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Episode 150! Matchday Review: Losing to top of the league...
82 Plays20 days ago
Southampton – Defeat at Liverpool, but not the embarassment that we could of been subjected to... and of course a little bit about referees...
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Transcript
Introduction to Daily Southampton and Liverpool Game Recap
00:00:08
Oscar
Thank you.
00:00:08
Zak
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:00:15
Zak
We are calling you on Monday morning, afternoon, evening, whenever you're listening in, to talk about the Liverpool game. Which, to be fair, considering as results have gone this season, somehow a more positive experience.
00:00:30
Zak
Of course, as always, I am joined by are you doing, mate?
00:00:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm all right. doing right.
00:00:35
Zak
Yep. And Oscar, how are you doing?
00:00:37
Oscar
Yeah, well good, thank you.
00:00:39
Zak
There we go. Right. So I'm sure we'll talk about lineups shortly and stuff like that.
Post-Game Reactions and Comparisons to Man United Game
00:00:43
Zak
But but how we feeling? Because I, for one, despite the fact that we lost 3-1, I'm like, much worse.
00:00:53
Zak
ah Thoughts around the room? That's not you, Oscar. How do you feel after that game?
00:00:57
Oscar
Yeah, I mean, again, i think it's probably the best we could have asked for. think...
00:01:04
Oscar
ah ah think wait I haven't, I've watched the highlights, so I couldn't watch the game myself. But from the sounds of things, a strong first half and then maybe a slightly, a few slight dubious decisions went against us. And then was there a bit of a collapse or or was it...
00:01:21
Zak
it was It was a very, very quick two goals within five minutes.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:01:26
Zak
and then that To be honest, it probably could have remained 2-1 had Yuki not made a really dumb decision really late on and then kind of made it feel like it was a bit more of a collapse than it was.
00:01:38
Zak
But I think the the thing that we're we will probably be in agreement with, and I know Greg's already probably nodding his head at as well, is this whole like, oh, we've got two goals down.
00:01:50
Zak
Well, I guess that's it. Pack up shop. And at that point, I feel like we could have stopped watching and I wouldn't have missed anything in this review. But like, let's go, let so let's wind it all the way back.
00:02:03
Zak
Oh, once I get some thoughts from Greg, because I realised definitely missed you out, mate.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
about my opinion. It doesn't matter. It's fine.
00:02:11
Zak
yes
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, look, there are pros and cons take from the game for me. We changed the shape in the first half and we looked considerably better. We played well. We were well in the game.
00:02:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the cons for me is that it just reminded me a lot of the Man United game. I think I actually said it to you at half-time when we were 1-0 up, Zach, because it was...
00:02:32
Zak
You did. you texted me and said, this is very much feeling, got the feeling of the Man United game.
00:02:33
Oscar
Thank you.
00:02:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we we played really well. we created chances. We didn't put any of them away until we got an absolute gift of a goal. And then, you know, came out in the second half and...
00:02:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
conceded reasonably soft goal that Belakotchap could probably have been picking up better from the cross. And then a dubious penalty.
00:03:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then Yuki deciding to catch the ball in his own end zone because he's playing the wrong sport or something.
00:03:09
Zak
and
00:03:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:03:11
Zak
Very, very silly.
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know what he was thinking. Like,
00:03:14
Zak
so So let's start with start with the start. So how do you feel like we lined up?
Player Performance and Tactical Analysis
00:03:22
Zak
I think Manning was a strange choice initially, and but I was completely wrong. I think he had an absolutely exceptional game.
00:03:29
Zak
We saw centre-backs playing centre-back, which was really nice. Right up until... Well, we still saw a centre-back playing centre-back. But Jan Bednarek again getting injured. bit of a farcical injury in the fact that two of our players knocked each other out and then he had to go off and be replaced. But I think Belakot Chap once again did all right coming in for Jan.
00:03:48
Zak
Would the result have been different? Probably not, if I'm totally honest.
00:03:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, probably not.
00:03:52
Zak
But yeah. Obviously...
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Manning, I don't think Manning is as surprising a choice to me as it was to you. I think it makes sense. I think if you're talking about the fullbacks we've got at the club, you would think of Manning as one of the more defensive ones, uh,
00:04:03
Oscar
Thank
00:04:09
Zak
and
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
as opposed to Yuki or or Wellington, who much prefer the sort of front foot. So Manning is a sort of more balanced option, which is needed, or presumably is felt like is needed when you're swapping from the back five to the back four.
00:04:24
Zak
So, we ended up having Chukwu alongside Smallbone in the end, much like we ended up thinking it was going to be because that was the thing that made the least sense.
00:04:35
Zak
I don't think Downs was in the squad, and I didn't hear any reasons as to why. I don't know if anyone else has heard anything. But he wasn't even on the bench, from what I can tell.
00:04:44
Oscar
Interesting.
00:04:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is interesting. I didn't know it was that.
