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Episode 202: Everton Review - Same old, Same old...
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Southampton – Did we just watch a testimonial!? That's how it felt. Zak and Oscar discuss...
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Appearance
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton parts of the Global Sports Podcast Network. Today I am your host, Zak Ingoe- Finch. I am joined by Oscar. How you doing, bud?
00:00:21
Oscar
Yeah.
00:00:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ah!
00:00:25
Oscar
Getting bit bored of it all now.
Season Review: Disappointment and Poor Performance
00:00:26
Oscar
It's just the end of the season.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
a we We join you off the back of another loss. We couldn't take the momentum from an okay draw and put it towards a team that we'd already beaten twice this season.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no. We yeah we had to... we we were even joking about how before this even started where like it was that much of a farcical display. If it wasn't for maybe the last 20-30 minutes, I'd have sworn that that someone exchanged money somewhere to allow that to be sort of the best goodbye present they could have had.
00:00:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because they had the ball in the net four times in the first half. Yes, two were offside, but it was just too easy. It's mad that we are even a Premier League club in comparison some of these other clubs because at the moment
00:01:09
Oscar
yeah It just strikes me like it was a testimonial. Like, everything
00:01:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is exactly the words I sent to Craig.
00:01:16
Oscar
And it's what it sounded like. you know i didn't I didn't watch it, thankfully. I was listening to it on the radio on the way back from from work. And it just it it was actually quite depressing, just the way that it was on TalkSport, so it wasn't even wasn't even Adam Blackmore.
00:01:31
Oscar
it was It was the neutral pundits. And it just talk the way they're talking about Southampton, like, you know, what a perfect opposition
Team Effort and Perception Issues
00:01:39
Oscar
to play against a situation where it's basically you're guaranteed a win and at two know tune at half-time, it's cruise control for the rest of the game.
00:01:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, shit.
00:01:47
Oscar
And you don't even... It's just like that sort of thing. It's, you know, i'm ah ah I'm sort of numb to all the pain from the season now, but that sort of thing is just cuts a little bit.
00:01:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
it it just causes apathy right it just causes it causes like a level of sort of annoyance and anger that like no one should be able to to be able to say that
00:01:57
Oscar
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
in any league, let alone the Premier League, and and and it just be that true. And, like, I don't, you know, I understand that it was Everton's big day and all Goodison Park. Now it's come out that they're not even knocking it down anyway.
00:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Like, I get they're not having their home games there, but, like, it's not like they're completely demolishing the stadium and paving over it. It's now staying.
00:02:24
Oscar
No.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, and I understand, but, like, that doesn't doesn't mean that our fans who've travelled, you know, from for a 12 o'clock kick-off as well, from real early all the way up to Liverpool to just see what, like a couple of half-fast chances towards the end of the game?
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because for the first half, we didn't have a single shot. it was It was genuinely like, you're right.
00:02:44
Oscar
I think it was the first 65 minutes.
00:02:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so, funny enough, Oscar, until we brought on strikers.
00:02:52
Oscar
yeah
00:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I...
00:02:53
Oscar
Imagine the shock.
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because Greg texts me, because Greg's unfortunately not here today. He's out gallivanting around the theatre in London. he texts me going, I'm assuming we were as bad in the second half as we have been all season.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I said it got better when we got Strikers on. We had a debut, which we'll get into, which was good. But honestly, I want 90 minutes back. And as you pointed out, we played it like it was a test testimonial.
00:03:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Rusk saying he had positives, was bants. It was just a really weird for us to...
Strategic and Tactical Failures
00:03:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
set up like we did almost exactly the same against Man City against a team we've beaten twice and we it's just like we have obviously that means but behind the scenes we are lacking such a level of confidence we were hoping to you know maybe drag the game out and not concede and you know maybe just foil the party by being frustrating and within five minutes that was over yes
00:03:27
Oscar
yeah
00:03:41
Oscar
Yeah. It's one thing doing that against Man City, I understand it. But doing it against Everton, again, as you say, one of the only teams we've beaten this year.
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I think twice.
00:03:51
Oscar
And I do almost think that, and I was listening to Going Home with Adam and Joe, they were talking about Adam Blackmore, and what they said sort of resonates fairly true.
00:04:03
Oscar
And actually, I somewhat agree. like It's almost like Rusk is trying to damage limit his own reputation to an extent.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:04:11
Oscar
Like, he he's come in and he's been very defensive about everything he's done, and it's about this, that, and the other. Like, we Everyone knows the situation that that he's inherited.
00:04:22
Oscar
If he turned around and got, all right, maybe not getting pumped today, but lost a bit of a ding-dong battle, and it was just because we had... I think people would have accepted it.
