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Episode 244: Matchday Preview! Saints vs Brighton!
130 Plays9 days ago
Southampton –Football is back at St Mary's this weekend as we host Brighton in the last of our pre-season friendlies. Hopefully this game gives us the opportunity to see how Will Still's side will line up heading into our first game in the Championship next week!
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Transcript
Introduction to Hosts
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 today, joined by my good friend, wonderful co-host, Zach Ingerfinch.
00:00:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
you doing, mate? You alright?
00:00:22
Zak
Yeah, not too bad, mate.
Zach's Asthma Discovery
00:00:24
Zak
Had a busy, busy day, busy evening. It turns out that you know how I talk and run on this on this podcast a lot, Greg. I don't know if it's a result of this, but I'm five times more asthmatic than the average person.
00:00:38
Zak
ah That was a fun discovery today. So I look forward to continuing to push the boundaries of what my lungs are capable of.
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, mate, that is, you know, it's all part
00:00:49
Zak
so So once
Excitement for Southampton FC Game
00:00:50
Zak
again, how about this, mate?
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
of mate.
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's all right.
00:00:51
Zak
We distract ourselves and everyone else from the the ongoing world's problems and talk about the problems and, you know, positives to come out of supporting Southampton Football Club, because there are some.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Mate, well, look. We're so close to real football that we've got a game at St Mary's this weekend, and we've got a match preview.
00:01:10
Zak
Buzzing.
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got even different waffle to start the episode that's not that, though, mate.
00:01:12
Zak
That's crazy.
00:01:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Third kit. It's nice, isn't
00:01:16
Zak
Oh, how do we, so like we, we talked about what we saw.
00:01:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:20
Zak
i was like, oh, look, Ferdkit looks like it's out this week. And then I sent you the link and you were like, oh, that looks cool. Cause obviously you had like the blow up um
New Third Kit Release
00:01:27
Zak
inflatable chair. Right. Which is also like around that time.
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:30
Zak
we're like, oh, that's cool. And then it just must've completely left our brain because transfer Tuesday hit. And then after transfer, transfer Tuesday hit, everything else, like all of the actual transfer news came out with, you know, Jan's actually gone.
00:01:42
Zak
ah You know, Aaron Ramsdale is now at Newcastle. Loads of stuff happened.
00:01:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:01:47
Zak
Gabby Adini's back in some form. All of that stuff, super crazy and super exciting. And then suddenly last night, like when I realized that the release date was today, I was like, we didn't talk about that at all. ah that for For people that listened to the podcast yesterday, they're going oh, they mentioned the third kits. That's weird.
00:02:01
Zak
um It's beautiful, mate, is where i'm at. the The long-winded way of me getting there is that it is an absolutely beautiful kit. I'm really upset because it probably means i'm going to buy another one. It's fun.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's put me in a difficult position, Zach, because now I think there's five Saints kits I want this year, which is lot of money, right?
00:02:16
Zak
Right, so what what you need to do, Greg, is do it ah do a blind rank of the five kits, and then if you're disappointed with it what's at number one, but you you you buy what's you move what you want to be at number one, and then you buy it.
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. All right, we'll look out.
00:02:29
Zak
Huh?
00:02:30
Zak
Huh? That's going to save you some money. Yeah.
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look out on our social media for our blind rank of home and awake and old keeper kits this season coming soon.
00:02:36
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah right Other than that, ticket sales through the roof.
00:02:43
Zak
yeah
00:02:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wrexham's a sellout. Season tickets are sold out.
Season Ticket Sellout Discussion
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pompey's sold out. Not entirely a surprise, to be honest.
00:02:50
Zak
nope but it's coming back it's it's back very very soon people people love the championship people people love to be encouraged to go to football uh season ticket selling out was always a good thing i think everyone's just there's there's a bit more of a positive vibe obviously that people that have been paying 100 attention non-stop like we have and the people that you know regular listeners will probably probably feel don't know cautious optimism maybe a
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah i
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
People love the championship. It's the best league in the world.
00:03:16
Zak
as a feeling, um if not cautious optimism, maybe a slight amount of pessimism because of just the way the pre-season's gone. And, you know, Girona wasn't as positive as the season before, but at the same time, the season before was really positive and ended up being an absolute train wreck of a season.
00:03:33
Zak
ah You know, Rangers fans are already finding out that Russell Martin's football may be not the best. They're like, how come our centre-back and left-back are passing the ball between themselves 30 times? You're like, oh, going to miss that.
