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Episode 396: Matchday Review: THROUGH TO THE QUARTER FINALS!
118 Plays25 days ago
Southampton – What a win, and what a time to be a Saints fan. 10 Unbeaten in all competitions! We've got lots to talk about today...
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Transcript
Introduction and Unbeaten Streak
00:00:14
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg and as always stay joy with my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach.
Southampton's Success Against Premier League
00:00:24
DailySaintsPod
Mate, 10 games unbeaten in all competitions. How are you doing?
00:00:29
Zak
be in Premier League side more wins against Premier League teams than Spurs this year. What time to be alive, mate.
00:00:39
DailySaintsPod
Well, I'm not holding back any punches. That's fantastic.
00:00:42
Zak
Why would we?
Lineup Surprises and Match Intentions
00:00:43
Zak
We get to celebrate that, like, good good lord, this is this is half the amount of wins we managed in the entirety of the season.
00:00:43
DailySaintsPod
What a great stat.
00:00:49
Zak
We were, like, up against the Premier League side, you know?
00:00:54
DailySaintsPod
You're right. That's crazy, isn't it? When you think of it in that context. hey not not
00:01:00
Zak
that i was I was surprised. I was really surprised that we put out what I could consider to be a relatively full-strength side. Taylor Harbour-Bellis said in his post-match interview, like basically, Ecken said, we're coming here to win. We came here to win.
00:01:13
Zak
We won. it's it's It's weird that we can do things like that now.
00:01:16
DailySaintsPod
Yeah?
00:01:18
Zak
That's not very that's not usually be a very Southampton thing to do. I'm not going to lie. But clearly, the the importance of momentum... is there even if we are now missing Maske and also Downs for the next game, which is less than ideal.
Referee Criticism
00:01:35
Zak
But like, yeah, just a solid game, mate.
00:01:35
DailySaintsPod
it's for the quarterfinal. So, i mean, it just gives them the freedom to be available to play in the league around the quarterfinal, right? So it's...
00:01:43
Zak
This is also true. So guess that makes it slightly better.
00:01:44
DailySaintsPod
I mean, unless Flynn picks up another yellow in the league, in which case he's on holiday for three weeks in had all competitions, right? But...
00:01:51
Zak
Well, apparently he picked up Yellow for dissent, right? Because clearly he did back up the tackle.
00:01:55
DailySaintsPod
Yes.
00:01:56
Zak
I know we're probably going to get to it. We'll talk about it entirely after we talk about lineups and stuff. But I know you'll probably get some, what was it, choice words the ref, right?
Lineup and Strategy Discussion
00:02:07
Zak
Both sides.
00:02:07
DailySaintsPod
I... I didn't think he had a great...
00:02:11
Zak
Mate, justicas just because we've benefited, just because we slightly benefited doesn't mean that he wasn't absolutely atrocious.
00:02:13
DailySaintsPod
I think he was awful, if I'm honest with you. And then i looked up Yeah.
00:02:19
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:19
DailySaintsPod
I think he was terrible for both teams. And then I looked up who he was and I went, oh yeah, he was rubbish for us before as well. I'm not actually surprised by this. It's just, the he's he's the referee that came over from Australia to like quite a bit of buzz because he was like held in quite high regard in Australia.
00:02:37
DailySaintsPod
And I remember saying that to to my sister-in-law at St. Mary's the first time we had him, but the first time I saw him as a ref and she turned around to me at the end of the game and went clearly the standards are a bit different here aren't they so it just
00:02:51
Zak
Yeah, it was just like, it's just a bit, some of the decisions were
FA Cup vs League Focus: Which to Prioritize?
00:02:54
Zak
a bit weird, but when we started the start date with the lineup, so both me and you were surprised, right?
00:02:55
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:03:01
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, very surprised.
00:03:02
Zak
At the... Yeah.
00:03:02
DailySaintsPod
I mean, we thought we were going to probably rotate definitely more than we did. Not really anything that you would say is to a deviation from a starting XI, right?
00:03:07
Zak
Yeah.
00:03:14
DailySaintsPod
Like the two changes that were made, both both changes that you could see happening in a in a league game, not as part of like rotating for the Cup, right?
00:03:25
DailySaintsPod
Wood in for Stephens and Fellows in for Matski. So, yeah, I mean, like,
00:03:32
Zak
Perot's in as well, where we can see we thought that George Long might get another sort of go.
00:03:36
DailySaintsPod
yeah, I said that that would be the the determiner, right, for how seriously we were taking it.
00:03:36
Zak
You did,
00:03:42
Zak
you did.
00:03:42
DailySaintsPod
And and man, we we took it seriously.
00:03:43
Zak
eat it
00:03:46
DailySaintsPod
And we put a team out. And then we made strong substitutions as well in an effort to sort of push on and and put it over the line. And Yeah, it's it's fascinating to me that that's the case. I don't know if, in the scheme of things, I would have prioritised it that way with the sort of fixture congestion that it's
Financial Concerns and Strategic Focus
00:04:12
DailySaintsPod
going to cause. But, I mean, if we win the FA Cup and finish eighth, no one's complaining, right? Like...