00:04:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:31
Oscar
But again, it's just boring. It's just backwards, sideways passing. It's the same as Russell Martin, but without an actual purpose. Just trying to solidify it. you know That's what his aim is, just to solidify. And it was in no way solid at all. Both the goals were embarrassing.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's the thing. And and again, it wasn't just those two goals. There were, you know, if it wasn't for fact they were inches offside, would have four. And like, I know that there's a you know, well, if my dad was a bike, but but but bro it's I get that. But like, it's the fact that it just seemed so easy to carve us open. And all we yet all we were trying to do was stop that.
00:05:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yet it just didn't happen.
00:05:09
Oscar
yeah
00:05:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like, I guess we'll talk about the team sheets. So, we'll see nothing hugely surprising. i was Apart from, obviously, Wood getting back in. But it sounds like i don't something's happened to Bednarik. don't know. I didn't watch the press yesterday. He did the preview.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, i don't know if that was to be expected. But I was quite surprised by that.
00:05:27
Oscar
Yeah.
00:05:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bree, obviously, a sea still, because Carl Walker-Peters is out, supposedly. i was quite surprised by Eribo in Fugachukku. Especially as he didn't get subbed on either.
00:05:35
Oscar
Yeah.
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, Smallbone, we've talked about how he's like sort of the versatile man. And again, from the 60th minute, we did start to play better. But again, that's more because we actually introduced strikers into the mix rather than passing it to players that will get the ball up the end and then not do a lot with it.
00:05:52
Oscar
Yeah.
00:05:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Although in the first half, we didn't we didn't even do any of that. i don't understand how I don't understand how those changes weren't made at halftime. I'm baffled at
00:05:59
Oscar
Yeah, it's it's it's one of those, that you know, it it wasn't changes that they made, it was changes that were enforced. And I know it can be easy to say in hindsight, but they're all changes that, you know, average people that aren't involved in football, you know, or aren't paid to for their football opinion, like myself included, would think about making.
Defensive Tactics and Alternatives
00:06:22
Oscar
Like it's, I just don't get it.
00:06:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:25
Oscar
Again, the no striker thing, changing to a back four. I think quite a few people have, I'm not saying that necessarily that's what I'm an advocate for, but quite a few people have said that and it's, and that it changed the game and it made it.
00:06:36
Oscar
And yes, there probably and is an element of Everton took their foot off the gas.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes
00:06:39
Oscar
They know they didn't have to do anything else to beat us. Really. We were done at that point. But if you're playing with a back three and you're still that, and a back three, again, isn't necessarily a defensive formation. It doesn't have to be.
00:06:51
Oscar
But if you're playing with a with three centre-backs and they are still splitting you apart with passes straight through the middle, you might as well play over back four. And as today showed in the second half, we weren't any worse doing it.
00:07:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it
00:07:06
Oscar
And we actually had a striker. And it just gave us so much more balance. So, yeah. But you know get but would he have made that change if... I can't remember who it was, went down injured...
00:07:18
Oscar
But whoever it was, would we have made that change if that hadn't happened? I know Harwood Benes went down injured, but that was later on. There was another injury that meant he changed that.
00:07:27
Oscar
But yeah, yeah it might it might have been.
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
a Rebo for Smurfsmobone?
00:07:31
Oscar
Or when Ross Stewart came on. but It was an enforced change anyway. But yeah, I just don't...
00:07:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Either way, I think the point you're making is is valid, which is the there was nothing... but like Once we moved into an attacking formation, we actually got some shots off and looked like we might score.
00:07:50
Oscar
Yeah.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
When we tried to set up the exact same way as we set up against Manchester City, we conceded straight away. And again, like there's probably a lot of, ah, well, we're hitting the 12 points mark now, so we don't need to... mean that's That's fine, but like,
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I can't remember someone to tweet out, like how, uh, like how many of those players do you think actually think about what are the people that have spent all of their money to like go down to Liverpool today to watch them play?
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like, how many, how much do you, you know, because like, I'm thinking of when we like battered Sunderland the state, uh, at home, right. When we, we beat him like eight nil. I know this feels like a million years ago at this point, know but don't know if you remember rightly, but like start Sunderland like refunded all of those, those, um,
00:08:24
Oscar
Yeah.
00:08:31
Oscar
yeah
00:08:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
all of those tickets. And it's like, you look at the games that we've had this season and their idea of a refund is a 5% reduction on the season ticket for us dropping a league. It's just like, thanks everyone.
00:08:42
Oscar
this kind they I saw someone that went to the game saying that Carlos Alcaraz showed more respect to the Southampton fans than any of the Southampton players did today.
00:08:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:54
Oscar
He came over and clapped him for a couple of minutes.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's probably because he never got to say his goodbye.
