Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 348: DEVESTATING LOSS TO OXFORD
31 Plays12 hours ago
Southampton – Oxford play the role of the grinch in this Christmas special as they go ahead and steal christmas from right under our noses!
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/gspndailysouthampton
X - https://x.com/GSPNSouthampton/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@gspnsouthampton
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@gspnsouthampton
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/gspnsouthampton
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Holiday Greetings
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 and wonderful co-host Zach Ingo Finch. And mate, how doing after watching 11 Saints players run around looking like they're as full as turkey as I am?
00:00:35
Zak
Merry Christmas. Happy Boxing Day. Massive shout out to anybody who's listening to us. However... just what a waste of like two hours of my life.
00:00:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bye.
00:00:49
Zak
That's what I'm about.
Game Frustrations and Team Decisions
00:00:50
Zak
I wish I could be more cross about it, but genuinely, like the the the main crux of the takeaway of that game that I've come away with after we discussed, we you know we had a bit pre-show chat beforehand, because we've not spoken to each other since before Christmas.
00:01:04
Zak
And one of the like one of the key things was like, what really well-thought, hard-won draw, which should have been a win, but we kind of let the players get away with it a little bit, against us Coventry, is wasted because we cannot put a team that we have not played since 1996, a team that you predicted we would beat 6-0 to bed.
00:01:26
Zak
And then when we struggled to do that, Because we were drawing, not swimming, drawing, they were like, oh, you know what we should do. We should take off our one of our like big, best creative outlets and another player that plays quite well. Let's put on like a 35-year-old and let's play it on a player who, you know and it's no disrespect to Jay Robinson, but is not an impact sub.
00:01:48
Zak
And then maybe that will just you know sort it out. No, no, what would you... then And then to have the excuse of, oh, well, you know, i just, you know, I don't really know much.
00:02:00
Zak
They are a managerless team that are like candidates for relegation.
00:02:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
Poor Performance Against Oxford
00:02:06
Zak
And this is no disrespect to Oxford. This is just the reality of the situation. And we we just, I watched a Saints team of like six months ago. Like it was written in the stars. You could tell we were struggling. We had that. We were knocking on the door. We were always going to go in. Is it going to go in? No, it wasn't. It was always fated that they were just going to take one chance. And with both chances, they basically had the whole game. They scored.
00:02:28
Zak
Dyer.
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:29
Zak
Dyer. Sorry.
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, look,
00:02:30
Zak
sorry so Sorry, that was... You asked, how how or how am I? That was just the tirade that's been in my brain, mate.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's it.
00:02:38
Zak
So other than that, I'm really good. I hope you my Christmas to me.
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, you're right, mate, though.
00:02:42
Zak
o
00:02:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I mean, you want to talk about the levels and the Sky commentary went on and on about it, but at the end of the day, Oxford is a, you know, a team who just about survived in the championship last year, otherwise had sort of come up from League One.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, they can only afford three sides to their stadium. Like, you know...
00:03:04
Zak
And again, I don't want it to come across as arrogance because like we've talked about how anyone can beat anyone, right? and We even discussed about how, literally in the build-up to this game, we we discussed about how like it it could be a banana skin, because we we could treat it you know like they have done, which is, well, it's the first in a big run of games, and like bringing Leo off to to to bring on, you know you to because of the fact that the game wasn't done. you don't you don't You can't keep... I know that you want to keep another eye on the other game, but like we're not going to win if we take all...
00:03:35
Zak
it's just It's just frustrating because I think everybody saw what was going to happen. Everybody saw it playing out like this. It's just frustrating. We should have gone out and demolished and we didn't. We waited to go a goal down before we suddenly put an effort in.
00:03:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:03:54
Zak
And it's just, it's like, you know, and I know there was a talk at one point of a penalty shout, but it's just like, that shouldn't matter because we should have put this game to bed. They're a managerless team. We are a team that has hired a manager that went on an extremely good run with players that were scoring for fun, that had the, call it synergy, call it energy, call it flow, call it chi, whatever you
Lack of Motivation and Defensive Errors
00:04:15
Zak
want to call it. it and And I sat there today and I was had to kind of neglect the family I was with to try and watch this because I obviously know I'm going to be reviewing it.
00:04:25
Zak
And I'm sat there and I'm doing this Boxing Day quiz, sort of half not really paying attention to it because I'm watching this football. And I'm like, I just want to stop watching this because this is dire. looks like, as you pointed out, mate, that the players also decided that...
