Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Episode 152: Wildcard Wednesday: UNPOPULAR Opinions
68 Plays18 days ago
Southampton – Another home defeat! Are there positives to take out of this performance? Will we ever win at home again? We discuss that and much more.
Follow us on social media:
Linktree - https://linktr.ee/gspndailysouthampton
X - https://x.com/GSPNSouthampton/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@gspnsouthampton
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@gspnsouthampton
Instagram – https://www.instagtam.com/gspnsouthampton
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/gspnsouthampton.bsky.social
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572875812052
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Wildcard Wednesday
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and once again joined by the full Southampton team, my good friends, Oscar, how you doing?
00:00:21
Oscar
Yeah, well, good. Thanks.
00:00:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Zach, how you doing? You alright,
00:00:24
Zak
yeah, we're going to
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is Wildcard Wednesday and I'm sure we've got a topic that's going to start plenty of discussion today as we are going to go through some of our unpopular opinions.
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
None of us are young enough, I don't think, to get away with claiming that we listen to Radio 1 regularly enough to rip off the segment from there. So think we're probably all right.
00:00:46
Zak
Well, don't know. My wife does. and That's what's usually played in the kick car. But obviously, I haven't really been in the car to drive to an office to listen to an unpopular opinion or home.
00:00:52
Oscar
Thank you.
00:00:55
Zak
I don't even know where Greg James does it now. Is it morning, evening? that's That's how out of touch I am nowadays.
00:01:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you're just proving my point. is all're going
00:01:04
Zak
yes Yeah, I guess you're right.
00:01:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okey-doke. So I guess let's just get straight into it. Zach, I'm going to throw you under the bus first.
00:01:15
Zak
Classic.
00:01:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's your first unpopular opinion?
Is the Messi-Ronaldo Rivalry Overrated?
00:01:19
Zak
The Ronaldo-Messi beef is underrated, and I couldn't care less about what they're doing nowadays. They were really, really good footballers in their prime. They're out of their prime. i still don't understand why we talk about them like they're gods amongst men.
00:01:32
Zak
Both of them are in has-been leagues that no one cares about. it's just a weird It's just a weird thing that it seems to have stood to this to hit the test of time. And I think that it really is
00:01:43
Oscar
Thank you.
00:01:44
Zak
it really stops allowing players to come through and flourish, right? Like, you've had people like Neymar who were considered, like, the young Messi or young Ronaldo, and that was, like, a future generation of this incredible world football. And then, like, we're still banging on about Ronaldo, who's now, like, 40.
00:02:01
Zak
Isn't he just turned 40 recently? Like...
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Same age as Wayne Rooney.
00:02:04
Zak
I get it. they They were incredible footballs, right? like But I would really like it to just move on from the narrative, or otherwise are we going to be talking about who's the best in the world of 50 when they're both playing in like the J League or whatever?
00:02:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It bodes so well that that's one of your opinions, Zach, because without meaning to skip ahead too much, one of my unpopular opinions that I have prepared today is that neither Ronaldo or Messi are the greatest player of all time.
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
LAUGHTER
00:02:30
Zak
See, I think they're good players. I understand it. what What I'm sick of is still hearing about the debate. i'm sick that the The debate is no longer relevant to current football. but You have players that are emerging into that kind of space.
00:02:42
Oscar
Okay.
00:02:42
Zak
like We're starting to see the building of the new Galacticos. like you know You've got sort of Barcelona coming back. world football as a whole is coming back and yet we're talking about some guy who's passed it occasionally scoring in the Saudi league and into Miami, a made up football team with a made up Italian name by player who, you know, it was great in his day as well.
00:03:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:03:07
Zak
But like, Let's not try and pretend there's like football heritage. don't if you guys ever remember, there was like that that was that post that somebody started supporting into Miami because Messi had moved there. It was like, yeah come on, lads. Everyone let me know who are our rivals. who it is like This team is about two years old, if that.
00:03:23
Zak
but it It is a made-up piece of commercialism built entirely around the reputation of one player. And you could say the same about the Saudi League with Ronaldo.
00:03:34
Zak
And the the whole thing with Ronaldo going to the Saudi League is he has actually taken away really, really good, talented players from the the leagues that, I will just say, it outwardly are important.
00:03:42
Oscar
Thank you.
