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Episode 71: Tactics Tuesday - What worked against Liverpool?
31 Plays17 days ago
Southampton – Some things worked against Liverpool, right? We discuss this, and where our fitness has disappeared to.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott, and as always, I'm joined by my illustrious co-host, Zach Kingo Finch. How do you do, Zach?
00:00:20
Zak
Hello, mate. My voice has apparently recovered a little bit more than I originally thought it was going, which is good. it's It's the end of Monday, which is good for us.
00:00:31
Zak
It's been a bit of a strange day. it's I'm still still a little bit reeling from yesterday, but it's more it's more frustration than seemingly absolute devastation. So hopefully we could just actually chat about what
Tactics Tuesday: Game Analysis
00:00:44
Zak
happened as opposed to just me being mad.
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Well, it is Tactics Tuesday, which is our opportunity to take a bit of deeper dive into the tactics and what tactics we can adopt going forward into Friday's game against Brighton.
00:01:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess tactics number one is don't pass it to the opposition.
00:01:06
Zak
Yeah...
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
but we'll try and move on from that.
00:01:07
Zak
and Yeah, well, it didn't didn't really work out too well, did it, to be perfectly honest?
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's let's talk a bit about the shape. So it was a slightly baffling lineup, as we talked about. Flynn down seemed to sort of dip even further back than the CDM role that we're used to seeing him in, almost to be like a third center back, but not quite.
00:01:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was a bit of a strange one, to be honest.
00:01:34
Zak
I think that if anything, it shows you how... We've kind of had this thing of, okay, well, it's the shape and it's philosophy and and and the personnel don't really matter.
00:01:45
Zak
I think we've we've spoken about really how we help recent like recently how we thought, well, it doesn't really matter. We can kind of swap the personnel around a bit. ah don't know if that's necessarily the case
Impact of Personnel Changes
00:01:54
Zak
anymore.
00:01:55
Zak
I think that the personnel that we've got that he settled on really do you matter and I think that you know losing Jan has kind of shown that like as as much as losing like Ramsdale and having McCarthy stepped in caused quite a few problems yesterday I think that the the influence of of Jan Bödenrecht was sorely missed however it did mean that Taylor Howard-Bellis didn't have his usual uh pass back buddy
00:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right.
00:02:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right. Because if we had Ben Nurek on the pitch, he would, he is exactly the player that would be covering the goal when Alex McCarthy decided to go for a hot dog. So you're right. He, he has a huge influence in this season. He's been absolutely immense for us. uh, it really, I can't emphasize enough how Solid he has been to be the leader of that back line.
Match Stats and Tactical Impact
00:02:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so it is clearly a big miss But yeah, I mean I guess I guess the main takeaway from looking over the stats I took was that Maybe we were more dominated than we we thought watched on like I know they didn't do a lot with it but actually looking at the stats the one that interests me is that we had a
00:03:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
303 passes yesterday uh with an 83 success rate now that is low for us like against wolves we had twice as many passes and i think every game this season we've had a 90 plus passing success rate so i mean is it just pat stat uh stat padding sorry
00:03:23
Zak
Mm.
00:03:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the other games from unlocking it around at the back or did that really sort of disrupt our flow because we weren't able to to put bring that to the game because their press was so on us.
Individual Errors and Game Outcome
00:03:52
Zak
Probably a bit of a column B, right? Like we, we were far more clinical in trying to take our chances yesterday because we were aware we would have less. And I think that worked out. And because of, I think you alluded to it yesterday, the swapping out of Ramsdale to McCarthy meant that the usual playing it back to allow our goalkeeper to distribute wasn't something that he did. In fact, Flynn took care of a lot of the distribution.
00:04:20
Zak
which was very bizarre to watch him sort of watch him essentially take most of the goal kicks yesterday but but yeah i think the
00:04:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Which is is also a problem, right? Because I would say that normally the outlook that you're looking for to progress the play up the pitch and turn out and do something is Flynn. So, you know, it's taken out another important piece of the puzzle that but you really could have done without losing.
00:04:47
Zak
But like realistically, if if on our day and stupid mistakes aside, we we could have we could have won, which i know is I know it's hard for people to take the emotion out of it
Statistics vs Game Dynamics
00:04:58
Zak
and be objective. like I'm the first one to to get mad. And I am mad, let's face it. like it's It's really hard to try and keep a tone of optimism constantly with with what's going on. But it's one of those things where like the the plan the plan was working. The individual mistakes really, really cost us yesterday.
