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Episode 315: WE GOT A WIN! Matchday Review of QPR!
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Southampton – We got a win! The hard way sure, but a win none the less!
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Transcript
Southampton's Rare Win Celebration
00:00:15
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 joining me tonight for a very rare, positive, happy, late morning morning, Zach Ingo Finch. How you doing, buddy? You all right?
00:00:31
Zak
Mate, we won a game! yeah actually won a game! Another midweek game! The referees didn't help us win this time. it wasn't a last gasp goal from Stephens. It was two wonderful goals and then a horrific mistake and then about 20 minutes of my heart beating out of my chest.
00:00:51
Zak
Oh, good Lord.
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:00:52
Zak
What was that last quarter of an hour? That was awful.
00:00:55
Zak
But hey-ho. it's are you going to do?
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, look, we don't like to do things in comfort as Saints fans.
00:01:02
Zak
No.
Struggles and Achievements in Maintaining Leads
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's why we love the the game. I want to ask you about a stat you read me before we started recording, mate.
00:01:09
Zak
Yeah, so s as you said, we we don't like to do things easily. And Tom Murray from Radio Solent put that Tonda Eckhart is the first Southampton manager since Russell Martin to achieve a two-goal lead in a league game.
00:01:25
Zak
First time in over a year that they've had a two-goal lead in a league game. That is insane. thanks This is why we are struggle-busting, right?
00:01:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
maybe
00:01:38
Zak
If we cannot...
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Genuinely harrowing. And when you combine that with the stat they read out on Sky Sports on the commentary that when we were 1-0 up, that we had gone 1-0 up plenty of times this season, but had in fact not won a single one of those games.
00:01:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I guess it puts in perspective how how rubbish we've really been, right? Yeah.
00:02:01
Zak
Mate,
Confidence-Building Wins
00:02:02
Zak
it shows you what this... like we talked about like the how We keep talking about the hangover of last season and stuff, but it's not even like the hangover of last season. Despite all the new signings, it kind of just like dragged into this season and...
00:02:17
Zak
I'm just so happy we managed to get the win. i still kind of feel a little bit bad for Will still. You know, of it's the same game plan we've had every other time. The difference was Edwards has been swapped out for Stephens.
00:02:29
Zak
Baz has been swapped out for, you know, in McCarthy. And I guess Jay Robinson starting was probably something that was, you know, makes sense from an under-21s coach.
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Robinson and Fellows, both in the starting lineup, who haven't really been... but They've been involved, but they've not been in the starting 11s a huge amount. Maybe there's something to be said for that.
00:02:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:02:51
Zak
Yeah, but I also think that, you know, we we did see Fellow struggle a little bit playing sort of wing back because of that.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:02:59
Zak
Because, you know, we were all hoping for for four at the back, ended up being five at the back. But look, I'm not going to worry too much. Hopefully it's a confidence thing and we can use this to build confidence because, to be honest, I don't really care how we win.
00:03:14
Zak
we
Critique of Expected Goals (XG) Stats
00:03:14
Zak
we needed to get over this idea that we needed to win and flash and blue beautifully anyway because it's never going to happen and and and we need to we need to get those sort sort of wins. It was just the manner of which we did it was just enough to like wipe out everybody left, right and centre. Like I don't think I've ever seen so many stressed people and in the world.
00:03:33
Zak
It's just, like, no, it was boot the ball away.
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was no composure at all, was there? It just got to point where was just like, bang. And it's just like, man, like all of the criticism we've had at you for every single game all of the way up to this point is that you like to keep the ball too much.
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why don't you just go back and do some of that? Like, what are you doing? Why are we just all of a sudden just, whoop, off we go, straight back to QPR.
00:03:58
Zak
By the way, I would like to point out, you know how I get angry at XG all the time because it's a stupid useless stat.
00:04:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:05
Zak
We had 0.68 XG and QPR had 1.68, but we scored two goals and they scored one and
00:04:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But
Surprising Player Contributions
00:04:14
Zak
I hate that.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
with with good reason though, mate, because you look at where Sienza picks up the ball for that goal and need you know you tell me what percentage of players go on and score from that.
00:04:19
Zak
to To be fair, it was that it We haven't...
00:04:24
Zak
This is why it's useless. You can't...
00:04:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I make it i make it Sophie and Buffal once in his entire career
00:04:27
Zak
you can't
00:04:33
Zak
And that still required West Brom players to fall over themselves. Let's not forget that.
00:04:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:37
Zak
That's because the West Brom players wiped themselves out.
