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Episode 308: 3 Important games for Will Still!
132 Plays28 days ago
Southampton – I've got lots of talking points today, from the under 21's, to Sam Allardyce, but primarily I'm talking about how pivotal these next 3 games really are for our season.
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Transcript
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott, your host. Today, flying solo because scheduling is hard.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not often we have to to fly solo on this show without the back and forth, but sir but I've got some talking points. I've got lots of ruminations and thoughts after that disappointing defeat at the weekend and...
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, not all of it bad, not all of it downtrodden. So we're going to go through it. want to start by talking about the... throwing it back a bit to when we used to do Tactics Tuesdays last season.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I'll talk about the formation that we've been thrown into. And I think that it was said early into the season that in general we'll still prefer a 4 at the back system, like a 4-2-3-1 or something like that.
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And And it's just really fascinated me that that we did try it a couple of times and it wasn't hugely successful. But we seem to have gone back to this back five. And that seems to be the shape he's sticking with. And whether that's just because of the personnel he's got available or or what the reasoning behind it is. I'm not sure, but I just don't think I like it. I think it...
00:01:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just too many defenders. You want more creativity on the pitch. And really that's something that we struggle with on the whole and in general is to create those spaces in behind and and get into those areas. And and i think that one too many defensive-minded players on the pitch is very easily the cause of that. I think we saw last week, you know, a couple of defensive mistakes for sure.
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i just it's nothing that I don't think just having four defenders on the pitch wouldn't solve. It's a particularly strange one. It's a really tough puzzle that I don't envy the job of Will Still to to turn around because there's there's lots of different puzzle pieces in this squad.
00:02:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And in my you know somewhat footbly intelligent brain, in that I have watched football for since I could walk, i I think I struggle to see if all of those pieces actually fit together to to become a whole. And I think that's probably part of why we've had such a tough period, such tough settling in period at the start of this season. Because...
00:02:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
we don't have We talked before on the show about we don't have like-for-like swaps, really. We have to change our personnel. We have to change a system. And I don't know, don't think there's a cohesiveness or a togetherness yet.
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think some of our players are as versatile as perhaps we think they are. And it's it's going to be really interesting with a week on the training ground to see what the outcome is.
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because on the one hand, if it's remarkably similar to what we've seen, that's not great. It hasn't worked so far.
00:03:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that never sort of worked well in the past. One of our biggest criticisms of Russell Martin is why doesn't he change things? And perhaps our biggest criticism of Will Still so far has been maybe he changes things just a bit too much or in too weird of a way.
00:03:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
up but But on the other hand, you know if it looks completely different when the team sheets come out, that in itself is going to be a point of concern. And I think that the the atmosphere at St Mary's on Saturday is going to be an important and integral part of how the day plays out.
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's going to be an interesting one. It's definitely got the potential to to boil over and not be pleasant. it's also got the potential to be a really good day out and a good win. It's such an interesting part of the season.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, which kind of, I guess, brings me nicely onto my next talking point I've got written down because we've got another three-game week or or, you know, three games in seven days, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's Wednesday. And it's... You know, they they're tricky. They're tricky things to manage when you have to take into account the play rate as a whole.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, three games in that short period of time have in such an intense league, physically that we're in, and mentally, but we'll touch on that later, is is a big ask. And it it means that you can't take each game in solitude because because you always have to have an eye on the game in three days' time. Because...
00:05:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
can't expect all of our players to play 270 minutes in of competitive football in in that short period of time. And we've shown that. We have such a high rate of illness and injury in the squad, you know particularly with things like hamstrings going. We've seen now Shea Charles, who up until that point had basically played every minute of our season.
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's going to be out for a long period of time. you know We've already had Wellington out for a while, of you know for a period before he was back, and now he's suspended as well. Obviously, we've had other players out. Ross Stewart, to his credit, looked like he was coming back strong and then also fell victim to this this same sort of thing, where it's three games in in seven days. and it's It means that you have to think of the games in in a block as opposed to as an individual you know solitude. And I know that's what we do on this show. Every match we have a preview and we try and work out what's going to go on.
00:06:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we do a review and we sort of look back on how it's gone. and And I think you have to take it a step back and look at the bigger picture. And I think that this upcoming series of games...
00:06:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's probably now because of the results and the way they've been the most important in our entire season. We, we said coming into the the last set of three games, the seven points was really the minimum acceptable.
00:06:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that that really is the case this time round, because if there's less than that, the, the noise and the criticism of Will still is, is going to become deafening. And,
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we're going to end up in a position where if we don't sort it out across that period of time, across that block of games, there's going to be calls for change of something.
