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Episode 190: Will Still - Profile
71 Plays4 days ago
Southampton – Zak has done the research and created an in depth profile of Will Still. Will he be our next manager? Would we be happy if he was?
Sources:
http://transfermarkt.co.uk/will-still/profil/trainer/53316
https://www.givemesport.com/will-still-southampton-manager-news-championship/
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/not-everyone-done-enough-still-094600287.html
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts' Backgrounds
00:00:09
Zak
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. I am your host, Zach Ingo Finch. I am extremely hyperactive due to the fact that I have had an entire litre bottle of blue Lucozade due to the fact that I got tattooed this morning.
00:00:25
Zak
Shout out to my tattoo artist, El Chambo Tattoo, at the Tattoo Lounge in Charles Ford. I don't know if for allowed to do those kind of endorsements, but am anyway. so there we are. Today, i am joined, as always, always by good friend of mine.
00:00:39
Zak
Fantastic co-host and a man who is tired after playing at Luton's football ground yesterday. Yep, you heard that correctly. Gregory Elliott, how are you doing, mate, on this wonderful sunny day?
00:00:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm all right, mate. I underestimated the sun yesterday, and I'm feeling
Football Experiences and Anecdotes
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
a bit worse for that. But yeah, the randomness of my life, being playing at Kenilworth Road yesterday and with David James and Courtney Kirk is, yeah, just one of those things that strangely happens to me. But yeah, if I had a pound for every championship stadium, I'd play there, mate.
00:01:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'd have £2, which isn't a lot, but it is cool that it happened twice. So...
00:01:18
Zak
if No, I don't know. Absolutely. Sometimes our lives do take some strange turns, especially for me and you, considering, you know, football fans and stuff for the opportunities we you get given sometimes is, yeah, we're very, very lucky in a privileged position.
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But one day out and to aid some of the the local charities for the Loot and Food Bank.
00:01:33
Zak
But,
00:01:38
Zak
yeah
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, good times. Good times have by all.
00:01:42
Zak
Indeed. So there's lots of stuff going on at Saints at the moment. Obviously, we're still looking for a new
Southampton's Managerial Search
00:01:47
Zak
manager. That's going to be a focus today. We've got another manager profile coming to you. Obviously, there's also lots of rumors swirling around about the club being sold. And there's an even more rumors now that apparently it's up for 200 billion. Dragon Solux willing to sell his 80% stake and blah, bla blah, but blah, bla blah. And we don't know what's going happen.
00:02:04
Zak
But one thing is certain. And that is that there will be a new manager in charge of Southampton Football Club at some point within the next couple of months. Or the same manager.
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, there won't be. Yeah.
00:02:14
Zak
Who knows?
00:02:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, arguably that's still a new responsibility for him, right? Because he's interim currently.
00:02:18
Zak
Yeah, it would still be it will still be a new manager. But today, we're going to talk about Will Still, who you've probably heard of before. Sometimes referred to him as like the football manager like manager, which isn't really the story.
00:02:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, I know him.
00:02:31
Zak
I can tell you the actual story. I will tell you part of the story. But he is somebody that has been confirmed that we have interviewed him, apparently. The confirmation of that seems to have been a multitude of different sports sites that all quote each other.
00:02:43
Zak
I can't see anything directly out of Southampton about it, so... We just kind of got to hope that, you know.
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that's how all these things kind of work, though. like summer like Some of it will be agent noise.
00:02:51
Zak
Correct.
00:02:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some of it will be truth to it. You know, I've seen that we're trying to interview lots of candidates, and that's probably why we we took the decision as early as we did. So we've got that time to build that and build that hope and actually prepare.
00:03:06
Zak
Correct.
00:03:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:11
Zak
And I, either way, all of my sources will be in the description, which I will definitely make sure to send across to Greg. So he definitely puts it the description. We'll have to do some jiggery-pokery there, Greg, because it turns out that sometimes that there's a character limit, it and I did not realize that we are very close to it with rest of our stuff in our podcast.
