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Episode 338: 6 Wins in 7 as we Bag another win from the Baggies!
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Southampton – 6 wins in 7 and up into 8th. Amazing win but boy that one got nervy!
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Transcript
Celebrating Southampton's Unexpected Victory
00:00:14
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 as always today joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch. Mate, another win, can you believe it
00:00:31
Zak
it is It got dicey, to be fair. Like, king also said it wasn't as clear-cut and as easy as I would have liked it to have been, especially considering they completely ruined your prediction of a clean cheat and managed to ruin my prediction of 3-1.
00:00:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah okay we gave it a good go in the second half didn't they West Brom and we sure didn't
00:00:55
Zak
So, yeah, but a win is a win.
00:01:03
Zak
Well, it will get into that. But again, like three really quick fire goals, right? Sienza getting a goal in front of home fans, finally. Really good, well-taken goal. Massively, you know, helped out by Tom Fellows. Especially where I was very sceptical he would be able to perform against his, like, childhood team. And you were like, oh, it's poetry, though. And I was like, oh, which poetry does it go? And you just happened to be right this time. Yeah.
00:01:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
You learn exactly what kind of poetry it was in the first minute when he got absolutely destroyed by one of the West Brom players, just like absolutely kicked.
00:01:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's like, it's going be that kind of poetry.
00:01:43
Zak
Yeah, but, you know, it worked out well for us. It was it was such a good team goal. And, yeah, God, it's just a joy to watch Sienza play football. I'm sorry.
00:01:53
Zak
i don't like the fact that we bang on about this every week. but He also doesn't help himself by being good every week. Yeah.
Team Collaboration and Game Management
00:02:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
He also came out after the game and said he would clean Tom Fellow's boots because of how good of an as assist it was. look
00:02:00
Zak
it
00:02:08
Zak
Yeah, to be fair, like it's all of the team working together right to to be able to facilitate that. It's just the only thing we really need to work on is game management. But considering we still won the game, it's not too much of a problem, I guess. like There was, what, like three saves in a row from Baz towards the end?
00:02:31
Zak
Which...
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
The theory I'm going with and working with, Zach, is that we needed to keep it exciting. and can't just keep winning easily because otherwise we wouldn't get the Sky Sports money, you see?
00:02:45
Zak
Right, so you're hoping thing it's going to increase the amount of games we get on TV. I see.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, it's just a deliberate at play to try and up the budget for next season.
00:02:52
Zak
of
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
and That was all it was.
00:02:55
Zak
That does seem like a thing a Sports Republic would be interested in. i'm not going to lie. However, I don't think that you want to put that much stress on players that mental fragility up to this point has been a problem.
Challenges of Premier League to Championship Transition
00:03:08
Zak
I'm setting for Zaz to not get a goal today.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
no yeah I know I mean at one point I genuinely and with full tongue in cheek as the crowd went quiet and we set up for a goal kick in front of the northern shouted come on lads it's been 10 minutes so we haven't scored what's going on
00:03:11
Zak
You know, what's going on?
00:03:26
Zak
god i understand that like the championship's supposed to be night and day in comparison to the premier league right and you know it's a tough league but realistically we're like supposed to come down and because we're ex-premier league wipe the floor of the money we we haven't done that so far this season but like man are they are they trying to make up for it a little bit this this totally sort of you know last couple of weeks And, you know, we really it really was sort of like remembering, hey, West Brom, do you remember the last time you played here?
00:03:57
Zak
And, you know, poor West Brom being a few minutes, poor, you know, even an Adam Armstrong, who couldn't score two goals for the whole of them last season and scored against them twice in the same day.
00:04:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:09
Zak
but Always seems to do well against them anyway.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:12
Zak
Like, you know, subsequently, yeah, it's, man, it's just...
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:17
Zak
The fact that we can make those jokes, and I know that I keep banging on about this point every day, but it's the fact that the switch that's happened, right? The idea of six wins out of seven is just absolutely beyond what would have been my comprehension.