00:07:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I don't know what that looks like, but often oftentimes that means that the manager is the first to go. But yeah, it's going to be really crucial to turn it around and and smash that. Whether we have the ability to do that, whether the squad is capable of that,
00:07:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
whether the manager is capable of that. I don't know. So far, the evidence would suggest maybe not, but it really is going to be the turning point of our season one way or another, I think. It's either going to be where we really sort of kick into gear, kick on, get the results that we're expecting and go from there, or it's not going to work the way we want it to work and it's going to become a bit of a problem.
00:07:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, that's that's my first two talking points out of the way. I'm going to take a breather, and let's have a word from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, we are back. And so continuing on with that train of thought about the three game three games in seven days that coming up. Obviously, Preston at home at the weekend.
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're a team that are obviously, I think, seventh or eighth in the table at the moment. Their home form is fantastic. Their away form is spotty. This a game that we should be targeting. There's a team who should be or are aiming for promotion, uh,
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is the game we need to be winning. And the pressure and the atmosphere inside St Mary's is going to make that interesting. But it's going to be game that we need to win.
00:09:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because then on Wednesday night, we've got QPR, which is probably the hardest game of the three. And... And we're going need the momentum to carry us through to that, I think.
00:09:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Especially because this that's the point where we're going to be starting to see rotations. And you know who knows what what parts of the squad are going to still be recovering from this illness or or unavailable for for any other reason. it's It's going to be tricky. And then you know probably the worst time of the season after that to play Sheffield Wednesday.
00:09:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
because they, you know, they've had all of their turmoil and, and gone into administration and got rid of Chan Siri, their owner. And now that's almost galvanized them.
00:10:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's what the supporters were waiting for. They've now gone in and, you know, overnight gone from protests and having an empty ground to, I think it 200,000 pounds that was spent in the club shop on the gate, you know, the day after they went into administration. It's, uh,
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
like it's a remarkable tale and it's, it's, it's what you want to see in football. You don't want to see a team like each other Wednesday with their history disappear because of, of an awful owner. Uh, and I guess more on that later, but this in classic Saints fashion, it's the worst time of the season to play them because they're going to be on a bounce. They're going to be,
00:10:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
galvanised, they're going to be looking to press on and and fight away from the points deduction that they've received by going into administration and and you know it's the sort of three games in seven days you look at at the start of the season and you know two of them are at home our previous three game periods have been with two away trips which have made it much more difficult We've got two home games and a trip to QPR, which is a much shorter trip up to London.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no no excuses we need to push on and get the results. Realistically, we need to be targeting nine points from those three games.
00:11:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's, I don't know, that's a big ask. It's a big ask and it's a lot of pressure. But I want to want to move on from that. We talk a lot on the show and in general about the team at the moment and their weak mentality.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's something that comes up because it's displayed on the pitch. it's It's obvious when we concede, heads drop. When we score, we also seem to struggle to to get to that part with the mentality. And it's It's fascinating to see.
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I don't know if, you know, we've talked before about scar tissue from last season and players that aren't, shouldn't be affected by that.
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know if it's because our fans feel that, right? And then that sort of, nervousness no one's comfortable when we go 1-0 up as a Saints fan because we have historically proven that that is not a comfortable position to be in and I don't know if that resonates onto the pitch and that's part of the problem I don't know if it's generational because it's it's a much harder world to grow up in and if you're especially in football you know we did a whole episode back at the start of season this season
00:13:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
talking about the the shortfalls of football with young players, and especially when it comes to money and the the psychology that that introduces.
00:13:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it's not, it is obviously a very physical game, but it's not just a physical game. At the at the level that Saints are at, you can't just rock up on a Saturday and kick a ball around. There's a a level of mental toughness to push through certain walls and push yourself to certain levels and mental preparation to absorb as much information about the opposing team and to scan, you know, take in such a high amount of information about where you can pass ball, what you're going to do in these situations. And there's only so much training you can do for that.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's not just, you know, it's all right on earth to rock up on a Sunday completely hung over and kick a ball about in a Sunday league team because that's the level and that's just it but this is this is levels and levels above it there is there are physical activations and warm-ups and routines and sports science and then there are mental activations and routines you have to be in a headspace and
00:14:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know I think we all experience it in our... I experience it in my day job. Some days i get up for work and there's no physical reason behind it, but my head just isn't in it and my work isn't as up to the task. And that's more visible in in a league that's as competitive as this, because if you're not at 100%, you're immediately exposed. And at the moment, we don't have...
