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Episode 240: Losing friendlies and European Champions!
118 Plays13 days ago
Southampton – The Lionesses show us how it's done! Saints however were slightly less inspiring performance, but it leaves us plenty to talk about!
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction and Light-hearted Banter
00:00:10
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.
00:00:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing mate? You alright?
00:00:22
Zak
Yeah, that's too bad. Only our second attempt at recording. That must be a new record. We need to learn to mute our phones collectively.
Weekend Reflections and England's Victory
00:00:31
Zak
Yeah, no, mate, really good. I've had a a really nice weekend. I've had a a pretty chill day today.
00:00:37
Zak
Went to place called Stansfield House, which was really nice and had light nice... Nice coffee and stuff. And yeah, it's been pretty chill. It was my mother-in-law's birthday. So yeah, good good day. I'm very, very tired.
00:00:48
Zak
But I did get a bit of excitement towards the end of day because we saw England win another trophy.
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, right. Back to back European champions for the lionesses. It's unbelievable. Not the best game, but finals very rarely are.
00:01:01
Zak
Yeah, we kind of already talked about this. so we We talked about this before, right? Like not every every game is going to be like the PSG, you know, dropping somebody 5-0 because that's not how two teams get to a final.
Analyzing England Women's Team and Comparisons
00:01:13
Zak
However, there were moments of that game that reminded me a little bit of sort of Russell Martin ball where it was... Oh, to the keeper.
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah you You claimed that early on, and I stand by my statement that I don't think that's a fair comparison because at least both teams managed to have a shot.
00:01:21
Zak
Pep Guardiola killed football.
00:01:30
Zak
That's true. by the time that but By the time we're comparing it, the confidence has been stripped out of all of our players. so Let's hope that's not how it's going to be going forward anyway. It doesn't seem to be.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Brilliant stuff from the the women's team. Some real grit shown to fight back and some some good penalties as well. It's nice to see.
00:01:48
Zak
Yeah, the Chloe Kelly penalty that almost ripped the goal off was pretty nice. that was That was one way to win a tournament.
00:01:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, absolutely. And brilliant. The celebration is going
Sister Podcast Mention and Southampton Game Insights
00:01:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
to be great.
00:02:01
Zak
If you want to hear more about women's football and the women's series in general, we have a sister podcast. It's the daily women's football podcast, part of the global Sports Podcast Network. It will be pretty much everywhere you can find us.
00:02:13
Zak
put some really good stuff out. They've had some really good interviews they put a lot of hard work into their podcast over the last year. So yeah, go check them out.
00:02:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely. I'm sure they will have plenty to say about that final and some of the news coming out after it about you know certain bones and playing on with through some real tough efforts.
00:02:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, speaking of the resilience we would like to see in players, bringing it back to St. Zach, we also had a game this weekend. And... Yeah.
00:02:41
Zak
we did uh we we've we've had a lot of information that's come out and it's crazy what you can miss in sort of two to three days right not not one of you know it's not the last game of pre-season that's still to come uh you've got tickets for it if i i believe you're very excited to go back to some areas however
00:02:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah. Well, soon.
00:02:58
Zak
It was less than ideal. And without getting into all of the stuff about the fact that we were charging a fiver and yet a Spaniel just live streamed it on their Twitter page anyway. And consider it supposed to be behind closed doors.
00:03:13
Zak
Seems to be a lot of Espanol fans there, mate. So So that's ah let's let's go past the maybe commercial problems I have with the club. And it was okay to get another 90 minutes in the bank for, you know, not 90 minutes for most of the players, but just just general. It was good to get minutes the bank for the players for fitness.
00:03:35
Zak
Apparently we've learned a lot.
Player Focus: Lianco, Musa, Janepo
00:03:38
Zak
We've learned who will be staying, who will be going. That hasn't been shared with us, but apparently the writing's on the wall for some players.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, very rarely is it. It's not quite like the the old Russell Martin-Gillingham game where the writing was very like outwardly but painted on the wall for some players.