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's crazy.
00:04:36
Zak
And even the loss that we had to Millwall still had two goals scored from us in, right? Well, usually when we lose, we're like...
00:04:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was last minute, right? It was last minute.
00:04:44
Zak
massively press the red button and capitulate and surrender so man s spoilwood but i but i'm guessing we'll talk more about do you want to just start the start line up uh somebody somebody predicted uh cause quasi might be inmate and that person's me sometimes i actually get the foot decisions right crazy
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, sure.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And, you know, he came in and he he did well. He did his job. And, I mean, at least in the first, I'd say, what, 50, 55 minutes of the game,
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
We did a tremendously good job at keeping them quiet.
00:05:20
Zak
Yeah, we just got well too complacent and like genuinely, I think that's just part and parcel of, oh, we've definitely won this game. And like, you can even feel it sort of, you know, the the West Brom fans, you said about it in the stadium, right?
00:05:34
Zak
Being sort of, they they they know they knew what was up at that point and were just kind of happy to,
00:05:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
want They wanted their elf back. their elf that they were having banter and chanting with got escorted off the premises by stewards for getting overly leery and they wanted him back so they could chant him some more.
00:05:53
Zak
But like, yeah, like that's my point. Like at that point, they're not, they're really paying much attention to the game and are kind of just happy to put this down as a loss. And, you know, and instead the, instead what happened was we decided to make it really dramatic towards the end unnecessarily.
00:06:07
Zak
But other than that, obviously a team sheet showed no surprises.
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:11
Zak
You were right about midfield not really being changed. I'm still surprised Ryan Manning has the gas in the tank at this point to just play nonstop, but fair play to the guy.
00:06:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He has been in this system with Tonda. He is... It's less important for him to do as much of the running up the wing as the wing-back position that we saw him play with Will Stittle. He's very much... like He still does the running a fair bit, but it's not It's not as, like but it's still a consolidate like a really good effort. like The engine on the man is is clearly running hot.
00:06:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I mean, it makes sense, right? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. You don't want to mess too much
Team Strategy: Consistency vs. Change
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
with a winning team. and Honestly, that's been one of the biggest differences we've seen between Tonda's style and...
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Will Steele, right, is that Will Steele is always tinkering and changing and, you know, not really settled. And we've not really seen that from Tondo. It's just been, this is it.
00:07:19
Zak
what What I thought you meant, mate, was that, you know, the under Tonda, we've had a winning team.
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:27
Zak
so why would You hit an L&M straight up, mate. Why would you change a winning team? Whereas under Wuston, we didn't really get the wins we thought. I just, I don't know, man. Like, i I started to believe the naysayers, and I really started to believe the fact that our team wasn't good enough to do what they're currently doing.
00:07:47
Zak
And I didn't really know if it was the manager or something wrong. It turns out it was the manager.
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was it felt well i don't know it It was just a couple of clicks away, right? And like, you know, you said Azaz didn't get on the score sheet tonight, but he did chip in with an assist.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
So just, yeah, it just took all of those.
00:08:04
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:08:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think it was the main change, right? Is getting all of those players that bring life to the game on the pitch it at the same time, instead of worrying too much about fitting players in in a formation.
00:08:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Having, and I mean, you saw it when the subs were made and they came off that having Sienza fellows as, as, and Armstrong all on the pitch at the same time is clearly the most important part of our game. Cause once we take one of them off, you know, call it complacency or, or taking your foot off the gas or changing the focus of the game to game management.
00:08:23
Zak
yeah
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But We just don't look as good of a team, whatever you want to call it, right?
00:08:52
Zak
it's
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like it.
00:08:53
Zak
we'll have the conversation about game management later, mate. But like, the fact we're even in a position to really have to do game management is insane.
00:09:03
Zak
But, you know...
