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00:00:01
Episode 215: Dragan Solak discussion part 2!
86 Plays2 days ago
Southampton – With so much to talk about from the interview, we're back with part 2, touching on the academy, the bloated squad and much much more!
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Transcript
Introduction and Weather Chat
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, again, joined by my good friend, wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
How you doing, mate?
00:00:23
Zak
Yeah, good mate. Still hot.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is still hot.
Interview Insights: Dragon Solak Part Two
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are carrying on with part two of talking about the interview with our owner, Dragon Solak, from Adam Blackmore and from Alfie House.
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some really interesting stuff still to go, right? I guess let's just get straight into it. he Did you hear what he had to say about the Academy?
00:00:50
Zak
No, enlighten me.
Southampton Academy's Talent Pipeline
00:00:52
Zak
I read parts of, I think I read most of black Adam Blackmore's article.
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:00:56
Zak
i didn't get a chance to listen to the full interview. I know you've read the Echo article as well. So enlighten me. What does he say about the Academy?
00:01:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:02
Zak
Because surely it's good things.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he is. It's very good thing. So he said that when he was doing his research before investing in Southampton, that one of the things that came up frequently was the quality of the academy and how there's always a track through to the first team.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he acknowledged that actually when he took it on, they were in the middle of a a little bit of a small dry spell for like top quality talents coming through.
00:01:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it really feels that the work they're doing at the moment is fantastic and that you know we've got some great talents coming through and the work and the you know the the foundations that they've been putting place are really
Transfers and Homegrown Talent
00:01:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
working well. one you know You see that coming to light with Dibbling breaking in last year and Jay Robinson starting to break through to the first team as well. It feels like there's a real solid stream of talent coming up again, which is, you know, they're the first two we've seen in and quite a little while in in my memory.
00:02:03
Zak
we yeah We obviously we poached from Tottenham, Magoma and Amu and Mayu, right?
00:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:12
Zak
Obviously, they've they've they've subsequently gone on to, I want to say, can't remember if it was, I think it was Leicester or maybe Brentford Magoma went to. And then obviously, Amu and Mayu has gone to...
00:02:25
Zak
strasberg
Financial Regulations and Fair Competition
00:02:25
Zak
So, like, we have seen that some talents go and for money, more money than we bought them.
00:02:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:31
Zak
But as for specifically homegrown talents, yeah, it seems to be kind of back on the up and up, doesn't it?
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And that's great. That is exactly what we want, right? There's always been something that's been synonymous with Southampton is the quality of our academy.
00:02:47
Zak
It's a point of pride for us, right? Like...
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. ah You know, we've got such good facilities as well to to work through it. It's great. It is exactly what you want as well.
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
He also commented on his opinions on the PSR rules. And he speaks like one of us. It's is incredible.
00:03:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
He said that the rules as they are are ineffective because they are status quo rules and all they seek to do is keep things the same.
00:03:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
He doesn't want a world of football where anyone can come in and just like pump money in and make it entirely about the money. But, you know, as they are, the gap's going to remain too big.
00:03:33
Zak
Yeah, because how do you deal with that now this is the problem. Like, okay, well like I don't want to allow...
Impact of VAR on Team Performance
00:03:40
Zak
know this is a completely separate point, but like you know you look at sort of City and cheea Chelsea being able to spend like a billion pounds and just having absolutely no consequences for that because they're like, wow, I moved some money around in my account.
00:03:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:51
Zak
And it's like, oh, we won't allow anyone else to ever do that again. But the people that are already doing it can stay in that position.
00:03:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:57
Zak
And you're right, it's very much like you will keep a status quo forever. And we're already seeing it with the fact that nearly every promoted team in the last couple of years just can't stay in the league anymore because they can't invest.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah the gap is just so big yeah
00:04:07
Zak
You know, Forest was the last one.
00:04:09
Zak
And as much you don't want it to be about money, money buys you good players, facilities and stuff, doesn't is the problem. I'm not going to say a a big, you know, I'm not going say referees either. That's the...
00:04:21
Zak
ah ah know I'm not peddling conspiracy theories here, but, you know, it is one of those things, isn't it?
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is, yeah. It's... It's just... It's exactly right. Like, they're not... They're not filling the purpose they set out to achieve with the current rules.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that much is abundantly clear. And whilst the... You know, the intention was there, the actual execution has... Frankly, fallen flat. And, uh... It is a problem.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, these... The three teams that were just promoted gonna have a... A really tough battle.
00:04:56
Zak
Thank
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the Premier League. The gap is just massive. you know no No team has a fresher understanding of that than us right off the back of last season. It is abundantly clear that there are fine lines and fine margins.