00:03:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:03:44
Zak
But... Yeah, it's it shows it shows you that, you know, as much as we might have been relegated, as much as there's stuff going on and there's a lot of people that are mad at various different things, we're still a popular popular club to some people that care.
00:03:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zach, you're normally the cynical thinker among the two of us, but...
00:03:58
Zak
Simple as that.
00:04:02
Zak
No.
00:04:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, um...
Speculation on Sellout Claims
00:04:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
If... hypothetically, if you were in you know in charge of the image of the club and these outlooks, this unknown to the public like number of season tickets that were up for sale, if you got to two weeks before the end of the season at the start of the season and were pretty close, ah but you know wanted to boost like membership sales, for example...
00:04:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Would you just announce that you'd sold out season tickets even if you hadn't?
00:04:37
Zak
why I mean, you're right. They could just lie if they want to. that is you Realistically, the club could post anything. I don't i didn't see the huge benefit of that.
00:04:48
Zak
like Where I'm at is that surely you wouldn't allow people sponsor players for £1,000 if you didn't want to be embarrassing, in my opinion.
00:04:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right. yeah right you You want to... I mean, frankly, you want to sell season tickets, right? Like, you want you want the extra £600 to £700 that comes with that, plus whatever the person spends in there.
00:05:01
Zak
yeah
00:05:08
Zak
they're always They're always going to want their individual, they're always going to want the spare tickets to be able to sell them for a higher price and to sell them to, you know, the touristy fans.
00:05:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
23 games.
00:05:15
Zak
And we're not going to have that as much that we're not Premier League, but like, who knows how many Wrexham fans are going to be in the homestand, right? but like People that have watched the documentary, people that just want to see Ryan Reynolds who probably won't be there.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know, mate. Yeah... No, you're right. Not like proper Wrexham fans, tourist Wrexham fans. Like, proper Wrexham fans will be in the proper away end because, frankly, compared to most of the grounds in League One, our away allocation's going to be...
00:05:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, isn't...
00:05:44
Zak
that's their home, right? Don't want to mug the race course off too much, but still.
00:05:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and right? it's
00:05:49
Zak
like
00:05:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, I mean, what's the race course? Like, 7,000, something like that? It's just...
00:05:54
Zak
I don't know, Levi. There was a long in time where I just always thought that Dean Court was just one of the smallest stadiums on Earth, and here we are. say So, yeah, like, sort i I don't see what benefit that really gets. I don't think that suddenly people are going to start panic buying memberships because a club season ticket sold out.
00:06:11
Zak
What it means is they're like, oh, all club season tickets are sold out. Probably should have got a season ticket earlier. Maybe I'll do that next year. i just don't think that there's a need to lie about it.
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah well I mean look you could pop yourself on the waiting list and what a nice position to be in as a club that uh that we can have a waiting list uh
00:06:27
Zak
Yeah, so so
Season Ticket Benefits
00:06:29
Zak
I'm not... yeah, I'd love to, as you know, I am very cynical about many things, but...
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, mate. ah By the way, the race course has a capacity currently of 12,600, which for the record is bigger than Dean Corr.
00:06:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:06:41
Zak
but
00:06:43
Zak
and So I was right, I'm amazed!
00:06:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
a ah
00:06:47
Zak
You absolutely mugged it off of like 7,000, was going to say. a But, you know, I i think that
00:06:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think I was thinking of when they had one of the stands closed. Let's ah caveat it with that.
00:06:57
Zak
Yeah, there you go But no, i think that I don't think that the club are that.
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:07:02
Zak
I don't think there's some weird conspiracy. then There's plenty of things they do that annoy people. There's plenty of things they've done that have made people happy. There's plenty of, you know, I i have always been a strict advocate for more season ticket holder benefits.
00:07:16
Zak
I'm not one myself. That doesn't mean that I don't think that it should come with more benefits, right?
00:07:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
if they want to start sending out three free shirts to season ticket holders, it would make my life of getting hold of the other two much easier.
00:07:30
Zak
Mate, let's face it, even even one, i think, would be not out of... Yeah, even just something something more for what people put in and their passion.
00:07:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right.
00:07:40
Zak
It's all well and good to putting up the city social media videos, but no, I don't really see them needing to lie to try and boost commercial interests slightly. They'll just put the price of pints up, like, if they're that desperate.
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right. yeah You're right.
00:07:53
Zak
They'll shaft you in other ways, let's face it.