00:04:39
Zak
they were having Turkey, getting you know, all the stuff in all the trillions came out and went oh, great, we've got football tomorrow. And it it did almost feel like watching like a the hungover Sunday league team that just didn't have the energy that we would expect from the team.
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was just... It was just like... It was like a complete...
00:04:55
Zak
It was a Will Steele game. It was a Will Steele game.
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
it yeah it was It was like a complete revert... Like we completely reverted back to... oh we're not like fast and dynamic anymore, actually. We're just going to pass it around.
00:05:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, Oxford played with that low block, which I know we have struggled with against in the past, but... it's It was just so slow.
00:05:17
Zak
Well, you've got to learn to break that down.
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah it was just...
00:05:20
Zak
you can't you can't just and You can't just kick the ball and sort of towards it and be like, well, why it's not happening. Like, I get it.
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And... And I mean, the the two observations I made specifically in the first half, I think I turned around and I said, i mean, I went to the Dell, the pub to watch it, which was nice with the whole family with a lovely meal and sat in the perfect line of the TV to sit and watch the game. It was a lovely day out and the food was fantastic, but...
00:05:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I turn around, I'm like, why isn't anyone passing the ball to Tom Fellows? Like, his I'm pretty sure his first touch of the ball was the free kick he won for the goal.
00:06:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because, to be fair, I said that, and then he got the ball, and he won the free kick, and we scored from it. And I said, i told you we needed to pass the ball to him. Like, it was just...
00:06:09
Zak
And obviously, Eckert's come out and said that his fitness levels weren't there, but that doesn't mean, well, if he's playing on the pitch past the ball to the guy. it just
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It was baffling.
00:06:19
Zak
It just wasn't... We just weren't there.
00:06:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then because...
00:06:23
Zak
just felt like I wasn't watching the same team as like two or three weeks.
00:06:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but then... That's it. because Because we didn't seem to have that outlook down that side... we would try and go down the other side and we hit the same problem we had against Coventry where all of our output was going down that left-hand side and everyone was just marked out of the game. And so then everything is just sideways, backwards, sideways, backwards, back to Baz, who then almost got himself into trouble two or three times with this same like passing in about round the back energy and
00:06:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, you say it was a very Will Steele team performance, but actually a lot of it was some real... There was some real Russell Martin ball in there. Like, we nearly... And then Oxford. I mean, Oxford have clearly been looking at the stat sheet on Bozzunu.
00:07:09
Zak
and
00:07:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
to see that he is the goalkeeper in the league who was letting the most most goals from shots outside the box. Because they were just shooting on sight. And i I'm like, one of these is going to go in in a minute. And then, you know, the ball bobbles in and we don't really clear it and we don't get out to the player. And then he puts a cross back in and we defensively header it. And then we still persist to not close down the player. And bang, they score. And I'm like, you could have seen that coming a mile off.
00:07:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it was just ridiculous.
00:07:37
Zak
It just didn't, it genuinely felt like nobody was really up for it. but That's genuinely, it looked it looked like everyone was tired, no one wanted to be there. like I get it, right? I'm not back to work until next week, but I am back to work next week.
00:07:49
Zak
And the k Crimbo Limbo period is horrific for anyone that's doing work because, you know, you've got to pay attention. And I get that with football, it's just tough and it's probably been difficult, but...
00:07:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, again, as we established pre-recorded, mate, I don't even know day it is.
00:08:00
Zak
LAUGHTER yeah but This is true. Like, Greg started popping off about some actual, bit like, work stuff to me, and I didn't really clock it. And then he was like, well, this is going to go out, obviously, tomorrow or Monday. And I was like, Greg, it's Friday. We're recording on the Friday. he's like, oh, yeah, but the football's on. So just to assume it's Sunday.
00:08:24
Zak
You don't have a And, like, that's that's how it is sometimes, right? And it kind it's it just... I think it was just frustrating because if you are a fan that has partook in the Boxing Day tradition, you've gone all the way to the away game, you'd expect something. Like, at least they got a goal to celebrate. But even the goal was one of those ones where we went, oh, no, we've conceded. Let's start playing now.
00:08:46
Zak
And then after that, we just weren't able to do anything. And it's it's really disappointing to go from loss to draw and then like we wanted to come back, get a statement win. And it's like... I don't know what terms Eckert's been hired on, right? I don't know what the expectation is this season.
