Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 433: READY FOR PLAY-OFF'S!
110 Plays10 days ago
Southampton – A comfortable win brings the regular season to a close, and allows us to look forward to the most chaotic and sensational part of football, the play offs! Can we get to Wembley and do it again?
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/dailysouthamptonpod
X - https://x.com/DailySaintsPod
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@dailysaintspod
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@DailySaintsPod
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/dailysaintspod
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email us - dailysaintspod@gmail.com
Copyright | 2026 | Daily Saints Pod | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction & Zach's Return
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg and today once again finally joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach.
00:00:25
DailySaintsPod
Mate, how was your time off? You feeling well rested and ready to head into the playoffs?
00:00:27
Zak
Hello, mate.
00:00:30
Zak
Sure, something like that. thing I've been so, so busy, and as much as I had a lovely trip, I've just been away. I've had... a weekend longly, I've had a wedding, I'm so discombobulated. I did manage to catch all of the football, including the game against Ipswich, including the game yesterday. so yeah, it's been good, but just very well over the place. I'm glad
Securing Playoff Spot & Reflecting on Preston Win
00:01:01
Zak
to be back. And now that we have our place in the playoffs definitely confirmed, with the opponent definitely confirmed, it's all eyes on that, right?
00:01:10
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, very much so. I mean, look, let's let's talk about, we you know, we we took yesterday off for the bank holiday because it's been a long one, guys. We deserve bank holiday too. But, you know, we would say it was a comfortable job done against Preston?
00:01:27
DailySaintsPod
It felt very much that five, right? Like GFC?
00:01:29
Zak
Yeah, I didn't... It was... I'm slightly surprised how... easy it felt considering we lost to them last time round.
00:01:39
Zak
That was like Will Stills' last game, right?
00:01:40
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:01:43
Zak
Was when we we lost to Preston previously. And i kind of didn't expect it to be as as easy. And it's frustrating because if we treated those, a lot if we managed to beat those last two previous games with that level of, you know, comfortability,
00:02:00
Zak
we'd probably be having a different conversation right now. It would be, who how do we plan to go up, etc. But alas, the the way that the the universe has decided it is that is to go through the pains of playoffs again.
00:02:12
Zak
So, yeah it's it was a good game, though. like I really enjoyed watching it. had some proper classic goals. as Two goals from two separate strikers. that a Taylor Harwood-Bellis-Bullet header.
00:02:22
Zak
All you really missed was a Ryan Manning...
00:02:23
DailySaintsPod
What a header as well, by the way.
00:02:25
Zak
Sorry?
00:02:26
DailySaintsPod
What a header as well, by the way.
00:02:27
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:27
DailySaintsPod
It's just unbelievable.
00:02:29
Zak
But all you were missing was a Manning free kick, to be honest.
00:02:29
DailySaintsPod
and
00:02:32
DailySaintsPod
And that was close at the end as well. But, like, picked out by Wellington as well. Like, he he looked up and picked him out, and it was an absolute peach.
00:02:37
Zak
Yes.
00:02:41
DailySaintsPod
And Fellows just, like, causing absolute hassle down that right-hand side for the fullback, who wanted nothing more than to be on the beach already and was actually having to try and defend against that. was that It would have been, like, the perfect performance, bar one literal slip-up, right? It was...
00:03:02
Zak
Well, look, like let's get to that. Let's start with that and then we'll go we'll work our way back to the to the team lineups because it was probably slightly different than a lot of people had predicted, and but also not as different as people are probably wanted.
00:03:15
Zak
But I've been talking about that Boruch S mistake that Peretz potentially has in him all season. We saw it like, can't remember which game it was, couple games beforehand where he did the same thing, where he was in like midfield and and had to track back.
00:03:31
Zak
And that was the Matsuki clear off the line. It was the the city game, wasn't it?
00:03:34
DailySaintsPod
i was I was a Wembley mate, yeah.
00:03:35
Zak
It was at Wembley. You're right. He did that Wembley. So we know it's potentially there. Am I glad he got out the way against Preston in a game that was effectively meaningless for us?
00:03:48
Zak
Yes. Did it affect the result? No. Had it been a 1-0 defeat to Preston due to that mistake, think people would be probably slightly more annoyed. But it is what it is.
00:03:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, look, I mean, look, he's got a bit of credit in the bank from a lot of very good saves that keep us in the in the game.
00:04:01
Zak
does.