00:04:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, if we're only talking about players in a Saints shirt, Leo Sienza may be end of list.
00:04:46
Zak
like
00:04:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right?
00:04:47
Zak
But yeah but that's that's kind of my point though, right? Is that you can't unfortunately plan for like moments of magic like that.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate.
00:04:54
Zak
And that's what what it was. Like that second goal was, I'm tired of this now. i'm just going to put one away. And, you know, he deserves all the plaudits he's getting, to be honest.
00:05:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate. My... my My favourite part of that goal was just exactly how casual it was, right? There was no...
00:05:08
Zak
Oh, yeah, 100%. It was like, yeah, I was like, I would score that every single time, right?
00:05:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:13
Zak
Like, that's...
00:05:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:15
Zak
It's like you're watching Yander hit the post game after game after game, and then Sienza just does that, like, yeah, right? it was It was almost... this is the I reckon this to the kind of stuff that when Will Steele was talking about...
00:05:27
Zak
like oh They're great on the training ground. like Scoring goals like that, right?
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:31
Zak
But it
00:05:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
Impact of Leo Sienza on Team Dynamics
00:05:31
Zak
takes a special player and a team bereft of confidence to do that.
00:05:35
Zak
And he's got that personality where he has already become a cult hero.
00:05:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
100%.
00:05:39
Zak
like He's scrappy.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:41
Zak
He has personality. you know, we we saw that from when he first signed that he was quite happy to call out any of, you know, our own journalists who were like, well, you're talking to a guy that hates me.
00:05:52
Zak
So just so you're aware of that. And I'm like, nice, nice. He seems like he's got, he's got that fire in his belly and like, you know, to,
00:05:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:59
Zak
to go from, to see his story, i don't know if he'll be with us forever, and I don't want to think about that kind of stuff so early into the season and early into his Saints career, but like it is very much like, what a story from where he's come to to where he is now.
00:06:13
Zak
And we know we needed, I think, somebody like that after the departure of Matty. And also, I think we needed, considering Azaz is just not...
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just...
00:06:24
Zak
it's just fallen flat at the
00:06:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know
Challenges in Team Dynamics
00:06:25
Zak
moment.
00:06:25
Zak
and Having Sienza's just like, thank you for giving us something in this bleak time.
00:06:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's that... It's that Brazilian passion, mate. It runs in the blood. We saw it with Lianko, and if Lianko was 23% of the player that Sienzo was, we'd be having different conversation, wouldn't we? Like,
00:06:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
just all of the passion in the world. Unfortunately, nothing else to back that I love it.
00:06:46
Zak
he's been He's been really good at the players, that he he's at the teams he's been afterwards. But I will point out that they've been in both the Brazilian league and I think it was like the Qatari league maybe.
00:06:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love the passion that it brings. Leo's just been unbelievable, right? Just both the goals he scored, fantastic.
00:07:04
Zak
yeah
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
No notes, right?
00:07:09
Zak
Yeah, and he's and he said he scored...
00:07:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
he just...
00:07:10
Zak
Bear in mind, he scored previously, and it's kind of been undone by the fact that, you know, the whole thing fell apart. So it's not like he's done this in isolation. Like, this is kind of what we wanted from Fernandes last season, right?
00:07:21
Zak
Is more end product. And he seems to be able to do that. But he he is one of the few members of the team that seem to want to drive forward, right? And when the
00:07:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm
Chaotic Defensive Strategies
00:07:30
Zak
rest of the team won't do it, has just proceeded to do it on his own, okay?
00:07:34
Zak
Because, like, if I have to watch another... tick-tack, tick-tack, back passing. There were a couple of times where we managed to get ourselves into passing in between our own corner.
00:07:45
Zak
And I don't really understand why that was happening because did a car.
00:07:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It's just the entire first half, right? I mean, like, the fact that Jay Robinson's goal was the first shot on target from me, the team. Like, right? That says it all. But, look, you mentioned Fina Zaz, and I want to talk about him and a couple of the other individual performances. But first, let's let's have a little break, mate, and hear a word from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, mate. We are back. Right. Azaz has been a talking point for us, right? He's not... Seemed to have hit the ground running with us.
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did technically get an assist today.
00:09:02
Zak
Yeah,
00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, I mean, in the the loosest possible sense, right? it's Like, he passed it to Leo. Like,
Individual Player Performances
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
but I mean...
00:09:14
Zak
yeah it's it's difficult.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
what's What's gone wrong there? Why is he not... but What's going on?