00:04:21
Zak
I don't know, do we want to be like Spurs mate? And, you know, they're going to be able to say that they were like, you know kind of champions of Europe probably going down this season. alvin I should stop making fun of Spurs, but it's just very funny.
00:04:33
Zak
Having been there, but also not having the the arrogance to assume that I should be top four every year and watching what happens when you take a talisman striker and completely disassemble the back room and everything else, you know, awful.
00:04:47
Zak
But we're not a Spurs podcast, we're a Saints podcast.
00:04:49
DailySaintsPod
is It's a completely different situation to that though, right? Because, you know, for basically the entirety of the the season, it's been a discussion point for us as do we actually want to go up this year or do we need another season to rebuild?
00:05:07
DailySaintsPod
And so if the answer is actually we're going to take a season to rebuild and strengthen ourselves and push for a cup win the middle of it, it's not,
00:05:20
DailySaintsPod
it's not the the worst decision. it's it's It's unusual and I don't know if in January when we made nine changes and just about scraped over the line against the opposition el league below us if that's the opinion that was shared but also now mate only one more win and where we're in a semi-final at Wembley.
00:05:42
DailySaintsPod
Like it's
00:05:43
Zak
Yeah, no, some it's a bit mad, but it's it's one of those things that you say, you know, from a fan perspective, you're right, that's
Match Details and Fan Support
00:05:50
Zak
great. I still think that from a club perspective, they have to deal with the fact that the financials of not going back up is going to hit us pretty hard, especially with wanting to keep some of the players we have.
00:06:00
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:06:02
Zak
So maybe it is just as simple as the priority is win as much as you can and and play as many games as you can and you know I guess just going through momentum is the most important thing. like weve've We've rolled that dice a few times. We've chatted about it quite a lot.
00:06:17
Zak
But you're right, is a completely it's completely different circumstances to as far as with their Europa League win and whatever the heck's happening up in the Premier League now.
00:06:27
Zak
But when you say, you know, but we need a year to rebuild, I don't i don't know, because, like, we held our own today. And I know that they had a rotated side, but, like, towards the end, it wasn't that rotated.
00:06:34
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:06:38
Zak
And, yeah.
00:06:39
DailySaintsPod
No, well, that's the thing, right? it's I don't necessarily think rebuild, but definitely strengthen in areas.
00:06:46
Zak
Hmm.
00:06:48
DailySaintsPod
I mean, Fulham are a team right in the middle of the league, right? And they just lost to West Ham, who some are, you know, based on form, you'd say are one of the worst teams in the league this season.
00:07:03
DailySaintsPod
and it wasn't like a convincing victory but you're right we hung in there held our own had opportunities to make it more convincing than it was so it is you know there are positives to take from it for sure that we're you know maybe closer to that than we than we think yeah I just it's
00:07:09
Zak
It was almost...
00:07:25
DailySaintsPod
It's interesting to just add to the fixture congestion, but you're right. Momentum, I think, is the important part of the decision. 10 unbeaten and the confidence of going in and beating a Premier League team away from home, despite it not really sounding or feeling like a away from home with 4,900 Saints fans there in full voice as the only thing I heard on the TV all afternoon, to be clear.
00:07:50
DailySaintsPod
LAUGHTER
00:07:52
Zak
You tell that like, they just, I don't you're right. If if you're the middle of the table Premier League team, you'd think that the FA Cup would be something you'd strive for. Clearly just not.
00:08:01
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:08:02
Zak
and And it kind of felt like that. i kind of think, I almost we forgot it wasn't at home. And I don't mean that in too disrespect to the Fulham fans. Maybe it's just, we just completely, everyone who was there was like proper up for it. And it paid off wholeheartedly.
00:08:16
Zak
But I think when I talk about, like, you know, we did play against the Premier League opposition. It's a different type of game to the games we played recently. A bit more defensive. There are definitely things that we can learn from it. I think I
Southampton's Style and Missed Chances
00:08:30
Zak
said to you, like, everything felt like it was...
00:08:34
Zak
like 10% sped up. So everything was just like, you know, our passing accuracy went down quite a bit because everything was in a bit of a rush because it was counter-attacking. We only had five shots, which feels mad because it feels like we had so many more attacks than that.
00:08:47
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:08:48
Zak
And I think, you know, we had like quite a few big mischances and Laren's shot that was like on the offside and stuff.
00:08:52
DailySaintsPod
I mean, the key stat that tells the story of how different it was is is the possession, right?
00:09:00
Zak
Yeah.
00:09:00
DailySaintsPod
When's the last time we had 31% possession in a game?
00:09:03
Zak
No idea. Genuinely...
00:09:06
DailySaintsPod
Because I certainly don't think it's been this season.
00:09:07
Zak
live Against Liverpool. Against Liverpool, probably.
00:09:09
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:09:10
Zak
Maybe that would have been the last time. But, like, I think that the difference with it is it's like... It shows that there is a... With some strengthening specific positions...
00:09:21
Zak
we could have a bit more of a blueprint to put up a bit more fight next season, I think is the point I'm trying to get And was a good example of that. And yeah, okay, it would have been lovely to to not have to get a penalty, but also the penalty was given because Hazard was in a dangerous area and they took him out because of it.