00:09:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, pretty early on, I messaged you like, oh, looks like they're going for a a pretty aggressive press with a mostly low block. That'll be a fresh challenge for us. I don't know if you've seen us break that down. And no more than four minutes later, we had the answer as to how that challenge was going to go. so
00:09:27
Zak
Yeah, no, exactly exactly exactly that. But also you were talking about how early on into the the first half you were like, oh, shit is it is it too early to bring off Sienza and put off and the subs and stuff?
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
The answer was yes.
00:09:39
Zak
And obviously that was too early. Yeah,
00:09:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now we know. Yes was the answer. It felt like it was done and dusted. And then it very quickly felt like it wasn't.
00:09:54
Zak
yeah. phone How do you feel about the subs? Where do you think the game really did change? Was it just complacency going into the second half?
00:10:04
Zak
Or was it the
Impact of Substitutions on Game Dynamics
00:10:06
Zak
the changes? Because we're starting to see similar changes keep taking place.
00:10:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, mate, I've got very complex thoughts on the subs, and I'm going to get to them.
00:10:12
Zak
We're starting to see similar things happening.
00:10:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But let's first have a little break and hear a message from our partners at Vineet.
00:10:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, wait, and we are back. Yeah, I think that...
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that taking Sienza and Fellows off, whilst completely understandable with another game to think about this week and 3-0 theoretically being, you know, the game out of reach, it it has an impact noticeably on the squad. And now I don't know for sure whether that is entirely, i mean i mean, that's not entirely on the personnel that's coming on, right? Like the focus of the game at that point has changed, right? The the team talk at halftime is very likely to have been, let's let's see it out and keep a clean sheet.
00:11:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
but, you know, j Robinson is a good player, but he's not Leo Sienza, and Ryan Fraser is a but a bundle of energy, but he's not Tom Fellows, so you know, it's it's different, and that's fine, just, yeah, it's not as strong, and
00:12:03
Zak
Is it fine, though? Because, again, it's... they and understand they're not really meant to be going out of their way to scoring at this point. We're not really worried as much about getting a goal.
00:12:14
Zak
But it does it does worry me that the energy drops.
00:12:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I think those substitutions are fine because it is fresh legs in those positions and the energy does drop a bit, but it's still all right.
00:12:16
Zak
And then...
00:12:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then you see a reboot.
00:12:30
Zak
Fraser Archer's fine, right? Because because Fraser, as you said, can run fast for who he is, right?
00:12:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:12:37
Zak
And... And Archer clearly he still has a point to prove and and played played pretty well. He's not as exciting as he played last game.
00:12:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, the problem is he's still so desperate to score that he's kind of, instead of sticking to one of those roles like the other players do when they're on the pitch and they sort of know where they're going to go he's almost trying to do too much.
00:13:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then we get to the later substitutions and we see Azaz come off. And Azaz, especially today, I noticed, you know, Leo and Tom pick up the ball and are happy to take on a player and make some space and go forward and do something with it.
Player Performance and Transfer Speculations
00:13:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, he's just like, oh, I'll take the ball short and then give you a one-two and set you off down the wing. Happy days. And and he does that so well. and And then, you know, you swap him out for a rebo and...
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I mean, our Rebo still just looks like he doesn't want to be here, so...
00:14:04
Zak
I mean, it's the one thing that really is throwing me off. Because again, like we're all watching the same game.
00:14:15
Zak
We're all were seeing the same player on the pitch, right? we We've had a couple of discussions about it. And again, it used to be hot and cold. But clearly, I don't know if he's really interested in being here.
00:14:30
Zak
I wouldn't be surprised if he goes for a real cut price at January. But at the same time, he's persistently being played. And when asked about it, Tonda was saying basically like, oh, he's playing really well.
00:14:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't get it.