00:03:28
Zak
So some of it is from Wikipedia to Transfer Market to a bunch of news stories. I've i tried ill try my best to get kind of a broad approach to to the guy, and yeah, we'll we'll chat about it. So,
00:03:39
Zak
He is extremely close in age to me, which is terrifying because I'm older than him. He was born in October 1992, which makes him two young two months younger than me, to be exact. And he is currently the manager of League One Club Lens, obviously known but better for Stad de Rems. We'll talk about that later. Probably butchered that.
00:03:57
Zak
But he was actually born in Belgium to English parents. And despite the fact that he is referred to as someone that hasn't been in football or sort of like come out of nowhere, he was. He played amateur football right up until he was 17 when he started coaching.
Will Still's Coaching Journey
00:04:11
Zak
He still, which I don't know how this is going to play out. I don't know if it matters as much in the championship, but I don't know if he still, says he still doesn't have a UA for pro license. He currently has an A license, right?
00:04:22
Zak
Part of the issue, which I'll bring up a little bit later as to why he was getting fined was he wasn't working on the coaching course, but he is on that coaching course now. And that's when he stopped getting fined. It wasn't because he got it.
00:04:33
Zak
There's still some ambiguity around that, but we'll get into that a little bit more because it also has an effect on some of his early career as well, not having all the coaching badges. So... i He has a preferred formation, according to Transomarket, of 4-3-3, attacking specifically.
00:04:48
Zak
So slightly different to what sort of the other managers we've wanted to set up are like. And one of the things that I like to do, which we don't really hear a lot of, but it's always fun, is i like to see who these people are represented by, right?
00:05:00
Zak
So did that with the the last manager profile, and it turns out that Role is represented by the same people that represent Alex McCarthy. So it turns out, Greg, we actually do have some Saints links for the unique sports group who are Will Stills' representatives.
00:05:16
Zak
So from a player perspective, they now manage Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who obviously partied with his agent.
00:05:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. Yeah.
00:05:22
Zak
Yeah, but also some other big names like Gehi, Rhys James, Anthony Gordon. So some big English hitters. And another tenuous straight Saints link is that che Che Adams is also managed by that same company.
00:05:35
Zak
So managers-wise, because obviously managers are...
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting.
00:05:39
Zak
is Rob Edwards, who obviously we knew, former Luton manager. Probably saw some photos of him yesterday, Greg. And Valoran Ismail, the Blackburn manager. So they currently manage two people, one person specifically, but people that have been around the championship before.
00:05:54
Zak
So, you know, I kind of think that stuff's worth looking into and worth talking about. And the reason that I think that that's an insight is that you can kind of see the types of professionals these people surround themselves with because they are going to choose, you know, probably sometimes whoever's going to get them the best deal, but also like when you're looking for a job, if you're looking for a representative, you're going to want certain things from those representatives.
00:06:18
Zak
And so I guess it gives you a little bit of an insight into their character, but I always find that kind of stuff fascinating because it's not ever something that's ever really discussed. It's like, you know, crossing paths, some places, at events potentially with these players and stuff like that.
00:06:31
Zak
So but that's kind of the information we have up until until now. And he started his coaching career at kind of a a young age. In 2011, he was actually the manager of Preston Under-14s, which I think he had an opportunity to do through his college course or his university course.
Challenges and Achievements in Coaching
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay He doesn't really get much more experience than that, especially at such a young age, right?
00:06:52
Zak
that's how so he So he has basically pretty much managed since he was 17, 18 years old, which considering he's, what, 32 That means that, you know, correct.
00:07:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like that is, talk about the levels and a robust knowledge of levels of football.
00:07:11
Zak
Yes, and and there there are some there are some question marks which we'll definitely will definitely put up there and I'll definitely care to mention them, but like the kind of rumour and myth that he hasn't really been in around football as much as everyone else is exactly that.
00:07:25
Zak
He has football through and through. His journey is significantly different to most of the sort of candidates, the bigger guns and the people because of the fact that he he's not managed in England at all yet.