00:03:45
Zak
The Saudi League isn't. It's just a place where... It's like when when the Chinese League started doing all the stuff where they were like, let's pay half a billion pounds to bring players over. Now, one of my wildcard, my wildcard, one of our Room 101s was I just wanted to put the Saudi League in the bin.
00:04:00
Zak
But realistically, it all links into the fact that it's all to do with this irrelevant beef that's still going on. They're both great players. They've both done a lot. They've both broken a lot of records. They're both past it.
00:04:11
Zak
Can we move on now and start talking about players that actually have like a a foot in a game still?
00:04:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:17
Zak
You know, like, yeah, okay, they can still pull off these moments and every so often. Fantastic. You know, I've
00:04:24
Zak
It bothers me. It bothers me. One of the even silly things, was in Primark yesterday and they have Inter Miami merch now in Primark. Because obviously just because of the influence of Messi. And like, I get it.
00:04:34
Zak
But like, can we just we just move past it? There are new players. There are people who, you know, people who cannot break through into that stratosphere that are completely occupied by two guys now who, you know, they've they've done everything they wanted to do.
00:04:51
Zak
And that's that's it. Right.
00:04:53
Oscar
I actually think as well it's difficult because I don't think they're and think it's quite difficult to compare them anyway because I think they're both completely different players and what they know.
00:04:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
all right
00:04:53
Zak
Not popular opinion.
00:05:01
Zak
They're not the same player.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:02
Zak
It's so weird.
00:05:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
They are both outstanding and arguably the best in that period of time at what they brought to the table. It's just that what they brought to the table was completely different.
00:05:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah But continuing to dominate our thoughts as making it into both of our lists, Zach, is fantastic.
00:05:19
Zak
just...
00:05:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm enjoying it. Okay, Oscar, you're up next.
Could the Super League Have Been Beneficial?
00:05:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
What is your unpopular opinion?
00:05:30
Oscar
My unpopular opinion, my first unpopular opinion, is that the Super League would have actually been a good thing.
00:05:39
Oscar
I personally think, let's just, to be honest, the Premier League is becoming it anyway. i think without rent I think they should be able to be promotion and relegation, and maybe it's the top two teams in each league or go up each year.
00:05:53
Oscar
But... I think that it just means that the rest of it, the Premier League is now just impossible. And maybe it's a bias as Sarampton fan this year, but there is no way of going up into the Premier League and actually surviving. And we're just going to see every season, we see year in, year out, the same three teams go down.
00:06:11
Oscar
Let's just let Liverpool, Chelsea, they're all multinational teams. you know, conglomerates anyway. Let them go. if they want to go they're basically trying to anyway with a new Champions League format.
00:06:22
Oscar
And then let's battle it out and have a Premier League. What would a Premier League season look like without them? I'd be really fascinated to see it.
00:06:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's like the bottom half of the Premier League and the top half of the championship sort of.
00:06:31
Zak
so
00:06:34
Oscar
that sounds lovely to me. Maybe that's just as a Slanson fan.
00:06:36
Zak
What about Spurs and Man United, who were two founding members of that Super League, who have had probably their worst season? So in your format, because obviously the way they wanted it to be was like almost like Eurovision, right? Whereas if you paid to get into the club, you get to stay in the club.
00:06:52
Zak
Because like I would be fine if they got relegated from that Super League, but if they got to stay in it, that is insane.
00:06:52
Oscar
yeah
00:06:57
Oscar
No, that's what I would caveat it as.
00:06:57
Zak
Because...
00:06:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Spurs are spotted and brought out by Newcastle, right?
00:07:00
Zak
Right.
00:07:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's bound to happen.
00:07:02
Oscar
Yeah, but that's what I'd say is that maybe it starts off with the coefficient and then the bottom two English teams get relegated back down to English football and the top two teams in the Premier League or however you want to do it go up.
00:07:16
Oscar
Maybe that could work.
00:07:17
Zak
You're just going to having like Man United Stadium in like France or something like that just outside Paris.
00:07:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting.
00:07:22
Zak
It's going to get to that point like where where if if we're going international.
00:07:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Baffling.
00:07:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to up a franchise and move it.
00:07:27
Oscar
But the they they basically are international anyway, a lot of these clubs, like, except in everything but geography, all of these clubs are so out of touch with everything now.