00:04:04
DailySaintsPod
And even in this game, he made that double save in the first half and a comfortable one from a corner as well. and He just misreads the timing of the flight of the ball and then goes to turn around and slips up. And yeah, just getting out of his system is the most important thing, right? We we got it.
00:04:22
DailySaintsPod
but We've had it now. It's not going to happen again in the playoffs. It's just done. Focus up. back in the Head back in the game and and go again. But you're right. Let's let's start at the
Team Lineup & Rotation Decisions
00:04:33
DailySaintsPod
start.
00:04:33
DailySaintsPod
Let's start at the team sheet. So... You know, I talked in the preview about the expectation of some rotation because, cause you know, the game was still important because winning it but us gave us the home away leg, right?
00:04:50
DailySaintsPod
and And confirmed that. But I expected rotation. I expected, you know, almost exactly the players to to be rotated that were.
00:05:00
DailySaintsPod
I know that Bree was going to have a rest because he's played so many minutes. I knew that Salah going have rest.
00:05:04
Zak
Did you expect Shea Charles to be in his position though? Mm-hmm.
00:05:07
DailySaintsPod
I can't tell you what, mate, that wasn't on my list of things. But it, you know, kind of makes sense to me with the benefit of hindsight and a bit of reflection on it because Shea Charles is quite a similar physical profile to James Bree.
00:05:23
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, he's perfectly capable of defending in in a defensive position.
00:05:24
Zak
it
00:05:29
DailySaintsPod
And James Bree is also one of these, like, progressive players looking to make that pass, which is... you know, is what Trey Giles is also good at. So it's kind of the same thing, just like slightly to the back and the right of what it does anyway, to oversimplify it, I guess.
00:05:48
DailySaintsPod
But it's, it's I think, the Trey Giles perspective,
00:05:51
Zak
<unk> it's it's giving It's giving James Ward prowls against Wilfred Saha, mate. It's what it's giving. It's like, we we, for some reason, have only one right back.
00:05:56
DailySaintsPod
well, hmm.
00:06:00
Zak
And that means that if he needs to take a break, we need to replace him with literally anybody who can play that position. And, you know, it works.
00:06:07
DailySaintsPod
But it kind of worked. he' is you know he's
00:06:09
Zak
Yeah, it's fine.
00:06:09
DailySaintsPod
he's He's a versatile player.
00:06:11
Zak
We won the three one It wasn't like, and again, the only reason we really even conceded was due to a slip-up, literal slip-up by our goalkeeper who was for some reason near the halfway line.
00:06:21
Zak
Like, it's what it is.
00:06:21
DailySaintsPod
Another correct score prediction from me on the show, by the way.
00:06:25
Zak
Nice. Good job.
00:06:34
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:06:38
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:06:40
DailySaintsPod
And I think from Tonda's perspective, it's more about physical presence than anything else.
00:06:45
Zak
Yes, I agree with that.
00:06:46
DailySaintsPod
Purely because we heard early on in his in his like tenure that it's like, well, I need to get some height on the pitch. And, you know, with the greatest respect Yellett, he isn't that. So...
00:06:59
Zak
Well, he wasn't even in the starting line-up, mate. He wasn't even on the subs bench or anything. so it was yeah, it was what it was.
00:07:05
DailySaintsPod
i Yeah, exactly that. It kind of is what it is, but I was maybe a little bit surprised to see Bree bought on in the second half, bearing in mind the amount of minutes, but also seven days of that game now is more than these players have done in the last, what, eight weeks?
00:07:23
Zak
Yeah, true. But again, like I think a lot of people were surprised. you know I know that Wellington's not played a lot, so to do an expected full 90 from him, you know merely put in a good performance at Wembley, but to expect another full 90 of him so soon, i understand why they brought Manning on, but at the same time, I think it was just a bit sort of confusing.
00:07:37
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:42
Zak
Like it would have been a good run out for just Joshua k Quasi. But again, it was about, it seemed to me the right balance of trying to win the game and trying to rest people. Because obviously that was the big debate before the game online, right?
00:07:54
Zak
was that everyone was like, oh, we should just put out the kids. And the other half was like, we you need to still win. Momentum's important. And it's like, he knows that and he knows that both of those sides are accurate. And so, you know, the only person I probably would have given a run out of was was k Quasi. but at the same time,
00:08:08
Zak
I have probably swapped him out for for for Taylor, and he's the one that went on to open the scoring and, you know, proper, proper captain behaviour. Yander only gets better.