00:07:39
Zak
And so...
00:07:40
Zak
He got the job initially. This is where the football manager story comes into play, Greg, right? So he got he got a job, St. Trudian, who are a Belgian team, they're the second division.
00:07:51
Zak
And he convinced their manager, their then manager, Yannick Ferreira, using a match analysis. Like he did his own match analysis of a match they played. And from that, got the job as a video analyst, right?
00:08:02
Zak
So that was kind of, that's where this football manager, this idea that like, basically he rocked up, you gave an interview, like, you know, actually get hold of somebody, gave an interview for a manager. They just got hired into that job, which is kind of nuts. Cause like that, that is where I think this kind of rumor that he was the football manager manager that's come out of nowhere and, and sort of, Oh, he just like did it. yet That doesn't, I think that discredits a lot of the work that clearly he's put into football up and until that point. know That's still quite an impressive sort of thing.
00:08:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:29
Zak
And, Yeah, he was there for about a year from 2014 to 2015. before moved He moved with the manager, the Haydn Ferreira, across to Standard Liege, who were obviously a bigger Belgian team. They're in the first division.
00:08:42
Zak
And stayed there. Oh, sorry. Yeah, he was he was at from 2014 to 2015. He was at Sintz-Trudian and then moved across to Belgium to Standard Liege until 2016.
00:08:55
Zak
And that's where we're going leave it, and we'll we'll get more into it after a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:09:38
Zak
Wonderful. And so we are back. So when I left off, he'd had his sort of first forays into to football again by convincing convincing a manager iss basically give him a crack as as a video analyst and worked with both Sint Trudian, I think I've pronounced that wrong, Sint Trudian, and then Standard Lees, who we all know because we've had tenuous links there with, Buzunia was recently on loan there, Gineppo came from and returned to after his spell at Southampton.
00:10:07
Zak
And went on to manage a club known as Lies SK. And this is where a vast majority of his career has taken place. And he joined in the April 2017. And he joined as both assistant manager and a video analyst again It actually ended up becoming the caretaker manager for them after the manager was let go sort of October time.
00:10:28
Zak
And this is the crazy part of the story, Greg, where things like what we have heard about him previously come into play. So in that time as caretaker manager, he managed to take 21 points from 27.
00:10:41
Zak
So it was included a seven, yeah, seven-patch winning streak in the nine games.
00:10:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thanks. yeah
00:10:47
Zak
So he ended up in that time with a 77% win ratio. However, he couldn't become the manager due to the fact that he did not have UEFA A license at the time. So went back to being an assistant until 2018. Weird, right? So that's that kind of shows to you that he was he's very much been at the level.
00:11:05
Zak
He was very much prepared. He was very much kind of grabbed that opportunity with the bull by the horns. And unfortunately, he was just let down by the fact that he didn't have the qualifications to back it up. it's like It's like your mate who you know who's a mechanic. He can do everything with a car, but never quite got to mechanic school, right?
00:11:19
Zak
It's...
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's fascinating. like And it's he's clearly... clearly has a footballing brain. We've talked before about footballing intelligence. And he clearly... but i don't know if you saw him on Sky Sports Monday Night Football the other week.
00:11:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he clearly just... He gets football and sees that and is very capable of articulating that to people. And that's a real core strength of a manager.
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So.
00:11:45
Zak
so That's a core skill in life. It's being able to explain what you want from somebody in a way that people are able to understand is is vitally important in any job where you are taking on a leadership position, right? And me and you have worked with people in our past, Greg, who are very good at that.
00:12:00
Zak
we have worked with people who are very bad at that. And the people who are very good at it get the best results. And that's just that's just simple. and And also depends on the egos of the people in the room. It depends if people want to learn, right?