00:07:30
Zak
Yeah.
00:07:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:37
Zak
So what you're saying is the Super would work because the Premier League is also overrated. Yeah.
00:07:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Which is interesting because actually that's one of the unpopular opinions I've got written down as well is that the Premier League is overrated and this is the worst season in years.
00:07:42
Oscar
Pretty much.
00:07:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
So feel like our thoughts are somewhat aligning here. It's an interesting thought. Super League. Not one I'd given much thought, to be honest, but maybe.
00:08:02
Zak
I think that some of the some of the reasons that I kind of agree with you are the fact that when, if you remember when it completely dominated the headlines for like a week, right? If I remember rightly, wasn't this around 2020? Wasn't this was it this before the giant plague hit us so everyone got really distracted?
00:08:18
Zak
And then like no one remembered it happened because all of a sudden you could only watch football with like, you can turn crowd noise on or off because the stadium is empty and will not have a crowd in it for another two years.
00:08:18
Oscar
And
00:08:29
Zak
So everyone just kind of forgot about it. But I think that you're right. Obviously, it gave UEFA a bit of the kick to try and change the Champions League. All they've done is change the Champions League into what Super league would have been anyway.
00:08:41
Zak
But I also don't mind the new Champions League format as much because you got to see at one point Villa be arguably the best team in the entirety of Europe for a solid period of time. a So, don't know.
00:08:54
Zak
it's It's a weird one, but I do definitely feel like there does almost need to be a league nowadays between the Championship and the Premier League. to be able to... you know and i Or alternatively, you actually have clubs...
00:09:07
Zak
like You actually have the league in enforce financial restrictions and stuff on on bigger clubs, right?
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:09:13
Zak
so So like Man City don't just get to lose Rodri and then spend 200 million. Chelsea car can't just pay £1 trillion pounds of money miscellaneous found under a like under under the back of the sofa or whatever and that not be a problem for everybody else.
00:09:28
Oscar
by by selling a hotel to themself.
00:09:31
Zak
Yeah, you know stupid stupid, weird things that are apparently are just acceptable.
00:09:35
Zak
so So, yeah, i guess I guess maybe you're right. Maybe we scrap it all, just shove them all into one big league and let fight out on their own.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Look, right. Look, I've enjoyed it so far, although I've agreed with both the opinions, so maybe they're not unpopular enough.
00:09:49
Zak
No, I think we're just were just outliers, mate.
00:09:52
Oscar
It's getting started.
00:09:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's fine.
00:09:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got one that will really ruffle some feathers, but first a message from our partners at a bionique.
00:09:56
Zak
I've got one that'll upset you too.
00:10:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we're back. Okay, I'm just going to let this one out into the universe and see how it goes.
Is Wembley Stadium Overrated?
00:10:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
My first unpopular opinion is that Wembley is massively overrated.
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
And look, I know that we have as a club have a recency bias that we had a fantastic day out at Wembley recently, but... I only think it was fantastic because we won.
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it would have been just as good of a day out if it had been any neutral venue.
00:11:11
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:11:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that it's just a little bit soulless the way it's all seated and the the way it works out.
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
So some of the places don't even get a particularly good view of the pitch. And it's, so expensive. like The cost of food and drink is just ridiculous.
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just think it's a bit much. don't Thoughts?
00:11:40
Oscar
Yeah, I don't disagree. i mean, I can't pretend to have been up there that much, being a Sarvanson fan in general. But, yeah, I mean, i'd like to see it maybe hosted different venues. I don't know where where you could go. i guess convenience-wise, it's good to have it there. and Yeah, i don't know I don't know where else you'd go with it, to be fair.
00:12:02
Oscar
But, yeah, done I don't really.
00:12:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:05
Zak
I prefer it as a music venue. I see it more as a music venue. I've been there more for music than I ever have for football, if I'm totally honest. That's probably because I don't really follow England as much as, know, probably should.
00:12:17
Zak
But I think the problem that you've got is that you saw that Wembley sold out for our final, you need to find a stadium of equal size to be able to host those types of finals.
00:12:28
Zak
And I'm fine with that, if they can find that. But I agree with you, it's extremely overrated. It's extremely expensive. They've kind of designed it to leave, but I can tell you now that...