00:07:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Okay, look, we have a game at St.
Brighton Friendly Anticipation
00:07:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mary's tomorrow to look forward to, and we are going to get right into that and talk about it. But first, a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So tomorrow, ah friendly against Brighton ah in an exciting return to St. Mary's. I am absolutely buzzing to get back. I genuinely cannot wait.
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're sat on the halfway line for a change, which will be interesting. I'm sure that will be nice to hear from the touchline. What's being said is frankly what i'm most looking forward to. But yeah.
00:09:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is going to be the point where... I mean, it's the last preseason game, right? So you've got Yeah, this is...
00:09:15
Zak
This is where you'd expect to see a team, right?
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got to think that more or less what we see start tomorrow is probably who's going to start against Wrexham, right?
00:09:26
Zak
um but I don't know if i that's entirely the case. It might be a last-minute way to you kind of I feel like it needs to be be a bit of a show, right? It's got people that have paid to go. it's good it's got It's the home stadium. It needs to be a little bit more statement-y. It can't be we just like get bad 2-0 or 3-0. And it's like, oh, it's because we were giving everybody minutes. I think that, although it is a friendly, I think they're going to want to they demonstrate how are we're going to be next season.
00:09:52
Zak
And, ah you know, whether that means that it's ah like 1-0 loss to a decent Brighton side that we put in a lot of fight and spirit, happy days. But I'd expect to see a team that isn't practicing necessarily for fitness at this stage.
00:10:06
Zak
So maybe it will be a a more slightly tactically astute team. Maybe we'll start to see what it wants to do.
Player Lineups and Strategies
00:10:11
Zak
It's going to be, I think, a very interesting team sheet, probably more interesting than the others that we we've seen so far.
00:10:17
Zak
And it will be, you know, we don't know by between now and then we might even have more outgoings. So will be.
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, let's put ourselves under the cosh, mate. Let's get into predicted team lineups. Baz in goal, right?
00:10:31
Zak
Well, we can stop having the conversation about Ramsdale again, Al. We know what that is.
00:10:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:36
Zak
I feel like Baz has probably put himself as forward as first team. He wants to be in the first team. He wants to be at Southampton. Alex McCarthy is, you know as we know, 255. So you know it's be a bit difficult for him to start.
00:10:51
Zak
stop making those jokes but it's probably going to be Baz in goal I think maybe it would be McCarthy just to give him a run out just before it starts and and give Baz a little bit more time but also I think he needs to start getting those saves in so yeah I think it'll probably be him
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And then what are we thinking? Back four. That's what we've seen most so far, right?
00:11:12
Zak
I would like to see a back fall.
00:11:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:11:15
Zak
I would like to see maybe Manning get a run in because like you know driving balls into the box seems to be what we're doing a lot of. So i'd like to see Manning. I think Quorshi and Stevens probably the back because I know Taylor Harbour-Bennis is back in training. I don't know if he'll be back in time for a game on Saturday is where I'm at. I know that Wood and...
00:11:37
Zak
Kaisander and other people are kind of there too. But I also just think that, you know, Stephens will definitely, because he's the club captain, it's the first time back in St Mary's, first time under a new manager.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow,
00:11:47
Zak
Obviously, there's a lot of, I'm noticing a lot of club talk around Korshi, which is one of the reasons I think it is, the sort of a way to introduce him to the home as well. Bear in mind, it's, it's you know, so it's our home stadium.
00:11:58
Zak
He hasn't played at home yet. ah Probably Tsingawara right back, because that way, you know,
00:12:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's interesting.
00:12:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I completely disagree with your fullbacks. Yeah, like I agree with your centre-backs, but I'm thinking...
00:12:05
Zak
but Have you got different opinions?
00:12:07
Zak
Interesting. So where are you at? Are you at Wellington and Bree?
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's exactly what I'm thinking.
00:12:13
Zak
Yeah.
00:12:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Wellington and Brie. That's how I think it will play out.
00:12:17
Zak
Interesting.
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I don't dislike you the idea of Manning and Sugawara.
00:12:21
Zak
But I think that's that that's the nice thing, right?
00:12:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just think that...
00:12:23
Zak
Is that realistically, we've got two options both sides that we're not really bothered about who starts. Like, I wouldn't be bothered if it was Wellington over Manning.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:12:30
Zak
I wouldn't be bothered if it was Bree over Sugawara, right? Like, I just think that, you know, that's that's my preferable, like, sort of, i prefer that kind of attacking mindset, I guess, more than necessarily the super defensive one.