00:05:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Speaking of last season, some interest interesting tidbits, which I'm sure we'll get taken out of context and thrown away by some sects of supporters.
Squad Size Challenges
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he said that that VAR hadn't cost us eight points at the start of the season, Russell Martin would probably still be in charge of the club.
00:05:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, he does caveat that with because he thinks... you know it would have been a completely different story because once you start playing under pressure, you start changing things, and if those changes don't work, it becomes a snowball effect and becomes more catastrophic.
00:05:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know He goes on to say that that's not to say he thinks that we'd have put in enough fight to survive, but we'd have looked a lot better doing it than we actually did.
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
so
00:06:06
Zak
so say So what, like, how many points did we end up on? What, 13? 12? 12. we ended up with 20.
00:06:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 12.
00:06:14
Zak
Yeah.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he was saying that Weed have been more competitive than that. I think that he's right. And I think i point i think it's, in fact, exactly a point I've made when reflecting on the last season of that with those points early on, the whole season looks different because, you know, we saw him do, we saw Russell Martin do crazy things at certain points in the season, right?
00:06:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like going to Bournemouth and not playing a striker. And you've got to think that he doesn't do something like that if he's not already feeling the screw turning and feeling the pressure.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, if we're in a better position and with a bit of confidence, sure, he sticks to his guns and something else happens. It's just...
00:06:56
Zak
that's kind of where I'm at. Because, like, Van Nistelro came in and won, like, two games on the bounce for Leicester. didn't change that season.
00:07:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:02
Zak
Like, it's...
00:07:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just... I just...
00:07:04
Zak
I think I understand that he liked Russell Martin and he was sad that he left, right?
00:07:08
Zak
He even said as much.
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:09
Zak
But he also said that Russell Martin was cocky. And he was.
00:07:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:13
Zak
He came into this league thinking, I'm going to play this way and like it or lump it. I'll live by the sword, die by sword. He died by the sword and somehow got a promotion. Like, you know, you can't make it up.
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:21
Zak
So, i'm not really... you know, if he'd stayed, ah ah wouldn't be as upset, but I would be apathetic because I got apathetic towards the end. I just thought they'd never fire him.
00:07:33
Zak
I just think there was nothing they could do.
00:07:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:07:34
Zak
And then they did. And then we were like, well, it can't get much worse. and then they brought in somebody that was just Russell Martin 2.0 with less of an idea. Yeah.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah.
00:07:44
Zak
so
00:07:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was interesting for sure. right. Well, there's there's more
Multi-Club Ownership Benefits
00:07:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
talking points as well. First, a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So, carrying on with the train of thought of one of the problems that I think we suffered from quite badly last season, to be honest, is that we've got a massive squad.
00:08:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he says that it really needs trimming. His ideal squad number is 25, and we are well above 30 at the moment. So, he acknowledged that selling players can be difficult.
00:09:01
Zak
How often have we had conversations where we've just entirely forgotten that people even play for the club, mate? And that's a problem.
00:09:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
too often.
00:09:07
Zak
like And then you've you've got like you know you've got Ryan Fraser, who just disappeared off the face of the earth during the second half of the season.
00:09:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:15
Zak
ah you know we We had Bella Kochat that's been in and out and on loan, and who knows what where. Then they've got like Armstrong that was out on loan that's coming back. Ben Bereton-Diaz that's coming back. Cameron Archer.
00:09:26
Zak
you know Ross Stewart that's come back from injury. don't know what's going on with him. but then And then Sugawara, Bree. There's There are tons and tons of players. and It's like if you were playing football manager, you would struggle to deal with all of their demands for playing time.
00:09:41
Zak
Now, I'm somebody that always tries to to tries to mix up my squad when I play that game. And I'm aware that real life isn't a game. But at the same time, you know, trying to manage that many personalities and trying to manage them to make sure they are all getting what they want out of being at the club.
00:09:58
Zak
it's it's going to be difficult. And selling them is hard because we've just had our worst Premier League season of all time. Where are they going to go? Who wants them? right that's That's a lot of where it's at. like The players that are obviously going to go are things like Fernandes, Dibling, Ramsdale. They have obvious homes for them to go to to a lesser extent.