00:08:56
Oscar
So, that's...
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And for me, it seems mad we let go of someone that's now been immediately picked up by another Premier League side who are better than us. But it's it's you know I understand that they've had Moyes come in and it's pretty much like you know night and day for how they were at the beginning of the season.
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think that also shows you that the right appointments and the right people what if the changes can be, right? Because they you know they've assigned a reassigned like an air old old reliable who was in charge for a very long time right up until his departure for Manchester United.
00:09:20
Oscar
Yeah.
00:09:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you know he's he's turned that team around pretty well considering you know the drive-straight they're in.
00:09:32
Oscar
Are you banging the let's get Ralph back drum then?
00:09:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no.
00:09:36
Oscar
No.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be clear, i don't think that we had a, you know, it depends. If if Ronald Koeman came free, bit of a different story, right?
00:09:41
Oscar
Yeah.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think that Koeman's going to come to our club again? No. Like, that's where I'm at. And to be honest, we'll talk more
00:09:49
Oscar
yeah
Managerial Changes and Speculations
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
about that after a word from our partners at Bionique.
00:10:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we are back. to Just be clear, it wasn't an enforced change, but it was a change that was made place took place after an injury to Nathan Wood. So they had a delay, and then obviously, then I think from a tactical point of view, they then decided to switch things up.
00:10:45
Oscar
Right. Yeah. No.
00:10:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Besides the point, like got think I think that you're right in the sense of the changes that took place were dumb, but they happened so late. And they were changes that everybody could have seen.
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's weird we didn't start like that.
Player Motivation and Future Uncertainty
00:10:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or again, make a lot of those changes at halftime.
00:10:59
Oscar
yeah
00:11:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like when you get to halftime, you've not had a shot. I don't know what you think that the players on the field are going to do another 20 minutes of.
00:11:08
Oscar
no
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because again, once we did that, once we brought on Smallboy then brought Strikers on, we actually started to to move up the pitch bit more. And there was actually something to watch because I'm not going lie. So the first sort of 15 minutes to the second half, I nodded off a bit.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because of these reasons, because i was like, nothing was happening.
00:11:22
Oscar
Yeah.
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we finally had the ball a little bit. Our biggest problem is the fact that, you know, some of the punditry I was listening to you was talking about how, oh, we're so active. I had about two or three chances that they could have they couldve put them away. And like, well, yeah, but we're never going And it'll be it's just nice to try to want to get that belief back.
00:11:34
Oscar
yeah
00:11:37
Oscar
Exactly. And if that if that had been the if that had been the story of the game, we tried, we weren't good enough to score, Everton popped us on the counter-attack, yeah, that's fair enough. I think you can take that.
00:11:48
Oscar
But it's no, we're going to sit and defend resolutely, not have a shot. We're going to concede two goals anyway, but we're going to s sit and try and defend.
00:11:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to concede two Could have been four. We're going to concede one of those in the first five minutes.
00:11:57
Oscar
Yeah.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I just knew.
00:12:00
Oscar
and I just, I'm not, you know Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to absolutely lambast Rusk or anything. like I know he's been given an impossible task and a possible situation, but then there's no pressure on that.
00:12:12
Oscar
So why not? like What's the worst that can happen to him if his reputation isn't going to take a hit? Everyone knows the situation in reality. so and And look, get me wrong, the players, I still think, you know from the beginning of the season,
00:12:29
Oscar
It's not as if they've absolutely worked their socks off all season and just not been good enough. They've thrown the towel in at times as well. And, you know, today looked like they're on the beach. But I'm sorry, the way you've played this season, you don't get to be on the beach.
00:12:40
Oscar
Like, yes, the season's done, but you don't get to put your feet up.
00:12:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
my
00:12:43
Oscar
You've got to, you know, and everyone's saying like, you know, we're going to sell, I'd only keep Matty Fernandes at the club. of I agree. He's probably the only one I'd want to keep. But at the same time, who's going to want any of them?
00:12:55
Oscar
Like, in reality, they play like that,
00:12:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, this is, this is the, this is the mad thing about it because there are so many people whose their heads have gone. And it's like, where to, mate? Because like who you who who in their right mind does scouts go look at, and are you telling me that we've got 11 individual players that are actually really good and we haven't found the right manager?
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because we've been through three managers this season. And I don't know if it's just that there is an incompatibility between all of them and that maybe they do need to go after separate clubs. But like the fact that most of them think they're all heading off the Premier League clubs baffles me.
00:13:26
Oscar
Yeah.
00:13:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
was like, where do you think you're going? Other than like Sheffield United are a promoted team. You know, Sheffield United, I haven't even promoted yet. But that's like where I think that like, if you're looking at Taylor Harwood-Bellis like, where does he think he's going? He wants to stay in the England set-up. That's great.