00:03:48
Zak
No.
00:03:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
But...
00:03:58
Zak
Oh, Lianco, Musa, Janepo, all of them. Just that one last game in absolute abysmal conditions. Yeah. And by that, I mean just the game in general, not the conditions.
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:08
Zak
don't know why I said the conditions, but hey-ho.
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
but's But yeah, look. Very clear the that some... players need to go. Unsurprisingly, we all know that.
00:04:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
But also, some some nice play. what What a lovely goal from our new striker, getting straight straight off with like like an instinctive finish.
00:04:30
Zak
Yeah, I can't remember. oh i think it might have been Shea Charles, but I'm not entirely sure. But someone was talking about how what they've learned from Damien Downs is that you just need to get him the ball and he doesn't hesitate and he pulls the trigger and usually, you know, it'll end up all right.
00:04:44
Zak
And the fact that we have a striker that you can pass to that just pulls the trigger.
00:04:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, look and shoot. Oh! Praise be!
00:04:52
Zak
No way have we got a player.
00:04:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh like I'm not being funny, Zach, but our unofficial catchphrase of last season was, if you need to win games, you need to shoot. So to have a player that can shoot is...
00:05:05
Zak
Win the games, Greg. You need to score goals. No way.
00:05:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:08
Zak
Unbelievable. Breaking news.
00:05:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, but... It was great. It was brilliant.
Striker's Role and On-Field Performance Importance
00:05:14
Zak
Yeah.
00:05:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like a proper clinical finish from a very difficult position, which shows great promise. Like, all we've got to do is learn how to play the ball to our forwards.
00:05:21
Zak
Yeah. and He seems to...
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we're laughing.
00:05:27
Zak
This is true. I think Downs need slightly more media training because in the first sort of 20 seconds of his ear post interview, i don't if you saw, was he he used the word great about six times. He's becoming like me.
00:05:39
Zak
So yeah, it's really great since I've been here. It's been really great. The club's really great. It's really great. And you're like, bro, someone needs to teach you some adjectives. like But again, his job isn't to speak to the media.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, look, look, look. we
00:05:51
Zak
His job is to score.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:52
Zak
And he did that within the first 20 minutes of him being put on the pitch.
00:05:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look. Look.
00:05:55
Zak
And that's all that matters.
00:05:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look. Cole Palmer is a perfect example. that You do not need to be an intelligent man to be a good footballer. Like...
00:06:05
Zak
you're You're right. Chippy Chips is now a thing that's gone down the history of, oh goodness gracious me, you're right.
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, look.
00:06:13
Zak
None of these people need to...
00:06:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
If Damien Down's head is just filled with chippy chips and vibes and he's willing to score goals, I'm here for it. Like, I don't need a walking thesaurus. If he wants to bang him in for fun, happy days.
00:06:23
Zak
no.
00:06:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, what more can you ask for?
00:06:27
Zak
fact that it's not fry you fries is a the most upsetting thing to me. But no, you're right. It was a it was a good goal. It's good to see him get medicine pre-season. It's good to see him score basically immediately.
00:06:41
Zak
you know we were We were kind of seeing how well Cameron Archer was doing and he's kind of fallen off a little bit. We still need, i think, that creativity to be able to get us into those positions because it was a lone goal towards the end of the game.
00:06:55
Zak
We'll talk about the other points of the game, I'm assuming after a word from our partners at Bionique.
Match Review and Player Critiques
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we're back. But yeah, other than that, let's talk about the elephant in the room, Zach. Jack Stevens not covering himself in glory we've with either of the conceded goals, has to be said.
00:07:52
Zak
it's it's really difficult right because like it he's our club captain they've signed a new deal that means he's not going anywhere anytime soon he's getting into games he's getting into changing rooms he's had four successive managers keep him as captain right russell martin uh ivan jurich simon rusk and now will still there Apparently, think Adam Blackmore was talking about how the games that he's played, we've got more points than the games that he hasn't.