00:12:12
Zak
Sometimes if you've got a massive team like Real Madrid and you have all these superstars that Galacticos, it actually doesn't really matter what you say tactically about how they're going to play on the field. It's managing those individuals and their, I guess, diva-ness, right? But But in the in the kind of teams that he's dealt with, what he has been able to do is at least put across a vision of how he wants to play.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:32
Zak
And that's it's paid off because you can see in especially some of the early statistics of him you know going on to sort of having that level of success at such a young age. So he then moved on 2018, July 2018, the team be be beot so i'm going to pronounce it anyway.
00:12:52
Zak
Who he stayed with until 2021. And during that time, he helped them get promoted to the Belgian First Division and took over as their manager after their manager left in January 2021. So similar sort of pattern again, where he like kind of, the manager gets laid off and then they kind of hire him as a caretaker.
00:13:08
Zak
which has kind of but worked out for him. And spoilers, Greg, it happens again. this isn't enough this is't the This is the second time and it will not be the last. And he managed to get them finishing ninth. And despite the fact that they were able to finish ninth,
00:13:23
Zak
they decided they wanted somebody with a bit more experience. And his replacement, Greg, you will be sad or happy to know, the next season got them dead bottom last and relegated.
00:13:35
Zak
so so So, again, it's like, this is where...
00:13:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:40
Zak
This kind of challenges my bias of being like, I want someone more experienced or I want something safe and going, well, actually, they'd taken a punt and stayed, maybe they would have got, you know, done better off. Because bear in mind, he got them promoted.
00:13:52
Zak
was there when they got promoted into that league and then kept them there for a little bit. And then they got promoted straight after relegated.
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:57
Zak
So... Yeah, obviously after this, this is when he went to to to REM. So this is when this is where people got to know him. and We're not quite at the unbeaten streak that's that he's famous for.
00:14:10
Zak
and He initially joined as an assistant from July 2021 to October 2021, but he moved back to Standard Ligion, Belgium. And apparently the main reason that's cited for this, because it seems a bit weird that you'd start doing a little job and then you'd move back from France to Belgium,
00:14:24
Zak
Basically, because he's doing all of his coaching courses in Belgium, whilst doing his also full-time job was having to drive back from France to Belgium to do his courses. And, you know, he cited that as basically being the main reason is that if I can work somewhere that is significantly closer to where I have to do my courses, that will make my life a lot easier.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:43
Zak
And I can completely understand and respect that because that's the fact that he was doing all of this on top of a full-time job.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:48
Zak
Like we are but humble podcasters, Greg, but we also have full-time jobs. And it is a struggle for sometimes to fit all of this in with also just general life stuff.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:58
Zak
Having a extremely difficult, stressful job like football management or even at any level, and then also try to fit in learning and courses on top of that and maintain a life. But you add in like two to three hours of driving every weekend.
00:15:11
Zak
Pretty, pretty good deal, right?
00:15:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Virtually impossible.
Will Still's Managerial Success
00:15:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:14
Zak
So yeah, no one blames, but the end of that season, he returned to Rams to be the assistant manager. And the thing happened again, Greg, where in the October of 2022, he got...
00:15:25
Zak
he got He got given the caretaker job and then eventually became the manager after going undefeated for a little bit. So when he became the manager for Rems, he became the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues at 30.
00:15:38
Zak
Now, I'm his age. So I remember what I was doing at 30. As you probably heard, if you listened to yesterday's episode, I had a failed Dragon test Monday. Really sucked. That's been a huge thing that I've been building up towards.
00:15:50
Zak
And it just kind of sometimes puts into perspective the levels at play. that you know he was getting his first job as the youngest manager in top five European football. You're like, that's nuts.
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:00
Zak
I know we all run our own races, especially the players that we've got under him, but it's an achievement and I think it's something to be celebrated and also proof that he keeps time and time again proving people wrong.
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:13
Zak
There's going to be a bit of a change in that tact a little bit on. But during this time, when he initially got it, obviously he was being fined €25,000 per game until he started his monthly course in Belgium to get his pro licence.
00:16:28
Zak
but Again, there's a bit of ambiguity that he still doesn't have it. Well, not... I kind of think that's insane if he doesn't. But hey-ho, if they're going to get him the job without it, fine. but He went on like a 14-game unbeaten in all competitions. And during that time period, which is obviously what got him the job as full-time manager, he managed two draws against PSG.
