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Episode 462: World Cup Magic, England Through, No Dan Neil?!
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Southampton – We're back chatting everything in the title and get excited as we move toward pre-season!
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Transcript
Scheduling Challenges and Sports Timing
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod episode number 462. My name is Greg and as always today joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach.
00:00:26
DailySaintsPod
How are you doing mate? You alright?
00:00:27
Zak
Yeah, not too bad, mate. Can only apologise for our our spotty appearances, but it's hot, it's summer. Unfortunately, we are struggling to align calendars because, you know, like, and you when you've got kids and stuff, like, gets busy, doesn't Greg? You know?
00:00:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. And then it's like, oh, do we record early on Wednesday and talk about England or something before the England game? Or do we try and record afterwards? And, you know, after that game, I was struggling to stay awake.
00:00:57
DailySaintsPod
So, you know, it is, is what isn't it?
00:00:58
Zak
but yeah
00:01:00
DailySaintsPod
There's only so much we can do, but...
00:01:02
Zak
just It just doesn't hit the same as like normal games on like a sort of Tuesday afternoon in the Championship, right? And part of that, I think, is because like the entire ti country is just like awake and buzzing for it, and especially when it stresses you out.
00:01:16
Zak
know if you saw Channel 4 tweet out that thanks to the six people that watched four in a bed while England was playing. But definitely they definitely gave me a little bit of a chuckle.
00:01:24
DailySaintsPod
Amazing. don't know. I think that viewing figures might be slightly lower for the Mexico game. I don't know. What about you?
00:01:32
DailySaintsPod
Are you planning on staying up till a ridiculous time in the morning?
00:01:32
Zak
what
00:01:35
Zak
I might see if I can get Monday off, but that's because I've got a 4th of July party on the Saturday, so I don't even know if I'll be alive for the England game at 1am on a Monday. But, you know, youre considering that they have now have permission from Thomas Tuchel to...
00:01:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:01:53
DailySaintsPod
I jokingly told my kids that if they went to bed at midday on Sunday that I'd let them get up to watch the game and was immediately chastised by my wife. Yeah.
00:02:05
Zak
I mean, like, I get it, because what, they're going to going to bed at 3am on the Sunday, and then have to you're you're going to get them up for school, because I'm sure that'll be your job.
00:02:07
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:02:10
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:02:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
Football Transfers and Team Performance
00:02:17
Zak
That's 3am if nothing dramatic happens. It could easily go to extra time. How we avoided it that last game? Well, we yet the way we avoided it is just the sheer brilliance of Harry Kane, right? like
00:02:27
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:02:28
Zak
Between the him and Jude Bellingham creating stuff. And as much as I mug off Anthony Gordon, we have this thing where when me and Greg are talking about England, I i don't know. I don't like dislike the guy personally. I just don't think he's that great.
00:02:40
Zak
And I find it wild that he's got to Barcelona. Yeah. And that might mean that I don't know that much and that would probably be accurate. But Greg seems to always have a soft spot for him. And obviously, sea as soon as he came on, was like, what?
00:02:52
Zak
You know, we're struggling. Bring Gordon on, sure. And then he proceeds to assist twice. So what do I know? Maybe it worked.
00:02:59
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I know.
00:03:00
Zak
It's fine.
00:03:02
DailySaintsPod
I always liked Anthony Gordon as a player. He's got just something about the way he plays that I quite like. does have a tendency to go down a bit too easily, but and I'm not convinced that my opinion is high enough of him to be the ridiculous amount of money he's gone to Barcelona for.
00:03:12
Zak
I mean, that's all players nowadays now, right?
00:03:20
DailySaintsPod
But yeah, there's a decent player in there somewhere.
00:03:22
Zak
I mean, mate, former Saint Matthias Fernandes to Tottenham for like 85 million. And on top of that, you've also got, what, Sandro Tonali now from Newcastle for like 100 plus million to a team almost relegated last season. Like, who, I don't think anyone knows anything anymore, mate, is where I'm at.
00:03:39
Zak
Like, that's two players.
00:03:40
DailySaintsPod
I mean, look,
00:03:41
Zak
that That's almost our transfer budget for the last decade. LAUGHTER
00:03:45
DailySaintsPod
I mean, some of that goes back into our transfer budget because we've got a handy sell-on clause for Mattie.
00:03:50
Zak
True, that that basically pays for Peretz.
00:03:50
DailySaintsPod
That's right.
00:03:52
Zak
I think somebody did did the maths of it paid for a vast majority of our transfers last year and has now also covered the fee of Peretz coming in this year.