00:14:45
Zak
Stop it. And i don't know if he's like not willing to criticise the players yet.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:49
Zak
Or like, I don't i don't quite understand what what's going on. But like, I have a very... It's the last couple of games we've been we've been that high up, right? And those last couple of games we've got away with it. Apart from Millwall where we didn't.
00:15:03
Zak
And we very, very, very almost didn't today. Like at one point, as I alluded to earlier, back to three saves in a row. One of those saves that I think that people said was amazing, I do believe was just accidental. He just he just got punted directly in the chest, right?
00:15:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's just good positioning, mate. There's no accidents.
00:15:19
Zak
But...
00:15:22
Zak
Yeah, you can say what you will. Like, i but I'm not here to criticise him he did a good job today. But... We knew eventually one of those would go in and again, it's like that kind of almost not willing to to want to pass up. and it yeah I don't know if it's, I think discussed it last game as well.
00:15:40
Zak
We're like, it's just unfortunate Ariba keeps bringing being brought on with Romeo as well. So I'm kind of like the energy change is is obvious, right?
00:15:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:48
Zak
And the six minutes that became eight minutes felt a lot longer than they need to be.
00:15:53
Zak
And it was a painful end to a game. i very, very, very much almost let them get back into it properly. And, like, they could have easily gone on to draw. I don't think they would have gone on to win.
00:16:04
Zak
But, you know, that would have been one of those last-minute, 97-minute, you know, credit to the lads for actually not letting that happen because that's a very, very safe thing to do, even if it was...
00:16:14
Zak
some real desperate defenders at times, right? And a couple of times it was just literally poofing the ball out to a team that, you know, not 30, 40 minutes ago, we we were running them ragged. So, yeah, I just worry about this part of the game.
00:16:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's the first time at St. Mary's I've ever seen a player get criticised for taking a shot when Jay Robertson decided to shoot instead of running to the corner flank with all us frantically shouting over there!
00:16:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's like, let's go!
00:16:41
Zak
Yeah, I think to be fair, was probably hoping would be the last kick of a game. Because again, when do you say ninety six thirty you say six minutes at a time, it goes on for eight.
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:48
Zak
It's always annoying. And that goes that goes both ways. like I always find it a bit weird that they can't seem to figure it out. and It's not like anybody came on past the 90th. So don't really know where it came from, to be honest.
00:17:01
Zak
you know there were no There were no cards and extra time over.
00:17:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
coran
00:17:04
Zak
Obviously, Romelu somehow managed to pick up in yellow, you know replacing the Flynn Bounds role. But... Yeah, is is what it is. like Again, the fact that we can be so critical about these really, really minute details shows you how far we've come in the last couple of weeks, and...
00:17:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sweet.
00:17:20
Zak
Yeah, that's just, it's it's nice to have these problems. Like, oh man, we're we're winning so much and the way that we're winning is slightly sad. Whereas like, would have bitten your hand off for like the scrappiest of 1-0 wins last season when we were in the trenches of the Premier League where we thought surely no team can be as bad as us.
00:17:41
Zak
Shout out to Wolves for taking that record away from us to soon make us probably the third worst team in the Premier League.
00:17:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
of
00:17:49
Zak
history. So yeah, I don't know where else to really go with it. like It's the fact that the fact that we're seeming to be able to consistently do this. I guess it's just everybody hold hands together and hope that none of this front line get injured because we really saw that one game without Sienza how difficult it was.
00:18:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
not fa
00:18:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that's the thing, right? As as well as that, it's
00:18:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's problems that can eventually have solutions, right? We can work towards solutions. Like, we we can start playing for more than 45 minutes at a time.
00:18:18
Zak
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's nice.
00:18:24
Zak
well You just can just make it 5-0. You take the wind out of all of their sails, right? and That way...
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that's the thing, right? That's the nice thing. at At least we've been in a position to play well enough in those first 45 minutes that it that it came close and it was nervy. At least it didn't really matter.