00:05:17
Zak
And I think regardless of how many passes we put took together, you know, and against those other teams, what we're expected to have possession. I don't think we ever expected to come into this game thinking we'd dominate possession. But of all the things that I'm kind of upset about, one of which is actually, you know, slot saying that they completely dominated the game because I'm like, well, no, I think you dominated the second half, but we gave it a good go. And at one point we were up and I don't think it was down to silly PGMLO mistakes. Yeah, I think start padding obviously, it's always the same.
00:05:50
Zak
It's the same with XG. A lot of it just seems to be nonsense because ultimately if it's if if it's expected goals, there would be goals that are going in. It's just like, I'm very much, I know that you're you as a person are quite stat heavy
Player Combinations and Injuries
00:06:03
Zak
and I'm far more the the vibes.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah i'd struggle to do my real job if i wasn't if we're being honest but
00:06:08
Zak
this is This is very true, but but yeah, I think that There were there were lots of positives to take from yesterday and I think that we were forced to change things a little bit because we were playing Liverpool but it's it's one of those things where I think that when people say oh well we never really change the opposition I think we do it's just that they try and keep the principles and once again it's the these principles of things like bravery that cause problems more than I think the actual us going forward.
00:06:41
Zak
We went forward well yesterday. Part of that being down to Onalachi being six foot five messy.
00:06:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's just an ability to hold well yeah but just the ability to hold up the ball is what we've been missing because it's not it's not something that archer brings to the table and what he brings to the table is fine and good when we play that style to him but if we're looking to hold the ball up that's what we i guess it's what we bought ross doing for and you know maybe we'll see that back hopefully
00:06:50
Zak
a
00:06:58
Zak
Yeah. But we never he never gets the service, so.
00:07:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
injury to Toolpool isn't too bad and we can sort see him back next week.
Zencaster Promotion
00:07:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I still think that a winning combination would be Toolpool and Archer playing off each other. yeah and ah It's a little bit strange that we haven't seen that combination because it feels like it depends.
00:07:27
Zak
I think it's, it makes sense, but it's one of those things where I think it's again, like who do you swap out? And I think then if you lose that extra player who is going to get the service to the both of them, if we're already struggling for that.
00:07:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll tell you a exactly who I would swap out from that starting 11. But first, I've got a message from our partners over at Zencaster. So here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and Zencaster came out the clear winner with 4K video recording from your phone and AOA editing that automatically promotes all those ums and r's. It's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:08:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
Player Performance and Substitutions
00:08:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, Ryan Fraser.
00:08:13
Zak
Yeah.
00:08:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Uh, like he, he didn't do anything offensively bad yesterday, but he also didn't do anything outstanding that I can remember.
00:08:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, you know, and, and it, you know, it was tough. if we're being honest, it was a tough game. We didn't have as much of the ball as we normally have. And so from what you look for from a Saint's performance to shine and be there, it's difficult. But that said, Walker Peters, when on the ball, was exceptional, as always, and was always in the right position tracking back, or pretty much always. And you know, he really
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
put the work in to delay the cross as much as he could. And, you know, Matthew Fernandez had another great game where he seemed to be all over the park and got a goal for it. And Tyler Diblin picked the ball up and drove forward and created, you know, pretty much everything that we got from the game. And really that's, that's where that list ends. So why not?
00:09:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, why not so swap him out and, and but or even, you know, give, you know, drop Archer for Armstrong because Armstrong again, he scored the penalty. Well, in fact, he didn't score the penalty specifically. He missed the penalty and he set up the second goal. But other than that was again, a little bit anonymous as the game went on. It wasn't.
00:09:46
Zak
I don't know, I thought he played well and I think he probably should have had that other penalty. And I don't think that that would have even been a controversy had he not been in the right positions.
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, you're right.
00:09:54
Zak
And I think that he's earned his way back into the starting lineup. I kind of agree where with where Fraser is. It's a bit, it's a bit difficult, but like, you know, it's the Aribo-Lolana debate seems to now just be judging by the fact that the Lana is just made of glass seems to be a solid.
00:10:11
Zak
It's probably just going to be a Aribo in that position.
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Arribo was unlucky to miss out anyway. Like I know we've talked a lot about the Lana raising the people around him, but I don't think Arribo's really put a foot wrong recently.