00:08:17
DailySaintsPod
I don't think you, I don't think that you could get Taylor Hall or Bennis to sit out of this team. if you restrained him, it doesn't have any of that about it, but you're right.
00:08:23
Zak
Whether you wanted to or not, you're right. You're right. But, yeah, I think...
00:08:28
DailySaintsPod
It was the right balance. And look, I was a bit surprised that Leo started, but it you know, it kind of makes sense. I i absolutely called Archer and Stuart starting,
00:08:39
DailySaintsPod
and And fellows purely because I don't think Matsky's fit.
Player Performances & Season Progress
00:08:46
DailySaintsPod
So it makes sense. Bragg and Yander. Bragg's been very good covering Flynn in in this sort of period where he's been suspended.
00:08:53
DailySaintsPod
Yander's been, i mean, I don't know what they've started giving him for breakfast in these last three games, mate. But it's just that he is like, just licked.
00:09:03
Zak
Is it is it a sudden the so the sudden sort of reality to a lot of these players that oh, wait, I can play the Premier League. All like I gotta do is like get over the line.
00:09:13
DailySaintsPod
I don't know. Obviously, he's been he's been very good for us all season. and there have been like I would say that he's been very good with sparks of excellence like throughout. And sort of you know as his very Saints, up and down, some great performances, some not so great performances. But but since Wembley, he has just been...
00:09:34
DailySaintsPod
it's just been ridiculous. just been absolutely everywhere. but Winning the ball back on halfway. I mean, I think the the second goal, the Ross Stewart goal, starts with Yander winning it on the halfway line.
00:09:43
Zak
ahead
00:09:44
DailySaintsPod
Lovely assist from Cam Archer. Screaming at Ross Stewart to hit it first time, and he doesn't and still gets in the goal. So it's one of those where if it doesn't go in, you can be more critical, I suppose. But puts it away.
00:09:57
DailySaintsPod
Happy days. Like, even at that point, it felt very job done, right? Early in the second half.
00:10:03
Zak
Yeah.
00:10:04
DailySaintsPod
And, and you know, certainly for me at home, at that point, my eyes were on the other games and seeing where we were going to finish, who we were going to end up playing.
00:10:14
DailySaintsPod
And...
00:10:15
Zak
Yeah, I think that that was kind of that was kind of my point. It's not that we were having a bit of a catch-up pre-show, obviously I've been... I just disappeared off the face of the earth for a little bit. And obviously, doesn't mean that I've not been paying attention. And it was a very odd-feeling game, because I was excited to watch it, but it kind of was like, really, all it's doing is confirming potentially who we're going to play. And even then...
00:10:36
Zak
that is That is up to the final whistle, realistically, and you know the range of emotions that went through probably a lot of clubs. At one point, it was Derby. At one point, it was Wrexham. Finished on Hull.
00:10:47
Zak
Yeah, it's just kind of crazy.
00:10:49
DailySaintsPod
I talked about it last week that there were like eight or nine different variable permutations of where we could end up and who we could face. You know, those three teams below, Derby, Hull, Wexham, and of course, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, and Millwall.
00:11:09
DailySaintsPod
And I'm like, look, I mean, you'd expect us to win. But what that means is that none of the other like permutations of where we could end up sit on our shoulders at all because it's all down to other results.
00:11:21
DailySaintsPod
And, and you know, Ipswich made it very clear very early on.
00:11:22
Zak
Yeah.
00:11:26
DailySaintsPod
They like streaked out in front of QPR. And so it became, okay. That's fine. That was kind of the the best possible outcome for us anyway, because it meant that feasibly we could finish as high as third if all would have lost.
00:11:42
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, it's it was kind of always going to be the case. Like, we knew Middlesbrough had the toughest game because Wrexham had the most left to play for.
00:11:52
DailySaintsPod
among And if we won and they drew, we we ended up above them and crucially got that that home leg in the in the second game. So...
00:11:52
Zak
Well,
00:12:01
Zak
but to eat like not even being funny, mate. It all came down to goal difference. So when we actually say how important was that game, we felt like it was job done. and you know though If we hadn't have scored three, if we'd scored two, could have...
00:12:17
Zak
know what it would have gone down to at that point, right?
00:12:18
DailySaintsPod
<unk> un ball It goes down to goals scored and we'd have been ahead because we have a 10 goal lead on them.