00:18:41
Zak
Do you remember when you said we were a second half team for like, I don't know, about a year solid and now it's it's truly, truly the second half is the bit that's the nerve bitey bit to be honest.
00:18:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the important thing.
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
<unk>riary eagle yeah
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, mate. Let's finish off with a couple of other points, but let's let's have another quick break to hear a message from our partners at Zencaster. 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 AI editing that automatically remove all those ums and ahs super easy to start a podcast. Sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:18:52
Zak
But,
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
00:19:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, and we are back.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
What, don't know, what do you want to about next? What else have you got?
00:19:33
Zak
I don't know. Fair play to West Brom. I think that you know potentially, as we said, we got to a point where we underestimated them a little bit and they clearly clearly came out to to play a bit of a game towards the end and and they played well. And then I think maybe that's what it was, is that the mentality that we had to to get a bit complacent.
00:19:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:53
Zak
The only thing I worry about long-term is that the moment, the solutions we have to our problems are incredibly predictable.
00:19:59
Zak
We know that we're going to take off Siena's
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm. Mm.
00:20:02
Zak
and, you know, fellows sort of at the 65-minute, 60 to 65-minute mark, right? We know we're probably going to take off one like a striker at some point, and we know we're going to chuck on at the moment. <unk> That becomes a bit of a different prop different situation when Che Tars is back, right? Don't know how that's going to play out.
00:20:20
Zak
But but they I worry that If you watch the sort of last two or three games, you you can see, you know, Millwall actually beating us because we didn't have Siense and we weren't able to do the damage that we would have done the first half with him. These later few games, the more it's more you're watching teams seeing how we're playing, seeing how we're doing.
00:20:41
Zak
And, you know, they're always managing to pull back one goal. You're saying they're really pushing for a team, for a clean sheet. And today they've managed to pull back two. So yeah, it's just finding a new solution.
00:20:51
Zak
didn't wonder if some of those solutions will be found in the January transfer window. Because the other, a couple of things that we...
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, also, some of those solutions will come when you're not trying to manage three games in seven days, right?
00:20:57
Zak
we
00:21:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, some
00:21:03
Zak
Yeah, but we know how busy the championship is.
00:21:05
Zak
That is going to be a thing that continually happens, right? It's not going to be...
00:21:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
of the reasons... You know, that's the main reason you're seeing these changes as early as you're seeing them, whereas otherwise, you're seeing it you'd probably see it much later on in the game, like in the 75th minute, and then it's probably a different conversation completely,
00:21:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Sorry, I'm massively distracted. that I just saw No Context Saints with one of my favourite posts I've ever seen. is said, we should sign Mo Salah. Imagine how good our front three would be.
00:21:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sienza Armstrong Fellows. LAUGHTER
00:21:44
Zak
How to bring down your reputation amongst your fans almost immediately and then become a meme by the next day. Yikes. Okay, mate. couple of i couple of things that you said. hey what do you want to talk about? couple other things. So, commentary drew tonight.
00:22:00
Zak
against Preston, which is a positive for us, who had 10 men.
00:22:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's
00:22:05
Zak
And obviously, we're going to play them soon. Not not now, but we' soon. it's you know Hopefully, they dip in form as we start to go up, right?
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
on the horizon, right? Yeah.
00:22:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's on the horizon of something. It's this next home game. It's in everyone's mind. It's a nice early kickoff. Like, are we going to get absolutely battered here? don't I mean, it's going to be interesting.
00:22:26
Zak
We'll have to see. Borough did win today, which is less than I do, because obviously we we want that automatic spot, right?
00:22:36
Zak
And the fact that I can talk about that automatic spot is currently we we're eighth, which is less than five points off of off that's of quite five points of a third,
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
so yeah well for we're four points behind Millwall but Millwall have a game in hand yeah
00:22:48
Zak
which is dots
00:22:52
Zak
They do, but, you know, as that's as of the time of conversation, right? So so if they if they lose that game, we we could potentially, you know, nick some waves. Because obviously Preston played tonight.