Player Fitness Management
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Definitely not since sort of the very early stages of the season. He's just been solidly consistent for us. Seems to be a bit of a brick wall and and the ball sticks to his feet like something I've never seen. is is It's crazy, yeah i don't know i don't know what the answer is will
00:10:45
Zak
It's getting hard to figure it out because I feel like that the idea that we don't try anything different, like, you know, it seems like people being like, Oh, well, if we need to try to pull and we we did and he and he did well, and that's great, but it you know didn't get us when it's the game, it's the problem.
00:11:00
Zak
So what do you do? Do you go into Brighton and remain unchanged? Maybe swap out sort of a Fraser for Manning.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, he might have his, he might have his hand forced with tarpaul, right?
00:11:06
Zak
There's lots of.
00:11:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
We just don't know what the injury situation's going to be.
00:11:22
Zak
be...
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got two points and I'll circle back to the second one
Debating Player Roles and Fitness
00:11:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
relating to fitness and fatigue, but I've just had a thought about Diblin.
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and and the impact he has now we were talking about who to swap off to bring archer on to play him alongside tall paul but if i'm thinking about it bringing cameron archer off the bench in in just in my soul just feels yeah but i feel like i if you're bringing dibbling off the bench i know he's gonna make an impact
00:11:34
Zak
yeah
00:11:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is not a slight on Cameron Archer. We've seen this season that he can score goals. So if, you know, if it's an impact off the bench, you're looking for, maybe we swap them out for dibbling.
00:12:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
It might be an unpopular opinion because dibbling has been phenomenal for us, but but maybe it's that impact later in the game that we're missing because we were doing all right until 60 minutes.
00:12:19
Zak
Yeah, it's it's a common theme.
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we had a few changes and we struggled and that is a common theme through the season. So maybe we need to manage that last half hour as its own individual package and think of it that way.
00:12:30
Zak
We have an issue, I think, with, we've talked about this before, just the even comparing our benches to the rest of the benches. I remember us talking about comparing, you know, the quality that Arsenal had on their bench to sort of bring it on, pulling them at you, which I'll eat my words. He played phenomenally Saturday. But there is a problem that a lot of these players that potentially be brought in to be impact players, you know, and potentially make the differences, just start making the difference at all.
00:12:59
Zak
And now we're kind of left with trying to bring people on who kind of maybe will do something. and
00:13:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's a difference as well, though, right, between starting a game and showing good promise and playing well and having time to go into the game and having to make an impact off the bench.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're two completely different things. And it has been proven almost categorically that tool pool off the bench is not an impact player.
00:13:26
Zak
Yeah, this is true.
00:13:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's certainly not the way we use him. but Okay, an argument could be made that it's not entirely his fault and i I'll listen to that and that's fine. but we we have not used him effectively as an impact sub to this point.
Game Strategies and Player Usage
00:13:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so maybe that's not what you need to think about, but actually this circles me back nicely to the second point I had, right? Do you remember when we had Pochettino as a manager and you felt like our entire team could play 300 minutes back to back and still be running and be the fittest team on the pitch?
00:13:59
Zak
Yes, because I.
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
what Why is this so much the other way these down?
00:14:02
Zak
Wait, I.
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why can none of our players manage 60 minutes?
00:14:38
Zak
Russell Myleson is a very man manager, right? He likes morale to be good and happy. I feel like if you start trying to, I don't think that you can take the mic with him, but I think if you started to try and inflict the level of discipline that you would need to kind of have that would be, would be kind of mad. And for what? So we can get a couple extra minutes out of each of the players. And I think it's just because of the fact we've got quite a few players that have proven to be injury prone.
00:15:05
Zak
that you trick you play him for 90 minutes and they do pick something up. I don't know if that's necessarily down to fitness or not. Like you could put Adam Lallana in a Pochettino team and you would probably have had the same injury problems that you had previously. Sam McQueen never got to come back from injury, not because of lack of trying, because his injuries didn't go well. So I do wonder if it's just that he knows that we have a very, very injury prone squad and doesn't want to sort of sort sort of overwork it. And like the Ramsdale injury is perfect example of something quite severe happening randomly before the international break even started.
00:15:41
Zak
I don't think that him bench pressing and have a couple of key kg every half an hour a day or extra but would make much of a difference. And I don't think that it's a huge, the biggest problem in the world.
00:15:54
Zak
I think it is also the way that games play, you know, you've got Sunday and then potentially a cup game on a Tuesday and potentially another game on a Friday.
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah Yeah um But when there's
00:16:01
Zak
They're elite sports people.