00:12:19
Zak
Because goal difference would be the same.
00:12:22
Zak
Okay.
00:12:24
DailySaintsPod
or over
00:12:24
Zak
But either way, if we if if they hadn't, like, you know...
00:12:25
DailySaintsPod
It would have been nine goals.
00:12:27
Zak
and again, but, like, we we discussed a lot of that beforehand anyway, like the what-ifs. Like, if we beat Bristol and we beat Ipswich, we would have won the automatics.
00:12:33
DailySaintsPod
did I did a whole episode last Thursday, night about like what the different outcomes of the last day of the season.
00:12:39
Zak
What we could do, yeah. I'm very aware, but it it was... it was
00:12:42
DailySaintsPod
It took me 30 minutes and I still missed one combination because I just assumed Nipswich were going to get a point. so
00:12:48
Zak
But it's even it's even silly things, right? Like it's the, what if we'd beaten Swansea in that game that we drew that was like, supposedly Willsdale's best game, right?
00:12:53
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:12:57
Zak
Where somehow it doesn't matter how much we battered and the goals never run in. What if we both, what if we'd won both South Coast derbies, right?
00:13:05
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, you're you're entirely right, mate, because i said I said before we came on air, I said, like, worth touching on, like, if all of the things we talked about in the build-up that were outside of our hands ended up happening.
00:13:17
DailySaintsPod
So if we had a beat Ipswich and we had a beat Bristol, we would have finished second. It was only the the took the fact that we drew twice that that meant that that didn't happen.
00:13:28
DailySaintsPod
The other... Things that we needed to happen from other teams did happen. But you're right. Actually, it's it's not about these four games or these last three or four games. It's about the whole 46.
00:13:40
DailySaintsPod
And the fact that we've gone 19 games unbeaten in the league to finish it. I mean, like you think about it. when When we started this run, Preston were fifth and Middlesbrough were second. So...
00:14:14
Zak
as As Greg shared some of my opinions and and that of my friends, you know, i can understand that it seems like we upset quite a few Ipswich Town fans that day. Yeah, right like whatever like you you got your second you got seconds.
00:14:24
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. It's because of...
00:14:28
Zak
Don't be upset about it.
00:14:28
DailySaintsPod
i'll take the I'll take the credit for upsetting the Ipswich fans because in the clip I posted on social media, I did end on the funny joke about Ed Sheeran and did cut out the bit where I went on to say, nah, but obviously it's not really a conspiracy.
00:14:29
Zak
like
00:14:42
DailySaintsPod
That's ridiculous. It's just unfortunate that the referee and is this bad. And that isn't even what cost us the game.
00:14:46
Zak
But it has been really funny
00:14:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:14:50
Zak
It has been really funny now that loads of people are saying that they haven't seen Ed Sheeran at Ipswich for like the last year and now he's come out of the woodwork they've been promoted, which isn't entirely true at all. But it's it's just it's what it is.
00:14:59
DailySaintsPod
no
00:15:01
Zak
it's like Ultimately, it's the the the hand of fate that we've been dealt is the the playoffs. We've now got two super important games. We do have the advantage of... A home leg being second. We know and have demonstrated how important that's been in the past. That West Brom game is still probably one of the best games I've ever been to, if not the best game I've ever been to. I don't quite understand how it pips promotion, but it does.
00:15:26
Zak
Maybe it's something about it being at home it's top of that.
00:15:29
DailySaintsPod
just It's just the atmosphere, mate. We talked about it.
00:15:31
Zak
Yeah, which it was something It was something... different it was something
00:15:33
DailySaintsPod
you You're going to feel the build-up. I mean, I've already felt the build-up. Obviously, the ticket and information has come out. I have secured my ticket as a season ticket holder, secured my seats. As of release of this episode, later on today, tickets go on sale to members.
00:15:57
DailySaintsPod
and And then tomorrow tickets go on sale for additional tickets for season ticket holders. And then the continuous line of certain amounts of purchase history. So...
00:16:12
DailySaintsPod
you know, the excitement's built, and we also got the the ticket information for the away leg. We're going to get an allocation of 2,000 and a bit, which is crazy. But I guess it makes sense. You don't really want to give a huge away allocation and kind of give up that that stuff, right?
Playoff Logistics & Ticket Allocation
00:16:34
DailySaintsPod
It's fine.