00:10:18
Zak
You've got Jan Bednarek having a really small release clause and being quite popular. And then you've got potentially Suleman on the way out with... Atalanta and then also Tall Pool wanting to supposedly go back to Turkey so yeah there's outs but the problem is is all these clubs are going to be like we don't want to pay for it maybe we can just get a loan again and previously we have been really guilty of just rolling over letting a player go out on loan for the whole season and then maybe taking like 3 million at that point and then you're still kind of paying for them we're not paying for all their wages probably we're definitely usually paying for at least a bit of it and what we actually need is just get rid of them and it's just how how do you do that that's the problem
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:55
Zak
But I agree wholeheartedly. It's too big. The squad's too big. And I think you want to make sure that the players that are here for the start of this season are here because they want to be here. Not because, you know, not for any other reason.
00:11:06
Zak
Or at least that they're going to put in 100% effort. If one wants to buy them, that needs to be a wake-up call to go, hey, maybe one wants to buy me because I've been bad. Maybe if I start playing good again.
00:11:17
Zak
What What rocket science is it?
00:11:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:19
Zak
You know? but yeah, I agree.
00:11:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Beautiful.
00:11:22
Zak
As you can tell, I'm quite passionate about the subject.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, 100%. It's just so bloated, and I hope that we can do things to to bring that down. It is been our biggest problem, and it's going to cause problems.
00:11:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know If we can't cut down this season and we go into next season with a similar problem, it's going to cause problems straight off the bat because what you know if we go up, going to want to invest probably quite heavily
00:11:44
Zak
Yeah.
Fan Loyalty and Club Improvement Plans
00:11:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
and definitely quite early.
00:11:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to want to try and get ahead of the game. you know The early bird gets the worm. Uh, and if the early blood is a bloated squad as tall as Paul, it's not going play out with it.
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
No one's available, mate.
00:12:02
Zak
But it's ironic because part of investing into the club was how our squad has gotten so bloated, right? Half of the players who were trying to get rid of the players we bought in for this season and that the other half of the players we bought to try and get us out of a hard relegation battle right and then there's players coming back we forget about we have we know we we've touched it a little bit but you've got like shea charles coming back adosey coming back all of those players are still everyone's going to want to play some sort of role and you know it's going to be difficult figuring out where everyone's going to sit and i just hope that
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:36
Zak
If we do cut the squad down this time, like we we figure out a more permanent way of doing it rather than doing what we usually do, which is sign a player for five years, discover that they're rubbish after one, send them out on loan for four years before eventually they leave.
00:12:50
Zak
Thinking of people like Mario Lamina, for example.
00:12:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. He also mentioned the the multi-club ownership model and it coming into play and how you know some players are already signed for Southampton and doing well at other clubs and will be brought into the mix.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's interesting to see how that might feed into this sort of bloated field.
00:13:12
Zak
yeah Yeah, because you could theoretically move them within your own model, right? They might do better off in Turkey than they are in the Premier League, but also you might have you know players like Masuki over in Gestepi as part of Southampton's squad.
00:13:27
Zak
He was sent over there to develop. He might come back and do a solid number in the championship. We don't know, especially in some of those positions where we might end up struggling to get people. Whether or not they're the right quality, ah but but we'll find out, but...
00:13:41
Zak
I don't know. I feel like from a Saints fan perspective, as we've constantly talked about with this multi-club model, we need to start seeing some like advantages. Because at the moment, it just kind of seems like Gestepi are getting all of the advantages and we're not.
00:13:53
Zak
it's We're there so be the centre of it and everything it just works around us.
00:13:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:59
Zak
I'd like to see Sander get bit game time and see if he was a worthwhile investment. And obviously, he managed to get his debut ah before the end of the season. Obviously, in in what was essentially nothing games. But You know, we've got players, you know, that would be, that is an example of if he does well and he plays more this season and gets into the first team, would be an example of that being successful, right?
00:14:21
Zak
And I think we need an example of that for fans to trust it.
00:14:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
to actually reap the benefits. Yeah.
00:14:27
Zak
Yeah, for us to trust what they're doing is right because you can talk about how great it is as a as a business thing. But again, you know, as much as he's good at business and as much as we've been singing his praises this time around,
00:14:41
Zak
I don't care about most of these other clubs, no offence to them. I'll clap them because we're like, don't know, brother-sister teams or whatever. But I care about Southampton Football Club and I want to see the things that make Southampton Football Club so successful, not Sports Republic.
00:14:56
Zak
And as long as he acknowledges that that's what fans' opinions will always be, I don't think he'll have a problem with the fan base.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i well, funnily enough, the last point I have to talk about is his comments on the fans. But first, a message from our partners at Zencaster.
00:15:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencastr came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencastr. Okay, and we are back. yeah, hes his the last set of notes I've got, although the interview did touch on other stuff, the last sort of point of interest that I brought out was he credits the fans greatly. His eyes have been opened.