00:03:53
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:04:01
DailySaintsPod
Brilliant. Just some excellent business. But yeah, it was a game though, wasn't it? You're right. Bailed out by Harry Kane, really, in the couple of moments of of brilliance.
00:04:11
DailySaintsPod
But, I mean...
00:04:13
Zak
People keep saying James Bree would make a better right back.
00:04:14
DailySaintsPod
see
00:04:16
Zak
that And I think I agree. I kind of, I'm really surprised that after like Liv Rimento withdrew with injury, like then they call up like Chabala, right?
00:04:26
DailySaintsPod
They call up Chalabar. Yeah.
00:04:27
Zak
Chabala, yeah. And it's like, why? Because he's not really a right back. And then you've got Kwanzaa who like, okay, is that really the best England could offer? Now he's out. We're playing poor Jed Spence at right back who isn't isn't a right back.
00:04:40
Zak
And that's very, very clear.
00:04:41
DailySaintsPod
No. Well, that's alright, because then we subbed him off and played Declan Rice there, so that was much better.
00:04:45
Zak
Well, yeah, but that's that's very much a, like, when the Saints played James Ward-Prowse there, right?
00:04:48
DailySaintsPod
It's...
00:04:50
Zak
Like, it's, but either way, you're you're right. Like, it's bizarre. And I'm seeing a lot of the arguments about whether or not Trent should have been on the plane or whatever.
World Cup Team Dynamics
00:04:57
Zak
And, like, arguably at this point, yeah, because, like, surely, surely who else are we putting there, you know?
00:05:01
DailySaintsPod
is
00:05:04
DailySaintsPod
It's just a moot point though, isn't it? Like, the unfortunately, you've got to deal with the players you've got to deal with. And should he have been more aware that Rhys James was going to do a hamstring?
00:05:15
DailySaintsPod
Probably. i mean, it was the most predictable outcome ever.
00:05:16
Zak
Yes.
00:05:19
DailySaintsPod
But I don't know. It doesn't feel like we're playing well enough to actually go on and win it, though, does it?
00:05:26
Zak
From a personal perspective, no, not really. like We seem to have struggled through most of the games, really. Like Croatia, okay, we ended up probably the best we played against. and people I think a lot of people have said, like oh, it's probably the best team we played against.
00:05:40
Zak
I'm like, I don't really know at this point. And we really, again, really, so really, really struggled.
00:05:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:05:46
Zak
So... Yeah, I'm just kind of...
00:05:48
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:05:49
Zak
I'm kind of i' worried about how we'll deal with Mexico in their home stadium. I think the whole allowing it to be take place in a place that requires you to you know the get acclimatized to playing there with barely any time is it' a bit wild. like I can understand that whenever you're a host nation, you're going to have some sort of advantage, right? And like us playing the games at Wembley for like Euros and things like that.
00:06:16
Zak
That's going to be an advantage. I don't think we have like a physical advantage in the sense of like, hey guys, you need to understand, you need to like learn to play in oxygen-deprivate conditions, which these players play at quite a lot, right? So...
00:06:32
Zak
I don't It will be, I think like that in itself is is is a question, right? Like I find it kind of wild that that's a thing that I get. It's their like home stadium and stuff. But how how do you feel about that, Greg? Because like maybe I'm just, am I just being like snowflakey about it?
00:06:48
DailySaintsPod
it's just the weird quirk of having three hosts, right? What's particularly bizarre is that Mexico, through their placing, have managed to, like, maintain that home advantage.
00:07:01
DailySaintsPod
But Canada, like, immediately lost theirs and now can't even, like, play another game at home, even if they go on to win the entire thing.
00:07:13
DailySaintsPod
it's It's really odd. but But, you know, one of the things you have to contend with with the World Cup, right? Like, it wouldn't have been a surprise.
00:07:23
DailySaintsPod
Like, we'd have all sat down and done the brackets and this was, you know, one of those outcomes that was on the cards. So, it just...
00:07:31
Zak
but You say that, I kind of feel like we didn't expect the Democratic Republic of Congo to, you know, come out and of the of the rafters and play as good a game as they did, right? I feel like we kind of maybe knew that Ghana was going to shut up at the shop a little bit. We didn't think it would be that much of a struggle. So... yeah Yeah, like, we didn't think we'd struggle with this much to play against Panama.
00:07:55
Zak
So I'm kind of wondering when you say, oh, these are all things they thought about. I'm like, is it? or are we just playing a specific way and hoping we just get it over the line each time by relying on, you know...