00:12:40
Zak
leaving after the cup final and how much of a pain it was to get home via the tube and the train and this and the other, it meant that when I went to go see the Euras tour with my wife, I literally paid to book a hotel, which was astronomically expensive.
00:12:57
Zak
But I was like, ain't with that again.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:59
Zak
And because it was just an awful experience to try and leave, despite the fact they've tried to like design the stadium around that experience. And yeah,
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was just as bad driving. It was horrible.
00:13:10
Zak
Yeah, and you're right. It would have been significantly more miserable had we lost, right?
00:13:13
Oscar
Thank
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:14
Zak
Because then that journey home would not have been as fun because everybody's patience would have been a lot thinner because they weren't really, really happy and half-cut and drunk that we'd won a game. so And when it comes to like
00:13:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which is great, right, for the playoff final. But also think about if you follow England and go to Wembley and have the same amount of people leave in the stadium after we...
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
What was the horrifying result? Was it Drew 0-0 with, like, Luxembourg or something recently in a friendly?
00:13:46
Zak
Did Iceland beat us or somebody?
00:13:47
Oscar
Greece, wasn't it?
00:13:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was Greece, that's it.
00:13:49
Zak
Green Southland, yeah.
00:13:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... just miserable like you've paid all that money to go and watch England you've paid like 43 pound a pint because it's London it's just just ludicrous
00:13:59
Oscar
bit To be honest, the the experiences I've had at Wembley, I didn't go to the playoffs final. I had a ticket and had already booked to go to Mallorca. So I was in the Mallorca Look, I gave my ticket someone else, but I was pretty devastated not to have gone to that.
00:14:16
Oscar
But anyway, the games I've been to, I went to the Man United Cup final.
00:14:20
Zak
Amen.
00:14:22
Oscar
I went to the Chelsea semi-final and the Liverpool Chelsea Cabo Cup. I think those only three times I've been there. After the Man United game in particular, that's it's the same as what you're saying. You're walking back down Wembley Way in a long, slow funeral trudge.
00:14:40
Oscar
Everyone upset. And then what really irritated me is that we left before Man United lifted the trophy. and Half the Man United fans came out at the same time with us and just spent the whole time giving us grief about the fact we lost.
00:14:52
Oscar
It's like, go on, fellas, surely go and watch your team lift a trophy. I get it must be boring for you that you far thoroughly didn't deserve.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:00
Oscar
but But yeah, I agree. It would be nice. Maybe it would be different if it's a positive outcome.
00:15:06
Zak
Or if just the beer was cheaper.
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:09
Zak
If I could eat more and drink more without having to fork out my life savings, I probably would a nicer time.
00:15:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I mean, I should caveat that the week before our our trip to Wembley, managed through work to nab some tickets to the League 2 playoff final and sit in the Royal Box with full hospitality. And I have to say that that definitely sweetened the deal.
00:15:30
Zak
Bit of a different experience that though, isn't it, mate?
00:15:32
Oscar
za was Was there anyone else in there?
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:15:34
Oscar
What royalty was watching the League 2 alongside you?
00:15:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not a lot. It was mostly just the crawly owners behind us who didn't read the room and were very much but of the same personality that I was the week after sat in the Saints end.
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it was, it was enjoyable.
00:15:51
Oscar
Fair play.
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Any volunteers? Who wants to go next?
00:15:57
Zak
Yeah, I'll go because this is one that Greg is not going to care about. I don't know what Oscar's opinion on it is. And it's going to be something that's potentially fashion related.
Fashion in Football Culture: Time for Change?
00:16:04
Zak
so it might not be. People may may kick off at me.
00:16:07
Zak
I don't care about Stone Island and I find it overrated. I think that you should wear whatever the hell you want to football. You're going to watch a football game. I understand that there is a culture built around the casuals and all that kind of stuff.
00:16:20
Zak
But it is very much... They take advantage of that by essentially charging, don't know, 100 quid more than they should to slap a badge on an arm. And people buy into it that it's important.
00:16:32
Zak
I see people getting mocked online for wearing shirts, which is baffling to me because you're just wearing a different type of uniform. And yeah, it's just a it's just part of it. Like I get it's part of football heritage and part of football culture.