00:08:23
Zak
And that might be you know because he's organising everybody else around him better. And that's wonderful.
00:08:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:08:28
Zak
But if you organise everyone else better, but yourself, you allow... you know Regardless of whether you think the penalty was soft, I think we'll still describe it as pathetic, which is a friendly game.
00:08:40
Zak
I don't... For like, you wo hold back your opinions.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:44
Zak
you wait wait you know wait At least wait until you get fined for it. But yeah, like that first goal is it's just sort of indicative of how we've been so defensively poor, right?
00:08:56
Zak
Like it's mistimed pass back because we're passing back and oh, we've accidentally given it to, you know, that is a classic slash Jack Stevens slash Taylor Harbour-Bellis. We've accidentally passed it to another attacking player.
00:09:09
Zak
And they've scored.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:10
Zak
Admittedly, that could happen to anybody. But, like, you're seeing the sort of youthful exuberance of, say, like, Ronnie Edwards or Korshi, right? How Korshi's a bit of a tank.
00:09:20
Zak
Apparently, he's, like, quite vocal.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:22
Zak
hes He's jumping above people where they're not expecting him to jump. He's really into it and understanding that, like, he wants his goal as a central defender is to not concede any goals.
00:09:33
Zak
And... Yeah, like that's kind of what I think we need in a team. We're already starting to see this sort of... The partnership between Jan and Taylor Harbour-Bellis is over because, spoiler for tomorrow's episode, might be a spoiler, might already be confirmed by now.
00:09:48
Zak
I think it's like FC Porto apparently have come in to Jan Bednarek. He's not been involved with pre-season. We already know that he's kind of gone his head's out the door, which I have opinions about that.
00:09:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:59
Zak
I'll share them tomorrow when it's actually in our transfer segment. But... you know, say what you want. Like, is it that he's not good enough or what? but Because like, I don't, I can't sit here as a non-professional footballer and say, I think Jack Stevens is a bad football player because I don't play football but and he's going to be significantly better than me.
00:10:19
Zak
However, what I can say is that he was at fault for two goals in that training match. And that is the first match that we have lost.
00:10:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:26
Zak
And that's what it is.
00:10:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, we said it before, right? and We said it before that last season he was very easily the scapegoat for a lot of problems. And there were a lot of situations where he didn't help that situation himself by doing silly things to get himself suspended for longer or again you know get himself sent off.
00:10:40
Zak
yeah Two red cards, like simple as that.
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, one of the red cards, you know, it was rash and reckless, but it was it was just a tackle. but then swearing at the referee to get your ban extended. Stupid. And then the second one, pulling Kukure's hair.
00:10:55
Zak
yeah
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Stupid.
00:10:58
Zak
Yeah, don't don't get me wrong.
00:10:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:10:59
Zak
Anyone that comes across Kukurela that is are getting annoyed with him probably wants to do that. It's having the
Fan Reactions and Team Expectations
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:05
Zak
foresight to not do that.
00:11:06
Zak
Now, if it was an 18-year-old, I don't think I'd have been as bothered.
00:11:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:09
Zak
But the fact that he is the club captain...
00:11:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
But this is the experienced, supposedly level-headed club captain. like Look. And all that preseason has shown for me, I don't think we've had a preseason game yet where we haven't had a mistake from Jack Stevens that's led to a goal.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here's where I'm at. It's just, I don't want be the podcast that just takes this bone and runs with it and rags on him because he's an easy target, but he just he just he seems to be making it so easy the
00:11:27
Zak
It's...
00:11:41
Zak
because, like, if if if he hadn't been at fault for both of those goals, mate, we wouldn't be talking about this right now.