00:04:46
Zak
yeah it's it's Yeah, I did i did notice, because obviously when were discussing it, was like, oh, well why has he started Smallbone? I wonder if Downs are the bench. So what Downs wasn't, I was like, that's a bit odd. I didn't really think a much of it at the time, but to be honest, we we were kind of...
00:04:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess maybe like made amends because Uga Chukwu definitely couldn't play against Chelsea and then maybe maybe it wasn't as made amends as it was made out to be because who else are you playing in that position otherwise?
00:05:00
Zak
Yeah.
00:05:11
Zak
Yeah.
00:05:13
Zak
he also said that there were no injury concerns, right? Apart from the kind of ones that we'd already, we were already kind of aware of.
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:20
Zak
So it was very, yeah, very, very odd. obviously, you know, we kind of were like, oh no, Swirlbone's dying. He had a good game. He put away the goal. Arguably anybody should have put away the goal, but let's not take it away from the fact that he scored it.
00:05:33
Zak
you I have seen people score, not be, I've seen people not be able to score from those positions, right? So like, and,
00:05:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got to get in that position to score as well, right?
00:05:43
Zak
Yeah. You've got to have that instinct to do it.
00:05:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, it's not as easy as just... kick the ball in the net from a yard out. Like, there's more to it.
00:05:49
Oscar
I'm not convinced Che Adams would have scored that.
00:05:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:54
Zak
You are not wrong.
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not convinced that the poor one who actually scores that, so...
00:06:00
Zak
you You're right. Most of our strikers are not putting that away. So it's a fair play. like you know He came in, he put a good game in against Liverpool and it was a tough game. and The first half, you know was we were absolutely buzzing.
00:06:11
Zak
So let's go to to the front line. Obviously, he had Sulemane, Matias Fernandes and Dibling. But the weirdest, that I think, I say weirdest, the most surprising addition is Grombeck got a start.
00:06:23
Zak
So how do we think that he did? Because obviously last time we were around, we were told that he wasn't going to play unless it was in Fernandes' position. And now they've figured out a way to put him in.
00:06:35
Zak
So this is why I'm really struggling with listening to anything Juric ever says. Because at this point, it's kind of like, oh, are you rolling the dice every week? so So what do we think? Do you think he had a good game for you know what was essentially, in my eyes, almost a second debut? Because I kind of forgot he was here.
00:06:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm thinking back and I just I don't know if I remember any part of the game that he was involved in.
00:06:58
Zak
There was a couple of times he was mentioned in the first half, and i kind of and I also felt the same, Greg, where I kind of forgot he was there. but And i don't I kind of feel bad about that. But at the same time, you know he had a couple of opportunities and a couple of running back and defensive bits and pieces. and But I think it was just more like...
00:07:16
Zak
He was more of a cog in the machine as opposed to doing some of the more outstanding stuff that we see from like, you know, when like every game, Fernandez goes on like a mad one where he tries to score, right?
00:07:29
Zak
Usually it's like a one minute period of the game where suddenly he'll get it round. He'll get it all the way to to the sort of goal line or even just outside end up either hoofing it wide or getting tackled or whatever. And I feel like Suleman had a couple of those this game as well, but he he played a bit better than i expected to be.
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
it might It might speak a lot, actually, about how the standards that we've come to set for the team have slipped, but actually sort of cruising through as part of the machine and being slightly anonymous but doing your job is kind of better than sticking out for making a glaring mistake.
First Half Review and Defensive Strategies
00:08:01
Zak
Yeah, that's kind of where I'm also at, is that, like, that's kind of also how I felt a little bit about Wellington with his couple of first starts, is that he didn't do anything incredible, but also it wasn't like he'd made any massive mistakes. But we'll talk a bit more about the first half, and we'll we'll get into the actual game of itself after a word from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:46
Zak
Thank you.
00:09:01
Zak
And we're back. So, I guess let's talk about the actual yeah actual game. Obviously, me and Greg, living in undisclosed occasions, were probably able to watch the game a little bit better than everyone else.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
took some time out from my, chateau in France to, uh, to watch it.
00:09:15
Zak
And... Yep. And...
00:09:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's all mate.
00:09:22
Zak
ah ah yeah a Obviously, don't know. i think it was exciting to be able to watch a game, at least the first half, where I was engaged for the whole of it.
00:09:33
Zak
I was actually very surprised at how well we were doing. When my wife was wandering in and out, even she said, it's really strange to see it in the other half all the time. Which wasn't any, like...
00:09:47
Zak
Any real dig, was just genuine surprise that every time you saw it. We had a bunch of corners as well, which I'm relatively sure, like, most of the season, I barely remember us getting a corner in the game.
00:09:59
Zak
And whatever we do, we do nothing with it.
00:09:59
Oscar
Thank
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:00
Zak
And obviously, we didn't we didn't manage to do anything. But, like, there were a couple I don't if you remember, Greg, there were a couple of moments where, like, Alisson had to pull off some saves.