00:09:19
Zak
again like
00:09:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
thought he was going to be this miracle sign in.
00:09:21
Zak
I'm pretty sure it's exactly what I've said, right? Which is the the confidence of the players around him have brought him down. Similar with Fellowes, similar, you know, it depends. Like when we talk about Leo Cienza, like you look at his, you know, I think doing the profile episode on him was great because you get an understanding of the fact that his his path through football has been very different to a lot of other players.
00:09:43
Zak
And he's he's very much like, you know, very much just sort of, I think he's just glad to like be here.
00:09:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:09:50
Zak
Like, it just seems to be, just seems to be like, I think it was, I think Eckhart said in his post-match conference, like,
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:58
Zak
Literally, yeah here it was. I think he doesn't have the career path that academy footballers often have, but you can see that every day and every moment, he just loves being at Southampton.
00:10:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:10:07
Zak
And like i don't I think you know he's somebody that clearly has been like waiting for his career to pop off. And what I see from Azaz is that the move to us was a very logical, okay, well, they're probably going go up to the Premier League and they're an ex-Premier League side. Let me move on to them. They've put in a big money offer for me.
00:10:28
Zak
and then has got into the atmosphere of trying to be like, hey, so what do we do if we allow to pass the ball there, Gaffer? And probably just been like, what? And that kind of drags you down a little bit.
00:10:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:10:40
Zak
so And also like age difference could make There's a lot of excuses that I'm giving because like I just can't understand, unless it's psychological reasons, why players are doing really well...
00:10:54
Zak
for like another team, as in like Fellows and Azaz, in the Championship, come into our team and for some reason start playing like the rest of our players that had the worst season of all time.
00:11:05
Zak
Unless it's the energy that they absorb around from other people. Whereas like Leo seems to kind of just create his own. And then, to an extent, even more... on that trail of thought, like you're looking at like Damien Downs and sort of him not having a good start, missing, like missing a sitter pretty early on people making their mind up at that point.
00:11:27
Zak
And then whenever he's come on since then, it's been to try and make a difference at the end where the services get is quite frankly, terrible. Like as said, they have a disservice today, but it was a ball to him that, that people will say, Oh, Downs should have done something.
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think... Oh, shocking ball. Yeah.
00:11:41
Zak
And it's like, was meant to do like triple the amount he's running. Like, good lord.
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
i yeah I think Downs looked sharp today, and I mean, it it still effectively amounts to to nothing, right? But
Team Confidence and Strategic Decisions
00:11:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
there are a few instances where I'm like, I'm seeing that he's doing the right thing and the players around him just aren't.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was one that springs to mind where like, even we've talked about like hold up play, not really being his core strength, but there was one that was like lumped up to him and he got hold of it and he went to like chest it down to a Rebo and a Rebo just like ran past it.
00:12:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are you doing? Like, you're just not helping.
00:12:17
Zak
And on that, yeah, that's that's a whole other quite conversation because like people have been talking about him coming back and you heard the songs being sung for him and then he's he's come on and it's like, okay, it's the hot and cold we saw of him since he's been in a Saint shirt.
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, a Rebo is another one, right? That's, uh,
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
it was that one moment It was that one moment that we both spotted that said it all for me, where I think it was Azaz again played a ball for him that was a bit heavy, but really he could have got to and he just and aegis just gave up and stopped running.
00:12:33
Zak
At the moment, it's very, very cold.
00:12:46
Zak
you could You could have charged it. You could have charged it down. Just went...
00:12:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm like, mate, you've been on the pitch like 10 minutes.
00:12:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Get up field and get at the ball.
00:12:53
Zak
Like, hey how are you knackered?
00:12:55
Zak
Like, this is and this is the thing.
00:12:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:57
Zak
and yeah okay, it's going to be something to with not having match fitness. But again, like, we don't know we don't know whose choices they were, right? Like, he got brought back in for Will Stills' game.
00:13:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:06
Zak
So I don't think it's entirely that. I don't really know what's going on behind the scenes. Like, I don't think we're ever going to know. That's just how football is. But... But yeah, it's you know I don't want to spend too much time criticising the team that just gave us our first win in forever.
00:13:20
Zak
Like, they had to fight to get that, and that meant kicking the ball...
00:13:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm.
00:13:23
Zak
It meant the last 15 minutes kicking the ball or heading the ball as far away from our net as possible in absolutely chaotic measures and dimensions and through the air and out for a corner, or in Baz's case, just holding onto it for about double the amount of time you were supposed to.