00:09:02
Zak
i you know I assume it's still promotion. It's still what they're talking about. if We cannot beat Oxford United on a promotion run after the amount of games we've had and the run that we're we're supposedly on.
00:09:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:09:13
Zak
Like, what are we doing? And I don't want to go back to what it was like under Steele where we're talking about renegation. and But like you look at this game and you're just like, what are we doing? Like genuinely, what are we doing? Because all of the hard work that we, you know, we put in and all of this like run we built up is just being undone again, because it's a very saint thing to do. you you you're put in a great performance and you get a draw against a
Performance Gap and Lineup Changes
00:09:38
Zak
Man City.
00:09:39
Zak
And then next week you just lose to a promoted side. And that's genuinely the vibe it gave today. And i just don't know where the motivation was. and And then obviously it doesn't help that then so a lot of the criticism will go on the manager because of the man management. Because when we looked at the the lineups, the lineup was perfect. The lineup is exactly what we had de picked, right? It is what we would consider to be our perfect lineup.
00:10:02
Zak
And that just didn't play out on the field at all.
00:10:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, Yeah, well, I've got maybe, I don't know if it's a counterpoint, but a further discussion point to add to that.
00:10:09
Zak
I'm fine with that.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
But let's have a little break first and hear a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:10:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So, yeah, you mentioned the starting lineup, and, I mean, two changes, and we talked about fellows, I think, being underutilized today, which is definitely one problem. Stephen's in for Kwashi.
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
de Did him coming in in make the defense worse? Because that's what he kind of looked like.
00:11:17
Zak
i Maybe, but I also think, again, it's because we're we're putting Quash out against teams that we would consider to be stronger. And you said it yourself, mate, in the preview.
00:11:29
Zak
I don't think there's anything that Stephens couldn't handle in this Oxford United team. and And again, that might have been coming from a place of, I don't think, arrogance, but maybe misguided optimism.
00:11:40
Zak
that clearly maybe wasn't the case because they, as you're right, obviously, even even without a manager, had somehow definitely paid attention to what we're doing and paid attention to the way we're playing and what they needed to do.
00:11:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:52
Zak
But I wouldn't, as we've discussed before, I wouldn't be upset with either on the team sheet. And we went through that whole period where Stephens wasn't in the team under still. And then he came back in the team. and then we did have a big winning run, which contained both of those players. I just think that everybody didn't hugely seem up to it today. And I think that a lot of the substitutions really changed the game because, again, they're thinking about games coming up.
00:12:19
Zak
But if you don't win the game that's that you're playing in now, you know And this was my big worry about Eka, as I told you this when we when we hired him. like Clearly, he was talking about how he was sleeping at Staplewood and he's preparing for every game with meticulous levels of detail.
00:12:33
Zak
And what I think is actually happening now is that that is unsustainable, right? You can't you can't do that forever, like unless you're a Pep Guardiola. And then what happens? You split up with your wife and you you end up not existing in reality.
00:12:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean, even then, right? When you're talking about, what was it this week? Three games in literally four games in seven days or something stupid? Like a ridiculous turnaround.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's just not, how can you, you can't do it, right? You can't do it.
00:13:02
Zak
but one of the one of One of the other big problems is like, I know that this is wildly deviating from your point about whether or not I thought Steven Saguashi was better. i think i'm I'm really frustrated that we are the only team in the top 12 now that did not get a point out of the game they just took part in.
00:13:20
Zak
So like Coventry won, Middlesbrough drew, you know, Derby drew, Stokes drew. We've now dropped down to 12th. To get back to 10th, where we started before these, you know, a game and a half ago, we're going to need to win the next game.
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
hundred percent
00:14:02
Zak
This was supposed to be, you know, we talk about make or break. We talk about if this is a must-win game of the season. and It's getting to a point where if we want promotion, if we even want to push for promotion, it's getting to a point we need to start winning and not really... like, that is the standard. It feels like we've re-established that. We've had a wobble.
00:14:23
Zak
And now we're still kind of, like, on the wobbling downwards trend. Maybe today is just a wobble. But the things that we had as worries are starting to come into fruition, i.e.