00:10:06
Oscar
you.
00:10:08
Zak
Like, obviously, that it would have been better if it had slightly to the left or right of him rather than headed directly at him.
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:10:14
Zak
But the fact that we're, like... yeah in a set piece position, making contact with our players and then it actually going towards the goal. There's got to be an improvement on what we've seen a lot of this season, which is, you know, or even like the last game we played where the corner was the result of our downfall, right? Because they just hit us on counter.
00:10:34
Zak
So, yeah, it was... it was a It was a really good, in my opinion, first half. Probably the best first half I've seen us play in such a long time.
00:10:41
Oscar
you
00:10:45
Zak
Probably, in my eyes, since the Championship.
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was good. It was good, and i genuinely felt watching it like it was the best we'd played all season. or it's again, with similar vibes to the United game, where we put in a really solid performance.
00:11:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've just looked up some of the stats, which are slightly more upsetting, though. in the I mean, it is better than our last two games combined, but our expected goals in that sort of period of attack It's still only 0.3. know, we managed to score.
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and you know we manageded the score
00:11:16
Zak
Yeah,
00:11:17
Oscar
I think that's got to do in our attackers, hasn't it?
00:11:19
Zak
yeah i think I think this is the problem. is like We can play better, right? This is what we're expecting at this point. We're just expecting slightly better performances. But like we've not had a goal scorer all season. Again, Joe Aribo, top goal scorer.
00:11:31
Zak
Wasn't even on the field to start with.
00:11:32
Oscar
like
00:11:33
Zak
So...
00:11:33
Oscar
It's an interesting thing as well. How subjective is it XG? Because surely an XG for a striker that is absolutely terrible is different to an XG from someone that's just going bury it.
00:11:44
Oscar
Because I appreciate that it's done statistically and it slightly works slightly differently than that. But I think an XG chance for a Sanna should be very different to an XG chance for Onuatu, for example.
00:11:55
Zak
Yeah.
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's probably fair. I don't know. it It is a made-up number, but it's it pretty representative, right, of we so you know touches inside the box.
00:12:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Eight for us and 59 for Liverpool. It really highlights where the area of concern is.
00:12:10
Oscar
Oh.
00:12:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's not a surprise to anyone, any of us, that that's our area of concern.
00:12:17
Zak
it's It's not only...
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, if we're being honest and look at the line-up,
00:12:20
Zak
But, mate...
00:12:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Would you call any of our players on the pitch a striker?
00:12:26
Zak
Not single one of them.
00:12:26
Oscar
No.
00:12:28
Zak
but other even I don't even know if I could to a poor strike here if I'm totally honest.
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
like And that's not and that' not to say that they're not effective. Suleyman against Trent was a fascinating battle that we kept going back to down that left-hand side because Trent just didn't have an answer for him.
00:12:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And sometimes Suleyman didn't have the answer either, and that was fine. But it was nice to see the sort of progression forward and asking questions of the defence. So, don't know.
00:12:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's... It was good, but it just really highlighted the same issues.
00:12:58
Oscar
yeah but with you Were we any better defensively? but Was it still the man-to-man marking or was it a bit did he change the the philosophy as well as the system?
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it looked like we stuck to a slightly more traditional sort of zonal style. There were still some areas where they sort of stuck to a man, but there was definitely less sort of centre-backs wandering over the pitch to cover someone from a run.
00:13:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a bit more solid in shape, and it would definitely dropped to almost like a back lot line wall, like a proper low block, which was good right up until the point that Ryan Manning wiped out Ian Bednarak anyway.
00:13:29
Oscar
bit more structured
00:13:40
Oscar
that's I think I think that's an important thing i think that's an important thing that we need to try and rebuild before we go to the championship as much as possible like you've got to build on a solid foundation and we haven't had that
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:13:58
Oscar
For five years, we didn't let's be honest, we didn't have it in the Championship. And the makings of a good team is always built on a strong defence. And let's be honest, did we have it the season we went down? No. Did we have it in the Championship?
00:14:09
Oscar
No. Did we have it at the beginning of the season? No. So we need to probably address that first. appreciate it's not easy when you've got if you've got poor players back there. But I think we've got enough that we can at least make it solid, compact and be difficult to beat.
00:14:24
Oscar
And then we can miss all of the chances or not create anything. At least we've then got a zero at one end. Or try to. Next season, maybe.
00:14:33
Zak
It's fascinating because we've had this discussion before, but then we've also had the discussion, boys, about how our midfield needs a real build and is not very good and is really disjointed and we need to find some players that play well together in jail.
00:14:47
Zak
So what we've discovered is we need to replace the strike force, the attacking force, the midfield and rebuild the defence.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's the same...
00:14:55
Zak
All that's left is the goalkeeper, which at the moment is Aaron Ramstad with Ian Staten.