00:08:02
DailySaintsPod
or Well, to be clear, I said it's things they should have thought about. that Whether they actually have done that or not is, who knows?
00:08:14
DailySaintsPod
but it It shouldn't come as a surprise. But, I mean, it's going to be an interesting one.
00:08:22
Zak
i think I think it's one of the the tougher draws we could have gotten, personally. And like I think it's going to be difficult because you know Mexico have been really on a hot streak.
00:08:26
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:08:30
Zak
They are hosts. They are clearly wanting to prove something. They've played well. i don't know if you've seen any of Mexico play, but they've not been like...
00:08:37
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, they've been playing good.
00:08:38
Zak
In comparison to some of the other games... And I think that the level that we played up to at this point, like, I know that, you know, it was a bit of a surprising game yesterday, but like when you need to dig deep and you need to get like a captain to to really push the boat out to be able to score some sort of like, you know, I'd say the first goal wasn't a wonder goal, but that second goal definitely was to be able to progress.
00:08:55
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:09:01
Zak
Yeah. you know, to me, does that mean we've really progressed since last time? Because people criticized the last campaign we were in, right, with Southgate, because the fact that it required Jude Bellingham to, like, pull some magic out. And I feel like the problem with this game, like these games specifically, is it's been we've had to pull out magic from specific areas. One one thing that is worth talking about, Greg, which is a bit weird,
00:09:23
Zak
but is is of note, is obviously the difference in play after the first hydration break. At this point, is it a hydration break or is it just like a team talk for five minutes? Because it there is a notable increase in performance after they had a proper discussion with the management teams.
00:09:33
DailySaintsPod
It's... le it's
00:09:38
Zak
And that isn't the first time that's happened this World Cup.
00:09:41
DailySaintsPod
No, it's... I mean, we talked about it before. It's what happens because they're allowed to talk to the coaches. It is effectively quarters. And as a one-off thing to combat in this World Cup, I'm kind of...
00:09:56
DailySaintsPod
reluctantly accepting of it because it is what it is. I hope that it doesn't make its way into any more football ever. I hope to never see it again.
00:10:06
Zak
Yeah.
00:10:06
DailySaintsPod
the but But it benefited us yesterday.
00:10:08
Zak
it's It's just going to be, it's going to weird when you have like, when you have like hydration breaks in like the middle of the freezing cold in Norway, like during winter and the like stadiums full of snow.
00:10:20
Zak
Like that jewel that that Canada game, that game took place in Canada that was just under like five feet of snow. And it like, it's like, oh, everybody stop.
00:10:26
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:10:27
Zak
We need to get a Lucozade in or otherwise that'll be it. And like, I get that there's arguments there, but it is is I feel like it's fundamentally changing the way that football is meant to be played. And obviously, it's fundamentally changing the way these games are being played. Now, did it work out for us yesterday? Yeah.
Fan Experience and Game Timing
00:10:42
Zak
But realistically, like you know if we had struggled and continued and and you know Democratic Republic of Congo had got a second goal and would been a completely different game... You know, arguably we have a reason to say that it was a good thing.
00:10:56
Zak
But yeah, I just feel like they just should be nowhere near the game. Like you've had the game the way it's been for years. Stop. you They're already changing enough, right? Between VAR and God knows what else.
00:11:07
Zak
Like the idea of just having another five minute segment to to play a random song and advertise break, you know, all over TV and stuff. It's just, it's dumb hate it.
00:11:17
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it's horrible. Yeah, no, I'm fully there with you. And and look look, I get it.
00:11:20
Zak
it did result in us changing pace.
00:11:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. But yeah, we benefit we benefited it from it. And so, yeah, I don't think that's going to change the country's sentiment on it by any stretch of the imagination.
00:11:35
DailySaintsPod
But what's going to be really interesting is... is how much of the country i mean It's obviously going to be a divide about the level of insanity you have to stay up and watch that come Sunday early morning. like the It's not a convenient time. and you know Normally, part of the excitement of the World Cup is watching along with the kids and...
00:11:57
DailySaintsPod
getting all the other stuff, it's... Yeah. It's a shame. i guess the good news is if we do overcome that challenge and get through, that the rest of the games are at reasonably sensible times of the evening.
00:12:04
Zak
Thank you.
00:12:11
Zak
Yeah, true. It's just going to be... I think it's going to be a difficult one, right? Like me and you are used to staying up for...
00:12:16
DailySaintsPod
Oh, it's definitely difficult.
