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Episode 327: Matchday Review: 3 IN A ROW!
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Southampton – Cheer up Nathan Jones... oh what can it be?...... What a wonderful weekend to be a Saints fan. What has made us suddenyl click into gear?
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Transcript
Southampton's Win Streak and Predictions
00:00:15
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 Ingo Finch.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
How you doing mate, you alright?
00:00:31
Zak
Hey, three games in a row. Three. Three in a row in a game that I predicted maybe we edge it 1-0 with Rumeu scoring because we had not had the team news that he could not play for the next, I don't know, couple of weeks, right?
00:00:49
Zak
A game which I was slightly nervous about because, you know, Nathan Jones and Sod's Law would we lose to to Nathan Jones and he would be all giving it the given and and this, that and the other.
00:00:59
Zak
But no, mate, we we went out there and and somehow I blinked and we'd scored like four goals.
00:01:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:07
Zak
just, mate, what was that?
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Against a team who have not lost at home in, something I think it was 28 games since their last defeat at the Valley.
00:01:16
Zak
Like, 28. And, like, you know, they I think it was the only other game they'd had like against that. I think Jones was interviewed after, and it was, like, Bristol Rovers or something.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:01:24
Zak
And, like, people will say, oh, well, we've beaten some pretty soft teams. But, again, can only beat on what's in front of you. And, like, that game against Swansea, we should have won and didn't. But we've won the three in
Fan Reactions and Social Media Buzz
00:01:35
Zak
a row.
00:01:35
Zak
we We came against a team that, well, they're in form, probably a lot happier than us. A team that Nathan Jones probably told them all to go out and kick us and whatnot because is old team that apparently he he grew as a man at, but also kind of hates us because, you know...
00:01:52
Zak
Apparently, Greg, we we we played what football only for 20 minutes.
00:01:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:01:56
Zak
And also, we've spent the most billions and billions of pounds to get where we are. And again, like, I mean, he said credit to Sal Abdon.
00:02:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:04
Zak
And to be honest, i don't I don't need to give him any stick. Our away fans did that solidly for 90 minutes. Like, to to come up with whoever came up for that shot, like, man, absolute pure cinema.
00:02:16
Zak
Like, just loved it loved it so yeah instead of being sat here being like you know one of the one of the social things we put out mate was like oh let's not underestimate them and like i feel like and i like literally somebody somebody commented on one of our our tiktoks right well we were like you know we put our predictions forward it was like yes it's already four nil it's like oh oh okay it's four one before half time and like well that means that means i think i think i've done with this prediction game mate but uh
00:02:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
just It's just mad. I mean, i think it was beautifully sumed summed up with a tweet I sent you from that's gone a little bit viral from SFC Toby, who tweeted the Sky help team and went, I need assistance. suit I've tried to turn in Charlton versus Southampton, but it's actually showing Charlton versus Barcelona. Yeah.
00:03:06
Zak
But like, it's mad. it's it's i i I think I want to start off not with like a negative, but like, did the players just not like Will still?
Player Positions and Team Performance
00:03:19
Zak
Like, what has happened? it Was it... but What's going on there? Because I just can't help but notice that small tweaks and what...
00:03:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. Yeah, it is what it is, right? It's small tweaks. It is relying on simpler things like playing players in their best positions.
00:03:40
Zak
Whoa!
00:03:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's
00:03:41
Zak
Mate, come on now.
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's and it's
00:03:43
Zak
that's That's crazy talk.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's making bold decisions that is not, oh, let's squeeze this player onto the pitch by playing them out of position. It's, if I haven't got a player to play in this position... Maybe I'll promote someone from our really successful Wonder 21s team.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And, you know, I...
00:04:01
Zak
And not throw them to the wolves with four minutes to go at the end of the game that we are losing, through one
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, I text you before the game and I went, ooh, starting Cam Bragg is one of those decisions that's either football genius or football idiot. It's a real fine line. And, you know, we saw, I don't know if you saw, earlier in the week before the game, an article from the Daily Echo with an interview with Cam Bragg, like,
00:04:15
Zak
Yeah.