00:11:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:11:47
Zak
That's the problem. And, like, yes, it's pre-season, and yes, maybe when we're in front of fans and it kicks off and he wants to be part of that, you know, winning... mentality and and momentum that gets us back to the Premier League, it might all change. But also, where I'm at is like, why are we buying all these central defenders, putting all of this investing into people like Ronnie Edwards? Like, we've been playing Ronnie Edwards at right back to literally just give him minutes, right? I think Alfie House confirmed that it's just to give him minutes.
00:12:15
Zak
but he will be a centre-back. So where's he going to go? Is he going to sit on the bench for ages because we're playing Jack Stephens over him, which we did that a few times. And that might be that they want his commanding presence, especially where we've lost Lallana. But if he makes a mistake that results in us conceding a goal and we lose that game due to that goal it doesn't matter how well he's organized the rest of the team it's a bit of a problem and that's not you know it these are just like these are just observations these are these aren't us going we hate we hate him we think he's terrible would love nothing more than him to not make a mistake for the rest of the season but the reality of the situation is it feels like he's going to
00:12:56
Zak
And that's based off of evidence of him making mistakes. So who knows what will happen? Maybe he will slot in and be the experienced player and be the captain we all know and want him to be.
00:13:09
Zak
But it's not, you're right, it's not been great that he is most of the time the architect of his own failure. And by failure, I don't even mean real failure. I just mean that like, this is what people see.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, The fact of the matter is that it's been so... i mean, it has been so prolifically bad that there are going to be a lot of fans come match day one against Wrexham, where if Jack Stephens' name is on the team sheet, there are going to be some people that make their mind up about Will Steele there and then before a ball is kicked.
00:13:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:42
Zak
Yeah, and obviously it's it's completely in both Will Still and Jack Stephens' right to try and prove everyone wrong.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:50
Zak
But, you know, and and after what's come out about ah ah supposedly Hassan Hoot will make an insane team selection, so we now know why. Maybe he had a falling out with a player, so he played Moussa Gennepo ahead of Ryan Bertrand.
00:14:02
Zak
don't know how much truth there is to that, but it was said on a podcast somewhere. like we We know that that's probably not what's going to happen, but people will start to already question from day one when what you actually want is to go into St. Mary's and then put the Hollywood dream of Wrexham to the sword on day one and just be like, by the way, welcome sir welcome to the championship.
00:14:24
Zak
This ain't your papa's championship.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:27
Zak
This is going to be how we're going to be the rest of the season. And we need to build that. And like, you know, I understand that ah ah Jack Stevens has the attack dog mentality to want to lead that charge.
00:14:38
Zak
I could also see him 15 minutes into the game, hacking down J-Rod and then getting red card.
Preseason Reflections and Squad Dynamics
00:14:43
Zak
Because that but that's what, you know, i it's really frustrating and upsetting because it's like he cares about the club.
00:14:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:51
Zak
You know he cares about the club. He cares about the fans. thats That's great. But what we actually need to do is start winning again. And we need to have people that are defenders that are not going to make mistakes.
00:15:03
Zak
And he is making a lot of mistakes. Those are just observations.
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Indeed. Yeah.
00:15:08
Zak
Right.
00:15:09
Zak
I don't want to... Can we end the segment where we rag on our club captain again? Because I feel bad.
00:15:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we'll move on and we'll move on and talk about some other parts of the match.
00:15:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first, a message from our partners at Zencaster. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we've 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 super easy to start podcast. It sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:15:39
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. Okay, and and we're back. that I don't know, mate. It was kind of a flat game.
00:15:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
there any other sort of things you picked out from it that are worth mentioning?
00:15:56
Zak
no Not hugely. For me, it's more of a we've now brought the tour to an end, right? I think they're coming back today. They're going to, you know, that's the end of the Drona tour.
00:16:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:06
Zak
They've had a nice time doing golf and and cycling and whatnot. They've been worked by the looks of it really hard. You can tell that by the fact that But Taylor's out injured for at least two weeks. You've got a dozy that missed out on that game because of a small thing he picked up.