00:23:05
Zak
So obviously... it we're in a much better position than when we were talking about potentially relegation. The other thing to celebrate is our rivals, our illustrious rivals, the the guys down the road, the ones that spent the vast majority of this season mugging us off for being lower than them, are now in the drop 22nd.
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm
00:23:26
Zak
know... you know They lost the game tonight, so it's always something to celebrate on top of the fact that we're already celebrating. So, yeah, just a couple of things i wanted to raise your attention to.
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:23:37
Zak
And obviously there's a bunch of games tomorrow too before we know the final results of everything. But everything's swinging in our favour, mate.
00:23:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
say Also worth celebrating, mate. Adam Armstrong, currently the top goal scorer in the championship total. look
00:23:53
Zak
So this this is the other thing, just a quick thing wanted to end on is, one, thank you to all the people that leave comments on Spotify. We discovered them as of yesterday. I don't know if you've noticed we've had a couple of changes. We also had some tech issues, which is why we were away for a couple of days. But it literally was like, wait, did you know we have spot comments, Greg said to me. And I was like, sorry.
00:24:17
Zak
So we've discovered all of them now. So we might be slightly poor active. So we appreciate all that. If we've not replied to you for the last year, it's not that we're ignoring you. We just didn't know they existed.
Transfer Window Speculations and Team Needs
00:24:27
Zak
Yeah.
00:24:28
Zak
So that was one of the things wanted to bring up, Greg. But also the fact that I think I brought up last, last, last recording as well, like how for so long the conversation was around the striker.
00:24:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:39
Zak
And now it's just like, well, do we have a good backup for Cienza?
00:24:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
It turns out was just Adam Armstrong all along.
00:24:43
Zak
And do we have a good, the the conversation, the transfer conversations completely changed. And what i think is going to be really interesting. And the reason I bring this up again, is obviously we're heading into January sooner rather than later.
00:24:57
Zak
And supposedly, Sporz has been in conversation with Tomlin, including those lads that accidentally saw them other day at a steak dinner. But like so supposedly,
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was Actually, that was just nice to see Tonda eating somewhere that was not Staplwood, to be honest. I know it was a black container, but...
00:25:13
Zak
this is also true, probably probably having to be forced out by Sporz, but still.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
discussion
00:25:19
Zak
But apparently they've been in conversation non-stop about the plan for recruitment and the plans were in place long before we still was in. And I think it's going to be really fascinating and interesting to see what we end up targeting, if we target anything at all.
00:25:33
Zak
Because I think surely we do. I think everyone's kind of realising now that, you know, and as much as you spoke about it earlier, Greg, but the responsibility that's put on the shoulders of Jay Robinson to basically for a lot of the early season.
00:25:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:25:44
Zak
And i think the responsibility now for him to kind of cameo after, Sienza and maybe, you know, having options there rather than it just always being having to be Jay Robinson and maybe giving him a bit of time in between and, you know, just to build himself up a little bit more and and having those other options. I know we've got a dozy supposedly back in the... Supposedly, i don't know. we hear he's kind of injured and not and I don't want to speculate on any of that, but I also would be surprised if he just disappears in January because he he wanted a move.
00:26:15
Zak
So, yeah, it'll be really interesting to see what they target and if they'll go for sort of like those positions or we bring in like an extra striker that we now, question mark, don't need. don't know.
00:26:26
Zak
How do you feel? Has your opinion on our transfer episode of like literally about two weeks ago changed a lot or not?
00:26:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it's it's still the same, right? Like, if they stay fit, our front line... is not going to be budged by any anyone we bring in in January, which puts us in a very tricky position because we do lack that as evidence that Millwall, if any of that front, front four, front three, front four, whatever you want to call it, you know fellows as as Armstrong uh, Sienza many, one of those go out.