00:12:17
Zak
Me and you used to staying up for Super Bowls, but this is a different different kettle of fish.
00:12:22
DailySaintsPod
that I don't know, mate.
00:12:22
Zak
luckily Luckily, the people we work with, mate, there's not a huge amount or a massive amount of football people in our team. So I reckon if we put our annual leave in after we have this discussion now, we might actually be able to stay up and also get the day off. But...
00:12:36
Zak
I'm only just throwing that suggestion out there because like the problem that I've got is that you can call me a wet bag, whatever. The idea of staying up till three in the morning and then waking up and trying to do a full working day during during what is supposed to be apparently another heat wave from that.
00:12:50
Zak
But I kind of get it. like we We have managed to have our games at quite reasonable times right up until this point. There's a lot of other countries that haven't. And unfortunately, that's the part and parcel of the the you know the idea that these countries have different time zones
00:12:59
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:13:04
Zak
It's just frustrating. We're used to having European or close to European times for most tournaments, you know?
00:13:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:13:11
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it is a shame. But look, like say, makes it all the more exciting if we do manage to overcome that very tough challenge for Mexico. and And at the end of the day, you know, I said we're not playing well enough to win the tournament probably, but there's been plenty of times on this podcast that we've talked about the, the way you play and the number, other stats and numbers are really only boiled down to the importance of one set of numbers. And that was 2-1 England in this scenario. So yeah,
00:13:46
Zak
that's the that's the other That's the other part of it, right? I think it's just, does it actually matter how convinced we are if they're convinced of it? If they can go on the next game and struggle through it and still win, does it actually matter?
00:13:57
Zak
Like, no.
00:13:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:13:58
Zak
Will anyone really care? But I will say, like, you know, if if we lose... there will be a lot of things to answer for. And I don't think, I think Tuchel will join the illustrious cohort of managers that have quit.
00:14:10
Zak
Not quite as dramatically as maybe Bielsa, who seemed to have lost his mind after Euroquare were kicked out.
00:14:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:14:16
Zak
don't know if he paid much attention to his post-match shouting and screaming. And apparently they they have that they have that same feud, supposedly, similar to when France had a feud a couple of years ago.
00:14:27
Zak
And apparently they had to get their own travel home because they didn't fly home as a team as they're all arguing and stuff. And man, it's just been been a crazy World Cup.
00:14:36
DailySaintsPod
That's crazy.
00:14:36
Zak
Like the heartbreaking exit of Japan, that sucked.
00:14:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:14:40
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:14:40
Zak
Brazil, again, doing things similar to us where they kind of played bad for a lot of the game and the yet somehow managed to pull some quality out of the bag at last minute.
00:14:46
DailySaintsPod
Want it across the line? Hmm.
00:14:48
Zak
And, you know, that's why, unfortunately, we won't see it. Like a game I'm most looking forward to, probably Cape Verde, Argentina. And it's a reasonable time as well. That's going to be good.
00:14:57
DailySaintsPod
it's going to be an exciting one, but yeah, i mean, look, it's been a, uh, crazy, world cup, right? Early exits for Germany, Netherlands, uh, yeah.
00:15:07
Zak
Germany's first ever loss of a penalty shootout, might I add.
00:15:11
DailySaintsPod
Uh, the, the whole insanity of the entire world cup fully encapsulated by the, Senegal Netherlands game last night. That was, uh, sorry, Senegal, Belgium, uh,
00:15:26
Zak
yeah because Belgium, I'm not going to lie, have terrible this cup. Like, every game I've watched of them has been bad.
00:15:29
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, who talked about you talk about playing bad but somehow pulling out of nowhere.
00:15:32
Zak
Yeah.
00:15:35
DailySaintsPod
I mean, they were 2-0 down in the 86th minute.
00:15:36
Zak
Tielemans scoring a penalty. I can understand why Senegal are bad about it. right i could I get it. And I can understand that they they couldn't march off the pitch in protest because they did that once before they got them kicked out. But good Lord, when you potentially have a major competition taken away from you for reacting badly to a last-minute penalty that wasn't scored, and then a last-minute penalty that's given against you that is scored, like I get it.
00:16:01
Zak
I really do get it.
00:16:02
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and and it was... It wasn't like a I mean, i think it was a penalty, to be clear, but it wasn't... It is a a penalty even that there could be debate about, right? Like, I think I described it to you as a penalty where if it's given... If it's... If we are the team being tackled, I'm in arms screaming for it that it's Stonewall penalty. And i if if we're the defending team, I'm thinking, nah, it's off. It's really right on that line.