00:16:24
Zak
Downs, Matsuki, Dibbling all missed out from injuries they even picked up before that. So, like, it's come to an end. He's hopefully figured out the team that he wants. I think that the Brighton game will be more demonstrative of what we should expect to see at Wrexham, mainly because that will be that'll be the game in front of people.
00:16:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it has to be, right? First game at home with fans there. Yeah.
00:16:45
Zak
Correct. So he doesn't want it to be a sort of a walkover. and it's going to be important because of that.
00:16:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:16:51
Zak
So it's nothing hugely standout about the game. As I said, it's really good that Downs got on the tour sheet, managed to get his sort um actually get his debut so in the game, ah ah managed to get right off of the front foot.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:03
Zak
I think that we've learned that whether we like it or not, Ben Burris and Diaz seems to be part of the plan. think but I think we also forget like he's really good mates with Adam Armstrong and maybe that chemistry will actually pay off because we only saw it
00:17:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, look, it's a league that they've both been prolific in. So hopefully that it can sort of pay off and come good. So we're open to redemption arcs here.
00:17:23
Zak
it's just it's It's the acceptance part of grief. Yeah.
00:17:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:27
Zak
But also it's the acceptance part of grief, right? No one's going to buy him. Maybe Sheffield United would have. They didn't. So he's probably going to be part of the plans.
00:17:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:35
Zak
Now, either they're play him and hope he does well, and it's a chance for him to redeem himself and hang out with his mate quite a lot, or he's going to do really bad and then not get played and then fall into obscurity.
00:17:45
Zak
And it's up to him to you know show us otherwise, isn't it?
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, absolutely.
00:17:48
Zak
Not up to me.
00:17:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And look, we...
00:17:49
Zak
It's not like he has to prove anything to fans, but he has to prove it to the owners.
00:17:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Look, we talked about it a lot not recorded yesterday because we just talk about Saints all the time. That is our livelihood.
00:18:01
Zak
yeah this is a small part of our conversation around football.
00:18:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
About, like...
00:18:04
Zak
No,
00:18:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
About whether to read too much into the result or not because it's preseason. I think that where I fall is no, not really.
00:18:13
Zak
no but kid not at all.
00:18:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like Espanol were a a genuine, a whole tier above, you know, the opponents we've played so far anyway. You know, like you say, Edwards playing it right back just to get minutes as opposed to actually be tactical and astute and in position. and
00:18:27
Zak
it's It's practice.
00:18:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just about running and legs. And like like you say, then they look like they worked proper hard while they were like put to the,
00:18:33
Zak
yeah empty Yeah, they're probably knackered and that's a good thing because, you know, that's that's showing how they will be in a situation where we've got tons and tons of games coming thick and fast and where they need to work on and who needs what. And again, like, one of the penalties, maybe where it was a soft decision.
Defensive Concerns and Transfer Rumors
00:18:50
Zak
It's not really hugely our place to say. If it's not a competitive game, I'm not really too bothered.
00:18:55
Zak
But still said it was pathetic.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:57
Zak
That was his words. So, okay, if...
00:18:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
but it I think his exact words were, it's a Spanish referee in Spain, isn't it? Hopefully you don't get that in the championship.
00:19:07
Zak
you like
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
even
00:19:08
Zak
There you go.
00:19:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Chef's kiss, that's exactly the level of
00:19:11
Zak
it's so you So, you know, and yes, it is a and sort of classic Stephens mistake, but then they're still learning a system. It's not the finished product.
00:19:21
Zak
He basically said it wasn't the finished product.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:23
Zak
So e can we can sit here and get annoyed and get worried in this and this or the other, and we can or we can go into Wrexham, beat them 4-0, welcome them to the championship, welcome us back to the best league in the world and the happy days.
00:19:35
Zak
you know what mean? So, yeah, i'm not I'm not going to read too much into a result at preseason.