00:13:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
You got into the England set-up because you started to play pretty well for us and then you didn't. So like, just, it's kind it's just infuriating, mate.
00:13:44
Oscar
Yeah. It's different. and the one the one person who probably has a right to turn around and and, you know, not expect, but... not be surprised by a Premier League move or a move to a top club is Mateus Fernandes.
00:13:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:13:59
Oscar
And he was the one thrown out in front of the cameras today.
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:02
Oscar
And actually, you know, I don't know if it's just, you know, I don't know if it's just eternal hope, but he said, we said, we need to be better next season. You know, we need to learn how to win again.
00:14:13
Oscar
The fact he said we fills me with optimism, which is maybe false optimism, but at least he's saying the right things. And that's one of the ones that he he probably could turn around to say, you know what? but I've done enough to say, you know I've done my bit.
00:14:26
Oscar
Whereas there's others that haven't.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:27
Oscar
And they you know they just think, yeah, I deserve to be playing.
00:14:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I agree wholeheartedly. And like some of the, some of the opinions like some of the players that have definitely fulfilled that is like, you're looking at Bella Kotchap that was talking about how he thinks that he should starter most of the season and this, that and the other. And, and he wants his move in Germany and you're like, it just kind of seems baffling. It says everything you need to know about the fact that no longer in the squad.
00:14:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Grombach, another one that came in, that was the, I know we keep talking about it. I ended up finding out, you know, i but went and asked George directly from the Daily Echo, like, what's going on with him? It was like, oh, apparently due to injury, but also...
00:15:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I still don't understand what happened there. You know, Ryan Fraser, another name that occasionally bring up because he just fell off the face of the earth. And, you know, I don't know if that's just because as soon as Russell Martin went, so did he in his head mentally.
00:15:15
Oscar
Yeah.
00:15:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like, you're looking at the players we've got, like, yeah, okay. So um were talking about how good Suleiman was, which is bizarre. So like, if only they played him more this season, I was like, we've been playing pretty much regularly since January.
00:15:26
Oscar
Yeah.
00:15:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
He said, down he did so well against Manchester United. i was like, yeah, he doesn't score. That's the problem. Like, that's a lot of the problems of a lot of them.
00:15:31
Oscar
yeah Yeah. He flashes, but doesn't actually do anything.
00:15:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
like And again, it's it's the whole, like, we put a performance in for 20 minutes at the end of the game to make it something interesting for Evertonians to watch before the end, you know. They were already in party mode at that point. You're exactly right. It was the the vibes of a testimonial. And, like, I don't think most of us went into this game expecting us to ruin the party because the the script is we won't do that.
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's still upsetting... at just how much of a pushover we looked.
00:15:58
Oscar
Yeah.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the fact that, you know, you've got these players that are already mentally away, already mentally holiday. Like, we still got to play Arsenal home. You know, ah don't really know.
00:16:08
Oscar
easy
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't really know. all right, let's try and Greg will tell me off if he can put something hopeful in here. let's talk about some good news. Jay Robinson got a bit more, a couple more minutes under his belt. Regardless of whether or not, it's in almost the worst Premier League team all time, but remember, statistically not.
00:16:24
Oscar
yeah
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's exposure to Premier League football. And Kaya Sanda also made his debut on for an injured Harwood Bellis at like the 82nd minute. You know, i was surprised but happy to see him on the bench because, you know, watching the youth come through, he was someone only signed in January.
Youth Development and Kaya Sander's Debut
00:16:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is one of the network of players from the multi-club system.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
He came from our French sister team. you know he's done You know, he's quite a potentially good youth player. So, yeah, it's kind of nice to see maybe the next step next generation step up.
00:16:52
Oscar
Yeah, I think so. it might be someone we can get involved a bit next year, a bit more. Sounded like he was fairly solid for what he did. Got on the ball, did okay. Didn't concede a goal, so he's probably got one of the best goals per minutes ratio and in our team.
00:17:07
Oscar
And that's good.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the thing, right?
00:17:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, in comparison to most of the, you know, even Ramsdale almost had a complete howler today when he came out at one point, completely missed it, managed to just about get back and luckily it came to nothing.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the it's just a, I guess, it's the same old, same old, right? I don't know why we've hugely expected anything different. And I think you're right. Like, Rusk has had the impossible job, but like, the fact that he came out was like, we played some alright stuff and For like 20 minutes, yeah, maybe.
00:17:35
Oscar
yeah Every game.