00:09:40
Zak
We'd had a clear-cut chances that were missed, you know, Yeah.
00:09:44
DailySaintsPod
Oh, some of those chances, man. I guess as well, it would have felt like more shots because some of them might have counted as shots because, you know, at times we got caught offside, was pretty upsetting, right?
00:09:47
Zak
Yeah.
00:09:56
Zak
Yeah, true. But again, it's it's because everything, as I said, just felt like a bit 10% quicker than it would
Referee Decisions and Game Fairness
00:10:01
Zak
be. Because it felt a bit more, because of the nature of the the way this game played out, it just felt a little bit more frantic.
00:10:03
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:10:10
Zak
Because obviously when we had the ball, we realized we had to do you something with it. rather So rather than them having to mock about with it like they usually do for ages, we didn't have those opportunities. We had to make quick, clear, concise decisions.
00:10:23
Zak
And some of those quick, clear, concise decisions were to... Like, you know, you give it to Tom Fellows, which I think you have genuinely cursed that man to never score a goal for us.
00:10:29
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:10:34
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I mean, it feels that way.
00:10:35
Zak
That song is about or him scoring goals. But yeah, I just, start I just thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable watch.
00:10:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:10:42
Zak
Like even though you know, no, no, no for a lot of it. it was It wasn't a boring game. So it was a very, very enjoyable game to watch as well.
00:10:50
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:10:51
Zak
Everyone put in a hell of a shift as well. and Yeah, I think the only the only thing we probably have to mention quite quickly is their first disallowed goal.
00:11:02
Zak
Right? out
00:11:03
DailySaintsPod
Oh, what lap of tea.
00:11:04
Zak
So, you know how we keep talking about this big mistake, right, that there's just Perrott's has in him, and somehow he keeps getting away with it. And, like, that, that to me was him getting away with it, because that was mental. That was, well, I told there is something Borrach-esque about that man, and I can't put my finger on it, because don't get me wrong, he played a fantastic rest of the game, but absolutely hoofing the ball into the fuck of Ryan Adams.
00:11:32
Zak
Basically passing it directly. Yeah, just oh luckily by, i I don't know, the ball, I guess, was rolling slightly. don't really know how I feel about that. I feel that, again, it i put that
Fulham's Response and Game Flow
00:11:43
Zak
into the camp of referee bit weird.
00:11:44
DailySaintsPod
if the referee wasn't as If the referee wasn't as on the ball of to blow his whistle that that fast because he'd seen that that was the case, it was an a really interesting decision to be made that wasn't there, wasn't it?
00:11:57
DailySaintsPod
As to...
00:11:58
Zak
I just, yeah, even even if that's the case. Like, I i get i can get why Fulham fans are mad, and can get why Marcus O'Wallon kicked off, and I can also get why questioning around the referee for the rest of that game was a bit... Because there are a couple of times, like, Laren...
00:12:14
Zak
almost gave away the goal that was disallowed by getting back, being frustrated, tackling, getting had a go out for the tackle, despite the fact he just kept getting pulled all the time.
00:12:24
Zak
And apparently could just bully the man it was not a problem.
00:12:25
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:12:27
Zak
I i understand the flow of the game, but this is that weird thing where, for me, like referees are there to enforce the rules, not necessarily dictate... how the flow the game goes but then if all of a sudden everyone was enforcing the rules to the letter during the South Coast derby how would we feel about that because that game would probably just end with like 22 yellow cards across the board so it's difficult like again with I just I just think it was I think it's just a reminder of like oh man don't ever want to go back to the Premier League for that reason at least
00:12:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:12:57
DailySaintsPod
that I don't mate. I think that... I don't know if it is difficult, but referees in this search country as a whole generally seem to make it seem that way. It was...
00:13:08
DailySaintsPod
But actually, know wrote look, credit where credit's due.
00:13:08
Zak
Come on, there's a not there's enough hate for a horrible job.
00:13:10
DailySaintsPod
This is the first time we've had proper issues with a referee in... in weeks maybe even months like there's been several games where where we've sort of gone you know I haven't actually had to think about the referee at all today he's doing a really good job and and you know sometimes the decision's gonna be wrong and that kind of is what is but it was just it just seemed so wildly inconsistent today you just absolutely baffling but
00:13:19
Zak
Yeah, and it wasn't
00:13:38
Zak
just one of those days. But, you know, ultimately, we ended up getting the victory. And, yeah, it just feels like the by the time Philham started taking the game seriously, it was was over, right?
00:13:50
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:13:50
Zak
Like, Iwobi changed the game for them massively. But, you know, by the time me they started bringing on, like, proper firepower and things, it was like, we won it at that
Player Performance and Key Moments
00:13:58
Zak
point. And...
00:13:59
DailySaintsPod
know they they had some you know They were rotated, but they they had firepower on the pitch. right like It wasn't like they were a weak side.
00:14:09
Zak
they They won.
00:14:09
DailySaintsPod
They had Oscar Bob and Muniz starting.
00:14:10
Zak
Yeah.