00:14:35
Zak
we don't really have subs that can do anything other than see how a game already won. So if we've not won the game by that point, it doesn't feel like it's changing. Yeah.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah
00:14:47
Zak
Who's better? I don't know.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
love
00:14:49
Zak
i don't think it would have made a huge bit of difference because I genuinely don't think... I think that it was the entirety of the team that weren't really up to it today as opposed to an individual.
00:14:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know You're right, and we called it coming into the game, make or break season, right? With all of these quick fixtures, it's it's both an opportunity to right those gaps and climb up the table, or to sink furiously into you know the quicksand of despair of the mid-table of the championship.
00:15:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, but i mean, so far, we can see we can see which way is more likely it
00:15:23
Zak
if we if we win If we won all four of those games, right, you would have ended up with, so, 33 points, 37, 40, 43. forty three We would end up, obviously, that's entirely disliked on whether or not the teams above us got anything.
00:15:39
Zak
But you would probably expect us at that point to be quite high up to playoff places.
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, 50 seconds.
00:15:44
Zak
After the losing to Oxford United, does it feel like that's going to be the case, right? Like, Coventry, we tried to put fight in, but...
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then only, what, two days? Only two days to turn it round and go again Birmingham. Like, it's... This is I mean. like if you' If you get that win and you're riding high, you go into the next game and the preparation is probably slightly less important because you're at least going with the confidence. But, I mean, how can you take confidence after today's performance when it was just so it was so lethargic, right? It was just literally, so just like you say, like Saints of Old, just...
00:16:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
casually passing it around. I don't know if it was maybe they just underestimated Oxford and Oxford, you know, now they're free of the shackles of their old manager. And I know that they had quite a few changes to their team coming into the game, you know, came and fought for it.
00:16:29
Zak
They had nothing to lose, had they?
Rival Impacts and Squad Concerns
00:16:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, it's just, it's just a bit sad, bit devastating.
00:16:38
Zak
you know what i will give you though, Greg? There is one positive to take out of it and that's by Oxford winning, they have pushed Portsmouth into the relegation zone.
00:16:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I did see the conspiracy theorists come out and say that that was in fact a deliberate ploy, but i'm not having any part of that.
00:16:49
Zak
That...
00:16:52
Zak
Yeah, but I don't think that's true. I think it's we we all need whatever we need to justify a performance like that. And I think that what I'm more upset by than anything is just, it just felt like it was a waste of my time and it didn't feel like they were really trying to win the game from the from the get-go. It felt like every, it looked lethargic, it looked tired, it looked like everybody wasn't quite up for it today.
00:17:16
Zak
and and That's why I'm not... like When you're saying, do you think that that you could swap out X with Y? I think that we could have had some of the best players... you know If we'd swapped out everybody, i don't I don't really feel like there was anyone that I saw that really was a standout.
00:17:29
Zak
I think Sienza tried, as he always does. you know even he was very, very close to scoring, again, but he's just not... Somebody who hasn't been lucky with some of his shots.
00:17:39
Zak
But, you know...
00:17:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a concern, isn't it, though? After him coming off after 50 minutes again, like question marks over his fitness, this busy schedule being new to him.
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, but being so reliant on him to be that driving forward force.
00:17:56
Zak
Well, we knew that against the after the first Millwall game, right? The first Millwall game we lost because basically we didn't have him in and and Jay, not not to his it's not his fault, wasn't able to step into those shoes because he's very, very young and that's a lot of pressure.
00:18:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:11
Zak
And that's why, you know, maybe we talk about some potential returnees and how that might help us after a word from our partners at Zencastr.
00:18:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, alright, let's have that.
00:18:23
Zak
Unless I've run in so much, I've forgotten we have had two breaks.
00:18:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and 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 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.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright mate, and we are back. So, look the The thing that's going to get thrown about and quoted is Johan Sporz coming out in the Echo and saying, we don't need a lot in January.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the that that doesn't quite ring true, does it?
00:19:08
Zak
Yeah, we didn't even get to this bit. the
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, like we...
00:19:15
Zak
and i said Unless a dozy comes back, mate, and suddenly plays like an absolute baller, and all of a sudden Ross Stewart's like knees just are fixed and fused together forever, and he starts putting it away for fun.
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's back in training.
00:19:27
Zak
Yeah, but like until... you know This is the big problem we had when a lot of people just went, oh, we need to just play Joe Eribo, and then we saw what happened with that. it didn't It didn't play out the way we wanted it to play out, right? We've supposedly got wing-backs on the way that might help with the fact that, you know, Fellows has got injured and not quite back yet, instead of playing Wellington, which we did the other game. But I just... it it It's the... When the current XI...