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:19:40
Zak
I'm not going to lose. you know It's not like we got battered like 7 or 8-0. It was ah ah a 2-1 loss in a game with including a bunch of players that knackered and also missing a bunch of players that we think are going to be good and standout-ish.
00:19:53
Zak
One of the other things I didn't point out was obviously Jay Robinson looks like
00:19:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:19:57
Zak
He's knocking on the door. Will still pretty much said as much as well, is that he seems to be one that's close to, you know, trying to get himself into the starting lineup, if not definitely and a bench impact player.
00:20:09
Zak
But we're starting to see that we've got like attacking players. we've we've Again, we're without downs, without Dibling, without Matsuki, who was quite, you you know, played really well his first couple of games.
00:20:19
Zak
So I'm kind of, I'm just kind of excited for us to get back to a full full strength side and see where we're at. at that point. And then we also potentially have incomens and outgoings. They keep saying it. I don't know if they're just saying it to try and will it into existence at this point.
00:20:33
Zak
very much feels like that but because, you know, obviously football is a cutthroat world and there is lots of horrible businessy things going on behind the scenes.
00:20:44
Zak
There seems to be with a lot of our players and we're struggling to get people because people don't move vice versa. Me and Greg, before this podcast started, I informed you because you've been busy, busy, busy busy this weekend being dad. The entire Morgan's Gibbs White.
00:20:58
Zak
Right. reveal. I don't know if I want to share my opinions of that, but it seemed kind of insane.
00:21:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just madness.
00:21:06
Zak
so You saw more of the owner of than you did the player that's been signed.
00:21:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate.
00:21:10
Zak
That's all I'm saying. Exactly.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, still thought he was a Spurs player. I don't know what to tell you, mate.
00:21:14
Zak
You saw...
00:21:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean...
00:21:17
Zak
exactly you so
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Life as a dance dad hits you hard on show weekends, so it's just...
00:21:20
Zak
so so there's there's So there's some of the things that, you know, there's lots of things that are going to happen but between now and we might end up losing Ramsdale, which will be devastating and we might have to try to replace him quickly or we're just going to rely on Baz, which is, again, a thing I think with lot of us, I'm probably more worried about that than Jack Stevens being in our squad when we complain and get worried.
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:21:40
Zak
But we've just...
00:21:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's really fifty fifty I think Baz is showing bazz iss showing growth and he had you know promise in the last championship season. It is a concern, but honestly, shoehorning centre-backs together that are going to make mistakes feels more of a concern.
00:21:58
Zak
this is This is true, but also my problem, Greg, isn't the fact that I don't think that Baz has the ability to grow into the position as a player. It's the fact that there's a very real worry around him being injury prone and also Alex McCarthy.
00:22:11
Zak
Like he went out for quite a serious injury, and was out for a very long time and then had his loan spell cut short due to injury.
00:22:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:17
Zak
So we're really, really hoping that rehabilitation has worked for him and he ends up back into the squad and can, you know, play the rest of the...
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
are
00:22:30
Zak
championship championship season if Ramsdale goes but also it's like if he gets injured and then we swap him out for Alex McCarthy Alex McCarthy you know because he hasn't played for a long while and hasn't played in long stretches also suffered injury that's why we ended up with that weird period of time that Joe Lumley was playing where Lumley was like obviously the goal is to play for England and that was a lovely wonderful ambition for our former player now at Chex Notes Middlesbrough so
00:22:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah.
00:22:54
Zak
like
00:22:55
Zak
it's just that There's a lot of things to worry about, but there's also a lot of things to look forward to.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, maybe there's irons in the fire there that they they're not comfortable sharing.
00:22:59
Zak
And we're not going to be able to see it.
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
right Maybe they know that Ramsdale's gone, but you know, they really want to give Eribo the full sense of diversity and have him play the only position he's not played for our team so far.
00:23:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, you just don't know, mate.
