00:21:59
Zak
went out injured. He's only, know, as much as as we don't want Father Time to get on, he does.
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:04
Zak
He's only going to get slightly older. And like, I don't mean that any disrespect. I mean, in the sense of, okay, so presumably, theoretically, he gets injured, right? He goes out and then McCarthy steps in. McCarthy gets injured. You don't even have Lumley as backup anymore. We've got like a 17-year-old.
00:22:19
Zak
Can you tell him that our entire goalkeeping team
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:22
Zak
situation. like if Even if they bring in a third goalkeeper, even if it is a ah backup goalkeeper that people are annoyed, because people will be annoyed if Pizzini's our number one. It's just something we're going have to deal with.
00:22:33
Zak
But even if we end up in that situation, for me it's a point of concern that I just think having two goalkeepers, both of whom had injury spells in the last year, some of which were longer than others, is concerning, especially now Ramsdale's gone to Newcastle. So
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:52
Zak
Yes, it's a ah slight amount of concern. um The other thing is sort of the big three that we talked about wanting to stay, which everyone wants to stay. And, you know, Ramsdale going, we already knew that if an opportunity came up into the Premier League, he'd go.
00:23:07
Zak
And Baffle did want to play second fiddle, considering wanted to play football. If it works out for him, works out for him. I know that clearly he wants to go play in the Premier League, clearly wants to play for a big club. Power to it.
00:23:18
Zak
I can't, you know, can't really insult him after the performance he put in last year, it would have been a lot worse. Sure. Gibbling. Since the end of Martin Bull, I think he struggled under Juric.
00:23:32
Zak
I think we saw him like return under Rusk. I think that his head was being turned from the £100 million pound price tag from day one. It's going to be. We did a whole episode. Greg Exander, Psychology of Football, if you want to listen to that.
00:23:43
Zak
If you haven't, go back and listen to it It's really good. But it's one of those sort of situations where, you know, if if everyone has kind of made up their mind that he's going regardless, and also, you know, are we really missing him? Yes, no, maybe it's because we've not seen him.
00:23:58
Zak
Maybe if all of a sudden all that transfer nonsense ends. But by the looks of it, people are willing to put the money in, right? Like Everton want to buy him, they they're going to up the offer. Quite frankly, their initial and offer was a little bit insulting.
00:24:09
Zak
but perception Like, i don't understand what they want us to say. Like, when you put £100 million priced out on a player and someone comes in at £27, it's a bit like, no.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:18
Zak
i
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:18
Zak
We're just like, well, you should just let him go. I'm like, we will if you pay the price that we want to pay. And then Matty Fernandez, which, you know, as we pointed out, was a standout player in a team that was not good.
00:24:30
Zak
A team that was shocking. And we didn't want anyone to notice him, but clearly they have. And if the rumours of him being looked at by 12 to 13 different clubs are true, well I wouldn't be surprised if he is actually out of sick ra for three days with sheer anxiety.
00:24:45
Zak
Because like imagine having to make that decision. All of a sudden, you won't try ignore the noise and head in into... and obviously rather I think his his agent's a bit bit of a sort, right?
00:24:57
Zak
if If I remember rightly. And that might be one of the contributing factors as to you know but the noise around it. I think it's Georgie Mendes, right?
00:25:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, that is right.
00:25:06
Zak
i So, like, you know, there's going to be that that pressure. I wouldn't be surprised if he's genuinely gotten, like, sick or he's that stressed out, his immune system's packed i And what are the people like, oh, we have to keep these players no matter what, we shouldn't. and what What Dragan said was, like, we don't have to sell our blessed players.
00:25:23
Zak
We don't have to.
00:25:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:24
Zak
But if our hand is going to be forced, we've seen how this plays out with Van Dijk. It's just going to play out badly. You're going to end up with two players that, you know, and and and I think that,
00:25:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:32
Zak
He probably would be one of the ones that just kind of gets on with it. But eventually, a club will come in in January and then out, force fall so you know. and like one of the things we talked about that was good about Ramsdale is we're getting it done before the season starts and we have time to deal with it.
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:46
Zak
And we won't necessarily, it's not a lot of time to deal with the fact that they both won't be the team. But they both weren't in the team for this friendly. You know, Diplom played a part in the mornings friendly. And we drew against the Premier League opposition that we, yeah, we drew once last season against them as well, but Bryson are a good side. Let's not, you know, let's not pretend they're not.
00:26:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:06
Zak
So where I'm at is kind of like, that's fine. If they go, they go. It's not the end of the world. My concerns are, on top of that, though, you know I'm not saying... I know they wanted to trim the squad, but like you can't allow 12 departures and then have just the two incomings.
00:26:22
Zak
And the fact they seem to be struggling this bad to find...
00:26:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:26:27
Zak
don't know what target we're on now. Either they're playing the long game with a specific target, but my concern is they might end up like picking their third or fourth choice target because everybody else has gone elsewhere.
00:26:38
Zak
It's a horrible, horrible game. It's a brutal business. And if he if all three of them go, all three of them go... I feel like getting annoyed that the board aren't putting their foot down because regardless of if they go, they're going to go for money.
00:26:50
Zak
So it's not like we should be too worried, but like you just, it's a sad state of affairs though that even second from bottom,
00:26:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:26:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah is It's difficult because, but like we've said before on Transfer Tuesdays, right like it's so waiting for certain puzzle pieces to move. It's all a chain that's going to fall down. and Eventually, it's going to happen. and probably i mean Presumably...