00:17:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But for the fans that have traveled the way out there, like it's like, do you do you care? like Do you not realize? what like Do we need to have... can't remember who it was. One of the SAS blokes which apparently gave a team talk before City. that's one of the reasons apparently they're putting it down to him doing so well. do we Do we need to bring in like a motivational speaker for every single game to just get them playing?
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because that's that was what kind of felt like today is that that first sort of 45 minutes, it was... it was just It was just watching 11 people on the ball, like on the field, playing football, but not really not really trying to get involved. And I guess we we played like Ruben Diaz accused us of, except against a team that, you know, we showed towards the end of that game.
00:18:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
we'd actually brought it to him, we could have won. So...
00:18:23
Oscar
Yeah, could of elites and we have turned around lost that game 2-0 in another way and it wouldn't have been a problem.
00:18:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:18:31
Oscar
But it's just, I just don't understand why, you know, again, if you go all guns blazing first five minutes and they turn around and absolutely smash three goals and I understand them putting on the brakes and saying, dude we need to really settle down a bit here.
00:18:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:44
Oscar
But I still don't think we are as terrible as all of these three managers have sort made out. I think you could make a semi-competent.
00:18:55
Oscar
I'm not saying you'd win, but at least compete. And they don't...
00:18:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:19:00
Oscar
All right, three separate managers playing three different styles haven't been been able to do it. So maybe I'm wrong. But I don't look at... You know, it's not like I look at individual players and think, oh, my God, they are absolutely useless. Like, they're they're decent players.
00:19:13
Oscar
They are not of Premier League level, probably, consistently as a group. But i just... Yeah, I don't... I think it's possible to get more out of them. Yeah.
00:19:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
joe I just, I think looking at the human side of things, this is why I put it down to the chemistry between the players. Like I understand there's supposed to be a great bunch for that like, you know, are all really, really together and are trying their best every single week and this and other. And apparently, apparently they are, but like, I just, I don't know if it's just incompatibility.
00:19:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. don't know what's going on, but like, they can't seem to bring the best out of each other. And you know, there, there isn't,
00:19:50
Oscar
No.
00:19:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Again, like I think leadership struggled. I think Stevens has tried. I think having Lallana now move into a managerial position shows that he probably was doing more of that leadership stuff off of the field than ever on it, because I don't think we're ever going to see him play for us again.
00:20:06
Oscar
no
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Another weird weird siding that turned out to now be a member of our backroom staff.
00:20:06
Oscar
Mm-hmm.
00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, I think you're right. like But at the same time, as you also pointed out, like I don't want to name names. I think it's a bit harsh, but how many of our players do you really see moving on?
00:20:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where are they moving to? Who's going to come and pick them up, especially from the Premier League? and And the fact that we we can't really go through and we did our keep bench sell and there wasn't, it was pretty ruthless. Like it most of it was bench sell, maybe keep if we really need somebody in that position because we can't place it.
00:20:38
Oscar
Yeah.
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And that is the ultimate reality of our season. Like you don't get the position where we are on the board, like just due to managerial incompetency. You don't get there just due to players being bad.
00:20:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't get this just because the club's being run badly. And I said, I think we've all agreed before, I think the club in a financial position has run badly. I just think that they spent far too long before they realized they actually need someone that knows something about the industry they're in, which is football.
00:21:06
Oscar
yeah
00:21:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But all of those things combined have created whatever has happened here.
Mismanagement and Focus on Russell Martin
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think that, you know, I still... think that we became Russell Martin FC rather than Southampton FC and that when he left, it just left a massive hole and they they haven't managed to get fillback and they're not going to be able to until we get a rebuild.
00:21:19
Oscar
Yeah.
00:21:27
Oscar
yeah Yeah. I genuinely think they, they, I think sort of the board I'm talking about sports Republic sort thought,
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:21:36
Oscar
We know what situation going to be. We're going to get relegated this year. It's not going to be pretty. Martin will be manager at the whole season. And we'll go back down with him and we'll we'll rebuild. We didn't really want to go up. We'll take the cash and we'll go down again.
00:21:48
Oscar
I actually you think in hindsight, if they'd have just said that, it might have appeased, not appeased fans, but it it might have at least allowed people to understand and then not got quite on...
00:22:01
Oscar
Russell Martin's back as much. not saying it was the wrong decision to sack him by any means. But the point being now is that they're probably right. They needed another season, another two seasons to build before they came up.
00:22:13
Oscar
But they tried to throw everything into it i think they were genuinely surprised the fans reacted the way they did. And that's probably because they're not or don't seem to be football people, the people that were running at first.
00:22:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:22:24
Oscar
So they just thought we'd probably sit there and wear it And yeah, it wouldn't be great. And they said, oh it's going to be a tough season, guys. But maybe they should have just come out and said, look, like this is going to be, this is, we we didn't want to come up this year. Obviously, not going to turn it down.