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:12:41
Zak
We haven't mentioned Charlie Taylor. I don't know if he's back from injury yet, right? Like, he had a... supposedly it was like two weeks, about two weeks ago before he came back. But I wouldn't really expect to see him.
00:12:52
Zak
But he's also on option at left back and guess center back if he really needs to be. So yeah, I'm kind of, that that's my defense. So we we slightly disagreeing there, mate. I'm all right with that. That's fine.
00:13:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, but I think I'm happy either way.
00:13:04
Zak
yeah
00:13:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the centre-back makes sense. I guess I wouldn't be particularly opposed to Nathan Wood coming in instead of Walshie, possibly.
00:13:15
Zak
Yeah, i wouldn't be I wouldn't be upset by that.
00:13:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But look, it's interesting. Yeah.
00:13:20
Zak
We've also got Ronnie Edwards as well. like That's the thing. We have a we have a big selection of centre-backs. I'm just thinking purely based off the fact that it's the first game back at St Mary's after a long time. Stephens is the club captain. I just feel like because of that, he's going to end up starting.
00:13:35
Zak
And then I'm looking at who they're going to start alongside him. I think that one of the ones that's had the most minutes and they they want to see more of is probably Korshi and also to debut him at home before the season properly kicks off. So like that was the reason behind my selection anyway.
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And then what about moving up into the middle? I think we're going to see this like double pivot shape with like a rotating front four. Is that sort of how we seem to have been doing it right? A couple of holding midfielders and then number 10, a couple of wingers and a forward that kind of...
00:14:07
Zak
Yeah, so
00:14:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
who
00:14:09
Zak
money
00:14:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's a technical term for it I'm sure.
00:14:12
Zak
if Matsuki's fit, I'd like to see Matsuki and maybe Shane Charles together. That would be an interesting... ah But I imagine it'll actually be is probably Flynn Downs and Shane Charles right in the middle.
00:14:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:24
Zak
of then your property You've got to have Mati Fernandez.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Matty Fernandez, what about, I imagine, I see, I'm thinking it's possibly like Flynn Downs and Matty Fernandez in that slightly deeper role and then maybe like, we've seen Ryan Fraser a lot in that number 10 role.
00:14:26
Zak
so Yeah.
00:14:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wonder if we see him start.
00:14:40
Zak
hey Maybe? I just, I feel like he's going to be...
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brayden Diaz, Armstrong, Stewart.
00:14:45
Zak
Yeah, but see, i want to see i want to see Downs, I want to see Robinson, i want to see Dibbling is where I'm at. That's that's why.
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we'll see him off the bench.
00:14:51
Zak
Fernandes.
00:14:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just, I feel like that's the first one.
00:14:52
Zak
So you don't think they'll start? So you think that it'll be the old boys to start to lead out the line? Because, like, I don't know, did you see the the interviews about, like, who you'd have in your FPL team that they did, the players?
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think so, yeah.
00:15:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I didn't see that.
00:15:04
Zak
So basically they all picked Adam Armstrong, right?
00:15:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:08
Zak
Including at one point Adam Armstrong, which was very funny.
00:15:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:11
Zak
But but like at one point they're like, oh, Ben, are you not going to pick yourself?
00:15:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm reading that. why He backs himself.
00:15:15
Zak
Do you not back yourself to ah to you to, you know, to score the goals? He was like, sort of tried to play it off coolly. ah But yeah, I expect them to play together, not not just because of, you know,
00:15:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:26
Zak
ah the The idea that that was you know that they got good chemistry, right? It didn't really work out in the Russell Martin system.
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:32
Zak
Maybe it'll work out better in this system. But I also think that, you know, you're talking about like Stewart Steyer, and I wouldn't surprised again if we start downs. Like, yeah.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I've completely forgotten about Archer who has been firing him into the farm.
00:15:42
Zak
Yeah. but I wouldn't be surprised if down starts purely because, again, player, show him off to the team. You know, then as the game gets going, if all sudden we start getting battered, then it might change the shape.
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:53
Zak
The beauty is, Greg, like, what we might actually see under a Will Steele team is that, like, he'll change the shape in the middle of the game to fit, right?
00:15:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:01
Zak
And not in, like, the way Russell Martin did, where he just moved the player down the pitch a little bit.
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Something unexpected.