00:04:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
but It was, like, one of the best days of my life, getting on the pitch as a first-team player, and then quickly became one of the worst days of my life because of what happened after that. But, like, he came on, he was solid, he played his role, and everyone around him seemed to just just have one of those days where it just clicked. And, like, none of the goals were, like,
00:04:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
like spectacular or anything special. They were just well-worked team goals, finding the gaps.
00:04:53
Zak
Who cares? That's what I want. I don't want us to rely on that.
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was beautiful. No, honestly, it was beautiful because they were just well-worked team goals, finding the gaps, one solid through ball, one shot, bang.
00:05:02
Zak
if
00:05:06
Zak
You've got goal from a defender, goal from a striker, goal from a midfielder, and then a goal from an attacking player. Two goals from an attacking player who we've been asking where he's been this entire campaign so far.
00:05:20
Zak
And it turns out not being played quite where he should be played means that he's not able to produce the things that he's produced.
Historical Parallels and Future Prospects
00:05:28
Zak
Armstrong, absolutely fire as well.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
and that that combined with the bit of That combined with the bit of confidence of it coming before the international break as well, right? like Those two things, we it's it's been coming and it's been close. And this is the sort of performance we've been expecting all season and have been like millimetres or inches away from.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I mean, I don't know what Tonda has done differently to unlock it from these players if it is just the simple things, but Man, you can't look to results.
00:06:00
Zak
but yeah i I don't know if it's if it's competition.
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:02
Zak
like you know You've seen now that we've you know we've had a youth player like promoted through. I don't know if that's just going to like scare everyone to be like, oh actually, I need to play really good. and like Just playing the best players we have on the pitch.
00:06:16
Zak
like it It's been very bizarre.
00:06:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:18
Zak
like I feel bad for some of the players that were in form that were dropped, like Fraser and stuff. But like, Yeah, like Armstrong, just absolutely incredible. Like it was like having prime championship armor back, but like even even more with like a rocket up him a little bit.
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Two assists and a goal and both like incredible assists as well.
00:06:32
Zak
But yeah.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just like defense splitting passes. Yeah.
00:06:42
Zak
Yeah, absolute madness. Even Damien Downs, when he when he had his short cameo, probably had a little bit more confidence to come on in a game with winning, for starters. And, you know, did did a lovely piece of skill getting past the keeper.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:55
Zak
Really wish he didn't, like, send it into space. Yeah. that was That was just a little bit of a disappointment, but yeah, just so much so much better. You even texted me at one point going, clean sheet's massive here, and you text that up 30 seconds before we conceded.
00:07:12
Zak
silly goal, which doesn't really matter at that point, but still frustrating.
00:07:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just classic Saints. and thats That was just textbook.
Youth Influence and Managerial Impact
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I think I've told the story on the on the podcast before, but I distinctly remember when Sadio Mane scored his fastest hat-trick of all time in the Premier League against Aston Villa when put fiver on Saints to score next when they were 4-0 up and Benteke went up the other end and headed one in 30 seconds later. That's just it's just textbook. straight out of the Saints script, it was always going to happen. Hmm.
00:07:46
Zak
Oh, mate. Yeah, exactly. is It was as soon as you texted it. that you don't need to You don't need to say things like that. But I just think that it was just an incredible it was just an incredible game. And it's such a nice feeling to have.
00:07:57
Zak
Like, texting back and forth with Just, like, everything around it is building an air of of positivity.
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:08:04
Zak
But again, like, you... we we kind of, the team sheet was basically the same, Barb Bragg. As you pointed out, it was very much like, i know oh, this is a bit of a risk. Clearly, Tonda didn't see it as a risk. Clearly, he trusted him enough to know that he was going to go out and just do the job fully over those 90 minutes because he's been the guy who's been with him so far this whole season.
00:08:25
Zak
And, like, you see he's the captain, right, for the Under-21s? So, like... Just, yeah yeah, I don't know, everything clicked together and then blinked and we we would 4-0 up and it was insane.
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, I mean...
00:08:36
Zak
So don't remember the last time, you know, what we what we talk about when we beat Swansea under Russell Martin was probably the last time that we like comprehensively like demolished a team.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Boxing day, yeah.