00:14:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's off anyway. uh...
00:15:00
Zak
So what will be... yeah but we actually need to rebuild the entire team.
00:15:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
As funny as that is, and maybe completely accurate, the defence don't come under as much pressure with a more solid midfield, and that's where it starts. right they you don't It's a game of law of averages. like They're going to give up goals in certain situations that they find themselves in sometimes.
00:15:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's that they it's so easy for them to get into that position because the midfield gets drawn over a lot of the time. It wasn't really the case you know yesterday. and And that shows with the type of goals, right?
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two penalties and one cross where Belakot-Shap possibly could have done better, but was still...
00:15:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Like you say, does if Bednarek doesn't go off, does it change the result? Probably not. But I think for that goal, he probably picks him up slightly better. and it's just unfortunate that it bounced off Darwin Nunes in a way that actually goes in the goal as opposed to any other attempt that he has.
00:16:05
Zak
Right.
00:16:07
Zak
Look, it it is it is what it is, but we managed to go oneil up against league leaders, potential Champions League winners, probably one of the best teams in the world.
00:16:16
Oscar
Thank you.
00:16:19
Zak
It's just a shame that we all knew that was going to end.
Second Half Expectations and VAR Debates
00:16:23
Zak
So let's talk about how it's going to end in the next part after a word from our partners at Zencastr.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:16:56
Zak
And we're back. So, second half starts. All of the away fans are buzzing. Concourses have rammed. Everyone's singing. Us at home are trying to deal with what we've just seen.
00:17:08
Zak
We're 1-0 up, surely. Surely we can't hold on to it. But we all knew. Everybody on Twitter knew. Everybody on Blue Sky knew. Everybody on Facebook knew. Every single Saints fan in the world knew that what was going to happen is we were going to capitulate at some point.
00:17:23
Zak
How long did it take? Well, about 10 minutes. if that upsettingly as a, it started obviously with the goal from Nunes, who is just a quote unquote bad Andy Karen, which says a bad Andy Karen, not, not the words being used and thrown about by our supporters, which did make me chuckle.
00:17:41
Oscar
Thank you.
00:17:42
Zak
Uh, a man that controversially in some people's opinion shouldn't have been on the pitch. So Greg, me and you have had our back and forth about the yellow card. How do you feel about it still? Are you still on the you're still on the that should never be given?
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, oh look, it is it a late one? Yes. Is it kick it out out of frustration? Yes. Was it dangerous enough to cross the red card threshold?
00:18:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Probably not. Have we seen some like that given as red cards through the season? Yes. So I kind of feel like maybe
00:18:24
Zak
It was, where I'm at, it was malicious.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I can understand the argument for it. don't I don't think it's a red, personally.
00:18:32
Zak
okay
00:18:32
Oscar
I think straight away when you lose your temper like that, and you which is obviously it's happened, you can see it stretch you can see it in the two minutes before, which is why Juric goes so nuts on the side.
00:18:43
Oscar
You can see it's coming straight away. it said when i don't know if you remember a couple of seasons ago, Jennepo got a red card against Newcastle for accidentally standing on someone's ankle. So there's no intent there.
00:18:54
Oscar
That's a red card. all right. Is it maybe dangerous? Maybe. But going to full force boot someone, and only because it's Darwin Nunes and he's a terrible football player he missed is the reason that he didn't completely catch him, is is the reason that there wasn't a serious injury.
00:19:09
Oscar
And, you know, yeah, for me, I think it's a red card, but i don't like Darwin Nunes particularly. So maybe I'm a bit biased.
00:19:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, you're right. If he connects properly with his intent, it probably is. But the the way it comes off, it's a late tackle. It's bad, but it's not like studs up dangerous. It's just just silly.
00:19:27
Zak
I don't agree.
00:19:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we have seen them given so I can see an argument for it for sure.
00:19:29
Zak
it's It's the malice behind it, in my opinion. should you shouldn't you know You shouldn't go out with the intention like that. you If you are frustrated and you are kicking out, you know like we we have had Stephen sent off and we we kind of agreed with it for pulling on Kukurela's hair a little bit.
00:19:45
Zak
And Kukurela fell over and like made an absolute meal out of it. and you know It's the second disciplinary issue this season after the Man United game. But, like, for me, that that isn't going to, you know, if that had connected properly and he had caused a massive injury to a player, that's hugely important.
00:20:04
Zak
and So it's like, oh okay, well, because you didn't manage to, like, break his leg, we'll give you a yellow. What?
00:20:10
Oscar
Yeah, I think think intent has to be taken in.
00:20:10
Zak
It's
00:20:13
Oscar
and But then this goes down the VAR rabbit hole and all of that.
00:20:16
Zak
difficult, isn't it?
00:20:17
Oscar
when When you saw Jean-Pedro throw an elbow at someone, they were like, yeah, well, he didn't hit him.