00:14:15
DailySaintsPod
They were a team that wasn't going to supposedly fold easily. and you know You can tell that just from the the stats themselves. right and They had their 24 shots. Although, the difference is that 23 of those shots were from quite long range and some of them were, you know, not even really close enough to the goal to to necessarily be considered a risk of a shot, right? It was, they had a couple of chances that, you know, made me a bit nervous, little bit, ooh, there was one that kind of
00:14:49
DailySaintsPod
went narrowly wide on, uh, on the far post that I remember. And, uh, one that kind of darted its way through the six yard box, but there was just no one there.
00:15:00
DailySaintsPod
But, But other than that, it you know it was just a solid performance. We looked good. We looked well in it, even though they sort of kept coming at us. the The first half was you know preopen pretty open, pretty 50-50. The second half, they definitely sort of cranked up a notch and put the pressure on. But we held off, held our own, still had attacks in that period and and tried to do stuff with it.
00:15:28
DailySaintsPod
I mean, it's not going to surprise anyone that the takeaway from it is held our own, but wish we, you know, converted more of our chances because that's been the story of our entire season.
00:15:40
DailySaintsPod
Like we create chances and don't take them.
00:15:40
Zak
yeah See, season, season, you mean, wait, that is the, the probably the biggest discussion point we had last year. If only we'd put away all of those chances that we almost made, we would have actually stayed with the Premier League.
00:15:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:15:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:54
Zak
like
00:15:54
DailySaintsPod
and and And, you know, like, Leo, how did Leo miss that one? Like, he broke away so brilliantly and just screaming to pass it to Laren.
00:16:02
Zak
Did you hear the stat of apparently like he has only scored like three out of the eight big chances he's had, which I thought was pretty mad because to be be fair, it means he's had to have created eight big chances, which is why we love the man.
00:16:14
Zak
But yeah, when you when you kind of look at that, you're like, oh, that's actually not as good as you'd want it to be.
00:16:17
DailySaintsPod
And, like you know, it's just you're just screaming like, oh bury it or pass to Laren. And then he saves it too late. And it's at the point where if he did pass to Laren, would have been offside anyway. But I just think, oh, just anything but that. And then, yeah, I think Laren narrowly missed one as well.
00:16:35
DailySaintsPod
And... yeah Then Azaz had that shot blocked that kind of almost looped in over the keeper. and we were We were getting up there and you feel like we should have been putting away at least one of those chances.
00:16:51
DailySaintsPod
But like you say, the penalty was a clear-as-day penalty.
Game Pace and Team Impact
00:16:58
DailySaintsPod
Azaz making a nuisance of himself and you know you feel like you would have got on to do something from that position.
00:17:02
Zak
played really well today.
00:17:04
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and...
00:17:04
Zak
i think him and Laren. Laren got a lot of criticism. it seems to be weird. It seems to be like a 50-50 split. I think that he did the job that he was meant to. I think he, once again, just lacked the goal.
00:17:16
Zak
People were annoyed, but some of his hold-up play was great, but also some of Ross Stewart's hold-up play was great. and it was I think it was like three years ago, also so in an FA Cup fixture, was when Ross Stewart had his first major injury right that put him out for a really long time.
00:17:30
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. At Craven Cottage, in fact.
00:17:32
Zak
Yeah, so it's like really nice that he got, I guess, some some poetry take place.
00:17:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:37
Zak
And that man buried that penalty.
00:17:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:39
Zak
I don't know why we had Armstrong taking him for so long.
00:17:40
DailySaintsPod
Uh,
00:17:42
Zak
but
00:17:43
DailySaintsPod
with With Laren, I think that he was good today. Like you say, his hold-up play was good. He does the same thing that I've talked about before, where he kind of...
00:17:56
DailySaintsPod
makes a nuisance of himself enough to, you know, take up a defender if nothing else. My only criticism that I really have is that he was just drifting offside too often.
00:18:09
Zak
Yeah, that's true.
00:18:10
DailySaintsPod
there were There were quite a few times where it was just he didn't need to be offside. He had the beating of the man, you know, more often than he didn't.
00:18:21
DailySaintsPod
But it was...
00:18:21
Zak
But I think that's the frantic energy from the way this fixture was that's coming into it that I feel.
00:18:22
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:18:26
Zak
like Because it it wasn't just him that had those those issues, right?
Manager's Decisions and Unbeaten Streak
00:18:29
Zak
It was like when we put a cross in, it'd always be be a little bit ahead of where everyone was. Or like, you know, at one point you said, if only Tom Fellows was like half a meter taller, he could have got the end of the ball it was crossed in.
00:18:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:18:40
Zak
It just...
00:18:40
DailySaintsPod
Well, to be fair, it was probably closer to if Tom Fellows was half a Tom Fellows taller in in reality. But... Hmm.
00:18:47
Zak
But you get my point, right? It's like we're used to, we're playing in a bit more of a, and hopefully, if anything, it just means that the experience of playing that way together will make it slightly better, especially where the outcome was a positive one and not a negative one.
00:18:52
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:18:59
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:19:02
Zak
Because obviously, what we learned what happened when you have negative experience after negative experience, playing the same way week in, week out for six months.
00:19:02
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:09
DailySaintsPod
Just compounds.
00:19:10
Zak
Yeah.