00:08:47
Zak
So yeah, just four no idea, but it was just wonderful to watch and see, mate, I'm not going lie.
00:08:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Doesn't get hungrier than that. And they're stepping up to the plate doing it. We saw it in the, uh, was it the QPR game when he brought on Williams for downs at halftime? It's just got that trust in the youth system and it's just playing out.
00:09:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, it's brilliant to see.
00:09:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, uh,
00:09:40
Zak
Well, it's all the things we've been worried about.
00:09:41
Zak
All the things we're worried about, oh, we've not recruited this, we've not recruited... Again, it's it's why i look I look forward to seeing what more sort of tools we have in the toolbox from the youth, because supposedly, you know, we've it's like...
00:09:54
Zak
bizarrely unlocking this, as you pointed out, one of the best like you know youth products in the country.
00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:00
Zak
And it turns out if we actually take players from there and play them, they end up doing really well. And I don't understand how everyone seems surprised by this, but like proper... but i guess it's like the best possible outcome that everybody would have wanted.
00:10:15
Zak
And we're just seeing it play out. and I do do really feel sorry for still, genuinely, because like I feel like he must have put some of the work in to get where we are now.
Team Dynamics and Player Contributions
00:10:26
Zak
But yeah, I don't quite understand what's happened for Eckert, what he said to the players, why everything is as positive as it is. And, you know, we've got a proper test coming up.
00:10:39
Zak
midweek, right? Like, this would be, okay, it's not, it's not like two or three teams that low down the table or out of form or like, you know, Chang, don't get me wrong, don't want to disrespect them because again, like, so I don't want to disrespect them because we were like, worried about that game probably more than the other games, right?
00:10:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:53
Zak
Yeah.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But they are promoted team, a team who have come up from an League One and who are, you know, their league position and their form is generally exceeding expectations, right?
00:10:58
Zak
Yeah.
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe, you know, if if you
00:11:06
Zak
Yes, it's a Sunderland in Premier League currently, right? Like, that no one really expects Chelsea to be where they are.
00:11:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, if if this is if this is the opening day of the season and there's no league form, we're expecting this result against Charlton.
00:11:17
Zak
Yes, exactly that. And and so to come a cup against Leicester is far more of a... I don't know, it's it's far more of a game of last season, right? Like it is, we are playing a team that were on our level, that have been in Europe, that have been Premier League champions. And yes, you can talk about how that's very different. but They are also the team that psychologically have put nine past us in the past. And that will probably be played over and over and over in in their fans' buses on the way and this, and the other. So it's going to be a bit more of a tougher test, but like let's not take away from the fact that he is now the second most successful manager in the Sports Republic era with currently 100% ratio.
00:12:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Also, of our last three managers, the only one to go to ni up.
00:12:06
Zak
God, yeah. When you sent that to me before we started recording, that that's the thing that made me go, oh, man, we have been we have been so toilet for so long. like like And it doesn't feel that way because it's like the last time we ran one three in a row was like 2024, right?
00:12:24
Zak
You're looking at at like a year and a half ago.
00:12:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:26
Zak
But it does always feel like we've we've all aged about 10 years in that one year because just how awful that last season was.
00:12:33
Zak
But like, it's just, it was just nice to like, See, like I guess, like i've again, I've always been more on the pessimistic side. You know this. Everyone who listens knows this. But like it's nice to see all of the things that you were saying out loud constantly, Greg, be like on display, right?
00:12:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:50
Zak
Regardless of the side in front of you, like we we put them completely to the sword.
00:12:54
Zak
And the first half is the only thing to talk about because the entirety of the second half was just like, well, it's been 20 minutes, better take all the players off for Tuesday. It's been another 10 minutes, better take some more players off.
00:13:06
Zak
there's five minutes towards the end, let's just take off, fellas, he looks tired.
00:13:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but that said, even with that that approach in the second half, it would have been very Saints-like to have done some of those things and then conceded a couple of stupid goals and made ourselves in for a dicey last 10 minutes.
00:13:24
Zak
Yeah, exactly.