00:16:36
Zak
Is it bad I'm just sat here being like, even know any songs Middlesbrough have?
00:16:40
DailySaintsPod
yeah Yeah, but you don't want to give away huge action in the atmosphere.
00:16:42
Zak
it No, i I get it. it's oh Yeah, exactly.
00:16:47
DailySaintsPod
And also, it's 12.30 on a Saturday, so obviously for us to get to Middlesbrough 12.30, it's going to be like a 4.30am departure, which no one really wants.
00:16:47
Zak
It's going to be the same for us, so...
00:17:00
DailySaintsPod
But as always, the FL doesn't care about the people who go to games. That's not their target audience. Yeah. But yeah, and if you've got 24 or more away trips this season to your name, you can get those tickets now.
00:17:19
DailySaintsPod
If not, then, eats you know, the slow rollout of... Yeah, we're up to, I think we're at the time of recording, we're up to 23 plus. to At the time of release this morning, it'll go up to 22 plus away matches. And then every couple of hours it goes down. that They've only posted the details of up to 18 plus away matches because that's how quickly they will go if it even gets that far. So...
00:17:44
DailySaintsPod
You know, right to the people who travel away every game should be the people who get the opportunity to go that game.
00:17:45
Zak
Yeah, it' it's going to be...
00:17:51
Zak
yeah, 100%.
00:17:52
DailySaintsPod
That is quite right, want to understand.
00:17:54
Zak
is That is how fairness works.
00:17:56
DailySaintsPod
And I will enjoy sitting on my sofa and watching it on Sky on Saturday.
00:17:56
Zak
But...
00:18:02
DailySaintsPod
Yes, because because a dr to beat i don't certainly don't fall into that groove, mate. Just the one away Qualifier game this season to my name and one from last season.
00:18:12
DailySaintsPod
So but not making the cut.
00:18:14
Zak
Yeah, but i they think we I don't think you're going to make it, mate, I'm afraid. But will be it'll be what it'll be.
00:18:19
DailySaintsPod
Okay.
00:18:20
Zak
I think, yeah, it's just... is It's a shame because it has meant that that last game against Preston has just kind of been absorbed into this, oh, wow, build-up towards the playoffs now.
00:18:30
Zak
and And I did think it was a really good game, but it was just...
00:18:30
DailySaintsPod
Well, yeah, because now it's now it's complex emotions, mate. That's why.
00:18:35
Zak
Hmm...
00:18:35
DailySaintsPod
Because now, obviously, we've all, you know, as recently as like four or five games ago, is are we even going to make playoffs? And then, obviously,
00:18:45
Zak
but it's like second is ours to lose.
00:18:46
DailySaintsPod
you know... brist by the time we played Bristol, we were confirmed at least playoffs. And, you know, Tuesday night secured that we were only playoffs, which is which is crazy. It just sort of pins the run we've on. But now it's complex emotions because...
00:19:04
DailySaintsPod
you know, it was the expected outcome in a lot of ways to have to do it, but also the three other teams in the playoffs, not teams we've performed well against this season, but also with the caveat that none of those teams are teams that we've played since we like pulled it together and went on this run. So...
00:19:23
DailySaintsPod
It's a lot of moving parts. And like you say, there's the whole Finna Zaz story about whether he can step up and and do the job against his old team where he couldn't previously.
00:19:29
Zak
Yep. yep
00:19:35
DailySaintsPod
It's just, you know, it's it's scary. And, you know, a lot of neutrals would probably look at the form coming in and be like, well, Southampton are the team on fire, 19 unbeaten, they're going to be the team that do it. But actually...
00:19:53
DailySaintsPod
anything can happen in the playoffs, man. Like it's.
00:19:54
Zak
The thing is, is that they're automatically... The way that I'm already seeing it is that we've already... For a lot of people, we've already beaten Middlesbrough, which isn't necessarily going to be the case.
00:20:04
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. It's not going to be the case.
00:20:05
Zak
And there's there's also a lot of people that have already said that Millwall have beaten Hull. Hull beat us twice this season.
00:20:09
DailySaintsPod
Which is also not the case. Yeah.
00:20:11
Zak
like I want to say 5-2 aggregate total, right?
00:20:13
DailySaintsPod
I mean.
00:20:16
Zak
like
00:20:17
DailySaintsPod
Whilst I understand trying to look past Middlesbrough to some degree... They beat us 4-0 under Tonda.