00:20:17
Zak
It's so difficult.
00:20:21
Oscar
But but that's not the point.
00:20:22
Zak
Yeah.
00:20:23
Oscar
What happens in that instance as well, if Walker Peters, is after he's on the floor, flicks a foot out at Nunes and kicks his foot, that would be a red card.
00:20:23
Zak
Exactly.
00:20:30
Oscar
Because they you see it for a kickout.
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:33
Oscar
So is that not a kickout because he's running in? It's not a natural movement. And Lewis Skelly got one as well. I know that's for stopping a counterattack. But Walker-Peters was moving forward. So, again, just consistency.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it can be seen as a, although it is frustration, it can be seen as a play at the ball. I know he's nowhere near it, but also as as discussed, it it is a play at the ball that he's trying to get.
00:20:49
Oscar
Hmm.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's just really late, which is why, which is why I think it's, it's a yellow. but
00:21:01
Zak
I think that these things just don't help. This is the problem. I think that either way, regardless if it was Nunes or somebody else on the pitch at that point, I think that a goal probably would have eventually come, right?
00:21:11
Zak
We're playing we're playing Liverpool.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:13
Zak
it wouldn't have changed things. The problem is is that it does sometimes feel like a bit of a cosmic joke that stuff like this happens in a specific order where a player that a lot of people think in a conscientious sort of way should have not been on the pitch as the one to score the goal first, right?
00:21:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:21:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think it changes it though, because I actually think it was my brother-in-law who said it, but if he gets sent off there and they go down to 10 men, jokes of it being more difficult to play against 10 men aside, Nathan Jones out of the equation, that does galvanize Liverpool who are more than, who with 10 men are more than capable of going on and doing damage to us. And it galvanizes the Anfield crowd and it, it makes it much more difficult, I think anyway. So I don't think it actually changes the
Tactical Changes and Penalty Controversies
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
outcome.
00:21:57
Oscar
Also, to be honest, yeah, and also, to be honest, it's not as if it's one of their best players that's been taken off.
00:21:57
Zak
slot with Calvin Ice anyway. Sorry, Oscar. Okay, I'm...
00:22:04
Oscar
So...
00:22:06
Zak
Savage.
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:09
Oscar
Appreciate you did score and win a penalty.
00:22:09
Zak
That's not true.
00:22:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:22:11
Zak
But again, it's like if there's an out-of-form player that's not done well, you can always guarantee that you know you shove them on against Salam, then they'll get a goal. And that was unfortunately proven on Saturday. And I think exactly you're right, Greg. It doesn't make a blind bit difference and it probably would have galvanised them. They are Liverpool.
00:22:28
Zak
Slot made three changes at half-time, which was a bit surprising to a lot of people. They came out And then they did Liverpool things, right? Again, we could have limited the damage to two had Yuki not decided to try and catch the ball.
00:22:41
Zak
I'm pretty sure you could see it. His face is pretty devastated about it.
00:22:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Can we talk about the first penalty?
00:22:43
Zak
But once again, it's individual errors.
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because it's soft, right?
00:22:47
Zak
Yeah. Yeah. I thought the same because I was like, wow, they get... We've not really had a lot of penalties go against us this season.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:22:55
Zak
But it's weird that both times it's been Liverpool...
00:22:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's horrible.
00:22:58
Oscar
I don't. Yeah.
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
For me, it's thought like the indictment of VAR where it's like it's soft, but there's contact.
00:23:00
Oscar
yeah
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if it's given on the pitch, it's never soft enough to be overturned by VAR. But if it's not given on the pitch, it's never being given by VAR either. It's such a
00:23:16
Oscar
I personally think it's never a penalty. and Small bones to that. All right, maybe their feet touched.
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:21
Oscar
That's not enough to give a penalty. I think, is there even any point in going through it? Like, if that's against us, there's no way in hell. And it's not it's not a conspiracy. It's not a this, that, and the other.
00:23:35
Oscar
There is naturally a, and not a bias, but maybe it's the home team, I don't know, to a big team, maybe. There's not a chance that that's given against us. The stuff that's gone against us this year, things we haven't been given, and that is given.
00:23:49
Oscar
i think his back was to Small Wain and Nunes. Their backs were almost to each other, weren't they? Like, maybe is there a little clip on his foot? Yeah, okay, fine, but
00:23:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's proper soft, but because it's been given on the pitch, it's that's where the weight goes.
00:24:00
Zak
yeah
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no definitive evidence that it's a clear and obvious error, even though it's blatantly soft.
00:24:10
Oscar
which is Which is fine, but then where's the definitive... It then changes... It was the goal against Newcastle. There's no definitive evidence that whoever it was shared didn't touch the ball, which is why it was then disallowed.
00:24:25
Oscar
so But that's not the rule.