00:13:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we didn't. We swore it out solidly. Like, we...
00:13:28
Zak
the fact that we got to a point where like it was boring, and despite the fact that it did get a bit, there was a bit of complacency. It was like, it's wild to think that we had a level of complacency.
00:13:40
Zak
What do you mean our players could afford to be complacent for the first time in forever?
00:13:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
pray thee
00:13:44
Zak
But it's just it's just a really good feeling, and it doesn't resolve all of the questions. It doesn't resolve all the problems. I'm going to ask you after the break, Greg, about, like, you know, the big question, but it it it is what it is.
00:13:59
Zak
Enjoy it for what it is, right?
00:14:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Indeed. Yeah. All right, mate. We'll get to that big question. And I want to talk about some individual performances and some I mean, is it too early to start calling one of these players a club legend?
00:14:08
Zak
good.
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll talk about that for sure.
00:14:14
Zak
No. No.
00:14:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
But let's have a little break and hear a message from our partners at Bionic.
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. Let's get back into it. So where do you want to start? Should we start with we start with some individual performances and move on to the big question at the end?
00:15:06
Zak
show
00:15:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, obviously, we talked about Armstrong and how outstanding he was and and stepped up. And Azaz, obviously, two goals and just just all over the place with him.
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Sienza and Yander again, both of them, just like, Just stepping up and bringing that bit of quality through. It's just...
00:15:27
Zak
it's It's really hard that because of the struggles we've had the beginning the season, we got told that the transfer business that we'd done was terrible, absolute classic, you know, classic Sports Republic, rubbish transfer business, this, that, and the other.
00:15:45
Zak
But Sienza looked like the biggest risk out of them all. Older has not really had any sort of experience at this level.
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:15:54
Zak
Yeah, okay, he got into a Bundesliga team, and but, like, even then, like, it's... just a bit sort of like he was a talisman for a team that aren't good and doing great. And obviously both me and you have watched his interview and it's just incredible bloke all round.
00:16:10
Zak
But like, it's an example of like, okay, well maybe, maybe, okay, Damien Downs hasn't started the way that he wanted and he is probably feels that.
00:16:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:20
Zak
But, like, that's a pretty good recruitment right there in both of those players. In fact, it's pretty exceptional recruitment. Like, it's just how, like, again, like, giving them the trust and letting them play and putting them those positions.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unbelievable.
00:16:35
Zak
But, yeah, like, Yander, you know, it's 2-2, man. but It's like, Zofia's a midfielder. And, like, and
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if we're being honest and looking back on it, right, it's two in two, and the two games before that were the two, I mean, millimetre away chances, right? One that came off both posts and one that...
00:16:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, yeah, and Sienza just, like,
00:17:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
the quality he brings on the pitch, I mean, he just had, just...
00:17:05
Zak
just wants to win. That's it. It's nothing else to say. This is a bloke who's come here that is really happy to proud of himself to get himself for working hard into the position that he is in.
00:17:18
Zak
He has worked really, really hard and he is taking that opportunity, grasping it with both hands and desperately doesn't want to lose and shows that passion on the field.
00:17:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:28
Zak
Right. And I remember you saying like, oh, if Lianco had half the skill as the passion that he had, he would just be Leo Sienza.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:17:36
Zak
That's all I can say. and like, people are going, and you're starting to see it already now, where, who is this Sienza guy? Like, where did Saints get him? And I was like, exactly. Who knows? Like, yeah again, it's just,
00:17:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
He just had the defenders running scared. Like, they just couldn't seem to get anywhere near him in that first half. He just... And, and you know, I'm confident that that is half the reason that there was as much space for Yander for his goal, because they weren't worried about three-ball to Yander.
00:18:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two of them tailed off to mark the run from Sienta. Yeah.
00:18:07
Zak
But how good is that, that we have such a level of attacking? Like, we had so much so many problems last season, and you talked about it a lot, where basically, like, everything ended up being, in the first half of the season, it was just past the Tyler Dibbling, who would never would always overhear. And then the second half of the season was, let's try and get it to Matty Fernandes. And even less than that, and was there was that little short period of time where we played, like, Man U and stuff, and it was like, let's get it to Suleymane.