00:22:40
Oscar
We needed another season to rebuild. We didn't have the money. You know, there's no point throwing good money after bad. Maybe we should. Yeah, I don't know. I just think they didn't expect to sack him, I don't think, which is why they had no plan when they did.
00:22:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, they said that. They came out and said that, hey, we need to figure out which managers are are available because we had absolutely no intention to do this. We just didn't expect you to get battered like 5-0, 5-0, 4-0, like game after game after game to the point where, you know, they say the players never stopped believing.
00:23:06
Oscar
Yeah.
00:23:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
well the players must have stopped doing something because, again, like unless the golfing quality is just that large, it's, you know, it's the age of debate we've had all season. So, you know, the entirety of the time you've been the podcast, we've been talking about it the whole time under jury and talking about it. We're still talking about it now.
00:23:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's the multiple different reasons as to why we've been so bad. I'm sure analysts will be able to sort of pawn over it over the next couple of years and it'll be, you know, I don't think we'll ever have the correct answer, but we'll move on to the future and what's next. Cause we also have some news that's come out.
00:23:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
That means that I may be going to be out of content for the next couple of weeks after a message from our partners at Zencastr.
00:23:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we're back. So, Oscar, moving on from this terrible game and not even really looking forward to Arsenal because I don't really want to think about that.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
We have had a little bit of news today. So, Will Still has resigned from Lens. That came out this morning, apparently due to personal reasons. I think he wants to spend more time with his family and move to England. I think his girlfriend lives over here.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bit weird that it coincides with a visit to England that supposedly was to look at the training camp for Lens whilst talking about all of the training camp stuff in Lens and the fact that premate every much every media outlet that I can see has reported that he's had conversations with Southampton.
00:24:46
Oscar
yeah
00:24:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I'm...
00:24:53
Oscar
yeah
00:24:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know I know that we were talking about Danny Roll and I know that apparently he still remains the frontrunner, which is mad. how and And also there was this this flurry of bets that happened last week that then meant they stopped taking bets.
00:25:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Greg was convinced that was caused by us. I like to think that as much as we have a lot of reach, our reach isn't that good. I don't think we're changing people's lives. like I have never claimed to be anything more than an armchair pundit.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Please do not put bets on the advice that I give. Live your life however you want.
00:25:22
Oscar
No.
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But like, all I did realistically was read a bunch of articles about different managers and put it into an easy, digestible format.
00:25:31
Oscar
Has Neil Warnock been bumped up the listing at all?
00:25:34
Oscar
That's what I want to be.
00:25:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll have to look. though I think if if anyone's going to have to be bumped up that listing by the amount of times that Greg mentions him, it's going to be Sam Alavice.
00:25:40
Oscar
big someone. Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which I do not want. But... but
00:25:44
Oscar
I wouldn't be against it. I love Big Sam.
00:25:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it it seems like it's going to be Will still.
00:25:48
Oscar
One...
00:25:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And how do we feel about that? Because we kind of all landed on the last time we talked about him probably being most the best candidate for everyone, including the neutral.
00:26:00
Oscar
Yeah, I think it's it's one of those. It's going to be a... it's going to be a flashy and popular one. As in, fans will like it.
00:26:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:09
Oscar
He's fairly, he's been fairly present on sort of social media. He was fairly memed for his whole football manager thing. And then, and then for every time, i think there was a big meme every time, Will still plays a game or coaches a game, lawns have to pay a certain amount, blah, blah, blah.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:26:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
a BS to spend this up much idea
00:26:25
Oscar
Yeah. One thing I did, I'm i'm all for it. like I think why not as a young manager, seems seems to talk well, seems to know his stuff. Again, it's easy to look like you know your stuff when you're talking on TV. I get that.
00:26:38
Oscar
One thing that has scared me a little bit today is I saw that where we're linked with Tom Cleverley as well. And apparently we've had good discussions with him. That but upsets me greatly.
00:26:50
Oscar
So I'm hoping that's just maybe a little smokescreen.
00:26:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
interesting
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wouldn't be surprised. Yeah, you're you're right.
00:26:55
Oscar
But that was also the Athletic.
00:26:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I
00:26:58
Oscar
I think it was Jacob Tanswell. So, you know, I know the Athletic like to stir some things up sometimes with Southampton.
00:27:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know. I've always liked all of the reporters we've had for The Athletic. when We used to have reporters from The Athletic, you know right up until we went down.
00:27:08
Oscar
Carl
00:27:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Karl Anker, a big personal hero of mine.
00:27:13
Oscar
Anker, yeah, no, I liked him.