00:16:44
Zak
I find it overrated because I find the people who... really act like it's a thing that matters, become insufferable. And it's just such a weird part of the game where I'm like, guys, realistically, we're watching a bunch of men kick a ball around.
00:16:56
Zak
Like, try let's not try and act like it's the cornerstone of the entirety of civilization. Yeah, it's it's one of those things. like I think that there are lots of other brands that do stuff better. I think Art of Football do some really cool stuff. Their Saints collection recently.
00:17:10
Zak
I think you had a few pieces on, Oscar. They're really, really nice stuff. just I've never quite understood. And I think that the entirety of the culture is just built around hashtag get the badge in.
00:17:22
Zak
And it's like, okay, cool. But like maybe so't don't be mean about it. That's what really, really grinds my gears is that people try and act... very sort of have a go at other people. I've seen people mug people off for wearing like their top over their hoodie. Just let people wear what they want to game day, man.
00:17:39
Zak
Like, don't be weird about it. I won't mock you in future for wearing a badge that you've paid 150 quid for. How about that? We've come to a mutual agreement where you don't comment on what I'm wearing to a game day and I won't comment what you're wearing to a game day.
00:17:51
Zak
Your mates can all have a nice time and vice versa.
00:17:51
Oscar
the and like I think that's it. Everyone's there to so to sort of support the same team. and you know I find some of the not to then jump straight in and bash but other people's fashion, but I find some of it baffling now as well. Like maybe it's just me getting old, but like the hoodies with, with goggles in the top, I don't really understand. That seems to be a fairly staple thing. People wear to football.
00:18:12
Oscar
Usually the gazelles and the, the stonies and the jeans are the, are the new, the new one, but yeah, like I said, yeah, wear, wear what you want to wear. I think if you can get a bit of color, get your colors in, I think it's good, but you know, it's nice to see the stadium red and white.
00:18:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. but Yeah, I could kind of land in the middle on this too because on the one hand, I do enjoy taking the mick out my sister-in-law if she decides not to wear a Saint's shirt.
00:18:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But on the other hand, I've just Googled how much anything at Stone Island costs
00:18:38
Oscar
Thank you.
00:18:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And now I'm out.
00:18:45
Zak
I think i think it's it's the fact that, again, it's it's it's the...
00:18:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Take from that what you will, by the way, that I've had to Google it at this point. Really.
00:18:53
Zak
I think it's it's the weird superiority complex that people get. And I'm like, well, to be honest, you've not spent any more than you'd have to end up spending like 80 quid on a replica shirt nowadays. And some people don't have the money to buy that and might wear their Saint shirts from times gone by. Some people like collecting them. I just think it's, I have a very live and let live live policy when it comes to that stuff.
00:19:14
Zak
But you can see sometimes how like angry those people get. And then they like, they act like it's, it's such a key part of like the match day. And i understand that fashion for some people is important, right?
00:19:24
Zak
like I think me and you had a longer discussion about this before, Greg. And for some people it isn't. But i I don't like the superiority complex that comes with being a quote-unquote football casual.
00:19:36
Zak
Like ultimately, if this isn't the 80s, you're not going to go and fight another firm. You're watching football. You're here to watch football. There are going to be families around you. There are going to be older people. There are going to be people that just come and do this on the weekend.
00:19:48
Zak
Just don't be mean about it. There's other words I want to put in there. dont Don't be a, you know, just don't be it about it. That's kind of where I'm at. But the unpopular opinion is the fact that I also don't think it's that good.
00:20:01
Zak
He says sat here in a black and neon pink top. So maybe I'm not the person that should be coming in on fashion.
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah like
00:20:10
Zak
Oh.
00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
I definitely ain't. So let's swiftly move on.
00:20:12
Zak
Yeah.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Before we head into our our last thoughts, then time for a message from our partners at Zencaster. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform.
00:20:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zencaster came out the clear winner with 4K video recording from your phone, And AI editing that automat automatically removes all those ums and ahs is super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, yeah a couple more to close us out then. Oscar, have you got you got any left on your list?
00:20:50
Oscar
Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'm just trying to choose between two. i'll I'll go with this because I think we spoke we spoke in Room 101 about international football, didn't we, and basically binning it off except for World Cups.