00:18:33
Zak
But, like... The problem is is that now it's like, oh, let's get into Sienza, but don't worry. There's also Fellows and there's also Yander. And then there's oh also Adam Armstrong, who has just remembered he's suddenly a striker for for the first time in a while.
00:18:46
Zak
And it's just like, oh, hang on, lads.
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:47
Zak
Let me start
Strategic Analysis of Recent Victories
00:18:48
Zak
scoring again. and yeah so...
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think credit where credit's due. It's not just remembering his position, is it? It's now that he's finally... getting the support around him and getting the service to get in those positions.
00:18:56
Zak
service.
00:19:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, and you know, he's getting the other options attacking, but when he drops himself deep to pick up the ball, as he likes to do, and one of the best tackles I saw yesterday was from Adam Armstrong in the most ridiculous light scenario.
00:19:08
Zak
and
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But when he's dropping deep, he then has other attacking options to pass the ball to and get these assists. And it's just... It's brilliant. I mean, Fellows, what an assist.
00:19:26
Zak
Oh yeah, an outstanding game.
00:19:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just unbelievable.
00:19:28
Zak
Outstanding.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
what like What an assist. He also had the defence running scared. i like I'm almost surprised that Charlton pulled themselves up together to come out for the second half because they just it was just absolutely brutal.
00:19:42
Zak
Wow. you there you go. Like, you're looking at you're looking at the amount changes they made. You know, they made a change 24 minutes in. and again, like, they were just happy to not get battered, I feel.
00:19:55
Zak
Like, I i felt like if if we obviously clearly game plan from the early the second half and we we took Siena off, and I was like, a okay, we're carving down a little bit.
00:19:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they just stopped.
00:20:06
Zak
we're just We're just seeing out the game at this point. You know, you're bringing on Eribo and Robinson for Siena and Azaz.
00:20:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:13
Zak
And it's like, right, okay. this second half isn't going to be much to write home about. And that's fine. And that was the game we decided.
00:20:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
When Charlton made... when Charlton made that change, the only image that went through my head was Russell Martin dragging Suleiman off after being 3-0 down to spurs.
00:20:29
Zak
Yeah, it' see the Spurs game.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:31
Zak
Yeah, where where probably the conversation was at half-time, okay, we've managed to peg a goal back, just don't get humiliated, don't another one in.
00:20:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:39
Zak
And like you know there was a couple of times where we were shaky and we we could have we could have let them score, we didn't.
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:43
Zak
As you pointed out, like a very saintly thing to do would be to let three goals in and suddenly it becomes 5-4. But we we didn't do that, we didn't really get them back into the game. And then it became a game of sort of just...
00:20:56
Zak
keeping your composure for both sides and just sort of running down the clock to the end.
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:59
Zak
But when was the last time that happened? i think it's the other thing. It's been so long.
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just brilliant it really has
00:21:05
Zak
and the fa Watching these individual performances, like where instead of, again, having to rely on one piece of quality from like Matty Fernandes that still doesn't save a game to being able to look at all of the players and be like, wow, the only thing that begs the question, mate, is I don't quite understand What's changed? I don't know if it's... I don't know. you know You've now... Obviously, there's a lot of personnel that have now gone. You've basically just got Eckert on his own. Trollope's finally been confirmed to go off the walls. Like, Lallana's moved about a little bit, so there'll probably be some big changes. And we don't know. We'll get to the question, as we said, towards the end. But, like, I don't i don't quite know what's happened, if it's just giving them that slight bit slight amount of freedom. if it if it's, you know... maybe We don't know what was going on behind the scenes, but...
00:21:51
Zak
Man, it's just, it's nice and it's just so nice.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
something thingss in Something's injected that confidence in them that they were lacking, and something's just clipped and made it work. And we said it was close, and we said it was coming.
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
Future Management and Team Direction
00:22:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, maybe it was just always close and coming, but...
00:22:06
Zak
Yeah, but I'm not going to lie, mate. Out of the two of us, you're the only one that that.