00:16:04
Zak
Like,
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're actually going to be able to do episodes of Tactics Tuesday where there's been tactics and the tactics wasn't just pass the ball back.
00:16:10
Zak
What do you mean? Going back to my Rangers comments, mate, it is amazing to watch sort of the guys being like, oh God, why have we ended up with this guy that just makes us pass from left to right to left to right?
00:16:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:21
Zak
And i'm like, oh no, someone else needs to suffer. And again, like if we'd ended up with him and it had been successful, that would have been happy days, but alas, we do not have the quality of Man City.
00:16:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:16:31
Zak
So yeah, I have a feeling that like you know it might start off the way that you think it does.
00:16:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
Team Configuration Debate
00:16:35
Zak
But I would really like to see Jay Robinson get a few more minutes.
00:16:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:16:38
Zak
um I'd really like to see Downs just go sort of get a debut. I'm not really fussed about any of the players we put on because we've got, you know, what we're going to have left and what we're going shown is probably what they'd expect, right?
00:16:51
Zak
if you've If you've got a player that is leaving potentially on a transfer, like next Tuesday, why would she why would you bother playing in the front lane? ah Unless it's like Matty Fernandez where...
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:01
Zak
Like, realistically, you want to keep him, so you're going to play him until we actually have to sell him. Whereas if you've got, like, ah for example, Jan didn't go to the pre-season camp because clearly something's been lined up since day one.
00:17:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:12
Zak
So what was the point, right?
00:17:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:14
Zak
And now this is going to be what people will expect to be in the team.
00:17:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. Okay.
00:17:18
Zak
I don't want us to end in a position where we have, like, James Watt-Prowse and Lavia for the first, like, two games, then they just disappear off the face of the earth. i'd rather us just, you know... play you the players that are going to play, which I guess contradicts my point about what if Mati Fernandes goes, considering the interest went from West Ham to now like Juventus, Atletico, like even Sporting, I think, are talking about bringing him back now that they've sold what's his name for ridiculous amounts of money. so
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah deeply upset but hopefully they'll all just go away ah look it uh that's the trickiest team predictions we're going to have all season i reckon think that as we start to see things progress we'll get closer and closer to the right answer and uh hopefully we'll still will as well and uh
00:17:47
Zak
So anyway, we'll
00:18:02
Zak
I just don't think there is a team configuration currently that will please everybody. Like, there wasn't a lot of last season, but you got to a point where you knew what to expect in the sense of, like, you would have downs and sort of re-bow, right, during that period of time.
00:18:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:17
Zak
And then you knew Smallbone would come on in, like, the 60th minute, and we would start Archer even when he wasn't firing.
00:18:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:24
Zak
And then towards the Ivan Juric era, you always had Sulemana and Tallpool, if he was fit, would play. we are at a stage at the moment where like people have these ideal lineups. And it's crazy because the lineup differences that you see on like on like Twitter and and elsewhere, some of them are exactly what you picture them Some of them are completely off. And I don't think anyone's quite landed on ah what they think it's going to be And we won't really know until this weekend because this will be the first bit of football in front of fans where he's going to want to go okay, so this is what I want to be able to do right?
00:18:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
way
00:18:55
Zak
It's not going to be... kick of kick the ball about for 90 minutes because we want to get their fitness up. I think it is a this is a show-friendly.
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. We are going to try and predict some score lines, but first a message from our partner at Zencaster.
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00:19:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
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Global Sports Podcast Network
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Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. Zach, as always, I am going to throw you under the bus first and get your prediction for the game.
00:19:40
Zak
Of course.
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
How how do you see it playing out? i know that it Let's caveat this. It's still pre-season and Brighton are a team who did well in the Premier League and have European football.
00:19:49
Zak
Yeah.
00:19:53
Zak
I'm also a Premier League team.
00:19:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah. Right? like Yeah.
Score Predictions for Brighton Friendly
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
so let's let's stick that caveat in the front and say it doesn't really matter, but
00:20:04
Zak
It doesn't really matter, but greg My prediction is one-all.
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:20:08
Zak
And I feel like I think it's really important for us to get a clean sheet. I do not think we are there against Premier League opposition. i I think that hey whilst it's incredibly important, Baz is in goal probably some areas for the first time in a long time.
00:20:26
Zak
The partnership isn't there between the centre-backs at the moment unless they decide to play Taylor Harbour. But even then, what you're doing is you're pairing up two of the people that let in the most goals.