00:26:43
Zak
No.
00:27:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's, it is a big miss and we don't really have now.
00:27:06
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:27:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I will say that, that, Cameron Archer has been putting in shifts when he comes on. And, you know, I don't think you can judge him having not scored based on coming on at the points of the games he's come on because but the points games he's come on, that's not really our focus.
00:27:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, it would be interesting to see if he can step up. But it's a really interesting position to be in because who you want to sign a player of a quality that can step in to replace that quality but who's going to want to come and play second fiddle?
00:27:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nobody of that quality. So it's it's not an easy problem to solve is where I'm at.
00:28:06
Zak
We kind of hoped that there would be the potential there for what we're seeing and maybe then some. Like, again, it's it's just been an absolutely outstanding, you know, and you can see how much he enjoys it, right?
00:28:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
e
00:28:22
Zak
And you're right, it's going to be really difficult to maybe find someone that also is like that, also it hit a hidden gem, and also doesn't mind not playing week in, week out. That's where the problem arises.
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because that's the thing, right? It's not just Sienza's ability on the pitch that makes us miss Sienza. It is his infectious attitude, his infectious spirit.
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
his desire to go and win the ball and do things on the pitch that he wants to do. I saw that his celebration this evening was inspired by Ronaldinho. and I mean, like look he just he just loves the game, loves that we love him.
00:29:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:29:02
Zak
But yeah, i think I think that's the other thing is it's like it's the boost to the fans as well.
00:29:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:07
Zak
It's like how do – and that I think is is more important than maybe we let on. Maybe we understand. There's no real, I guess, like on-paper explanation for it.
00:29:18
Zak
We can sit and speak to psychologists, but like you're very aware of how, like, you know. It's like when you ever try to speak to non-sport people about why sports is so – like exciting and and why we get so passionate about it.
00:29:32
Zak
It's really difficult to kind of portray the emotions and it's really difficult to put into words the presence of a player like that, right? And not to compare us to Liverpool and compare it to like what you were talking about earlier, but like,
00:29:45
Zak
It's like Jamie Caron's criticism of Mo Salah being all about the fact that he's like, oh, he'll play up the fans to get what he wants and pull on the heartstrings in bits and pieces. And I'm like, I don't know, maybe there is a level of emotional bit manipulation going on. But also it's in some respects, especially in this, there's no like, it's just like the raw passion and emotion feeds the crowd.
00:30:06
Zak
and it gives back, and it is important to see that. And it is going to be very hard to find a player, because is it part of like the X Factor story that he has that plays into it?
00:30:17
Zak
Maybe. I don't think everybody knows that story, but I think a lot of people have watched him play football at some areas recently, and away, and have realised how good he can be and how enjoyable it is to watch him play football.
00:30:30
Zak
I'm pretty sure my wife is completely and utterly sick of me singing Leo Sienza's song nonstop around the house, occasionally switching to the actual heartbeat theme tune because I forget what I'm singing about. But like it's it's yeah, I think it's going to be a fascinating window for the simple fact of...
00:30:50
Zak
I don't know if any anyone's really going to be satisfied with it because of the fact that you're like, well, we don't really need what we needed, I think, a couple months ago. i don't think we need what people thought we needed a month ago. i don't necessarily believe that we need what we discussed a week and a half ago.
00:31:06
Zak
Like, we'll have to see.
00:31:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that's the thing, Zach, is that none of it is a problem until it becomes a problem.
00:31:12
Zak
Yeah. Right. This is this is it. like It's it's so it's a house of cards that we could can be collapsed by injury.
00:31:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's actually worth
00:31:21
Zak
And again, like the pessimist will be just worried about it.
00:31:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
especially while we've got this like bloated squad as well. Like we've talked about, right? Like we've got players on the fringe or or not in like, or injured, right? We've got Shea Charles coming back and how does the competition for that space look when he comes back?