00:22:13
Zak
like I genuinely started to think like, oh man, is this season now about us staying up? And like now we're like nine points off a second, which is ridiculous because that results in us winning the next three games in a row and every team above us losing, which isn't going to happen.
00:22:28
Zak
But it's it's all of a sudden it's so much closer than it was previously.
00:22:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean...
00:22:32
Zak
It was like we're we're being stuck down with like Sheffield United and Wednesday and Norwich and everything's awful. And yet somehow being managerless is like the best thing for us.
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:41
Zak
It's mad. Absolutely mad.
00:22:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's bad. But let you say that won't happen. And, like, sure, the other, like, 12 places between us and second won't all lose. Obviously, that is borderline mathematically impossible.
00:22:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I've got the belief that we can get those points, and it will put us right back up comfortably to, what, 6th, 7th, 5th, 6th, 7th, somewhere around there, pretty reasonably. Yeah.
00:23:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we push on again then, i mean, it's it's been a crazy turnaround. And we've now got, like, such a bombardment of games coming up.
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's, I mean, it it leads to us nicely, I guess, into the big question.
00:23:21
Zak
Yeah.
Podcast Partnership Announcement
00:23:27
Zak
Hmm.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But guess, mate, let's have another little break first and hear a apart word from our partners at Zencaster and then get to that. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zencaster came out the clear winner.
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
00:23:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. We're back. ye You want to you ought to answer first or ask the question?
00:24:07
Zak
I want to set up a hypothetical, Greg. I want to i want to lay out two...
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:24:12
Zak
two and this is you know Anyone listening, in feel free to to throw your opinions towards us on on like X or wherever's convenient for you. If we were in the position we were currently in and Nathan Jones had never been our manager and Nathan Jones is currently the manager of Charlton and we went, let's go in for Nathan Jones. He is a proven championship manager. He did really, really well with Luton before he went to concert team here. And he has tons and bags of championship experience. He's been in the championship before. He's been with team with no budget, a team with limited budget.
00:24:46
Zak
How do you think people would react to that question, sort to that hypothetical, Greg? Bear in mind, like I know it's hard to remove the emotion of Nathan Jones because of the fact that he's the same, but remove that emotion from how you feel about Nathan Jones and put us in the position that we are low down in the championship table and he is a experienced manager who could come in and take us over. How would you feel?
00:25:10
Zak
not the worst appointment, but also it's like, you know, but he does bring championship experience.
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
look it wouldn't it's It wouldn't instill excitement in me.
00:25:17
Zak
No, but then I would like you to name a single candidate right now that would instill incitement in you.
00:25:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Rekker. Tonda Rekker.
00:25:26
Zak
Right, this this this leads me to my other point, which is, so if none of us had heard of him, and none of us had seen his CV, or like, you know, think of them think of the time that we brought in a Mauricio Pochettino, and the story that I tell all the time, and I'm going tell it again, because that's just the person I am, of when he came in, and there was a photo of him at St Mary's, in the snow, with somebody, and I can't remember, I remember his surname was Ferenc, think he was Norwegian.
00:25:56
Zak
He might have been Finnish. He was a defender who made a whole grand total of zero appearances for us, right? And he wasn't in a kit or anything, Greg. He was in a shirt and a tie because he'd just arrived, he'd just signed. And all of the jokes were...
00:26:10
Zak
Who's the manager and who's the player? This is ridiculous. I can't believe they got rid of Atkins, which at the time was a positive sentiment. And then we ended up with Pochettino, who's like a well-respected manager, did absolutely crazy things for us and and built the team and the bananas of today, right?
00:26:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:26:28
Zak
and And we go well, i don't know who it is. And then suddenly we he does really well. And if it was the fact that they just randomly hired this bloke called Tonda Eckert that none of us had known was the under-21s manager,
00:26:39
Zak
would still be a ton of criticism, right? Because of the fact that he's got no experience in this any other. But if he had been hired as the permanent manager directly after...
00:26:49
Zak
We had let Will still go and none of us knew who it was. And then he wins three on the bounce. What is people's opinion at that point?