00:16:47
Zak
And then he he lost that unbeaten streak through the cup, but didn't lose it in and the league and ended up going 17 games unbeaten in the league.
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:57
Zak
And that season, they they finished in 11th place, which, you know, respectable considering when he took them over, obviously it was after a manager got fired and they went on that big It shows kind of similar things that we've had. We've got big, big streaks of games and then streaks of bad games.
00:17:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:35
Zak
But in the last 14 games he'd play, he'd only won two. So two from 14, not ideal. And so his points average for his whole time at REMS...
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, it's still better than the stats of any of our managers this season.
00:17:50
Zak
This is true. This is one of the things where again, like depends how you view statistics. Like he he obviously had that season where he had this massive unbeaten streak and then he had another season where it's a bit of an issue. And a you know, his his points average for his time at Rams added ended on sort of, i think it was like 1.44. It depends how much you pay into these statistics. I know you like a stack, Greg, so that's pretty much there for you.
00:18:10
Zak
But since then, he's obviously become manager of Lens. So from June last year, he took over and his current record with the MS, 14 wins, seven draws and 13 losses. The worrying thing for me in the slight like flag, depends what you want to call it, is that he currently has a goal difference of minus three.
00:18:28
Zak
So that's pretty much his career so far. Yeah, comparison to where we're at now, very aware, not an issue. So we will settle there because now we're moving on to the rumours and some of the information I want to give to you, Greg, that then I'll ask for your opinion on it after a message from our partners at Zencastr.
00:18:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner.
00:18:52
Zak
Yes.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
00:19:09
Zak
Wonderful.
Rumors & Speculations: Will Still at Southampton
00:19:09
Zak
So we are back. So I left on with sort of his career so far and up to right about now. So what about the rumours of him coming to us? Well, according to TalkSport, it see I think it's where I actually initiated from, we've actually already had a meeting with him.
00:19:24
Zak
But again, all of these kind of websites, GiveMeSport, TalkSport, they're all they all kind of feed in from each other. So sometimes you just wonder if if they see a tweet somewhere from a guy. But apparently he is somebody we've interviewed.
00:19:35
Zak
So Eric Ramsey, who Greg kept mentioning as the Minnesota manager the other day, is also somebody that has supposedly been interviewed. And he isn't expected to get to the job according to these according to these sites, but they they seem to base that off of no information whatsoever. And I take anything like that of a pinch salt.
00:19:54
Zak
So maybe because he's one of the name main contenders as well. He's somebody i'm going to do a profile on probably as well. But as the top at the time of writing, the last game that Will Stills' team played against, they were beaten 4-0.
00:20:06
Zak
And he said of his current club, but there are things in place, there are people at the end of their cycle and others at the end of their contract. There are people who stay on and who we can build around. There needs to be an injection of talent and quality.
00:20:18
Zak
There is a protocol to put in place and changes to be made. So... You can read whatever you want into there. that That obviously says, as far as he's concerned, he's probably still in charge of that. And there's there's good reason for that.
00:20:29
Zak
He did also have an interview to become Sunderland manager last year. And obviously was unsuccessful because that's why he's still in the French League. So it might be that he, you know... You're not going to say anything publicly like that.
00:20:43
Zak
But it's very much, for me, it reminds me of the sort of stuff that Danny Roe was saying, where it's like, is it the team that he's currently got and the club that he's currently at there to match the ambition of what he wants to do, right?
00:20:55
Zak
He seems to be very aware that in his current team, there's a lot of youth and a lot of gambling on youth. And whilst that's lovely, there also needs to be some sort of key signings and decisions to be made around specifically the team that he's in charge of.
00:21:06
Zak
So my kind of conclusion on it is it could go either way. It's an exciting prospect, and it's I consider it to be an exciting prospect than some of the other names we've been linked with, sort of like your Steve Coopers and bits and pieces like that. and but But on the flip side of it, you know, he's he's been kind of but become famous due to...