00:31:36
Zak
You've got people on loan that we haven't even talked about, mate.
00:31:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. We've got, you know, dozy supposedly coming back soon, which is another forward option, another good forward option. You know, we've got Cam Archer who's coming on and and putting shifts in.
00:31:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Damien Downs is still, I mean, he's presumably still injured with a knock, but, you know, there's some potential in there at some point, hopefully, to come good. You know, are we going to see Ross do it again? i don't know at this point.
00:32:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, he's out long term. I don't know if he's just out for the rest of his contract now. But, you know, that's already a lot.
00:32:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah. performs
00:32:12
Zak
Yeah, and like and again, like the amount of loanees we've got, like Charlie Taylor is still on our books, technically.
00:32:18
Zak
like I know that's a wild thing to point out, because like i would I haven't thought about him until we played West Brom today.
00:32:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
hurry
00:32:25
Zak
Yeah. You know, we've we've also got, like, even defenders. We've like, Joachim Kaya Sander that's on loan. And you talk about bloated squad. There are also people we start promoting through through the youth. You've got Matsuki, who at this point just send them on loan, like, skips of football, even but if it's back to Gestepi, because it just kind of feels like, at the moment, it's taken up a squad space that...
00:32:44
Zak
He's not going to get a football, especially if they bring some more people in. And then you've got like this whole question mark around Joe Eribo, whether are we keeping him? we selling in What's happening with him? Kind of weird. We keep playing him. Is it because he doesn't trust anyone else other than him because of the seniority and sort of he knows what he needs to do, even if we don't see it?
00:33:04
Zak
I don't I guess all of these criticisms take with a pinch salt because, mean, you aren't football managers, mate. Ponder Ecker is. Everyone said he had no experience and we've just won six games in seven. So, like, maybe all of the things that we're worrying about at whinging should be, we should not worry about them and just enjoy the moment because we don't know how long this moment's going to last, but hopefully a little bit longer yet, right?
00:33:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, I mean, look, they come thick and fast. We've got another game of the weekend.
00:33:32
Zak
Yeah, man.
00:33:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hopefully we can win that too and just really push on and just, you know, start pushing for that second place that we want to see. And, you know, it's... if If that's what we're aiming for and that's what we want, then that needs to be the case. And we need to you know shore up the second half performances, which you know surely won't have gone amiss from Fonda.
00:33:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
He will be seeing that and you know his attention to detail, so he'll be looking to rectify it. So just have to wait and see, mate. What may he come?
Southampton's Future Outlook
00:34:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's nice to be excited by it and not dreading it, isn't it?
00:34:07
Zak
For sure.
00:34:10
Zak
Yes, I agree. And like, we could look at sort Norwich game as a bit of a banana skin or, but but that's not how we're viewing it. Right. I'm pretty sure both for me and you at this point are looking forward to it. And I can't wait to predict like another three, one and oh no, it's three, two. We still won.
00:34:27
Zak
The fact that we keep predicting wins is just, long may it continue. And yeah, what a time to be alive.
00:34:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
may have felt towards the end very scary, but the important three was another three points. Another climb up the table.
00:34:43
Zak
Oh, that was a good line, mate.
00:34:47
Zak
Even this late in the day, look at him, still a wordsmith.
00:34:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. why Well, that seems like as good as it's going to get from us this evening, so we better call it there. Zach, thank you very much for joining me for another chaotic late-night recording.
00:35:02
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:35:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you, everybody, for listening. and Thank you for all of your comments and all of your Your tweets, we love seeing them. Let us know your thoughts. Feeling good? Still recovering from the nerves of the second half?
00:35:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know in the comments, which we can see now on the socials, everywhere. We're on X, Blue Sky, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, absolutely everywhere. Hit us up. Let us know. We love hearing from you. We will be back tomorrow to talk more about Saints.
00:35:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
But until then, everyone, have a wonderful day, and we'll see you then.