00:19:11
DailySaintsPod
But it's you're right. it's it's a statement It's a statement from Tonda to come out and put out a team like that in the FA Cup. It's a statement from him to the board. Hey, look, if there are any questions about whether you're going to keep me on next year, whether we go up or not, here's proof I can do it.
00:19:30
DailySaintsPod
And...
00:19:31
Zak
just find it weird that's even a discussion point. Like genuinely the fact that we're still having this discussion is bizarre.
00:19:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I mean, how can it be? ten Ten games unbeaten in all competitions.
Team Confidence and Momentum
00:19:40
DailySaintsPod
You know, mathematically speaking, league and cup doubles still on.
00:19:46
DailySaintsPod
just Just great times, isn't it? Like, how can you head midweek to West Brom, who are having a horrible time of things at the moment at... and struggling and not think, oh, we're just going to absolutely smash them. And just, it you know, it feels like, it feels like realistically, like we might not lose the rest of the season. It genuinely feels like that is like the momentum we've built and carrying.
Defensive Strength and Squad Depth
00:20:13
DailySaintsPod
It's crazy. And I know that that's going to happen at some point, right? But it's, that's the the vibes it brings and the the confidence it feels.
00:20:24
DailySaintsPod
Another clean sheet as well, mate. like
00:20:26
Zak
yeah it's probably Yeah, that's to be hugely important because, you know, especially the amount of corners that were in that game as well, you'd expected, considering that was a thing we'd be hugely struggling with, it's just, that's going to be nothing but a positive, right?
00:20:34
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:20:43
Zak
Heading into heading into a game against, as you pointed out, a side that is bereft of confidence.
00:20:43
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:20:48
Zak
And we are not.
00:20:50
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and that that's the thing, right?
00:20:51
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:20:52
DailySaintsPod
Like, ridiculous goal kick shenanigans aside, Peretz had, I think, an excellent game.
00:20:58
Zak
He did. like The rest of his game, absolutely fantastic.
00:21:00
DailySaintsPod
It wasn't...
00:21:00
Zak
but
00:21:01
DailySaintsPod
And don't get me wrong, there wasn't like a huge amount of... Nothing stands out as, oh, without Peretz, that's a goal, right? But that's that's as much down to the way he commands the defensive line and takes control of the box and comes out and grabs corners and challenges for crosses.
00:21:18
Zak
It isn't that discussion... anymore, right? it's We're not having that discussion anymore where we were having it week in, week out.
00:21:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:27
Zak
It's like most of the goals that have been scored against him, we would not have, you know, bar again, sort of the almost comedic errors.
00:21:27
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:21:38
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:21:38
Zak
It's not been like that with him you know, behind the sticks. And obviously, but again, like, as you pointed out, could be the commanding of the box could also just be that our defensive players are clicking together at a level that was just immense.
00:21:52
Zak
Like Manning had the most Marmite game I've ever seen where some of the things he was doing, you're like screaming at him.
00:21:53
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:21:59
Zak
And then the next breath he would like thread, a thread through a ball that you wouldn't expect to see. Yeah.
00:22:04
DailySaintsPod
there was that free kick, right? Where he he kind of narrowly managed to keep that player offside. That was another disallowed gap load allowed goal, right? Where it kind of got bundled in. But actually him dropping back very nearly, but for the skin of his teeth, played the entirety of Fulham's front line onside, which was baffling.
00:22:27
DailySaintsPod
it just Just insane. But... But yeah, I think, but you you know, also rotated defence, right? Like we've talked, or I don't know if we have actively talked, but we've seen the stats floating around, right, about...
00:22:42
DailySaintsPod
how much a better team we are with Stevens and how just out and out statistically we win more often with him in the team than when without him in the team. But that was a clean professional defensive performance, uh, with, without him in, in that lineup. And,
00:23:02
DailySaintsPod
Like I say, the reason that Fulham were shooting from distance and not particularly getting close is because they just couldn't break through the lines and get that clear-cut opportunity anywhere else, right? That was what they had. They had to try and shoot from distance. And if you can contain a team, you know, a team in the league above as well to that, to sort of pot shots from range, you're laughing. You're all the way way there. It was it was solid. Yeah.
00:23:28
Zak
But doesn't that show you how good our squad depth has become, though? And like maybe all of the trimming that we were complaining about, myself included, like I'll hold my hands up. I'm not right about everything. I'm often wrong more than not.
00:23:39
Zak
Again, you work off significantly more statistical information. I work significantly more off of vibes, and sometimes
Player Adaptability and Performance
00:23:47
Zak
they're off.
00:23:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:23:47
Zak
And when it comes to, you know... sort of January in the the business we did and and swapping out centre-backs and moving people on and and this and the other, it kind of feels like, okay, well, if we need to swap out any centre-backs, that's not of a problem.
00:24:01
Zak
Sort of right-back, left-back is a bit of a problem, but that's literally just down to, you know, depth. But the depth is good. Like, I don't really mind if it's well with Wellington or if it's Manning.
00:24:12
Zak
You know, at the right, okay, it kind of feels like it has to be James Bree, but there might be games where Jalert could play.