00:20:25
DailySaintsPod
like it's And I know it was before we like changed the formation and got stuff together, but these are teams that are with in the position they're in in the league on merit, right?
00:20:27
Zak
Yeah.
00:20:38
DailySaintsPod
You don't accidentally get into the playoffs over 46 games. And like look look, I know Middlesbrough are second for most of the season and have dropped off to to fall to the point they are to end up finishing fifth.
00:20:53
DailySaintsPod
But that doesn't mean that that that quality isn't still within the team to show up. And you can't you can't look past that. it's It goes back to the the old tagline, mate, that we've been touting the whole time.
00:21:08
DailySaintsPod
is It's, you need to believe you cannot expect because is it's it's no, it's not, there's no guarantee.
00:21:13
Zak
Yeah.
00:21:18
Zak
There is not. That's the thing, right? And it's, yeah, we'll come in with a healthy set of of belief. But considering where how how our season started, the expectation, and plus it's like that weird almost narrative that we have people want either like Hull or Middlesbrough or Millwall to go up instead of us because we're one of the previously demoted teams.
00:21:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:40
Zak
And this sort of I want to call it like, don't know, like agenda of like, oh, we're a yo-yo team. Like, but but really, this would be like the second time. And understand the yo-yo team, if it was constant, like a Burnley, right? Like a Burnley have spent, I want to say, since like 2020 going up and down and up and down and up and down, right? But I don't necessarily think that they they seem to go, we we haven't played them in so long because we're constantly in, oh, actually, maybe that backs up people's points. yeah But like, have yeah, but it does really start to feel like an almost like villain-esque narrative towards us because we were a a team where it was expected.
00:22:17
Zak
And I'm just like, that's just not the case.
Southampton's Playoff Motivation & Challenges
00:22:20
Zak
Because again, there was a genuine fear, especially after that Middlesbrough game.
00:22:20
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:22:24
Zak
Like, man, are we going to are we going to go down? And then we saw that happen to Leicester. So...
00:22:30
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:22:31
Zak
It was possible. Anything was possible. Obviously, we've luckily been able to turn it around and we've got some really good players and a really, really good set of belief. That doesn't mean that we can go into a playoff you know, situation, I think we're just going to automatically win, right?
00:22:47
Zak
That's what happened last year with like Coventry and Sunderland, right?
00:22:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:22:50
Zak
And then like Sunderland have gone up and Sunderland have stayed up. And yeah, they may have been on holiday quite early towards the end of this season. However, once they, you know, they have confirmed to stay up after just not expecting that from them and going up via the playoffs.
00:23:05
Zak
So, you know, we can't discount
00:23:06
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, well, that said, mate, I did see that it came out that they if their manager doesn't get Europe, they're going sack him. So, who knows? Football's a crazy game.
00:23:17
Zak
Sure, great yeah well, you know, there's there's lots there's lots going on. Chelsea are terrible for some reason. Man U have had an official graphic put out for their confirmation of Champions League football next year. that There's a lot of weird things going on in football. Hearts might win the Scottish Championship, you know, like Championship, sorry. So, yeah who knows?
00:23:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I mean, look, it's it is's crazy. Football's a crazy place, and that is why we love it. I saw Ipswich do a bus parade for second, which got some sort of interesting comments online, but look, at the end of the day, when you've been out of the Premier League for that long and make it back, you've got to make joy out of those moments, right? Like,
00:24:05
DailySaintsPod
That's that' my view on it. I'm all about putting positivity into the world and not negativity and dampening on it. all like
00:24:11
Zak
just
00:24:11
DailySaintsPod
so of Celebrate the good, right?
00:24:13
Zak
but's so There's a lot of people that don't don't like that, and especially a lot of, you know, that's what that's what a lot of online is, right? is people People love to juggle a hate bandwagon for absolutely no reason on pretty much anything.
00:24:20
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. No, look, I...
00:24:26
DailySaintsPod
i I get it, right? like They didn't win the league, but also they they have achieved you know their aim. They've done what they want to do.
00:24:35
Zak
The aim was to go back up, right?
00:24:36
DailySaintsPod
They're in back in the Premier League.