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
we've not been graced with the privilege of time to, to get over that and to build that mentality for these new players, uh, and recover that mentality for, for any of the players that went through last season or before, because, because of all of the, you know, the, how awful it's been.
00:15:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's, it's just, it's an interesting one that it's a whole theory and point of view in itself to be in your own head.
00:15:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, i often think that you you perform the best when you're not thinking about it and it's instinctive, especially if you're talented enough player to be playing at that level. You just need to get out of your own way.
00:15:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that is easier said than done in so many instances. I wanted to pick up on a point that, I don't know, maybe have been misconstrued or not well communicated in yesterday's episode.
00:15:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. there are sort of few comments on the socials about, and we were talking about Cameron Bragg and and being brought and we said, oh, if the kit man can't even be prepared, how can he be mentally prepared to start? And a lot of people have taken that as well. It's just geographical. He was just there in a taxi. And I'm like, I understand.
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And whilst the logistics behind that need questioning and need looking into because it's ridiculous. Like, if you know the squad is ill, just travel with extra players. It's like, like, two three hundred pound for an extra hotel room, maybe £50 for a flight, or a couple hundred. It's pennies in comparison to some of the wages we pay the club. Just take two extra players if there's an illness rotating through the squad.
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's baffling to me that that we had to resort to an under-21 player getting a taxi from Leicester to step up, and we you know we didn't have a shirt. But regardless of that spectacle and how...
00:16:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
frankly, tin pot it looks to be sending a player on without a number or a name on his shirt. this This goes back to my point about this mentality. And if he's just rocking up in a taxi from Leicester, like just getting there in time for kickoff, it's not as simple as if you were doing the same thing on a Saturday or a Sunday at that low level, because he's missed a whole week of mental preparation, which a lot of these players have to go through.
00:17:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
you have to sort of mentally get in the headspace. Like, sure, he's in a headspace where, yeah, I'm in a headspace to play football and can play.
00:17:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the it's not the same. It's not the same level that he was prepared to play at under-21s. There's so many other points of coaching and points of thought.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's very well enough to say, well, he's a footballer. He's just got to go out and play football. But so much more goes into it to make it as competitive as a league as we love to watch. And so it's not a criticism Bragg at all.
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's criticism of the club for putting him in that situation and not being better prepared. Because how at that age, especially, i think he's 20, I looked up, how at that age can you, at the drop of a hat, become mentally prepared to step up to the first team and deliver a performance?
00:18:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I don't think I don't think it's reasonable to be put in that situation. And so I'm sure that even in an unreasonable situation, some players will step up to the plate and thrive from that.
00:18:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think that that argument makes it a reasonable position to have been put in. I hope that that's a slightly more eloquent way of putting that he, how can you expect him to be mentally ready?
00:18:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because, you know, going to get a team talk from a taxi driver in that cab ride over for him. from Leicester. It's just, just baffling. Like it's a whole, it is a whole side of the game.
00:18:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
There are people who make millions of pounds from sports psychology and the headspace and thought process that goes into being successful and being a successful footballer. And I don't think that you're setting a player up for success.
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're preparing them for the game in that way. I've got a few more talking points to to get to, but so let's have another little break and have a word from our partners at Zencastr.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:19:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so... few bits of tangential talking points. I've talked a lot about about the team. I want to talk about the news that came out today about Dragan Solak and how he has been removed from the board of a company that he set up in the summer.
00:19:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, I haven't had a chance to really fully read, digest or understand the article or the implications of it. But but you know I'm sure we'll cover it in much more detail later in the week.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But from a general point of view, it's the disruptiveness of all of this always that seems to be happening with the club.
00:20:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
and you know we've seen know If you think back as far as Jason Wilcox leaving Manchester United, there was disruption. There's always something. That was you know the day of a game. And now, you know, you jump to present day.
00:20:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Last week, there's a story Juventus won, Johan Sporz, who's the big guy who's been doing, driving all of the football decisions for us, for for better or for worse, right? And opinions on him and on how that's going aside, disruption can't be good, right?
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even having that news come in, even if he doesn't go, having that those thoughts and having to have those conversations, it's disruption, it's not good. Now we have this about Solak being kicked off the board. And, you know, it seems there's no direct, currently, sort of effect on Saints.
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's just another thing, another piece of disruption, another piece of, you know, bad, potentially bad news. And, you know, I don't know what this means for for Sports Republic, if it means that all of a sudden he's not going to be...