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:58
Zak
oh, we should have hired a manager with more... He's just won the three in a row. Like, what do you mean? Oh, well, what what about when it gets hard? Well, we've had every manager under the sun, and when it gets hard, it's its we're terrible either way. So why does it matter? Why why is why is Carrick or... Why is Brendan Rodgers going to make a blind bit of difference? I think that it doesn't matter. If somebody...
00:27:22
Zak
ignites the players fire and is playing you know playing the games in front of them and are winning the games in front of them that's what matters or we just see how it is because we're in no rush maybe all of a sudden somebody comes out who and it's going to be incredible and then that's what we we decide the route the road we decide to go down or or not but for the time being let's just enjoy the wave right and the hope that
00:27:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I'm right there. I would be fully behind. Now, here's the thing, right? I'm not suggesting by any stretch of the imagination because we don't have enough data to say either way that Tonda Wreck-It is the...
00:27:58
Zak
Also, don't give them a three-year contract.
00:28:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like that's
00:28:01
Zak
Let's stop doing that.
00:28:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's what I'm saying, right? We don't have enough data either way to suggest that, oh, Tonda Rekker is just the future of Southampton. Sign him up seven years. But if they turn around and say, three games on the bounce, pretty good, isn't it?
00:28:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's give you a you know contract till the end of the year with the option of adding a year you know based on results. I don't think you can argue with that. I think that's a very sensible decision, especially based on the market, you know who the names that are out there.
00:28:30
Zak
It's available currently.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, yeah.
00:28:34
Zak
Like, this this is the problem, is people are just like, oh, well, this person might be good, and this might person might be great, and, oh, we don't know, and, oh, we need some championship experience.
00:28:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:28:44
Zak
And I'm just like, yeah, but some of these people's championship experience has been not great either.
00:28:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
but we had championship.
00:28:50
Zak
Like, I don't...
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we had championship experience with Russell Martin and then we had championship experience and look where it got us in the Premier
Management Decisions and Team Outlook
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
League, like.
00:28:57
Zak
But then also, I'd like to point out
00:28:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
We need someone that's going to win, and Tonda has now done that three times. And if he does that twice more this week, it's impossible is impossible to see anyone taking over successfully.
00:29:09
Zak
the thing that The thing that baffled me, mate, and the thing that really made me me think, and i'm I'm not going to say, like, again, I'm not saying all in forever, similar to you. It just makes logical sense right now.
00:29:20
Zak
But like the thing that that baffled me is the merry-go-round, that when we were discussing Eckhart in our profile episode, where I tried to go through his career and what he's done, when we went through that,
00:29:31
Zak
It was the merry-go-round of, this manager, who's now at Blackburn, who at the time was at QPR. Oh, and then during this time, he was at Watford. They're all... They all just move around, all of the clubs in the Championship anyway. So we're like, great. So what are they going to do? Get us up to...
00:29:46
Zak
so to to almost qualifying like sometimes the the scariest thing is if you don't know the opponent like you don't know the next move your opponent's gonna make you can't plan for it and that and that might be positive and i know that it's a huge risk but like man none of the non-risks we've taken so far have panned out every like people are are hoping you know
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just...
00:30:11
Zak
people are hoping we get like another Cuban or another Pochettino that just comes out of the woodwork, but like that's not how it works anymore. I don't think. And I think that, you know, i completely understand why no one trusts them. And it might be that this is completely accidental and that he ends up being a really good manager on accident with absolutely zero planning from Sports Republic. And you know what? I couldn't care less if we continue to do this, but yeah,
00:30:38
Zak
you need to look at the facts of all of the managers they've hired previously have failed to win more than two games bar Russell Martin. Right.
00:30:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:46
Zak
Let's face it. No one wants to go back there right now. Like just look at how range well, well ranges doing without him.
00:30:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:53
Zak
We currently have a manager who's running the team who's managed more wins than everybody apart from Russell Martin. So let's just let it carry on. And then if it carries on going well, if we win the next two games, it's five wins in a row.
00:31:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:05
Zak
that's then that The guy is at that point, well, that's double the amount of wins that any other manager has gotten. so yeah, i
00:31:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
When was the last time we won five games in a row, Zach?