00:21:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:03
Oscar
That would have been one of them because I completely agree with that. But I couldn't remember if we had spoken about it. Okay, this one could get a little bit of get a little bit heat for this one.
Is VAR a Positive Addition to Football?
00:21:14
Oscar
I've probably been spoken about quite a lot.
00:21:15
Oscar
I am completely for VAR. even despite all of the stuff we've had and I actually think that the jeopardy of having a celebrating a goal and then having it checked and then celebrating it again is just as good as not being sure as to whether it's going to be allowed or not if that makes sense so what I'm saying with it is as well
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:21:41
Oscar
to To clarify, I'm not saying VAR in the Premier League is good because they are utterly useless at doing it. But I think it's a good thing and it adds something a little bit different, which is probably why people don't like it. But I quite like double celebrating a goal. Not that it happens to Savannah very often.
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
just the opportunity to single celebrate a goal would be nice uh
00:22:02
Oscar
Yeah, well, that is true as well.
00:22:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's fair uh Yeah, i can I can see that point. I mean, I don't think... I think we spoke about it before on the podcast a lot, but don't think the problem with VAR is VAR.
00:22:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that the refs in this country are completely incompetent. but That is maybe not what I'd call an unpopular opinion, for sure.
00:22:23
Oscar
Yeah.
00:22:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, you're right. i don't hey I don't hate the concept of VAR, and I wish it was used better.
00:22:30
Zak
I can understand the concept. I hate waiting three minutes to then celebrate again. And I think it takes the sting out of the celebration. It's nice to celebrate something twice, but it has ruined the magical moment when a goal goes in and then that that changes the game. You've got sit...
00:22:51
Zak
I'll wait. I'll wait. If they can speed it up so I can still be off of the buzz of the fact that I've just celebrated, sure. If I have to wait seven and a half minutes and then I get to celebrate again a little bit, it's like, cool, well, we all kind of knew that was the case anyway. Why did they rule it off?
00:23:07
Zak
Because the only time that you're ever going to be double celebrating if they rule it as a goal, in which case you're annoyed because you know that it should have been a goal. So it's...
00:23:17
Oscar
But also, you've conceded a goal, and then also there's not something happens to Southampton that often, you've conceded a goal, you sat there and were like, oh, not again. And then it gets disallowed. And then there's a celebration there. So we've added, we've had a net gain on celebrations.
00:23:33
Oscar
But yes, I agree. If they could maybe make it not take 20 minutes per decision, that would be grand. and
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah that's a lot of biffs
00:23:38
Oscar
And also still not get things wrong having double checked them.
00:23:43
Zak
Yeah, what you're saying it would be good if it worked.
00:23:46
Oscar
Yeah, exactly.
00:23:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I like that yeah you're right there's there is one and you know you having been at St Mary's when a goal passes VAR, it is like a second celebration of the same excitement. it's When you celebrate a goal, you don't stop and think, oh, this might get chalked off with VAR.
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
That comes 20 seconds later when they pop that purple book up on the screen.
00:24:06
Zak
And then we get 11 minutes added on at the end of the game and then lose that and that last 11 minutes by two goals.
00:24:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
LAUGHTER
00:24:12
Oscar
I'm actually genuinely curious with this and I'm not sure if if it's happened this season because this is the first or maybe this is the first season we've had VAR and the goal music, right? Have we had a goal reinstated from VAR and do they play the music again?
00:24:25
Oscar
of interest.
00:24:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think we've scored enough goals for that to have a case study.
00:24:30
Oscar
For that to, yeah.
00:24:32
Zak
we We can't remember because we haven't scored enough goals at home to remember if that
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you. yeah
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:37
Oscar
Yeah, exactly.
00:24:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, genuinely, there was a point at the start of the season where I was running an over-under on if we were going to hear Zomby Nation before Christmas. So...
00:24:45
Oscar
Yeah.
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:24:48
Zak
Oh, it's harrowing time to be a Saints fan, isn't it? Good Lord.
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, okay. I guess I will bring us to a close with... I don't even know if this is an unpopular opinion, to be honest, but it is one that...
The Evolution of Modern Goalkeeping
00:25:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some of the problems we had, especially at the start of the season, that it springs to mind, and it's that I don't care if a goalkeeper is good with his feet.
00:25:12
Zak
who
00:25:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let him be a goalkeeper, right?