00:19:53
Zak
Our firing and are the the strong attacking football we started with is is incredible to watch. It's wonderful to watch. And that's the performance we wanted, right? We wanted the performance we had against Charlton today. And the problem is, is when they're not...
00:20:07
Zak
then you need to try and find solutions. The issue is at the moment, as you as you're rightly saying, mate, is that there are no real solutions elsewhere. And whenever we've had issues with people being out for fitness or like that Millwall game, it's not paid off for us either, which is incredibly, it's like it's such a delicate stack of cards.
00:20:27
Zak
And the idea that the guy that's running the show is turning around and going, we don't need anything.
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:31
Zak
We don't need another goalkeeper, despite the fact this is a thing that we've been talking about since before Ramsdale even left. We don't need any more attacking support, despite the fact that you can see we need some more attacking support instead of consistently relying on, like, essentially kids to bail us out.
00:20:48
Zak
it's It's a worrying thing to hear them say, but surely they have the same eyes that we do. And we do need to trust that, like they have done with, you know, Azaz and Sienza and stuff, they'll be able to identify targets. And maybe, and what I think we're all secretly hoping is it's just Bluster. The reason he's saying that we're not going to be going out all out in January is because, you know, people know that we have money and they're probably going to ask for more money. Yeah. Like, maybe it's all a master plan. Maybe I'm just delusional. Probably a little bit of that. But you're right. It's really worrying that, like, we just need, like, an extra... You know, it doesn't matter when people talk about our bench and how strong it is. What they actually are talking about is how much money is on our bench.
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:29
Zak
Does it matter that Archer cost £15 million pound if he scored two goals all season? No.
00:21:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, i mean what was your what was your instant reaction when they brought Archer on the pitch?
00:21:33
Zak
It doesn't matter. Like...
00:21:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Were you
00:21:40
Zak
Yeah. but
00:21:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Were you inspired that he was going to go on and score the winning goal and take control of the game?
00:21:49
Zak
No, I expected to draw more one-on-one.
00:21:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I tutted in disbelief and went, well, that's that then. So...
00:21:56
Zak
But then again, it was almost still almost you know it's not as crazy as as the Stephens thing. But again, like you can see what he's planning to do. He's like, right, let's try and get another attacking player on the field. let's try and you know Let's try and move everything up.
00:22:07
Zak
But again, like swapping out Downs, who was, yeah, okay. The only thing we got right so far, mate, is that Downs was going to get yellow carded. And to be fair, safest Burton football, like 90% of the time it's paying out.
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And to be fair, don't o go say I don't think that he even got booked because of the challenge. I think he talked his way into that booking by arguing the way that he did.
00:22:27
Zak
What, by slamming the ground? Yeah, but also at this point, like it's the only way he's going to get time off, right? So make sure he gets to the point where it's suspended. And again, but bringing on Romelu, we all know that Romelu isn't probably quite there yet. And you know he needs a bit more time still to settle in. You've got sort of Robinson coming on. and And then obviously taking off the Saz, who, yeah, okay, hadn't had a great game either. But it doesn't feel...
00:22:54
Zak
It doesn't feel like, you know, maybe maybe take off one of the centre-backs and push everything forward. It didn't really feel like it was going in for the throw.
00:23:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:02
Zak
It's, oh, we need to try and score a goal. Azaz looks tired.
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:05
Zak
Let's put on the other attacking player we have. And again, part of that is due to the personal personality he's got. He doesn't have a huge amount to to go through. You know, Archer's... Fraser's already on the pitch at this point.
00:23:18
Zak
Robinson's already on the pitch. What are you going to do? like there's There's Bragg, who isn't going to exactly... do what they wanted to do or Wellington who isn't exactly going to do what they want to either and they've already swapped them out for Fraser. It just it just kind of felt like he didn't really know what to do and doesn't have the like the tool in his toolbox to to to win those games and again it wasn't a problem when we were putting the first half to bet
00:23:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:39
Zak
but we're not doing that now, right? And that's and and again, like football's fickle, right?
00:23:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:44
Zak
we were We were talking about how incredible it was and the amazing run we went on. Before, we were talking about how it was the worst season we've had since last season. And maybe we'll be talking in two days' time about an absolutely incredible game that we have you know at Birmingham, that we we beat them and it's great. But the reality of today is that I feel like it was a waste of my time watching.