Injury Management and Team Dynamics
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
cup games on a Tuesday, I mean we very rarely see The same 11 very rarely in fact a lot of the time we see nine to ten changes like it's It's just such a strange one and like the logical part of my brain agrees with you and i'm like I see it because i've seen it with liver mento and with lavier these like 18 year old kids that get thrown in and expected to play every minute and then they get injured and and I respect
00:16:21
Zak
Yeah.
00:16:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, managing Diblin's minutes and other players' minutes. but But like even players like a Rebo who who have an absolute engine on them. Like they're notably fatigued after 60 minutes. and And like the rational part of my brain understands it because it's an intense sport. But then also, if you're getting paid the amount of money a week, they're getting paid. You'd expect 90 minutes minimum, right?
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'd be like me showing up to work on a Monday and going, oh, it's two o'clock. My knee hurts now. Do you know what I mean?
00:17:02
Zak
but But also, it's it's one of those things where like the style of football we play is we're supposed to be at the press.
00:17:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
is
00:17:08
Zak
We get we get mad, specifically us being you. or we were I was screaming, you want them to get forward. You won the Y after the 90th minute. the It just drops off. And it's because keeping the ball and keeping that like possession is is exhausting.
00:17:23
Zak
It's tiring.
00:17:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that was one of the most upsetting things about this week is that from minute three I saw just players just walking and nothing upsets me more.
00:17:33
Zak
it's It's difficult. I understand where you're coming from, but also I just think that like the way the nutrition and fitness and all that kind of stuff works is a different game to when we were younger. And you know, you you even have that with the jokes with the sort of veteran strikers being like, yeah, I'd eat a whole pie and then run on and and score a goal and it would be great. And it's like, but now there is a lot of that sort of elite fitness sort of management, right?
00:17:56
Zak
and and that And that is, yeah, you're you're right. though like Sometimes, because what you're actually saying there, Greg, is why can't they put the effort in to to give it their all in 90 minutes? And then what you end up with is situations where there are players that try to do that.
00:18:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:07
Zak
That day that Fraser came on and came off after 35 minutes is because he had some sort of flu, decided to come on.
00:18:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:12
Zak
like I still think it's mad that you'd play someone that's that ill. But then obviously, if it's somebody that's going to put in 150% and you see that,
00:18:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unless directive one mate is go on and cough on the keeper. see if you can make him sit by half time. It's a but it' bit of an interesting one, isn't it? that That might even go a little bit beyond dark arts at that point.
00:18:26
Zak
But yeah, like that that's at that point, that it's biological warfare.
00:18:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
know
00:18:31
Zak
so um um But like I think that when it comes to that that kind of argument in general, it's like, is it is it to do with fitness?
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ae
00:18:40
Zak
Is it to do with effort? They see them week in, week out on the training ground. They know who they're going to pick. They know who has the match fitness and who doesn't. We don't know. you know we We ended our season on a bit of a high.
00:18:52
Zak
Maybe some people took some more time off. We've had internationals. There's lots of stuff that goes on behind the scenes, but
Defensive Strategies Against Brighton
00:18:58
Zak
I get your point. And I think it's more that what you actually want is you want to see them fight until their last minute.
00:19:03
Zak
You want to see them absolutely puffed out before they sort of decide to call it a day. And it's feeling like they're not doing that, but I can guarantee we probably wouldn't be having as much of a conversation about this.
00:19:16
Zak
If we were winning, it wouldn't be a problem. It would only be a problem because you've got Fransdale who.
00:19:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:21
Zak
could have broken his finger falling down the stairs. I can't remember which player it was that accidentally like cut their arm open, hand open on a knife, like cutting carrots at home, and then accidentally eviscerated himself.
00:19:31
Zak
So they're like, oh, yeah, no.
00:19:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I didn't write.
00:19:33
Zak
That's not ideal. But I think that, but but I also get your point is that one of the reasons that we were such a good team that year is all of a sudden they just didn't expect us to be like the speed and the pace and the quickness.
00:19:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:42
Zak
But then you have a look and lot have a look at a lot of the players from that era, mate. You know, Jay Rod, he went out injured really, really badly. hasn't There hasn't been without their casualties. Luke Shaw had probably one of the worst leg breaks I've ever seen.
00:19:55
Zak
Admittedly, he was a man new at that point. know but and you know And there's a lot of those players that are still, you know I think Luke Shaw is a perfect example.