00:21:25
Zak
this really, really kind of mid middle patch that he had at Rems. And on top of that middle patch at Rems, it being like, oh, look at the story. It's crazy. He's getting fined 25 grand every game. And that that was like the big thing, right, around it. It's like, this is kind of, this is a guy that's always been of involved in football. This is a guy who who has football intelligence.
00:21:43
Zak
This is a guy who clearly has an ambition to to manage England and and do well at club. And it's it's almost similar, in that sense, a similar profile to Danny Rolls in that he has that ambition level that maybe we're looking for.
00:21:59
Zak
It depends. If you look at his, you know you've got to take into account his record of potentially you know he had that really good first season, that second season slump. I can't pretend to know if that was to due to to players. There's going to be behind-the-scenes stuff. But what what is evident is the fact that If you're that young and you're in coaching, in my opinion, you're only going to get better over time.
00:22:20
Zak
And it depends where whether that opportunity is going to be still in other places over a significantly longer period of time or potentially gets that opportunity with us. So after talking extremely high level and fast paced, once again, due to that blue Lucasade I mentioned,
00:22:37
Zak
I'm going to pass it over to you, Greg. So, from everything I've told you and everything you've seen, and as I said, you've seen the Monday Night Football stuff. Where does your opinion on Will Steele as potential Southampton manager lie?
00:22:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i think I think I agree with you. I think it's one of the more exciting picks from the list. There seems to be such huge potential there.
00:22:57
Zak
Hmm. Hmm.
00:22:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And know I didn't realise how experienced he was. That only really adds to that for me. Obviously, he's still unproven in England and still all of the other caveats that come with just our any manager, to be honest. And we've talked before about how how impossible it is to find a manager that's going to please everyone.
00:23:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But i I think it would be a really good statement sort of person to bring in. I think that he's a manager of such promise and potential that, yeah, I think it would be good thing. And yeah, you know, no managers have perfect, you know, clean, squeaky clean records and He clearly has a brain for analysis and football. And I think that that's what we lack tremendously at the club, right? We've talked a lot about the contrasts between Russell Martin, who was stuck in his ways, but was personable and Juric, who was a bit stuck in his ways and not personable.
00:23:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe someone who can just like come in and talk football is what we need. Like,
00:24:04
Zak
Yeah, um no i i I agree.
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's what I do. I'm well up for it.
00:24:08
Zak
Because you know being being bilingual, like sort of he although he's it's born to English parents, nationality is English, grew up in Belgium, so he speaks bit of German, he speaks French, speaks English, and you know you can kind of have... I feel like that the quality of being bilingual it cannot be underestimated.
00:24:27
Zak
Being able to physically talk to all of the people around you in the languages that they understand and you understand is only beneficial, in my opinion.
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:35
Zak
It's so much easier to get your point across if you're able to explain it in all of the different languages, right? Like, this is the problem we had with some of Jurich's stuff is we were like, oh, that's really blunt. And i'm like, yeah, because he's speaking in a second, maybe third language and and translating it in his head, to saying it out loud, and then kind of leaving it there. And we're trying to read into the background emotions of a guy that Quite frankly, I don't think he had the emotions at the level that we thought he did.
00:24:58
Zak
And we didn't really give you know much credence.
00:24:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:00
Zak
i think but But for me as well, it's to to be that young, again, he's only 32, but to be able to, you look at this background of sort of, well, he's the assistant manager, he's done a lot.
00:25:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm.
00:25:11
Zak
And then he's taken charge of a team that's been in a period of crisis and then guided them through that period of crisis, like not once or twice, but like three times.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:20
Zak
And yeah, okay, he rough season, but but the season you know that one of the teams fired him after they came ninth because they wanted someone more experienced, brought in a more experienced head, made it significant and probably significantly worse.
00:25:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. take it.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:31
Zak
I think of any time that anyone brings Sam Allardyce anywhere, I'm not going to lay up on that point, Greg. We are not having Sam Allardyce. Anyway.