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah In the next couple of weeks, which is not ideal because the season starts in less than that, but in the next couple of weeks we'll see it all fall into place and we'll be better off and understanding where we're at.
00:27:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like you say, what we can take from it is that the squad that we've got without you know the superstars, without Manny Fernandes and without Tyler Dibblen, looks good enough, right? Look good enough to be, have promise, potential.
00:27:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, they did things we didn't see last season, like defend and attack. Like...
00:27:48
Zak
but
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just...
00:27:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:52
Zak
You're right, you're right, Dave. And that's, it's funny because that's without the mention of the fact that Joe Eribo is still trying to figure out his future.
00:27:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:59
Zak
We haven't even spoken much about Eribo at all.
00:28:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:02
Zak
Because again, like...
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, I'm sure that there'll be plenty of time to talk about that in Transfer Tuesday, mate.
00:28:04
Zak
and
00:28:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah the fact to the matter is that we, for so many games last season, would have been so happy with a 2-2 draw.
00:28:06
Zak
a
00:28:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
So happy. Uh... ah How many games in a row were we holding on for one point to beat the record for the you know lowest thing? So many.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah And look, there was we looked better. We looked like we have an idea. ah ah have to say that you know the first half wasn't particularly awe-inspiring, but...
00:28:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Will still walked into the dressing room down the tunnel angry. He was not impressed. So, you know, there's...
00:28:47
Zak
ah but it's like you know we
00:28:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:50
Zak
But the thing is, Greg, is that yes, we looked all right. Yes, a we would have taken a draw, this, any other. The problem is, and it's the expectations that have been set, is that we are to go straight back up.
00:29:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:02
Zak
And we are to go straight back up without having to go through the pains of the playoffs because, yes, it's a fun way to go back up. But you know look at like how it ended up for us. If we were to prove that we are ready to go back up and give it another go properly...
00:29:16
Zak
we need to be in those first or second spots. And that is the expectation of pundits. That is the expectation of the manager.
00:29:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:29:22
Zak
That is the expectation, I think, of the board. I think the board will probably give him time regardless. I think if we don't manage it this season, there'll be an inquest into it. But the idea of, like, we get a couple of games into the season...
00:29:35
Zak
And, you know, have like the ah we have a couple of draws here and there. And so say we're six games in, Greg, and we get up to the Pompey game and we have like five points. At that point, I think that panic stations will be hit and everyone will be throwing up in arms and that, you know, we need to make sure that we get into those two spots.
00:29:54
Zak
And is a problem.
00:29:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, let's not forget two things, right? First of all, Saints, historically, never start a season well. Just not a dumb thing. In my entire living memory, doesn't happen, right?
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's fine. Second of all, our first six games... There are some tough games in there. right We've got Ipswich away. That's a tough game. We've got Wrexham at home, which is a potential banana skin. you know A promoted team that we should be beating, but an early kickoff, start of the season, Mickey Mouse coming in with his big documentary.
00:30:30
Zak
I caught my knee right now.
00:30:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Things can happen. things happen and
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got
00:30:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
got some tricky games, and it's going to be what it's going to be. It's the nature of football, and particularly the nature of being a Saints fan. There are going to be ups, and there are going to be downs, but i And that's not a pun because we've got two players called Downs playing in our team either. like if The fact of the matter. We're going to be moments in this season where we're going struggle.
00:31:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But look, it's going to be... That's why we love it. It's going to be all of the emotions all at once.
00:31:04
Zak
Yeah.
00:31:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you know what, Zach? It is six days away.
00:31:11
Zak
Yeah.
00:31:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
can't wait. I'm so excited.
00:31:12
Zak
but
00:31:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look.
00:31:13
Zak
But again, all I'm saying is that that underlining expectation, like it or not, mate, is there. And that underlining expectation is going to dominate far more of the mentality of the average show than you think it is.
00:31:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:31:26
Zak
Because...
00:31:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't wait.
00:31:28
Zak
So i'm sorry it's good got either going to be really tasty or it's not.
00:31:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
britain
00:31:34
Zak
Over the way, mate. It's back. 6.30s. Woo!
00:31:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't wait. Right, that's it. This is all we've got time for today. Preseason is done. We are six days and counting. This week we are going to be building up to the start of what should be one of the best seasons to be a part of as a Saints fan. It's going to be phenomenal.
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We will be back tomorrow with the long-awaited Transfer Tuesday. And boy, have we got stuff to talk about in that. There are lots of, lots of stuff. And then the rest of the week, the rest of the week, we'll be building up to Saturday ah for the proper return to St.
00:32:07
Zak
how many incomings we get,
00:32:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mary's and ah hosting Wrexham with all of their cameras and all of their plastic fans. and And all the real fans too. Not all of their fans are plastic, just most of them.
00:32:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we'll be Oh, here we go. There's the rage bait for the episode. a Clip it up. but Thank you very much joining us, guys. We'll be back ah as we build up this week to the championships to kick off.
00:32:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm excited. There's just enough hope there, Zach. I'm excited. do you excited?
00:32:48
Zak
i know yeah i'm always he excited mate just because i'm a pessimist doesn't mean i don't want to see us win
00:32:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
can't. I cannot wait. All right. Thank you very much for joining us. Let us know how excited you are on all of the socials. We are on TikTok, Facebook, X, Instagram, ah Blue Sky, and all of the social media. ah Just go and let us know how excited are you for football to be properly back because I cannot wait.
00:33:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll be back tomorrow, like say, with some transfer news.
00:33:18
Zak
Thank you.
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, have a great day, everyone.