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:26
Oscar
The rule is if it's definitive evidence that it did. just it just They seem to basically... And it's it's carried on to their... stupid ref watch program which Dermot Gallagher basically just finds a way of justifying why it is a penalty even when everyone is like are you kidding me it just they find a way of explaining why it should it's not being given even when they know sometimes just turn around say yeah fair enough Maybe shouldn't have been given it was soft, but it's one of those and we move on.
00:24:58
Oscar
And I think they'd get a lot more credence for that rather than say, well, actually, no he's, you can see by the angle micrometer of his tiny little pinky that he's made contact and Nunes can't possibly stay on his feet.
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:09
Oscar
But I just,
00:25:09
Zak
think I think that's the thing. It's the ambiguity around all of it and the fact that like, oh, we want to prefer to do unfilled decisions. It's like the overcomplication of it all is is is one of the problems. And the fact that they can't seem to be able to simplify it or find easy solutions.
00:25:24
Zak
And the fact that, quite frankly, like, you know, when we were talking about when we were in the championship, occasionally decisions would go against us. But but they once they were made, they were made.
Criticism of VAR and Calls for Improvement
00:25:32
Zak
that wasn't You don't get to reanalyze this. The problem with these sort of situations is that they do get reanalyzed and they're played back and you talk about it for ages. And yeah it's it doesn't feel like there is a natural flow of the game anymore.
00:25:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:25:46
Zak
We weren't like it wasn't anything, again, like you said, it could be given either way. it probably wouldn't have been given against us. But at the same time, we don't know because it could also be the refs and how they have their opinions of them. But the fact that there seems to be such differing rules between the different referees and how we have specific referees that we do not want to referee our match.
00:26:07
Zak
And this is not just happening in a here. You know, look look at look you even look at the Turkish leagues, right? Like the Besokitas... was it Galatasaray game or Fabianacce, where like Jose Mourinho literally asked for a ref that wasn't Turkish to come in.
00:26:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:26:23
Zak
So like, it it's across all of the top leagues as well. across There just needs to be some sort of conversation that happens to make things easier. yeah There have been international competitions quite recently where these have not been discussion points week in, week out.
00:26:36
Zak
We have lost a lot of points due to refereeing decisions this season. Does it, would it, would it actually make a huge amount of difference to where we are? Probably not. Would we count as the worst team in Premier League history at this point?
00:26:47
Zak
Maybe we would have got a win or two that would have boosted us up, up there.
00:26:51
Oscar
yeah I think we'd I think we'd be up with Ipswich and Leicester at the beginning of the season it really took the wind out of our sails and as well as other things that didn't help but
00:26:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I agree.
00:27:01
Oscar
We had lots of things that went against us lots and And again, for me, you look at that one yesterday. If you're a football player, i don't think I think you're thinking, cool, have we got one there? is it Is that enough? Was he going to get a shot away? He was going nowhere.
00:27:16
Oscar
He's gone down because he thought, oh, there might be a chance I'll get a penalty here. i just think use some common sense, please.
00:27:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
i agree
00:27:22
Oscar
appreciate
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I fully agree. just I just don't think that theyre because there's contact, there's never not enough of a threat. they're not going to because Because of it, that they're not going to call out their efforts and that's a poor decision. There was contact. so's
00:27:39
Oscar
think that
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
The whole system's messed up.
00:27:40
Zak
Yes, again, like we can we could go over probably most games and probably pick a lot of decisions and there'll be people that can justify it. It's like expert witnesses in like any sort of trial, right?
00:27:51
Zak
they They might be experts, but you've picked them for specific reasons and just because you know you might know something about something doesn't mean that you know that everyone's going to agree.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:28:00
Zak
and I think it's just it's just upsetting.
00:28:01
Oscar
i think The conversation about getting ex-footballers involved in it, I think, needs to happen as well, because then it adds the context.
00:28:04
Zak
It's
00:28:10
Oscar
And the referees are 90% of them failed footballers, to be honest. So they don't have a clue what's going on in in the specific context.
00:28:20
Oscar
And gone are the days where they had any common sense and get a footballer in Even if it's the VAR in this situation, it wouldn't have mattered anyway, because it didn't go to VAR. But... Yeah, lots of ex-footballers are saying it now. How many of them would want to do it, I don't know.
00:28:35
Oscar
but I think that's, you know, if they're going to carry on with VAR, then that's what they've got to do.
Future of the Team and Rebuilding Hopes
00:28:40
Oscar
Have some sort of context behind it.
00:28:42
Zak
Well, let's face it, it's not going to be our problem next season.
00:28:45
Oscar
Well, you say that.
00:28:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah.
00:28:47
Zak
Unless they bring it to the championship.
00:28:48
Oscar
I've heard rumours. Yeah.
00:28:50
Zak
Oh, God, no, please. Right, before we wrap up, because obviously we've ended up talking a lot about some decisions the second half. but That's probably because, to be honest, those are probably the key points, right?