00:16:30
DailySaintsPod
But, like... it It is a penalty, but it wasn't. What a horrible way to to lose from being so far ahead.
00:16:38
Zak
Yeah, but then but then also, yeah i don't think they're entirely put it down to that. One of their players literally came out afterwards and said, I will not play for Senegal as long as this coaching staff are in charge. And I think he was the one that was subbed off and then they consued too almost immediately. So, you know, i kind of get that.
00:16:54
Zak
He clearly wanted to play the rest of the game, was subbed off and then was proven right. If obviously they had managed to come on and maybe score and another one or shut up shop, then it would be a different question. But unfortunately it wasn't. it wasn't to be.
00:17:05
Zak
And that's just lots of, lots of this. Is any like, any standout players that you would have never heard of before that they're doing right? Because not, the the the problem is, is you look at like the, who's in, who's in line to get top goal scorer.
00:17:14
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:17
Zak
It's not surprising. It's all names that you'd expect, right? It's, it's Messi, Mbappe, Kane, you know, it's not, It's not anyone sort of out of nowhere. Maybe Balogun from the US, but I don't know if he's playing next game after he was red carded. But I remember him doing really well.
00:17:32
Zak
Obviously, a previous Arsenal player going over to France, playing really, really well.
00:17:35
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:17:35
Zak
Forgot he existed. Didn't realise he was American anyway. And then obviously is subsequently kind of broken through as a talisman for America, who were very, very much so by America, I mean the USA, very, very much so sort of a little bit attacking lost without him.
00:17:51
Zak
And I'm assuming if he's picked up a red card, he's banned for the next game. So it might be a bit of a struggle.
00:17:55
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. The Paraguay goalkeeper was, was it Gil? He was like out of this world. Good. He had maybe the game of his life to be fair, but what time to do it.
00:18:08
DailySaintsPod
He's been excellent. I don't know. I've enjoyed watching all of the games, all of the players. little spark that I really enjoy... What I really enjoy about the World Cup is the...
00:18:22
DailySaintsPod
the contrasting quality of teams and not just like the teams that are going against each other, but obviously like when we play Declan Rice, who's not a right back at right back, watching him try and defend against like a nippy winger.
00:18:36
DailySaintsPod
Like if you just end up in positions that you just don't get in club football because, because teams are designed to be balanced.
00:18:44
Zak
Well, like, people playing playing really well and out of their skin.
00:18:45
DailySaintsPod
Whereas you can't do that. Yeah.
00:18:48
Zak
And it turns out, like, if I remember rightly, the guy who was playing for Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday, that goalkeeper, is, like, second choice in, like, the second tier of the French League, 4A team.
00:18:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:18:59
Zak
And then, obviously, I think the Cape Verdean guy, because he's, like, 41. He's just without a club. So it's just, like, some really kind of crazy... it reminds me that one... That one Euros where Robson Karni was over without a club, right?
00:19:14
Zak
And managed to score like an absolute worldie and off the back of it got signed to West Brom. And like, it's just going to be very interesting to see what happens to some of these sort of like players that have appeared on the radar.
00:19:24
Zak
But there are other conversations going on yesterday. Like Wambisaka was once called up for England and he was playing, played right back really solidly for Koko, right?
00:19:31
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:32
Zak
Like...
00:19:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:34
Zak
It's just a lot irony in that is where I'm at.
00:19:35
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:19:37
Zak
But no, it's it's just been it's just been really, really fun to watch. And I know that we kind of, we didn't know in the build-up to it how it was going to be. and there's definitely some things that we don't like about it. Very, very much like the Americanisation.
00:19:48
Zak
And by that, I mean, like, let's shove hydration breaks in there. Which I don't know if it's necessarily an American thing. Like the things we haven't talked about where they're having to cover up the names of the stadium because they're not official partners of the World Cup.
00:19:59
DailySaintsPod
I've really enjoyed seeing...
00:20:00
Zak
That's been really funny.
00:20:01
DailySaintsPod
I've really enjoyed the, like, Streisand effect that's had, where now it's more valuable to to not do that, but be it. Like, Levi's changing the the literal logo of their shops to the covered-up version.
00:20:14
DailySaintsPod
It's just... It's beautiful.
00:20:16
DailySaintsPod
It's... new
00:20:16
Zak
There you go, right?
00:20:18
Zak
Like, they get the best out a bad situation, innit?
00:20:20
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, like Heinz releasing a special edition limited source with the logo taped over because that's what's in stadium.