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
The exact quote he gave Adam Blackmore that something about English fans that are just like one cut above ah ah any know fans that he's used to dealing with. And then he would go as far as to say that Saints fans are one cut above that for sticking with the team as much as they have.
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, still basically selling out some Mary's every week, even with the woeful rubbish that was served up last year.
00:16:17
Zak
Not only
Solak's Commitment and Vision
00:16:18
Zak
St. Mary's, mate, like the away games.
00:16:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the trips, yeah, he mentioned specifically that, like.
00:16:19
Zak
Like...
00:16:22
Zak
Like, we had... we had plate we had tea we know we Even after we were relegated, we still had, you know, pretty much full sets of away fans going to watch us attempt to to not get battered, right? Like, it wasn't even a a case of whether or not we'd win.
00:16:38
Zak
And then, obviously, the fans at City, that ended up being a good game. But, like, I think even Paul Paul said it, right? When he he scored, he said he just wanted to score to give something back to the fans. Because, you know...
00:16:51
Zak
Even yourself, mate, like you're taking you're taking your kids to go and see that week in, week out. Think how many hours you spent at St Mary's last season for what? And like, ah ah that that is, there there has to be psychologically something that, I don't know, makes us all deluded, makes us care.
00:17:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:08
Zak
And like, I think that, you know, people can,
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he, he praises that. He says it's, it's fantastic that they love the club that much and he wants to do that justice and do that, see that right.
00:17:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
That their love is, is dealt with properly and handled properly and that they have something as a reward for that.
00:17:27
Zak
but just give us some free pizza or something, right? Like give give whoever goes to the games free pizza or free drinks voucher, something, you know, especially at the start of the season, get everyone hyped up early, give them, give give back.
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:39
Zak
Because the thing is, is that... from a I understand that the idea of investing into the city and building up the air around St. Mary's, which which could be incredible if it pays off. I'd i'd like to see it get through government, but hey-ho, I don't have a lot of trust in that.
00:17:52
Zak
But like that, whilst it is in his mind probably like, oh, look, I'm going to make Southampton amazing, you still need to, I think, just give back to the fans directly, right?
00:18:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:03
Zak
Like, that's what I think they need. They they need that acknowledgement. I guess that's not true. You don't need the acknowledgement. We're not a fan to be to be told we're good or whatever. But, like, it is good that he recognises because, you know, we we often get mugged off and it's, oh, you know, we're near as good as Toon fans.
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:21
Zak
You know, we're near as good as Liverpool fans. You don't have any songs like that. You sing the same song of the time. I'm like, yeah, but we sang the same song week in, week out during the worst season of all time. Like, Everyone went out, you know, we were able to make jokes ourselves.
00:18:36
Zak
Like, again, by my wife, lover, she literally can't help but laugh at how how good we are as fans at self-deprecating humour.
00:18:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:46
Zak
We've become the absolute experts of it, right?
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
well yeah yeah absolutely
00:18:48
Zak
Like... yeah because we've had to, but it's, it's because we care. And like, i've I've spoken about this before, Greg, with having to try and explain it to non football fans or non sports fans, like why it's so important, how it gets its claws into you. And i'm like, I can't, I physically cannot explain the the emotions, the like endorphins that it releases and why would put myself through the torture of like watching saints week in week out.
00:19:15
Zak
But yeah, I will, and I'll continue to do it, and I love it and we're doing a podcast, a daily podcast about it, because we we love this football club. And I think that it's... I'm glad to see an acknowledgement of all those people, those hard-working people that have put their money, not where their mouths are, and have, you know, travelled for hours, spent weekends, all to support a club that last year, quite frankly, just didn't give back to them.
00:19:39
Zak
And, you know...
00:19:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. He also...
00:19:41
Zak
just I think we're really good as fans and I think that we don't get acknowledgement.
00:19:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah
00:19:44
Zak
annoys me.
00:19:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's great. a Look, he sees that, he feels that. you know He said openly that when he first came on as an investor, his plan was just to enjoy the you know effectively the expensive season ticket.
Acknowledgement of Past Missteps
00:19:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he clearly has come to care about the club much more than that.
00:19:58
Zak
Free hospitality, innit, probably.
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he also addressed the section of fans that have been calling for him out. And he said he gets it. He understands their frustration. he acknowledges that there have been you know, a series of mistakes.
00:20:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
He says that he doesn't believe that Anksson and Kraft deliberately sabotaged the club and that they just, but you know, were overconfident in their abilities. And, and, but he acknowledges that it was a mistake and that it was a mistake not bringing in someone to replace Wilcox sooner.
00:20:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he, he said he understands it, but he feels that the best thing for the club is, especially now that they've put so much work into you know the financial side and getting all of that in a place. It's like the club is in a better place now than it was when we took over.