00:23:16
Zak
so It feels like another player, mate, that i've we've not heard or seen much of him and feels like he might just be on his way out of the door. And, i you know, just that's just my vibes anyway.
00:23:29
Zak
but
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
fully agree. Yeah.
00:23:31
Zak
But yeah, we'll again, we'll see what we'll probably expect to see more of at the Brighton game. And then it's going to be sort of pushing them as hard as they can up to the start and getting them ready for the fact that, okay, there's an expectation that's been sort of set whether or not it's true. Some of the players themselves, people like Downs, a lot of the reason that...
00:23:50
Zak
players of come will want to come to us or have come to us or are still with us is because they have the sole goal of getting back to the Premier League, whether it be for personal ambition, whether it be to help the club, whether it to be because they feel like they owe something, like within Taylor Harwood-Bellis' case.
00:24:04
Zak
You know, there's lots of reasons why, but that is going to be the expectation and the goal. And that's what we're to have to start seeing from ah ah both the the club and everything. And we can sit and overanalyze pre-season till the cows come home. And we will, because we are a daily podcast that talks about Southampton.
00:24:20
Zak
But the reality of the situation is... what we're seeing now is not going to be what we see in two to three weeks. And if it is, at least during that time, there will be a lot more, i say two to three weeks, two weeks, there will be a lot more packed into, you know, those two weeks to get them to a level that we will be expecting to compete against professional teams.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:40
Zak
And they'll probably be to sit down for like half an hour as well.
00:24:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely.
00:24:43
Zak
Between cycling, golf, tennis, paddle ball, whatever else they would do.
00:24:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, maybe.
00:24:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. well Look, if there's one there's one thing that summarizes what I want to take from, I think, the training camp as a whole and, you know, the whole batch of content that we've got off the back of it from the club, which is nice to try and, you know, get everyone involved, is that I just hope Burton Diaz doesn't turn out to be as bad at football as he is at golf.
00:25:11
Zak
Look, as they said in that video, mate,
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm yet to see evidence that
00:25:17
Zak
but as they said in that video, mate, you know, he's learning. He's getting there. Look, I feel like he wants to go back to represent Chile, and to do that, he's going to have to start playing well for us, and he's got an opportunity to this season, and as much as we might not want...
00:25:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:25:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:33
Zak
You know, we need to get past the stage of grief, mate, where we just accept that a lot of the product squad that we have is probably going to stay the same.
00:25:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, look, let's be honest. I'm a fickle man. If he scores 10 goals this season, I'm over it. Like, it's forgiven. The past is in the past, right?
00:25:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Frankly, if any of our players score 10 goals this season, it's like literally three times better than last season already. So...
00:25:58
Zak
the the print The predicting Adam Armstrong to score 23 and 24, but we barely managed like 20 for the whole of the campaign between all of our players last season.
00:26:09
Zak
Very ambitious. But you know what? I like the confidence. It means that it's going to be good.
00:26:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love it. I'm here for it. Let's hope. All right, that is all we have got time for today. we will be back tomorrow to talk some transfer news on Transfer Tuesday, everyone's favourite episode of the week, even if it has been real quiet the last few weeks. But I feel like we'll have plenty to talk about tomorrow.
00:26:33
Zak
Oh, don't worry, mate.
00:26:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know...
00:26:34
Zak
enough go-ins.
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
LAUGHTER Let us know in the socials what was your highlight of the week away in Girona in Spain.
00:26:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Any of the pieces of content out of the club that stuck with you as particularly good or particularly bad. What are your biggest concerns or biggest you know points of excitement heading into the season?
00:26:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are on all of the socials. We're on Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram, YouTube. You catch our video episodes and all sorts of fun short clips on there.
00:27:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, drop us comment. Let us know. Like say, we'll be back tomorrow. Thank you very much for listening. Zach, thank you for joining me.
00:27:16
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Until then, have a wonderful day. Bye.