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
but yeah ah Yeah, for for me, it feels like it's definitely going in that direction. Whilst they haven't made up their mind, I feel like what they're just saying that out loud.
00:27:20
Oscar
I think so.
00:27:24
Oscar
I think all all of the you know all of the planets are starting to align with it. You've had him resigning, you've had him moving over. i think I think there's something to do with the fact he wants to be near London because his partner's there and she's not very well or something, which the two clubs he's been linked with are us and Hull.
00:27:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And
00:27:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:41
Oscar
I'd say we're a bit closer than Hull. I think it makes sense in lots of regards. I believe the club have come out or Spores came out and said, we want to announce something by the end of next week.
00:27:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:53
Oscar
So it's all, you know, there's no smoke without fire and these things do tend to circle around. I'd be surprised if someone came out of left field now. Again, I think Rolls pretty much.
00:28:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah that's the thing I was I was still that was kind of still my expectation i was I was I was 100% expecting mate that I was going to do all this research with these random different managers and it wasn't going to be a single one of them because that's just that just seems to be how life goes right like especially especially as a Southampton fan so the idea that like somebody that you know they were talking about and
00:28:13
Oscar
Yeah.
00:28:16
Oscar
Yeah, especially if they're up.
00:28:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you're right. Like, it feels really weird that he was talking about sort of two days ago about his training camp in England. And that's why he's here to them, him resigning and out of us and whole, you're like, you know, there's no disrespect to whole, but we have more resources than they're going to have.
00:28:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think that if regardless of, you know, if you want to take over a club and you want to be able to you know, build your profile, regardless of whether it's for his own reasons or what doing it here is probably going to be better and easier to do than at whole.
00:28:51
Oscar
Yeah.
00:28:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, logical choices in my head will put him as probably our likely candidate. And again, Roel has downplayed the idea of, you know, wanting to sort of really built that he wants to go back to the Bundesliga and play in the Premier League and this, that and the other. Well, sorry, like managing the Premier League. And, you know, maybe just the fact that he's not really showing that.
00:29:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
He seems to be keeping too many of his options open. And I think that you're right.
00:29:15
Oscar
yeah
00:29:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I didn't know that we were rushing that, not rushing, but we were sort of marching forward to a conclusion to this manager saga as early.
00:29:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was half expecting this to drag into the summer. I'm not going lie.
Season Reflection and Future Changes
00:29:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I think that, you know, the ideal solution was that the day after Arsenal, we have a new team come in and also that gives him time to assess to go,
00:29:31
Oscar
Yeah.
00:29:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know This is who we should keep. This is who we shouldn't keep. I don't care about this person. Get actually know them all if that's the case. But I just didn't expect that to move so quick. But I think the fans are going need it because I don't know how next Saturday is going to go.
00:29:48
Oscar
Yeah.
00:29:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
sunday is it Saturday, Sunday? ah It's the last Premier League game.
00:29:53
Oscar
Sunday. Sunday.
00:29:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah So I don't know how you know it's going to go. But what i do know is that it's not... you know I don't think that the vibe after the game is going to be like... Like what an amazing game. What an amazing season. It's going to be like this season is over. Thank goodness. And I do wonder if they worry about how many fans are just going to drop off the face of the earth next season.
00:30:16
Oscar
Yeah.
00:30:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it's you've seen a lot of that take place. And, you know, know that it's been sort of a ah middling reaction to the way that season tickets have been announced and ticketing prices and that kind of stuff. and I know that.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But there there is a lot of disillusionment. So I was speaking to one of my friends in the week and she was the one i used to go to football with all the time. And I was talking to her about Matias Fernandez. And she was like, who? I've never even heard that name.
00:30:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like, that shows you, like, she was season tick older for like seven, eight years. Like her disconnection from the club has got like, she's like, I just can't watch it.
00:30:41
Oscar
Yeah.
00:30:44
Oscar
yeah
00:30:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I know that we're meant to love Southampton, but like, I just can't week in, week out. And like, well, I really have much of a choice. If I want to do like, I want to talk about how a game has been, admittedly, I didn't know that 90% of the season could just be copy pasted with, we played well for 20 minutes and blah.
00:31:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then obviously we lost, but you know, that's the case.
00:31:02
Oscar
Yeah.
00:31:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just is what it is.
00:31:04
Oscar
We played well this week. Can we back it up with another performance next week? No.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:31:10
Oscar
Simple answer.
00:31:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But that's the thing. like I think you it would be it would be good to just have that announcement, move on to a new era immediately, Rusk on the back, send him back to the under-21s. Maybe Lallana stays with us, who knows?
00:31:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe he goes to be the assistant... To the under twenty ones sure, whatever. But then, yeah, we'll just have to see. Like, I think that the the season needs to end with something that is positive.