00:25:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:25:39
Zak
Anyway.
00:25:42
Zak
so So, yeah, I think i think it it is a more exciting and more excitinging prospect. And I think that you're very right in saying it's it's also a statement because I think is it's trying to maybe say where we are and people are like, oh, we need a proven Premier League manager.
00:25:56
Zak
I'm like, the only proven Premier League managers that we're going to get are going to be Premier League managers that don't currently have a job in the Premier League because they were fired for not being a proven manager.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Yeah.
00:26:05
Zak
And we're going to be at the championship and we don't know where our financial situation is going to be at this point.
00:26:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I think he... I think it is... And it's is interesting from what you say about his his recent interview about his club. sounds like they're at a bit of a crossroads and at what will probably be a reset and a start of a new project.
00:26:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so maybe he feels that that's the time to cut ties and start a new project elsewhere and come and sort of...
00:26:24
Zak
Correct.
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Take rebuilding us as our project.
00:26:33
Zak
I think that's the thing. He just basically said that the players weren't putting in probably the effort that they should have and they're not at the level that they need to be and there's going to be a lot of change. And again, for me, it's like, you know, it's not really bashing the players too hard because he doesn't seem to be that kind of guy either, but it's being realistic. And like, realistically, i think it would be exciting to see someone like that take the helm. And, you know, you can argue,
00:26:55
Zak
you know, especially some of our listeners will probably argue, well, he is quite young. And I'm like, yeah, 32 is it young. But again, if it's if experience you're worried about, he's been doing it since he was 17. There's a lot of people that we're trying to bring in now.
00:27:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Yeah.
00:27:07
Zak
You know, we've got, we've been linked with every, a lot of the links that i'm seeing are things, and I don't know if I'll do a manager profile on sort of Lampard and Gerrard and this and the other, but they are a lot of the the the names I'm seeing us linked with, which is slightly strange. But whilst having a massive sort of impact in football, their coaching careers are like two, three years long in comparison.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:25
Zak
to this guy who since 17 has lived lived and breathed football. And like again, like...
00:27:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And coaching football, which is a different dynamic as well.
00:27:32
Zak
Yes.
00:27:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And, you know, experience at some youth level, which is going to be important for our future. You know, if Sports Republic are not going to be giving up this image that our academy and bringing you through is an important part of their identity.
00:27:45
Zak
No.
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's still going to be a thing. And so it's important to have that background.
00:27:53
Zak
Yeah.
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's fascinating. and and And I don't know if it does concern me if he doesn't have his UA for B license or not yet, because, i mean, the pro.
00:28:01
Zak
He's got a B, he's got the A, it's just the pro he needs for the sounds of it. So...
00:28:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just the, I mean, look qualifications are just pieces of paper, right? Like, you and I have both know people who are more qualified to do certain things than us that are not.
00:28:11
Zak
Well, it's not only that, as I said...
00:28:18
Zak
To be clear, you're being humble there, mate. Me and you are both people that are qualified to do something without the qualifications.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:28:27
Zak
The things we do in our job outside of this, guys.
00:28:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:30
Zak
There's a lot of stuff where you'd be surprised how many people do very, very complex, highly skilled jobs without the pieces of paper to prove it. like It's usually they need the pace ofpa piece of paper if they want to do the job elsewhere.
00:28:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:28:43
Zak
so Yeah, it doesn't mean a lot. But also the dedication to trying to get that. The fact that he was managing a football club and driving to and from Belgium every weekend and putting a lot of that first. And I think even in his personal life, his wife at one point had some had some health problems.
00:28:58
Zak
And and she was like saying, no, you get into the dugout and and you go and do your job and you and you get this done. and like that It takes a lot to to be that dedicated to your job. And I think as much as I would love that everybody in the world had a healthy life balance, if we have a manager that's absolutely obsessed with our club, I'm also here for it.