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know funding this the club as much as he was for any reason, or if it's going to affect it in the slightest. I couldn't possibly tell you without reading into it further.
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But really, it's just another point of disruption that we could do without. and It's just crazy. it just seems to be so non-stop. I don't know if that's like a side effect of this 24-hour news cycle in the modern world, but it just...
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
just seems to be one thing after the other and it never seems to end I hope that it you know I hope that doesn't become a problem and opinions of Dragon Solac as an owner or Sports Republic and how they're doing I'm sure will vary and rightly so you know the results speak for themselves I think that they are inexperienced and that shows And i don't know i don't know how it plays out in a better way. But but no disruption like this ever ends well.
00:22:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's it' not great. I just don't want to see it. I've seen lots of posts about Danny Roll and how he got off to a good start Rangers. But it doesn't really interest me. oh Honestly...
00:22:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
when we were before we appointed a manager and Zach was doing all of these profile episodes on all of the potential managers that we were linked with, for me, we'll still was the most exciting option. And I stand by that.
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And i think that
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
even with disappointed results, he needs to be given time before we fully judge him. And, you know,
00:23:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
he can afford time if he gets some results, I'm sure. But I don't think Danny Roll would have necessarily done a better job than Will still. And there's no real point speculating on it. I think I said before on the show, if wishes were fishes, the world would be an ocean. It's just not worth the speculation.
00:23:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not something that's going to happen now whilst he's at ranger's. And honestly, if you look at the managerial market, and if we do decide to part ways with Will Steele at the end, you know, in this international break, I mean, who who comes in and does better? what's what's Who is out there that screams proven quality manager that can do it, that fits the profile of our club and will come to it?
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, if someone wants to throw it out there and say, Big Sam, maybe I'm here for that. I don't know. Zach won't like me saying it. I'm going to put it out there anyway.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe that's the only option that I think is even an acceptable opinion. And even then, honestly, i prefer Will Steele. I don't know. It's going to be interesting to how plays out. and And then one final talking point from me before a wrap up for for the day.
00:24:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tomorrow night, Wednesday night, the under-21s host Real Madrid. St Mary's, which I'm going to go down to. I'm very much looking forward to it. The under-21s having a great season so far. Up until this past weekend, they were unbeaten in the Premier League too. Unfortunately, they did lose to Leicester on the weekend. but But this International Cup clash against Real Madrid, the under-21s of Real Madrid, of course, and it should be a good game. It's going to be exciting. It's it's probably...
00:24:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
the game at some areas I'm most excited about this week at the moment. because there's just still that dread there for the first team, but it's going to be good. I'm going to go down there, uh, see what the youth's all about.
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
The, the youth and academy is such a vital part of our club. It's such a part of our identity. you know It's the main reason that Sports Republic picked us over any of the other clubs that they were interested in buying in the English League because it comes with such an incredible list of of players that have been produced from it and it continues to to produce such quality. We've got such good set up and our youth teams still consistently do pretty well in in all of the competitions. so i hope that
00:25:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, they're really good ticket prices. think it's £7 for an adult and three for an under 18. I hope they get a really good crowd down at St Mary's to, uh, to cheer the boys on. Uh, I think it's going to be great fun. It'll be a great game.
00:26:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, and hopefully I'll see you all there. Yeah. I'm, I'm really looking forward to it. Uh, and I'm sure we'll talk more about it, uh, at some point. I'm sure that off on, uh, Thursday after I've been, maybe we'll, uh, we'll have a bit of a chat, but, uh,
00:26:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i'm looking forward to it. Some some nice positive stuff. Be nice to talk about. nice Nice little win over Real Madrid. Go into the weekend. Get another three points.
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
All starting to come together. It's all starting to come together beautifully. Well, anyway, look that is absolutely all I've got time for. Who'd have thought I could run over time rambling on in a solo episode? But it turns out I had a lot to talk about.
00:26:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's Let us know on the socials. what you think about what I've talked about. is that is Is the mentality thing something that can be trained out of the players? Is it just generational? Is it just us?
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
what What can we do? don't know. Let us know. Let me know. We're on all the socials in the comments or on the socials. X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, TikTok, all of them. Hit us up. We love hearing from you.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Honestly, makes me smile every time I see a comment. Love reading through them. It's fantastic. We'll be back tomorrow to talk more about football. I think we're going to do a nice championship roundup.
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll both be back to do that. But until then, thank you very much for listening. I hope you have a wonderful day. See you tomorrow.