00:20:28
DailySaintsPod
It's like just well done those marketing teams for capitalizing on that ridiculous set of rules. like you can
00:20:35
Zak
Right, that's a lot of World Cup talk.
Southampton's Transfer and Management
00:20:37
Zak
Do we want to talk about some Saints stuff?
00:20:39
DailySaintsPod
Yes, mate. Let's do it. Shall we start with the the big one, I suppose? Dan Neal was a done deal, was a piece of social media content that I put out this week for us. That wasn't quite the case, was it?
00:20:53
Zak
No, it turned out to to not really be the case. And in actual fact that he he was pipped to Rangers, which like I kind of get, you know, I'm totally honest, but at the same time, you know, closer to home, closer to where he is, probably slightly more money, probably chance of winning a trophy as opposed to, I think that there is obviously, he's playing at the top level in Scotland for one of the top teams.
00:21:19
Zak
I think that there are probably, considering there are already talks of, well, if we get promoted, is he going to stay in the side and play, considering he hasn't managed to do it at Sunderland? There's probably things like that, that if he does stay, help us get promoted into the championship, is he just going to come another player that gets kind of pushed to the sidelines?
00:21:29
DailySaintsPod
and then
00:21:36
Zak
So there's lots of potential reasons to why. Obviously, the big one is probably just they offered more money, let's be honest.
00:21:43
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:21:43
Zak
But we don't know 100%. But yeah, so I think that's a... Everything can look done and ticked off, right? Similar to the Sienza thing where there was talk of him going to to Paris FC.
00:21:54
Zak
And obviously it turns out that they sanctioned the transfer over budget literally last minute to get him in. Subsequently became probably like our best player for last season.
00:22:05
Zak
Yeah, strange stranger things have happened. But it does mean that... you know you i've also seen lot of criticism. It's like, oh, been pipped to it again. Why didn't we do... like You don't want to go all out is where I'm at.
00:22:18
Zak
And I actually think for you, him, get like for him i'll get it But for for our team, they'll have other backups kind of in place and we'll just have to go with that.
00:22:30
Zak
But just, yeah, it just means that nothing ever is a done deal.
00:22:30
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:22:32
Zak
Like we've seen journalists put, here we go. But you know the one journalist I'm talking about anyway. Journalists paid at this point. by paid Paid by agents to generate interest in vice versa. But you know we're seeing that kind of stuff now, right? Where stuff can be just...
00:22:50
Zak
pipped last minute and I think we've just been an unfortunate victim of pipped last minute but I look forward to whoever will be bringing in as a replacement but it does feel like he was being brought in as potentially a line-up for Charles to go so who knows and it was always kind of risk-free in the start anyway because there was no transfer fee so yeah I'm not
00:23:05
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:23:12
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:23:13
Zak
not totally devastated but you know we've got potential kit news on the way soon greg as well i don't know if you've just seen they've released they've released travel and training wear uh i just got the email for that uh about an hour ago you've got some sort of a a tan colored travel wear and some pretty nice training wear to be honest but you know we're starting to see bits and pieces of this it's very much to the start of the build-up now right we've got shirt news on the way at some point i've seen other
00:23:19
DailySaintsPod
That's exciting.
00:23:23
DailySaintsPod
Oh, nice.
00:23:33
DailySaintsPod
I'm just looking at it now. It's
00:23:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, well, we're getting there, right? All of the non-international players are reporting back on Monday.
00:23:46
Zak
Dang.
00:23:47
DailySaintsPod
i it's all starting to come together, you know?
00:23:51
Zak
But we still don't know if the manager's going to be in charge, which means that I'd really...
00:23:55
DailySaintsPod
Well, he he will...
00:23:57
Zak
Oh, it's interesting. Understood. to This is, a i say, 22 minutes ago from Alfie House. Understood. Tom DeRecca is interviewing with the FA today over the ongoing investigation into conduct surrounding s Spygate.
00:24:08
Zak
I wouldn't imagine it would mean we get an immediate verdict, but with that latest progressed, yeah, but that's the latest progress. 37 days until the season starts with the Carabao Cup.
00:24:18
Zak
So not really that long before we actually kick off, right? And we still don't actually know if our manager is going to be in charge.
00:24:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:24:25
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, it's... I mean, i think that... think that he will be, regardless. Unless it's like a ridiculously long ban, we're going have...
00:24:31
Zak
Okay.