00:25:13
Zak
You want him to stop those, right?
00:25:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
if it If his only a kicking ability is that he manages to keep it in the field of play, but it's 84 yards up the pitch, just build the system around that.
00:25:16
Zak
Yeah.
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
like I want him to stop the ball going in the net.
00:25:28
Oscar
this is This is on theme with your rant, I think. And probably you're you're firing at the same person because I think there's a certain individual that's responsible for this, a certain manager of Man City.
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah Pep Guardiola ruining football again for goalkeepers and outfield players alike.
00:25:46
Zak
Isn't this why Deguia got let go from Manchester United? Because they wanted to bring in a ball-playing, good-with-his-feet goalkeeper. So they brought in Inanna and let him go.
00:25:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:55
Zak
and then he was without a but like club for a year.
00:25:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And how that's played out is exactly why it's a problem.
00:25:59
Zak
Yeah, it's it's it's really weird to me to make the almost goalkeeper the focal point of your entire team.
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like,
00:26:02
Oscar
Thank you.
00:26:05
Zak
And we've seen what's happened with doing it this year with Ramsdale. Whilst it's lovely to have had Ramsdale, maybe if they'd spent more time actually checking if our attacking talent could score instead of picking a really good shot stopper.
00:26:18
Zak
we would at least have a few extra goals on top of all the other goals we'd have conceded. Like it's a catch 22, I get, but it is weird that that seems to be the main focus is Rwini can play. Because you talked about before, Pizzuni, right?
00:26:30
Zak
could put Could put a ball on a 10-piece piece, but like, shot stopping last year, great.
00:26:37
Oscar
but
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:38
Oscar
and And with England, Pickford is not England's best shot still. don't get wrong, Pickford's always played well for England. But for me, we've had much better all-round goalkeepers. Nick Pope springs to mind.
00:26:49
Oscar
But Pickford's always been chosen because he's good with his feet. It also then encourages that stale, static, Russell Martin-esque football and Gareth Southgate-esque football a lot at times.
00:27:01
Oscar
Whereas, you know, if if you play back to Nick Pope and he can't play with his feet, then he's just going to shell it off. So, yeah, I mean, what I would say is to slightly play devil's advocate is that I think it has evolved a lot.
00:27:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:15
Oscar
And when you actually think about what a goalkeeper does in a game, how many times do they make a save? Let's not in include Southampton in this because that skews the statistics. But how many times do they actually have to make a save versus how many times they've touched ball with their feet?
00:27:31
Oscar
So it is... infinitely more important now but it's gone too far the other way with and I'd say with Buzunu being a prime example where he wasn't at least in the Premier League a particularly good shot stopper but was brought in because he's good with his feet but we've then just completely ignored the other bit which I know a lot of old school goalkeeper coaches that hate it they hate the new age I think it was when I remember one of them going on a
00:27:35
Zak
Thank
00:27:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:59
Oscar
furious five-minute rant when it was Lloris against pitt Pickford, England versus France, basically how both of them were in that same ilk. So, yeah, I think it's it's it is a fairly popular and popular opinion, but I understand the other side of it as well, to be fair.
00:28:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:17
Zak
we so Are we just old? Are we just ageing as this was happening? It seems that we just hate all of the current football.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:22
Zak
We're like, well, back in our day, and this is like, I'm starting to understand.
00:28:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Damn these kids with their modern ideas.
00:28:27
Zak
like Damn football evolving. Damn, damn the social media rage that meaning that the Messi-Ronaldo beef will go on forever. Damn Damn Wembley with its feet big venue and having to stay up late to get home
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right. So that's it. That's that's just about what we've got time for today anyway. Thank you for listening to our episode, which maybe now I need to call Old Man Shouts at Cloud.
00:28:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
of But I've had a great time.
00:28:55
Zak
We didn't even out on me. i may i
00:29:00
Zak
who
00:29:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zach, Oscar, thank you for joining me. Thanks everyone for listening. Let us know your unpopular opinions. Is there anything that we missed that you you think would rile people up?
00:29:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know in the comments. Let us know on the socials. We're on X, Blue Sky, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook. Give us a shout.
00:29:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know your unpopular opinions. We'll be back tomorrow with a crossover. But until then, we'll see then.