00:29:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:16
Zak
So it's it's like slightly more exciting. and I think it's a bit of a left field pick And it's a bit more, whilst it's slightly riskier and not as, you know, everyone's got in their head that it's going to be Danny Roe.
Comparing Managerial Candidates
00:29:28
Zak
Nobody hugely wants any of the sort of your classic merry-go-round of managers that have been fired by clubs like us around us. It's a completely sort of middle field.
00:29:39
Zak
Well, this kind of came out of nowhere. But because we know that Spores will be heading up, if it's a decision that's made, you know it's going to be based off the fact that he probably thinks that, yeah, we can make this work and but at least provide them with the resources to make them work this time around.
00:29:53
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:29:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
feels like you kind of makes sense maybe that maybe that can be a good thing is is he after this research at the moment so far Zach is he your favourite to go for
00:30:06
Zak
but Probably. like The thing is is that from from a profile perspective, him and Danny Roll are quite similar. Danny Roll's got the the championship experience. They both worked in like significantly analytical parts of football and the kind the kind of stuff that you'd expect them to fit the profile of what our team wanted.
00:30:23
Zak
And I don't think I'd be disappointed with either. I think that it would be potentially had the chance to be significantly more exciting. And I could see somebody like that wanting to, you know, because I think a lot of the role stuff is, oh, he was with us for a little bit of time. I'm like, yeah, six months.
00:30:38
Zak
It's nothing.
00:30:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:39
Zak
Six months goes in a blink of an eye, i promise you. so So for me, I think that out of those two, and obviously so still putting together the rest, probably my frontrunner. That isn't to say that if Roald took charge, I would be disappointed.
00:30:54
Zak
However, if it is a Lampard or a Gerrard, I think I'm not going to be less pleased.
00:30:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:00
Zak
But we can discuss that on another day and maybe we'll have a look into the Minnesota manager, who the nameless Minnesota manager. His name is Eric Tramsey.
00:31:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Eric, I remember that bit.
00:31:07
Zak
Because I'll keep lugging you off for it, if not.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
but maybe
00:31:10
Zak
But yeah, for for me, I think that... If we wanted something exciting and different, and if if, you know, I know that I've kind of also put a case forward recently of what if we just catch Rusk and Alana, and that's my brain going, I really want to be safe.
00:31:24
Zak
If we're going to take a risk, I think that he would be probably one that's more exciting to take a risk on. That's where I'm at.
00:31:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice.
00:31:32
Zak
Wonderful.
00:31:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm happy with that.
00:31:33
Zak
So, good.
00:31:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good work. I love your research episodes.
00:31:35
Zak
Thanks, mate. Once again, as everyone who's long-term listeners knows, this is the only use I get from my history degree.
00:31:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
They bring me joy.
00:31:43
Zak
but That's a lie. I very much use the critical thinking of my job, but that's not as funny as the idea that most of the research and sources and getting all that kind of stuff in a way I just never thought would be used for a podcast, put it that way.
00:31:58
Zak
But thank you for listening, everybody. We'll probably have another one next week. Unless all of sudden we hire a manager, which then will completely derail a lot of my plans. But there we are. very much doubt that at the moment because we might not even be owned by the same people in two to three months' time. I'm sure there'll be more developing on that as we go.
00:32:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just giving us more spicy stuff to fill our podcast with in the opposite direction.
00:32:14
Zak
But thank you.
00:32:19
Zak
it's like they they They felt bad that they knew we were going to have nothing to talk about the whole of summer apart from every single transfer.
00:32:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. That's
00:32:25
Zak
So, you know, they wanted to give us even more content, whatever.
00:32:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
it.
00:32:29
Zak
But once again, thank you all for listening. We'll be back tomorrow with a preview for our showdown against Leicester at the weekend, where hopefully Jamie Farley won't score a hat-trick. We'll have to see.
Podcast Closing and Social Media Outreach
00:32:39
Zak
But we are on all of the social media, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Blue Sky, all of that fun stuff. And je we'll be back with you tomorrow for more exciting stuff.