00:20:37
Zak
Stephen's been prone to a mistake and depending on the the left and right backs that we choose, I just feel like one point we're going to get caught out of position because Brighton are going to be good opposition.
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:20:47
Zak
Right. However, I think we might be able recover from that. And I think we're to be able to least score a goal. And I think that is the least people who go to St. Mary's deserve because it's been a long old time. And I think it'll be down because by the looks of it, you know, that's why I really would like him to start because when he came on, you know, some of the feedback that...
00:21:05
Zak
you know, some of the other players have given about him is, hey, he's really good because he gets into the right positions. And when he gets into into the right positions, he puts in the back of the net. I'd like to think at least in 90 minutes where he would to do that.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Exciting. 1-0. It's quite optimistic for you, mate.
00:21:22
Zak
That is optimistic for me. You know, also the caveat is pre-season. Right.
00:21:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Alright. So, I'm thinking 3-1 win.
00:21:32
Zak
white
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright, well, look.
00:21:33
Zak
Walk me through your logic, mate.
00:21:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brighton are a different stage of their preseason, right? They've got more preseason left than this game before the Premier League kicks off.
00:21:40
Zak
Right?
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah They're just going to be doing it for fitness. They're going to come to St Mary's and think, oh, Saints in it. ah Everyone beat them last season. And I just think we're going to want it a little bit more. i think Downs is going to get a goal. i think Archer's going to get a goal.
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think Stephens is going to head in a corner. And I think that we're still going to concede a goal, but it won't be from a mistake. It will just be goal.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, that can happen in a game.
00:22:15
Zak
Yeah, that'd That can happen in a game.
00:22:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just, you know, just a decent bit of play from Brighton.
00:22:19
Zak
been a long time.
00:22:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Decent bit of play from Brighton that will just, you know, end in a goal. No one's going to be to blame. It's just going to be what it's going to And, you know, we'll leave feeling fully excited to come and watch us play Wrexham next week.
00:22:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
past the That's the positive vibe I'm going in with, mate.
00:22:39
Zak
it's It's a positive vibe, and I and i understand it, and and like as I understand you, mate. um
00:22:46
Zak
The fact, does it not concern you that we haven't really even decided on a tactical shape yet, and we're playing against the Brighton team, that, yeah, it's for fitness, but they like know how they play and are aware of how they play, and it's not like they're going rationally shift things up, right?
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:22:59
Zak
They don't have a new manager, don't have an entirely new personnel, they're not trying to play in a different league, they're not adapting.
00:23:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think, Zach, that there is a difference between you and i not knowing our tactical shape and the team not knowing their tactical shape. I think that we are going to be coming into this incredibly prepared.
00:23:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that we're going to know
00:23:18
Zak
i rootmate I really hope because there's nothing more than, you know, as as we've said, like that Pompey game is coming up quicker than we would like it to. ah You know, we're going blink and it's going to be there.
00:23:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. On ITV1, by the way, I don't even think we shouted that out earlier.
00:23:30
Zak
No, we did not shout out that for some reason it's on terrestrial TV, like it's returned to the 2000s. How mad is that?
00:23:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going great.
00:23:37
Zak
I'm very, very glad.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was going to record it because obviously I'm going to be there, but man, I'm going to be watching that back.
00:23:39
Zak
Very, very glad. So, yeah.
00:23:46
Zak
Maybe.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice record.
00:23:47
Zak
so
00:23:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah A nice record 10-0 win or something.
00:23:51
Zak
ah Don't want i don't to kill the optimism from day one, mate, but yeah, maybe.
00:23:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know
00:23:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
what I mean? a All right. Well, look, that is just about all we've got time for today. We will be back next week as we start building towards our start of the championship.
Closing Remarks and Future Episodes
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will be reviewing the friendly.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will be previewing the championship. We will be giving some championship table predictions, ah which we all know go famously well.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
A 12th is all I'm going to say about that. ah from last year.
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's fine.
00:24:28
Zak
yeah
00:24:29
Zak
Yeah, you predicted 12. That's how many points we got.
00:24:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, look, I'm excited. We are, we are so close to the start of the season. We are ramping up and I can't wait.
00:24:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much for joining us today. Zach, thank you very much for joining me. I'm waffling about saints. My favorite part the day.
00:24:50
Zak
Likewise, likewise.
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend. If you're down at St. Mary's, hopefully that doesn't ruin it. ah lets Let's get back to football. Let's get to the championship.
00:25:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you Monday.