00:24:06
Zak
I feel like nobody was really up for it. I think that the manager got the substitutions wrong and fair play to Oxford United.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well...
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:14
Zak
we can eat our words that are ludicrous five or like four nil, six, five nil, you know, predictions were wildly off because they, you know, they beat us once before in a pre-season friendly two nil, mate.
00:24:29
Zak
And so they... beat us by two, you know, they scored two goals against us in an actual professional match.
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Indeed.
00:24:36
Zak
Yeah.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the In an effort to try and finish on somewhat of a positive note,
00:24:42
Zak
I mean, it's going to to be from you, mate.
Standout Performances and Conclusion
00:24:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah like that
00:24:45
Zak
I'm still angry and bitter, but then what's new?
00:24:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
one player who did look well up for it, and really caught my eye today... in a way that you know he it doesn't normally, is was Caspiander.
00:24:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know I say normally the work he does off the ball is immense, and he sort of does the the work that no one likes to give credit for, but actually his his movement with the ball and dragging the team forward, especially after Sienzo went off, was was really good.
00:25:00
Zak
Mm-mm.
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he was probably our best player today by you know by some margin. So that's something.
00:25:20
Zak
I also think that it will be interesting, as we've to discussed before, what's going to happen when Shea Charles is back. Because I think that will give a midfield option that isn't kind of just having to try and like sit back a bit.
00:25:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:31
Zak
Because you can't rely on Romelu to do that work, really. And you'll see, like that's not really what Damned is, and that's not really not what Romelu does. But if you've got Shea Charles as well, along I'd love to see Shea Charles with Yander both fit, both absolutely raring to go.
00:25:45
Zak
and maybe we'll get a chance to see that coming coming up but
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:49
Zak
Yeah, it's just, I feel like, you know, i guess Taylor Harbour-Bellis had a good game. He scored again. He's becoming, he's like, wondering how long he's, probably a couple goals off of Armstrong, but at this rate, he's...
00:26:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, look, credit where credit's due. Anstom's still the top scoring player in the overall league, 11 goals, so...
00:26:05
Zak
Yeah.
00:26:07
Zak
This is true. It's just, I just, they are the ones that have set this expectation. All of the players that joined us in the summer talk about promotion. They're still talking about promotion.
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:18
Zak
Eka has been hired and talked about promotion. They are the ones that are telling us that they think they should be promoted. They're the ones that are telling us they should be, and they are underperforming. then perform better because that is what you are expecting us to think of you. If everyone said that, if everyone came out went, this season might be right-off, lads, I know that's not what you want to hear, but like you you wouldn't have us being as annoyed because you kind of expect that.
00:26:43
Zak
But then you know we go on this big run and we start to like build momentum and it hypes everyone back up. So to then have it kind of like drop off a cliff again, it's just very saints, mate, isn't it?
00:26:56
Zak
But what is also very Saints is we come back and get a 4-0 win on Monday because that's what we did against Charleston when all of us were expecting Nathan Jones to beat us. So, swings around and roundabouts, isn't it?
00:27:06
Zak
It's just, I just really wish they didn't ruin my boxing day little bit. I wanted to have more hype off the back of Boxing Day, but alas.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alas, indeed. But look, in Tonda's words, the good thing is we've now only got three days to put until we get a chance to put it right. So that that is sure one way of looking at it.
00:27:31
Zak
I worry that's a very Will Steele slash Russell Martin quote isn't it
00:27:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:27:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now look, that is all that we have got time for today. Thank you very much, Zach, for joining me. And thank you, everyone, for listening.
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know your thoughts on the game. on the socials, in the comments. We're everywhere. We are GSPN Southampton on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, X, which is actually Twitter, it's real name, TikTok, Blue Sky, all of them, everywhere. Just hit us up. We love hearing him from you. We will be back to preview, did you say Monday's game?
00:28:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's another game at some point in this festive period. Who knows? Who knows what day it
00:28:22
Zak
you know you know what they say, Greg, things can only get better. So there we are.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so we will be back at some point to look forward to that. But until then, have a wonderful continuation of the festive period. Weekend, maybe? Who knows? And we will be back then.
00:28:27
Zak
It'll be fine.
00:28:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
you then, guys.
00:28:55
Zak
Merry Crimbo Limbo! Woo!