00:20:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll be an even better place in five years' time we're still going to be investing. But if he ever feels like he is the problem that's holding the club back, then he will step aside. But he doesn't feel like that is the case currently.
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
He loves the club too much.
00:21:05
Zak
and that's good to hear. And I think if the overarching problem was how much, you know, the ownership, i obviously i remember there were like a few fan protests in this and the last season, but it would be so much more widespread.
00:21:18
Zak
Like if people thought that that was genuinely the problem and also hundred percent people would have voted with their wallets.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:24
Zak
They did that one FA cup game where they tried to charge us like 50 quid to go and watch us play Swansea or whatever it was.
00:21:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. They were one.
00:21:30
Zak
and And that's one of the things where we dipped below the 20,000 mark, which has been widely reported as some clubs have had a sub-20,000 appearances this season.
00:21:41
Zak
And I'm like, I'm not really a fan of being lumped in with, you know, as as the reasons why you were specific and circumstantial. But, like, would get ah ah to a point that people were sick of it. People would start protesting. People would...
00:21:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:55
Zak
have that feeling, right? Like when but way like and Nathan Jones, right? Like that, that's a perfect example. That was so quick. I've never seen anything like that.
00:22:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:02
Zak
it was like a lightning, but like pete he came in, he started mugging off the fans. He went.
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah feel We've talked about it a lot on the show, but the the fact of the matter is that some people have very short memories, right?
00:22:08
Zak
I
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you know, the previous owners,
00:22:16
Zak
ah ah they can't blame him though, either. If you go in week in, week out and and you start seeing drops, you're going to be mad.
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
100%. I fully accept that and get it.
00:22:24
Zak
You're paying for it as well.
00:22:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, at this point, I think that they're investing. They haven't taken any money out of the club, importantly, which you see from a lot of other places. They acknowledge that they've made mistakes and are trying to put it right. And I don't think you can ask for more than
Reflections and Future Outlook
00:22:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
that. like It's not easy.
00:22:42
Zak
We just got to see what happens this season.
00:22:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
just Just to come out and accept that mistakes have been made is such a rare... thing, especially in football.
00:22:51
Zak
ah so
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just It's just nice, mate.
00:22:51
Zak
In football, in this day and age, like as a guy, like there's just there's so many things that you can tick the box off there.
00:22:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:59
Zak
but he' is kind of less At least you've got the courage there to actually come out and be like, look, we messed up. And the fact that, it's again, it we said at the start of last episode, it was refreshing to hear it.
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:11
Zak
It's refreshing to know that we're not all insane. We did witness whatever last season was. Yeah, they were stupid around the way that they did things. Yeah, they're probably not going to do that going forward.
00:23:21
Zak
Maybe instead of relying on some people that are business people that know a bit about football, he's just going to leave it entirely up to football people. And that's like, perfect. That's all I want hear, mate.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we can hope. That is exactly it. Well, look, that is the note of optimism we're going to end on. Who knew we could take so much from a couple of sit-down interviews? but But it's been a genuinely fascinating insight into his brain for me.
00:23:44
Zak
Hmm.
00:23:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's great. Like said at the start of part one, it's not something... It's not something he had to go out of his way to do. There are plenty of silent owners that will happily just fly under the radar and do what they want.
00:24:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And even worse than that, there are some owners that you know actively go out of their way to the worst possible image they can for a club. So at least it's not that either.
00:24:12
Zak
Shiffield Wednesday.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:24:14
Zak
The guy who ran Reading until Reading got saved.
00:24:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:18
Zak
Some perfect examples.
00:24:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Vincent Tan at Cardiff who tried to change them to the red.
00:24:21
Zak
let's change Let's change the bluebirds to red.
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:26
Zak
yeah
00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. Plenty of examples of heel management.
00:24:32
Zak
can I give one more?
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
then
00:24:35
Zak
Fulham getting a Michael Jackson statue?
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:38
Zak
but for of his hard work at Fulham Football Club.
00:24:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fantastic. That's it. So look, that's the bar, Sports Republic. but what can i feel What can we say? You're better than all of that at least.
00:24:54
Zak
Oh dear, pleasure mate, thank you very much.
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, let's hope that it does, that their work does show through this season and we get back to, you know, the successful thriving club that we we feel like we deserve to be.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, whether anyone deserves anything, who knows.
00:25:07
Zak
Let's win the league. Let's win the league. Let's win the league.
00:25:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's do it. All right, we will be back.
00:25:13
Zak
but
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
next time with more but until then have a wonderful time bye