00:29:00
Zak
Other than...
00:29:02
Zak
Do we have anything to say on the subs? Does anyone have anything to say on the substitutes that came on?
00:29:04
Oscar
And
00:29:07
Zak
is it kind of...
00:29:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
We saw Adam Lallana for a bit.
00:29:09
Zak
by Yeah, he came and played. He played 20-something minutes of football.
00:29:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
He did some
00:29:14
Zak
That was nice.
00:29:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
He did some flicks and some backhills.
00:29:18
Zak
didn't get us any closer to scoring.
00:29:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yuki came on and then played the wrong sport.
00:29:26
Zak
Boys, he had a poor, poor game.
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. What was he doing? look i think Yuki demonstrated that he's a good player going forward with not a great amount of clue defensively.
00:29:30
Zak
Uh...
00:29:32
Oscar
and
00:29:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
What was he doing? I just i don't understand
00:29:40
Zak
So I'm hearing...
00:29:41
Oscar
In slight fairness to him, did he get a little nudge in the back? Like a little? I think Juric said something about it It looked like almost that he got a little nudge and then like pushed his arm up a bit.
00:29:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:29:51
Oscar
I don't know. Maybe not. Maybe I'm trying to defend him.
00:29:52
Zak
think I think the problem is you can kind of see in the in the replay with him, he kind of knew as soon as it hit his arm and kind of pushed it forward. You could see in his face that he went, oh, no, hoping that no one had noticed.
00:30:03
Oscar
know.
00:30:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:30:06
Zak
It is what it is, and I think Greg's right. like you You'd actually probably see an attacking midfielder on the right-hand side of the pitch probably better than having the defensive responsibilities that he has.
00:30:15
Oscar
the did he not do Did he not give away a penalty for handballing against Liverpool the last game as well? Fair play.
00:30:22
Zak
believe so. So I just guess never play him against Liverpool, which is fine.
00:30:23
Oscar
Yeah.
00:30:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
may
00:30:25
Oscar
Hmm.
00:30:25
Zak
We're not going to have that problem.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe he's a Liverpool fan in disguise. It's just one of those things, right?
00:30:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like,
00:30:31
Zak
he wants to He wants to see his his fellow countryman Endo win the league. But like, yeah, you've got to feel bad, but like no one else really lit the place on fire. Like Aribo came on, Archer came on, saw him do some runs. Onoachu came on and got yellow carded just before the end of the game.
00:30:49
Zak
ah don't think that they I think the problem was is that once we went two goals down, we just did the standard Saints thing. And it's a sad thing that it's the standard Saints thing, but no one is surprised, right? like It was just a quick succession of two goals suddenly meant that instead of being able to fight for a draw, we were then supposed to try and score another games get to it the score again to get a draw.
00:31:06
Zak
It took us 45 minutes and a bit and a mistake from Liverpool for us to do that. You could see that they thought it wasn't happening.
00:31:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two fantastically taken penalties as well, by the way. like
00:31:14
Zak
yeah, they were good. They were solid.
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unbelievable.
00:31:16
Zak
The Ramsdale tried as well. You could see, like, you know...
00:31:19
Oscar
got quite close to first one
00:31:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:21
Zak
Exactly. So this is the thing is that ultimately we were we were beaten by the league leaders who are the league leaders for a reason. We were not absolutely humiliated humiliated as we expected to be. We've seen significantly worse performances.
00:31:35
Zak
Statistically, we've got slightly better this game, but I'm kind of from the same opinion of Greg that like, none of it matters because we don't look like we're any closer to to actually scoring goals that with intention. So knows?
00:31:44
Oscar
no but we we said in the well I think I said in the crossover if we don't concede a silly amount of goals and actually look like we're building towards a slightly more positive way of playing that doesn't mean we concede six goals a game or whatever, or about four, how many more four nils we going to have, then I'd take that as a positive, especially when it's two penalties as well against against Liverpool away at Anfield.
00:32:06
Zak
Yeah, agreed.
00:32:13
Zak
Yeah, but this is the sad this is the sad state of affairs where we've had this discussion couple times this season. had the discussion against Arsenal. We had discussion against Man United. All these sort of big clubs that we we go and put in a solid performance.
00:32:25
Zak
Then we just get absolutely battered by Wolves next week 6-0.
00:32:26
Oscar
Thank you.
00:32:28
Zak
Because...
00:32:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the pattern, right? Yeah.
00:32:30
Zak
Yeah, like this is the problem is that we can write the playbook at this point. Like we've written it down. Someone, somewhere. This is never, i have never felt like we have been involved in like a wwe WWE script in any season as much as I do this season.
00:32:44
Zak
It is absolutely insane. But again, it's trying to take the positives from it.
00:32:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
may Look, the positives, that's it.
00:32:49
Zak
It's that it was so much better than it could have been.