00:24:36
Zak
So then... <unk>t really matter how and they don't have to go through the pain that we're going through which yes may be the best way to go up but honestly i just hope if we do manage it we have a significantly
00:24:40
DailySaintsPod
so
00:24:43
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:24:46
DailySaintsPod
It's the best way to go up, but it's and worse the worst way to stay in the league as well, isn't it? right Both sides of that coin. like Like, winning at Wembley to go up, hands down the best way to get promoted apart from maybe, like, tramps in the league.
00:25:04
DailySaintsPod
But losing at Wembley, it's a long drive home, isn't
00:25:10
DailySaintsPod
Contemplating and another season in the championship with... a while while the football's better, the team will have to look very different and and all of the other stuff that comes with that. Oh,
00:25:22
Zak
But this is the other also thing, mate, is that we're already talking about Wembley when there's you know there's a semi-final to win first.
00:25:27
DailySaintsPod
no, I mean in general, not necessarily us, right?
00:25:27
Zak
So that's...
00:25:29
DailySaintsPod
Just just in general, going up through the playoffs.
00:25:30
Zak
just in general Just in general, it is horrible.
00:25:32
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:33
Zak
like i Did I feel bad for a lot of the Leeds fans?
00:25:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:36
Zak
Yes. Did I also enjoy Leeds are falling apart again? Also, yes. Did I feel bad for all of the crying fans who are upset, especially the kids? Yeah. Did I really, really enjoy celebrating?
00:25:48
Zak
Yeah.
Emotions & Outlook on Playoffs
00:25:49
Zak
It's just it's it's truly like the the pit of emotions for everybody to experience when you go up that way.
00:25:54
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. You don't get the maximum highs without the maximum lows. That's that's how it works, right? the it's It's that important and that in enjoyable and that impressive because the stakes are that high. And so that that's the the flip side of it. But...
00:26:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, i don't I don't know. You're right. i I don't feel joy in these situations either. i I just have nerves in my gut, and I will do until we...
00:26:30
DailySaintsPod
I will do until we are hopefully come to St. Mary's and put in a fight and get it over the line and book our trip to Wembley. And then I will celebrate that for a bit. And then I will go back to just nerves, just pure nerves.
00:26:45
DailySaintsPod
It's just part of the connection.
00:26:46
Zak
Yeah.
00:26:48
DailySaintsPod
It's part of my process. There's, it's what balances out my unmitigated optimism, right? Is, yeah.
00:26:57
Zak
Well, something does.
00:26:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:26:58
Zak
yeah
00:27:02
DailySaintsPod
uh but yeah i don't know mate it's uh it's gonna be interesting and uh we're gonna have a lot of time to build up to we've got a whole you know a couple more episodes before our our big preview heading into that game on saturday so i'm sure that we will talk about it plenty and probably look back on the season a bit and Yeah, just get back to talking about the thing we love about football and try and take at least my mind off of those nerves that come with playoffs until until we get to the good bit.
00:27:37
DailySaintsPod
Hopefully. It's what we can hope for, right?
00:27:41
Zak
Yeah, mate. What else is there?
00:27:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:27:44
Zak
It's just going to be weird that there isn't like three games a week to talk about anymore.
00:27:49
DailySaintsPod
yeah yeah Yeah, what are we going to do? It's almost time to get
00:27:53
Zak
Partly there's a World Cup. I don't know if anyone can get there or if anyone's going, but we we can sure discuss a bit of that.
00:27:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:28:00
Zak
I know international football is your favourite, mate, as you know.
00:28:02
DailySaintsPod
Not until the playoffs are done. then Then as you well know, I will be fully bought in as as is the way. It doesn't matter until it does. And then that it piques my interest to the highest level because what else you going watch?
00:28:20
DailySaintsPod
No one's watching cricket, aren't they? Yeah.
00:28:23
Zak
Wait way to ostracize all our cricket fans, mate.
00:28:30
DailySaintsPod
Oh, sorry to that one person. Right, mate, let's call it there. We will be back tomorrow to talk about some more football and some more Saints and some more good stuff.
Closing & Call for Listener Interaction
00:28:42
DailySaintsPod
But until then, look let us know in the comments on the socials how you're feeling about the playoffs. Feeling optimistic? Are you like me? Are you a nervous mess? Got your tickets?
00:28:53
DailySaintsPod
trying to get tickets, you're in that sort of scramble to do it, let us know. We love hearing from you. We are Daily Saints Pod absolutely everywhere. TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, YouTube, everywhere. Hit us up, let us know. But until tomorrow, everyone, I hope you have a wonderful day. and We will see you then.