00:24:35
DailySaintsPod
We would be really silly to not have a plan in place for a short-term issue, right? Like, it's pretty clear that we're backing him to remain,
00:24:46
DailySaintsPod
and Yeah, it it would be it would be very naive of us to go into it and not have, you know, something sorted out, surely.
00:24:59
DailySaintsPod
Hopefully.
00:25:00
DailySaintsPod
Right?
00:25:00
Zak
Yeah, you'd like to you'd like to think.
00:25:02
Zak
But I do worry that we've also been pretty bad at getting caught out with having one plan that we don't think is going to change. And we've already proven as a club that, you know, we were quite adamant that we hadn't broken the rules multiple times.
00:25:12
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:25:18
Zak
And we were quite adamant that we probably weren't going get thrown out the playoffs. So I'd like to think that those lessons have been learned a little bit. So if we do end up not having him, you know, as manager...
00:25:30
Zak
I very much doubt that, but at least there's a plan in place for the first couple of games if he's not allowed to be the dugout. I guess we'll just have to see.
00:25:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:36
Zak
i think I think I'm not a big fan of the complete lack of information. i understand that we maybe was a really, really quick turnaround last time, and maybe they should have done the investigation over a longer period of time, but obviously there was the the playoff final to to think about.
00:25:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:51
Zak
But with this, it does seem to have really dragged into potentially the preseason and playing season now.
00:25:52
DailySaintsPod
It's the complete opposite direction, right? Like it's taken too long instead of going too quickly.
00:25:57
Zak
Yeah.
00:26:01
Zak
so like, don't know if you've ever been part of a jury, mate, but sometimes it it genuinely feels like they're just trying to wind down the clock.
00:26:06
Zak
You get like two, to three hours for lunch and then the judge decides that you're going to close early because, you know, he's decided that he he just wants to go home early and it's a Thursday or a Friday.
00:26:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:26:15
Zak
So it's like very much feeling like they're having an hour a conversation a day about it and only route only now we've got to the interviews.
00:26:16
DailySaintsPod
just
00:26:22
Zak
So, well,
00:26:23
DailySaintsPod
Just bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy, isn't it? But but I mean, other key dates have come out.
00:26:26
Zak
yeah, no, you're right.
00:26:28
DailySaintsPod
I saw Alfie House put out the preseason schedule. so yeah, players are returning for testing on the on Monday on-pitch training to start on Thursday.
00:26:39
DailySaintsPod
so presumably in those sort of three days, the opportunity to talk to the manager and get themselves all sorted out and ready and back in the headspace for the season.
00:26:50
DailySaintsPod
then of course the Eastley friendly on the 18th before they travel to Germany on the 24th, uh, with, uh, supposedly a friendly with an unnamed German club that they are planning, uh, to hopefully have saints fans able to attend, uh, on that Friday.
00:27:06
Zak
That'll cool.
00:27:09
DailySaintsPod
a couple, uh, a behind closed doors training game in the middle of the week. then the announced friendly against, uh, the Eagle team, who I'm still not going to try and pronounce, I'm sorry, before travelling back to the UK on the 1st of August, of course, to then sort of build up to the the proper start of the season.
00:27:32
Zak
Yeah.
00:27:32
DailySaintsPod
So it's all more all those dates, it's all coming together, you know, it's all starting soon.
00:27:39
Zak
There's under-21 games as well. They go to Hungary to do a bit of a training camp. and And then we've got the 18th of July. They're playing against Maidenhead United, which I think you can go watch York Road. And then they've also got a friendly against Sutton United at the VBS Community Stadium on the 1st of August. And in between there, obviously a friendly while they're Hungary. I'm also not going to try and pronounce the name of the team, but we can't watch it anyway. And then AFC Tottenham and AFC Bournemouth.
00:28:07
Zak
The AFC Bournemouth 1 being behind closed doors. And the under-18s also have some pre-seasons games against the under-21s of Aldershot, Wimbledon, Pool Town, which is one that can be watched on the 25th of July. And the Watford under-18s on the 1st of August. And Man City under-18s the 8th August.
00:28:25
Zak
So, you know, where every everything's starting to kick off now. We're starting to really really build back up, right? Which means that obviously kit announcements will be soon. i know that there was like a waiting list drop last week. So i'll be interesting see what they do with that.
00:28:37
Zak
I know there seems to be like a fake one knocking around that it's been made up by like some sort of wholesaler over in China that i'm I don't know if they even finished the design by that point.
00:28:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:46
Zak
So we'll see what it's actually like. But If it's that one, that one's fine. So long as we get stripes, I'm kind of right with it. Don't know you feel about it.