00:19:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:02
Zak
He was in that Pochettino team then later went on to have so much criticism for his fitness across the board. And I think that it's difficult to understand what's going on behind closed doors always.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:15
Zak
just think that you would love to see it more visually, right? you want to see that You want to see them put in everything and it doesn't feel like that sometimes
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes. No, a lot of the time.
Global Sports Podcast Network Promotion
00:20:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, I want to circle back to little bit on the defence and what I think we can improve going into Brighton.
00:20:26
Zak
because of the way our tactics are.
00:20:32
Zak
yeah
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But first, a message from our partners at the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:20:41
Zak
So the Global Sport Podcast Network is changing the face of football forecasting with dedicated daily content for every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football, and a daily Premier League wrap-up, broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcasts.
Sugawara's Defensive Role
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so I've got two names that I'd like to talk about in a bit more detail. one of which was arguably at fault for, for the last goal. Uh, but probably in my opinion, should have been on the pitch. Now I can only presume wasn't on the pitch because he was late coming back from international duty. And that's a Sugawara. Do you think, or do you hope that we see him back in that full back position on Friday.
00:21:30
Zak
Yeah, because I feel like some fans have turned on him because he's had like one mistake and and that penalty the other day, and people are like, oh, he's rubbish. They don't understand why we've got him. And I think he's settled in very well considering.
00:21:42
Zak
And he's he's going to turn out to be a bargain sign in in the future. yeah Mistakes happen. Mistakes are made. Maybe there was fatigue. Maybe you know maybe he struggled to get into that game.
00:21:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, are also I also I also still think that that mistake was caused by Paul positioning from the keeper.
00:21:58
Zak
Yeah, and at the end of the day,
00:21:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not a position he would have been in had Ramsdale been in goal.
00:22:02
Zak
And there's also arguments that, you know, I know, I know I've seen arguments of it necessarily not even being a pen, which I'm not going to get into that.
Back Five Strategy Critique
00:22:09
Zak
but, but, you know, it's, I, I think he's a good player. I think that he's been and one of our main attacking threats. And what we, if we need to go forward and drive forward, we need to get those players that are going to drive forward. It's just defensively we're we're missing Yann bed right more than anybody because you're right. He's the one that would get in and and sort of block those. What would have been silly mistakes, but hopefully you wouldn't have had a flin down in that position.
00:22:32
Zak
If we're going to insist on a back five to, I don't know if at this point it's just because that's the system or if it is to quote unquote shoehorn Stevens in, and then like maybe playing natural defenders in their correct positioning but the would be good.
00:22:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I don't know. See, I think that it's, I think it's generous to call what we did against Liverpool. Yes, they are back five because realistically speaking, it was a back 10 with any point there on the ball. There was no, for most of game, there was no concerted effort to press the ball. It was a, we're going to stick in our shape and yeah, you can pass it around all you want. You're not getting through us. and then going forward, it was, I mean, I'm sure that there,
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure there was some design, but it was hard to determine from the stands.
Evaluating Defensive Lineup
00:23:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
let's Let's say that.
00:23:18
Zak
is yes this place is true good
00:23:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it leads me on nicely to the final name I wanted to talk about.
00:23:25
Zak
it
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's Jack Stevens. Has he done enough to justify that position in the team?
00:23:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I don't think he had a bad game. and He wasn't certainly wasn't at fault for much that I could see. but he definitely didn't inspire the confidence that Jan Bednarek would.
00:23:46
Zak
No.
00:23:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
say So where does he slot into this equation?
00:23:50
Zak
He's this is what when you were talking about Greg, where who do we swap out out the front? Maybe we maybe we don't swap somebody out from the front. Maybe you go back to having your four at the back and you you swap him with someone that's not not Jack Stevens.
00:24:04
Zak
But I don't know. like It's difficult because he's a captain. He keenly cares. He was one of the only ones that kind of came over to clap the away like clap the home support. He went around the ground afterwards.
00:24:14
Zak
You know, he cares about the club.
00:24:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah.
00:24:16
Zak
Does he warrant the captain's armband and warrant the position that he's in and the privilege he has of seemingly playing every game? was Were we a better? Did we concede less when he wasn't in the side?
00:24:30
Zak
Is he realistically the problem or has he been scapegoated?
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's a little bit of column A and little B.
00:24:33
Zak
All of those things are questions, but yeah.
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that I don't think he's been bad and I think that he did come with unfair amounts of criticism. But I also think it's true that he gets ah shoehorned into positions and shapes that don't necessarily suit us.
00:24:54
Zak
And is he is he a talisman player enough like a Jude Bellingham to do that?