00:24:13
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:24:20
Zak
You know, Fellows, Matski now taking up that role, which is better than what we'd expected him to be initially. And then now you've got a Dozie on the left who stayed and we kind expected him to go The centre of the park, we have 100 million midfielders at this point.
00:24:26
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:24:33
DailySaintsPod
Well, that's the other thing, right? Speaking of that, is that we didn't see a dozy on the left today. All Matske or fellows on the right.
00:24:40
Zak
Yeah, I don't know if this this must have been, because they swapped Leo and Fellows, right? And I'm guessing,
00:24:46
DailySaintsPod
At halftime.
Impact of Player Rotation
00:24:47
Zak
so I'm guessing at some point, i don't know if it was to do with the the physical battles that were happening, but i expected when both of them went off to those players to go into those positions, but they they just kept the positions of the players they were swapped off for, which was slightly weird, but both of them did like, all right, like again, like we won.
00:25:01
DailySaintsPod
all
00:25:02
Zak
LAUGHTER
00:25:02
DailySaintsPod
i've done I've done some thinking about it like since we watched the game this afternoon, and the only thing I can think of is that I know that in the first half, you we were talking about like the the franticness of the game, and we we had a few misplaced or not very good crosses, right?
00:25:22
DailySaintsPod
a Briad won that went out all the way across.
00:25:22
Zak
Yeah, what was well, our past accuracy for Dave was like 74%, think. It's not, yeah,
00:25:26
DailySaintsPod
And so I wonder if the reason they swapped the the fellows and leo around was less to do with the personnel they were coming up against although let's face it if you've been facing either of leo sienta and tom fellows for the first half coming back onto the pitch and facing the other of those isn't gonna like fill you with confidence or joy is it
00:25:47
Zak
it's not going to...
00:25:49
DailySaintsPod
but more to do with like inverting the foot and like, okay, crosses clearly aren't working. We're not doing a good job with this. Instead, you've now got the freedom to cut inside and shoot with your stronger foot that way.
00:26:01
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:26:02
DailySaintsPod
So I wonder if that was was the play. But yeah, you're right. we so we so Because we saw the same when they came off and we saw a dozy go out on the right and Matski out on the left. Yeah. like it wasn't bad.
00:26:15
DailySaintsPod
It it worked. It it you know got us in the position to win the penalty and Dozie got himself in a position where you know he nearly scored a goal and which was mad because I was absolutely screaming at the TV for him to go to the corner flag.
00:26:34
DailySaintsPod
But no one would have been upset if he scored a goal. right so it's But yeah, so I think that
00:26:37
Zak
No.
00:26:40
DailySaintsPod
you're right. The depth that we've built in these areas, you know, we're, we're confident that no.
00:26:46
Zak
I wouldn't have felt this way the start of the season, to be clear with the players we've got, but it feels like the players that are here have grown into the team.
00:26:53
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:26:53
Zak
And it seems like, you know, you were talking about, oh, it just never, just needs to click on the still, and it never really clicked. And then it kind of started to click on the record, and then we had a little bit downward influence. that form and then we've they've managed to, i think that's the biggest difference that we've had with Eckert from other managers is that when we've had like a downturn in form, it hasn't just continued to like go down.
00:27:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:27:16
Zak
right when like I would say Russell Martin, Juric, still, whenever like it started to go bad, it went bad.
00:27:18
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:27:24
Zak
And obviously since that's come back up, obviously all the players know, I guess, what's expected of them.
00:27:24
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:27:29
Zak
And it's just, it's nice that like, I guess the people that here are kind of playing to be here. Obviously we've talked, that well, you talked a bit about everything that's going on with Yander. And I don't think he had the greatest game today.
00:27:39
Zak
And I don't think that that's, you know, I think there's probably quite a lot going on in his head.
00:27:42
DailySaintsPod
Well, do you know, i yeah i agree.
00:27:44
Zak
He's not the worst game. I just think there's just a lot going on for the lads.
00:27:46
DailySaintsPod
He didn't have the best game I've ever seen. He definitely put a few passes in the wrong place. There's one that jumps to mind where he tried to That's thing, right?
00:27:52
Zak
Is that just because we hold him to such a high standard?
00:27:56
DailySaintsPod
There's one where he tried to ping it to Manning and it just fell short and nearly put them through on like a counter-attack when they had three players through. But what I did notice about that moment...
00:28:07
DailySaintsPod
particularly as well, is that he was the player that got back and made the block for the shot. So, you know, he defensively today, i think was, was pretty solid. But, but with the ball at his feet, it was, he was one of the players struggling more.
00:28:26
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, we saw him come off for Cam Bragg and I think Bragg was, was good when he came on and, yeah, But, you know, like you say, it's even those lesser performances just because of the kind of high standards that we're expecting now because of, you know, the squad depth and that that we have there.
00:28:45
DailySaintsPod
And albeit on a knife edge, right? Because, like, we've got that depth and we've got a couple of players that can play in all of those positions. But if one of Stuart or Laren go out, we're a bit concerned, right?
00:28:57
DailySaintsPod
And if Bree goes out, we're quite concerned.
00:28:58
Zak
and fear
00:29:01
DailySaintsPod
So...
00:29:01
Zak
Manning goes out, we have no left back. you you are To be clear, you are right. the
00:29:05
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:29:06
Zak
As I said, it's it's more that at least the depth we currently have is gelling well enough, right?