00:28:56
DailySaintsPod
yeah Yeah, look, I like... I'm a simple man. You give me red and white stripes, I'm pretty happy. P&O Cruises are the sponsor again this year.
00:29:04
Zak
Correct.
00:29:04
DailySaintsPod
That was confirmed, so we're not to have any like concerns about that, really. I kind of like a nice red and white home kit and, you know, I like the yellow and blue on the away kit, but I also didn't mind it when they did something a bit different and went with the, I guess the more black colored kit as well.
00:29:25
DailySaintsPod
i love it when their third kit is just something completely left field different.
00:29:32
Zak
i I still like the the the the Waves one from the Season We Got Relegated.
00:29:32
DailySaintsPod
I really enjoy it
00:29:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:29:37
Zak
That was really nice. That way kit wasn't even the third.
00:29:38
DailySaintsPod
yeah the nice that was the away kit yeah
00:29:40
Zak
And last year's third was pretty good as well. like it was and It was a nice proper trim kit. So we'll have to see...
00:29:44
DailySaintsPod
what was last year's third I don't know if I remember what it was was it the black one
00:29:52
Zak
Yes, that's what i'm talking about.
00:29:53
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, nice. Yeah, yeah, I liked it I liked it. It was good. I liked the year. I think it was the same year as the the Waves one, actually, where the third kit was the green one with the all of the like Spitfire and like World War II stuff themed on it.
00:30:11
DailySaintsPod
I really liked that one, too. I just like the kits. I'm a little sucker for them. Yeah.
00:30:17
Zak
Yeah, that's the problem.
00:30:17
DailySaintsPod
look
00:30:18
Zak
we are we Me and you both are suckers for buying merchandise that will annoy a lot of people because unfortunately is putting money in the club's pocket but at the same time, you know, we can, I don't know.
00:30:30
Zak
I don't know how everyone's temperature check is on Sports Republic the moment. Like, I don't, don't really know how I feel about it. Maybe if we get another good window in there, you know, I feel like because of the siege mentality, people are less mad, but also still mad at everything that happened previously, but also not been paying as much attention because we've got a whole World Cup to think about.
00:30:50
Zak
it'll be interesting to see the build-up, right, and where the temperature kind of feels.
00:30:52
DailySaintsPod
I just think it all comes down to how we start. I
Engaging the Audience
00:30:56
DailySaintsPod
think we're going No one really...
00:30:56
Zak
Yeah.
00:30:59
DailySaintsPod
Aside from the people that really do who pay attention to preseason, they' they're people who are already going to make their mind up. The real temperature check comes as season starts.
00:31:10
DailySaintsPod
And if we start fast, then we'll get loads. And if we start slow, then we won't.
00:31:17
Zak
Yeah, I kind of agree. We'll have to see how we get on. And I think you're right, a fast start will kind of mean that a lot of things will be forgiven.
00:31:27
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Uh, right, mate. That is just about all we've got time for. So, uh, let's wrap it up there. Let's call it, uh, look, let us know your thoughts, your opinions on all of it.
00:31:38
Zak
Yeah, sounds good.
00:31:43
DailySaintsPod
Kits, fixtures. What you're looking forward to most about the new season? are you looking forward to traveling to Germany on post season? Uh, let, uh, Travelling to Germany for pre-season. Look, let us know. us up. We are Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere. Saints, X, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Blue Sky.
00:32:09
DailySaintsPod
All of it. Absolutely everywhere. We love hearing from you. It really keeps us going. But this is us for the week.
00:32:18
DailySaintsPod
We will be back next week with, I'm sure, some more World Cup goodness. I think it's pretty safe to say that if we've got an episode out on Monday, it will not be a matchday review of the England World Cup game.
00:32:32
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:32:32
Zak
No, it probably it probably will not. i don't I don't know how you feel, Greg, but if we do watch it, I don't really want to be recorded at like 3, 4 in the morning.
00:32:36
DailySaintsPod
I don't know
00:32:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, did I don't know.
00:32:42
Zak
think that's pretty reasonable, right? like yeah
00:32:45
DailySaintsPod
That's about right. But look we'll be back when there's stuff to talk about, either Monday or Tuesday with Saints, England, World Cup, any of it. We will be back then. Until then, everyone, though, have a wonderful weekend.
00:32:59
DailySaintsPod
Enjoy the heat and the sunshine as best you can, but, you know... don't Don't suffer in it. Stay hydrated, everyone. But until then, we'll see you then.