00:24:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And like,
00:24:58
Zak
Probably not.
00:24:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
no, absolutely not.
00:24:59
Zak
And can we probably potentially get a centre back that's better than him? Yes.
00:25:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:04
Zak
And before everyone comes at me, no, I don't think that's Bellacott.
00:25:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, we've, I mean, yeah. I mean, it's pretty clear at this point that that's not going to happen.
00:25:15
Zak
No, we've already established that that is.
00:25:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It will be gone in January, one way or another. and
00:25:19
Zak
but We've already established that, but it's that that's the thing is it's you know, we we recruited quite a lot of centre backs and maybe we We expected more appearances from them or more more from them. Maybe they're just not right in training.
00:25:30
Zak
Maybe they're not getting the position. And who knows again, what's going on behind closed doors. But it's one of the things that when you start listing like Premier League quality players for Southampton in all the lists that I see, it's never Jack Stevens, never top.
00:25:44
Zak
Right.
00:25:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice.
00:25:44
Zak
If he's mentioned this, it's near the bottom and bear in mind, like the season we went down, he literally went on loan to our right. But I say rivals, I'm sick of them forcing a rivalry, but it seems like they've upset Brighton more than us. so We'll have a good chuckle about that, I'm sure, on our crossade representative this week.
00:25:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:59
Zak
But yeah, it's it's it's difficult because you're right.
00:26:02
Zak
He's also not done anything clearly wrong. But at the same time, like, if you told me we could take Jack off and maybe have a Suleimana on, or you take Jack off and have Archer up the top with Paul, I'm not going to be sad or mad about it.
00:26:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, as much as there were no notable mistakes from Stevens, I also couldn't really tell you what he
Optimism and Strategy Improvements
00:26:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
contributed to the game. And I'm sure there were some that I've overlooked, but none stick out in the memory. Whereas from all of the previous games, I can think of four or five clear moments where Jan Benarek was the saving grace or had an incredible block or interception and was body in the other players. It's just, yeah, I dunno.
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know what the answer is.
00:26:47
Zak
He's going to be part of the side and he'll go down with whatever ship we're we're in.
00:26:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look,
00:26:52
Zak
If our ship goes down or it ends up a chunk of driftwood by the end of the season, at this point, that is that is what it is. But I don't think that, again, the team ever go out to lose.
00:27:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I'm not having this negativity.
00:27:04
Zak
And I don't think...
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
tea this ship and alid This ship is sailing all the way to the Premier League title, alright?
00:27:06
Zak
No, I'll get in there. Listen. If it's driftwood or not, doesn't matter. As I pointed out, what I was going to get to, mate, was that Regardless of of what what happens, I don't think that the players are going out of their way to lose. I don't think the manager is that specifically going out of his way to set us up for failure. I don't think that every single person on Twitter, despite their qualifications of being like mouthpieces on Twitter, are qualified to manage a football club. And you know it's difficult to trust the process because the process isn't working.
00:27:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:44
Zak
We are not a club that is going to do a Leicester and fire our manager and replace Steve Cooper with Moyes or Rude Van Astroy. We have what we have.
00:27:55
Zak
We need to make the best of it and try and understand and hope that something changes. And in a year's time, he might be gone and we might have a different manager and it will be what it will be.
00:28:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that it's, I think that you're right. Um, but actually I think there are a lot of positives to take from the performance against difficult luck. So they didn't dominate us.
00:28:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
We actually looked solid defensively when we didn't gift them the goals. And again, that's individual mistakes.
00:28:19
Zak
They're probably like one of the best teams
Conclusion and Future Discussions
00:28:21
Zak
in the world and we scored twice against them.
00:28:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly.
00:28:24
Zak
like
00:28:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think there are lots of positive state from it. And I hope that we can take them away into Friday and have a much more positive tactical discussion next week. That's for sure.
00:28:32
Zak
Yeah, I'm feeling slightly more optimistic than I did the week before.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But so it's always the hope that kills you, though.
00:28:36
Zak
Again, yeah, this is the problem.
00:28:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right. Well, we are rapidly running out of time. So I guess the ah ah TLDR version of our tactics discussion is to defend better and score more. And easy as that.
00:28:48
Zak
yeah Classic.
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
So on that on that bombshell, thank you very much for joining me today, Zach.
00:28:55
Zak
A pleasure mate as always.
00:28:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you, everyone, for listening. We will see you tomorrow when we're back with a Wild Card Wednesday. and we look forward to seeing you then.