00:29:13
DailySaintsPod
Yes.
00:29:13
Zak
You would really only say...
00:29:13
DailySaintsPod
Right. There's no concern about the players that we have. The concern will be is if we start to not have them, which is a much nicer position to be in at least because, you know, it inspires confidence in, in basically whatever team she is announced.
00:29:28
DailySaintsPod
You can look at it and go, yeah, fair enough. I can agree with that.
00:29:30
Zak
But also most of the players, bar maybe Archer, Quasi and Gillette, have had enough minutes to dip in and out without it
00:29:31
DailySaintsPod
Even if it's different.
FA Cup Draw Anticipation
00:29:38
Zak
being as much of a problem.
00:29:39
DailySaintsPod
hmm yeah. yeah.
00:29:41
Zak
And, you know, okay, those guys probably have to do some more to dislodge other players. And, you know, and in the case of Archers having to try and, I guess, learn a new position realistically to be involved. And that that'll be what it will be.
00:29:55
Zak
But at least, like, there's effort going on behind the scenes to kind of do that. <unk> It's just unfortunately James Pree is much better than him right now. And we don't play the the back five anymore.
00:30:06
Zak
So...
00:30:06
DailySaintsPod
but But also, he's he's a player that can play both sides. And so you say if Manning goes out, we don't have a left-back. But actually, I feel like he'd quite comfortably step into that position and be fine.
00:30:17
DailySaintsPod
So... Yeah, it's it is good. And like say, it's positive and it's this confidence building. It's momentum. And long may it continue. And yeah, Tonta's just, you know, making us team hard to beat.
00:30:26
Zak
Yeah. for sure
00:30:32
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, not all of the wins are solid, convincing 5-0 performances like we had the joy of experiencing the other night. But... A win's a win. A great win.
00:30:42
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, I say, one win away from a semi-final at Wembley, 50 years since we won the competition, you know, now it starts to feel like, you know, crazier things have happened, mate.
00:30:57
Zak
don't say Don't say things are fated or anything like that, mate. Come on.
00:31:01
DailySaintsPod
No, but crazy and think crazier things have happened than us winning three games, yeah?
00:31:06
Zak
Yeah, no, I get you.
00:31:06
DailySaintsPod
Like, quarterfinal, semi-final, finals, all we've got to do
00:31:07
Zak
I get you.
00:31:09
DailySaintsPod
And...
00:31:10
Zak
Depends who we play, mate. That's the difference.
00:31:11
DailySaintsPod
Well, that's the thing, right?
00:31:11
Zak
got to remember that.
00:31:12
DailySaintsPod
So the draw tomorrow night, eight names in the hat, seven of them now known at time of recording. And obviously before the draw is made, we won't know West Ham or Brentford in that list.
00:31:25
DailySaintsPod
But I don't know, who who on the list are you fancying, do you think? There's a some...
00:31:32
Zak
Port Vale.
00:31:32
DailySaintsPod
Port Vale is the name that jumps out, right? Yeah.
00:31:36
Zak
Port Vale. I don't really mind. like we've We've proven we're able to beat Fulham today.
00:31:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:41
Zak
do we want a bigger fight during a really important part of the season or we want have to beat Port Vale, who are just happy to be here at that point?
00:31:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:52
Zak
I know where my headspace lands.
00:31:52
DailySaintsPod
Well, that's the thing, right? yeah that is The kind of nice thing about the the sort of draw and the way it's situated is that if, realistically speaking, from a fan's point of view, I don't know how the club are going to interpret it whatsoever, but from a fan's point of view, it's kind of a 50-50 split, right? Because you'd think that Port Vale leads...
00:32:17
DailySaintsPod
and either West Ham or Brimford, are potentially beatable. And you would probably put out a side that would give that go.
00:32:23
Zak
I know if I'll put Brentford in there, but carry
00:32:26
DailySaintsPod
And if you draw one of City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, you just play the kids and be done with it. Right? Like, league's more important now.
00:32:35
Zak
on. We could end up playing Liverpool.
00:32:36
DailySaintsPod
And you know what?
00:32:38
Zak
okay got a little I want to play Liverpool and Georgia.
00:32:38
DailySaintsPod
Sometimes... But you know what, mate? Like, sometimes... Sometimes, like, magic happens in a game like that, which is daft.
00:32:47
DailySaintsPod
like let's Let's not forget that Nathan Jones led Moussa Gineppo to score a goal and beat Man City and be the only thing that stopped them doing the quadruple that season, so...
00:32:59
Zak
Do you know what would be really nice for us, to for Eckert to beat Man City again so he can't hold that weird clawed it over us that he did? the other And, you know, Charter fans can say he's in your head as much as you like. And I'm like, yeah, probably. Accurate.
00:33:13
Zak
I really dislike the bloke.
00:33:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:33:17
DailySaintsPod
But look, yeah. other I don't know. You're right. I think I'm happy with with any cup draw. Ideally, at home would be nice.
00:33:17
Zak
it's
00:33:26
Zak
Nah, mate, it's going to be Liverpool-Anfield, you know. It's just how our cup runs go now.