00:31:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just anything that's positive, right? Because at the moment, it doesn't feel like anything that comes out of the club really is sort of happy.
00:31:45
Oscar
no
00:31:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no like, you know, there's no like, and by the way, Carl Walker-Peters has signed a contract extension. By the way, Aaron Ramsdale is probably going to stay. He's agreed that the championship's the best league in the world. Like, there's none of that so far. Again, like, we'd love Matias Fernandes to stay.
00:32:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Realistically, someone's probably going to put in a massive bid for him and get him because that's how football is. So, you know, the idea of announcing a new manager that is kind of a a safe option in the sense of,
00:32:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think he's going to upset too many people. exciting option for most people. Maybe a little bit flashy, maybe not. I know that there are going to be some people that will think he's just the football manager-manager. But as i as I showed with like the the research I did into him, I think there's a lot more to him than that.
00:32:23
Oscar
no yeah Again, yeah, i think I think everyone just wants the season to be over now.
00:32:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, that's going to be where we end it, Oscar. Because there needs to be something from the 90 minutes of my life that got stolen today that isn't terrible.
00:32:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So any parting thoughts from you? Or...
00:32:47
Oscar
If we can end it with a bit of a positive and
00:32:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:32:49
Oscar
I say again, bring back the old halftime announcement. Bring him out of the tunnel before the game or at the end of the game. Bring him out the tunnel. Big scarf in the air. You know, seems a bit old-fashioned now, but let's go back some old-fashioned football.
00:32:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice. god like nothing that would be That would be banging.
00:33:02
Oscar
Well, suddenly it would get it would get everyone, you know, in the mood a little bit.
00:33:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I'd really, really enjoy that. And again, like his...
00:33:08
Oscar
A little bit of buzz generating. I'm sure they'd probably sell 10% more season tickets, so it ticks their box as well. And, you know, and then maybe some of the players, we have a semi-decent performance against Arsenal with the new gaffer sitting in the stand.
00:33:21
Oscar
And then all of a sudden things start to look a bit rosy or it all ends.
00:33:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:33:25
Oscar
We get pumping and then, and then everyone, no one knows who the manager is. And it, you know, go one of two ways. So, you know, if you can get it done, then get it done.
Final Match Outlook and Conclusion
00:33:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
they've They've secured Champions League European football, so Champions League football football next year now. they they've It's going to be...
00:33:40
Oscar
there's another red rubber.
00:33:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
So all I'm at, all i'm I'm hoping for another, like when we last got relegated, it's another like 4-4 game.
00:33:47
Oscar
Yeah.
00:33:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know if that'll be pro-prediction. We'll see we see how we are.
00:33:49
Oscar
I also don't think... I think they've secured second unless City win both games and score a ludicrous amount of goals or we concede a ludicrous amount of goals. Sorry, we score a or we score a ludicrous amount of goals.
00:33:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
that is
00:34:02
Oscar
ah That isn't happening. So, yeah, exactly.
00:34:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Score goals?
00:34:07
Oscar
Maybe they'll just come and park the bus and play for a 0-0.
00:34:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who knows? Let's hope not. It's something to be a little bit exciting towards the end. but
00:34:15
Oscar
is Oh, one thing I meant to ask, is tall Paul injured? I don't didn't see him there today. Because that's...
00:34:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did not. That's one of the things i was expecting because I know that Greg was hoping that he he would get a look in, but he did not. So...
00:34:27
Oscar
would like to see...
00:34:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he wasn't on the bench either. Wasn't even wast even with the squad.
00:34:29
Oscar
No, that's why I was curious. I would like to see him again. One last game. if you might not He might end up staying for next season.
00:34:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look.
00:34:36
Oscar
I don't know, but...
00:34:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Put Tallpool, Ross Stewart and Cameron Archer on at the same time.
00:34:40
Oscar
yes Yes, upset Arsenal. Mind you, Arsenal are quite good at some of these things.
00:34:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
just put just put Just put one centre-back on.
00:34:46
Oscar
Let's just do it.
00:34:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Play three at the back, but just three. One right-back, one left-back, one centre-back.
00:34:49
Oscar
Yeah. There you go.
00:34:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not going to happen.
00:34:51
Oscar
No.
00:34:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
that but see That's about all we've got time for today.
00:34:52
Oscar
No.
00:34:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Thank you very much for joining me, Oscar. Pleasure as always, mate. We will be back tomorrow with Summon. I need to speak to Greg and and Oscar and decide what we're going to do Maybe we'll have a manager announcement. I feel like that'll be a little bit too early.
00:35:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
we'll definitely have something for you tomorrow. And until then, catch us all on the social media and we will see you in the next one. Goodbye.