00:31:19
Zak
genuinely can't remember.
00:31:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, even in our 25-game unbeaten streak, I don't think we won five in a row.
00:31:20
Zak
There's always a draw in between, right?
00:31:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:25
Zak
Yeah, so in that
00:31:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
i just I'll come back with the answer to that tomorrow, listeners, because that it's crazy.
00:31:31
Zak
But I can understand, right? Like, I can also understand the arguments against it. But, like, I hope that my little hypotheticals there made people think. Because... It's okay. we we we We could have hired Nathan Jones now before we ever knew who Nathan Jones was. And then we finished like mid table or something. And then it's like, oh, thank goodness we've survived. But do we want to strive for something more? And then from that end, it's like, oh, well, then we should get a really super exciting appointment who has tons of manager experience in the championship. and I'm like, is it the goal to get out of the championship? to What do you...
00:32:04
Zak
What do we want? Like, how else are new managers meant to grow their career? Because the thing that bothered me the most, Greg, again, about, and I will hark back to it again, but the merry-go-round of managers is is a problem. Like, you're not going to get anybody that doesn't know everybody else's tricks. Sometimes you you need to take a risk. And we've taken so many risks. It's just nice to watch One play out.
00:32:26
Zak
They put the under-21s manager in charge. We were cross. We went, well, this is ridiculous. They clearly haven't got a shortlist together again. Oh, they're putting together a shortlist. Wonderful. oh Our expectations were basically nothing.
00:32:37
Zak
And then we've had them blown away. So why wouldn't you go, oh and people are like, oh, the same as Sellers. I'm like, well, that's different. He won a game against Chelsea and then proceeded to win nothing else apart from accidental
00:32:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
is Yeah, it is already a more lucrative record than Sellers. The last time we won five games in a Rosat was 2010-2011 season in League One.
00:33:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
where we actually won six in a row against Bristol Rovers, Brighton, Hartlepool, Brentford, Plymouth and Walsall. The last time before that we won five in a row was in 1992.
00:33:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
so So if by the end of this week that's the numbers we're looking at, that gives you the answer you need, right? There's no other way to think about it.
00:33:25
Zak
well you yeah Anyone that's watching realised that i'm I'm a bit shell-shocked by that. That says everything you need to know. I just think that like I understand the fear and I understand that we're getting it wrong.
00:33:37
Zak
I also don't think that necessarily any of the names that are currently out there guarantee us success.
00:33:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:33:43
Zak
And that is one of my big worries. Like if if if we're happy to have him for for another couple months, maybe they sign him on a three-month contract and see who's available sort of in a couple months' time or whatever. Fine. Sure.
00:33:55
Zak
We decide that we're going to get rid of him going up to the Premier League and he remains part of the squad. But we bring in like another more experienced head. If if that even happens, right? we don't We don't know yet what's going to happen. I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. But...
00:34:08
Zak
I just can't see at the moment how anyone's like, hey, this team started playing really well again for the first time in forever. And, you know, now we're at where we're at.
00:34:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, look, that's it, mate. That is all we have got time for. Look, we'll be back tomorrow because we have more games to talk
Conclusion and Audience Engagement
00:34:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
about, right?
00:34:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Another game to preview. They come thick and fast, and we are ready for it. But until then, mate, let us know in comments on socials.
00:34:36
Zak
We are.
00:34:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you think? Is Tom Derecker the man for the moment? I think the answer is pretty clear, to be honest. I don't think there should be much discussion, but I look forward to having it regardless.
00:34:51
Zak
if you don' If you don't want to have the discussion, just enjoy the three in a row. Just enjoy watching what net positive of goals for the first time in what feels like a million years.
00:34:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Absolutely.
00:35:02
Zak
Or as Greg put it out a long old time.
00:35:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
know. That's it. Anyway, thank you everyone for listening. Like say, let us know. We are on all the socials. You can let us know there. We are on X, Blue Sky, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, everywhere. TikTok, I think, don't know I said it.
00:35:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're on all all of them. If you can think of one, look us up. We are probably there. Until tomorrow, though, everyone, I hope you have a wonderful day, and we'll see you then.