Winning the FA Cup and Fan Support
00:33:32
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. It's good, though, mate. It's great. my My kids have been full of questions all day.
00:33:36
Zak
They're going to scout our players again.
00:33:38
DailySaintsPod
my kids have been full of questions all day since the win. Like, come when was the last time we got this far in in the Cup? And was the last time we got further than this in the Cup? And I got to, you know, regale my tales of of that one time we got to Cardiff for an FA Cup final in in the early 2000s and lost to Arsenal.
00:33:59
DailySaintsPod
Like... Only to be met with the response of, no, I meant since I was alive.
00:34:02
Zak
oh
00:34:06
DailySaintsPod
And, hey, I was as old as I needed to feel.
00:34:06
Zak
what a day it's like i don't know how far we got not very far oh dear mate yes must win in it
00:34:16
DailySaintsPod
But look, it's <unk>s great vibes heading into the this run of games, right? It does mean potentially moving two games because the fixtures fall in Easter weekend. So depending on where in the Easter weekend it does they decide to put us, depend on if both the Ipswich and the Wrexham game get moved or just one of them.
00:34:40
DailySaintsPod
It's, I don't know, lots to take into account, but winning's great. Let's do it more. Let's carry on winning all the way for the rest of the season. It's what we want, right?
00:34:52
DailySaintsPod
Look, mate, that's it. That's just about all we've got time for. So any any more thoughts before we wrap up?
00:34:59
Zak
No, obviously I'll be running a solo episode. We've got a preview together and then the match review for West Brom will be me solo because you're actually going.
00:35:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:35:08
Zak
taken Taking your kids.
00:35:08
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. And we, I mean, we've got a whole episode between then as well, right? Because it's a Wednesday game.
00:35:12
Zak
Yeah, no, I don't.
00:35:13
DailySaintsPod
So it's exciting. It's going to be a fun, busy week building up and the games continuing to come also make this week our 400th episode is going to hit, which is, yeah, that's pretty insane.
00:35:25
Zak
Really?
00:35:27
Zak
but
00:35:30
DailySaintsPod
and Crazy times.
00:35:31
Zak
Shout out to shout to both of our wives for letting us do a daily podcast.
00:35:32
DailySaintsPod
I'm sure that,
00:35:35
Zak
but
00:35:37
DailySaintsPod
Absolutely.
00:35:38
Zak
I do mine in my lounge.
00:35:40
Zak
The studio slash living room area that my poor wife gets booted out of at least once a day. a
00:35:48
DailySaintsPod
That's it. Any sponsors who want to make us a big enough offer to get a nice actual studio, hit us up.
00:35:57
Zak
its
00:35:57
DailySaintsPod
So, listen, mate, that's all we've got time for today. So, look, let us know in the comments, on the socials, but how much are looking forward to winning the FA Cup this year?
00:36:08
DailySaintsPod
Let us know. That's what we want to know.
00:36:10
Zak
Told you. I'm just watching your brain be like, nah, nah, don't want to delude myself too much.
00:36:11
DailySaintsPod
but
00:36:15
Zak
then like by the end of the episode, yeah, we're winning it, mate. Hands down.
00:36:18
DailySaintsPod
Hey, three wins. It's it's just in it's there, isn't it? It's definitely doable. Look, it's it's not impossible anymore.
00:36:23
Zak
there
00:36:25
DailySaintsPod
Suddenly I've gone from not caring about the FA Cup to it being done and dusted.
00:36:25
Zak
What is it
Listener Interaction and Wrap-up
00:36:30
Zak
about the cup anymore?
00:36:31
DailySaintsPod
It's... Yeah.
00:36:32
Zak
Again, we've said it's not that we don't care about the cup. It's just that they the vibes around it are terrible, right? I can't remember which terrible betting site, unless you want to sponsor us, put out a tweet earlier that was talking about how, like i think it was Paddy Powell was banging about, like, oh, worst day of FA Cup in with us playing...
00:36:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:36:52
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Well, look, there's a whole episode to talk about the awfulness of some of the VAR decisions and the the lack of free TV and the no 3pm on Saturday kickoffs for this round of the FA Cup, for sure, but...
00:37:07
Zak
Yeah, for sure.
00:37:07
DailySaintsPod
But look, that's not going to take away any of the joy of lifting a trophy at Wembley for whoever does it, right? So whether that's us or or any of the other teams, that's that's what it's all about.
00:37:14
Zak
Nice.
00:37:18
DailySaintsPod
So three games to do it. But look... Let us know on socials, in the comments. Daily Saints pod, that's what we are. Absolutely everywhere. X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, YouTube. us up. Let us know and while you're there.
00:37:34
DailySaintsPod
Why not give us a follow, a like, a subscribe? All of those things. It goes so far to helping us out and we love reading through them. It keeps us going. It's great.
00:37:44
DailySaintsPod
It brings us deep joy.
00:37:44
Zak
We do. Thanks very much, everyone.
00:37:47
DailySaintsPod
Azakalousu, we will be back tomorrow as we continue through this busy week of footballing fun, as as all of the weeks of the rest of this season are going to be. But until then, enjoy that win, everyone. Have a great day and we'll see you then.