00:32:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
We build from this performance. The optimism for the week starts building now. We go to Wolves on Saturday we get enough points to not be the worst team in Premier League history. And that is, that's something at this point.
00:33:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, even a winner, look, we're even going to win at home, right?
00:33:07
Oscar
12 points were on the pitch.
00:33:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's how optimistic I'm feeling off the back of that performance. When was the last time that we actually did that and put performance in.
00:33:20
Zak
Look, if we win at home against Wolves somehow, whether it be Wolves not scoring and they make a silly mistake and we get another small bonus goal, it puts us over the threshold of not being the worst team in the league ever.
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
but don't...
00:33:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:33:34
Zak
And that is that is a target we can all go for. And then at that point, there'll only be nine games left for the season. It doesn't matter because we know we're going to get relegated. We know we're going to go for a rebuild. It doesn't matter what manager's going be in charge, which means we can have some fun discussing it.
00:33:48
Zak
But more importantly, we won't be the worst Premier League team of all time.
Closing Thoughts and Listener Engagement
00:33:51
Oscar
It's got to be close to being mathematical, surely, that we're relocated.
00:33:54
Zak
I am surprised that it was not already.
00:33:56
Oscar
I am surprised it's not.
00:33:56
Zak
i you That shows you how bad it's been this year. How we are not relegated yet with only nine points is something baffling.
00:34:07
Zak
But again, apparently Liverpool were like the same amount points as they were last year this stage.
00:34:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it could... I'm trying very quickly to do the maths in my head. I think it could be... i i guess if we lose to Wolves, that puts them on 26...
00:34:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
which i think and it could be next week if we lose.
00:34:27
Zak
yeah
00:34:27
Oscar
Thank you.
00:34:28
Zak
We're never catching 26.
00:34:31
Zak
Oh, it's painful. But you know what? At least it's resulted in us being able to talk about it in such a cathartic way every day of the weekday. And it's been, at least it's been, at least it's not been, it must be struggle sometimes when you're like, well, yeah, we had a great time. We won again.
00:34:49
Zak
And then we won again. It's like equally, we're in a similar boat where we get to talk about crazy, insane stuff because basically any idea that we could come up with might actually work at this point.
00:34:57
Oscar
Thank
00:35:00
Zak
but
00:35:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think think the earliest we can get relegated is game week 31 maybe 32 based off of some very dodgy mental arithmetic I'm sure that I will go away and get the answer before before we come back tomorrow
00:35:09
Zak
Good.
00:35:13
Zak
But, Greg,
00:35:18
Zak
relegation or not, we all need to look forward to something. And if we could put in a similar performance like that against Wolves, we might even be able to keep that lead. and maybe maybe just do something, pull off something. I'll take a draw at this point. Again, as I think I said it a couple couple of weeks ago. I'd start putting nil-poir on the board, or just one point.
00:35:38
Zak
Just one point. What we're doing is just nil-nil draws.
00:35:40
Oscar
who
00:35:42
Zak
Nil-nil draws Was it Kuno?
00:35:42
Oscar
Who scored both their goals when we played them last time?
00:35:48
Zak
He's out, right?
00:35:48
Oscar
Cunha, he's out. so
00:35:49
Zak
Exactly. So then who's going to score for them?
00:35:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:35:52
Zak
You know? Right.
00:35:53
Oscar
you I wasn't going to ask that because now that's jinxed it.
00:35:56
Zak
Which striker have they got that's out of form? and Good.
00:35:59
Oscar
yeah
00:36:01
Zak
Right. Well, I'm sure we've got a week ahead to discuss all of that. We'll probably have some wildcard content here. Tomorrow, we might do a Tactics Tuesday or someone else. I don't really know.
00:36:11
Zak
But then, yeah, it'll be a fun week.
00:36:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
and We've changed our shape. I'm sure we've got some tactics we can talk about.
00:36:16
Zak
Yeah, there's actually some things we can talk about, guys. It's exciting. Thank you very much for joining us for this bumper episode. This is what happens when Greg puts me in charge of timing. I managed to get both the adverts to the right position. I've just managed to waffle on for extra 10 minutes. So enjoy enjoy a big post-match review on your Monday, whatever you're up to. Thank you very much for listening. Thank you very much for joining me, Oscar and Greg.
00:36:38
Zak
It is always a pleasure to talk about our terrible football team.
00:36:40
Oscar
Thank you.
00:36:41
Zak
Thank
00:36:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:36:44
Zak
And with that, join us on all the social medias. We're on like Facebook, Twitter, Blue Sky, Instagram, TikTok. We are now back on the GSPN Southampton YouTube.
00:36:55
Zak
There's a bit of a restructure going on behind the scenes, so we'll start putting in shorts and bits and pieces there again. And yeah, let let us know how you think we did. Was it an improvement?
00:37:08
Zak
Do you think that we might score between now and the end of the season intentionally? who knows? And with that, we will see you in the next one. Goodbye!