00:13:41
Zak
So... so
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was ridiculous. Like, we all know the rule. You can see the referee counting down his hands. Sky TV did an awful job of showing it because they spent the entire time panning around both sets of fans for seemingly no reason. Like, not even fans that were making noise. Just people stood there watching the game. I'm like, what are Just... Oh, I don't know. It's, uh...
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's good to get the window in it. It's so important.
00:14:08
Zak
I just i just think i think that's where it's at. like I can understand realistically. like you know we could We could go into the intricacies of the fact that we should have done better the first half.
00:14:19
Zak
We we've also shouldn't have to rely on an 18-year-old score our goals.
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:24
Zak
Adam Armstrong should be able to do that.
00:14:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He just brings the same energy that you were talking about with Leo, right?
00:14:27
Zak
But
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where he's, once he picks up the ball, he's just got that willingness to drive forward and do something with it. He also has a bit of the Tyler Diblin in him where he sometimes doesn't quite release the ball early enough.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But he's still one of the few players that just like, he's willing to go on and push forward and try and almost create something out of nothing and But you're right, Armstrong put it on on an absolute plate for him. and He had a beautiful touch. And man, it's great to see him get the goal, right?
00:14:59
Zak
Yeah, it was just it was just a really, really rough first 45 minutes because of all the interviews with the players and and it just felt more of the same. And like Armstrong coming out being, like, I think that the way that he has, the i don't know if you saw his statement when he was like saying, oh, we need to do better as like team leaders. And I'm like, we need to make sure we're putting in 100%. And the problem is, is like, I get where he's coming from. But the way that that reads is that we haven't been putting it 100% so far this season. You're like,
00:15:24
Zak
What do you mean? like i sorry That's the minimum expectation I expect for you to do on your job on a weekly basis when you are paying this much money, is to, for that 90 minutes, put in everything, right?
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:34
Zak
oh So, like, i but I feel like that's just his words being misconstrued. We still don't have this Romeo signing over the door, over the like, over the line yet that was supposed to be done by, like, today.
00:15:48
Zak
was supposed to be wrapped up Tuesday, and it's now Wednesday, so...
00:15:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're just... I mean, I'm hoping that they're just sitting on it to get all the proper pictures and get it all in, to have, like, all of the photos and interviews.
00:15:57
Zak
you reckon they just want to try... Is it that they just want to announce it Saturday? Like, because obviously, like, we talked about how how agents stuff can ruin things.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:07
Zak
You know, if if if we if it didn't get here, we go'd, and we didn't actually know about this, I'll see how since anything in this random, like... newspaper hadn't said much about it. Imagine how weird it would have been to be sat at St. Mary's, Greg, and at half-time they bring out Orio Romero.
00:16:22
Zak
And you're like, oh, that's nice. He's come to watch us play. And they're like, and also, he's signed a contract! like That would have just like absolutely turned the atmosphere.
00:16:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hey.
00:16:32
Zak
And...
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, it's the sort of buzz that Samary's could do with, that's for sure.
00:16:36
Zak
Yeah, 100%.
00:16:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:38
Zak
So whether or not it's like, you know, I think that everyone expects him to go in like like a pit bull just destroy the entire team. don't know if that's how it's going to work. He's a really, really nice guy, like thoughtful guy who, yeah, he's very, very sort of like that on the pitch, but I don't know if he would tear apart the players, but...
00:16:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. I did did see a quote from the Daily Echo today from... I can't remember which player it was, but it was one of his old teammates.
00:17:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
who was like, yeah, he's like that. Sometimes you have to and up arguing with him because he's happy to two foot you in training. He's 100% with whatever he does. So just up
00:17:13
Zak
Okay, well then, hopefully that's the case. But,
Importance of Victory for Morale
00:17:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
the level.
00:17:15
Zak
like, again, if it was about mentality, like, it still didn't feel like any...
00:17:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:23
Zak
other than like Leo scoring, right? It still didn't necessarily feel like any of the players like took, took proper control.
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:31
Zak
Like you didn't really see everyone, but I guess that's fine.
00:17:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:17:35
Zak
Cause that means everyone did their bit, even if most of that was booting the ball out or in that like five minute period where there were three yellow cards where, uh, you know, Yanda picked up a card for an actual fat, like a technical foul,
00:17:49
Zak
Wood picked up a card for a silly foul. Downs, I think, decided to make sure that everybody got paid out their bets today by arguing with the referee. I didn't see what that card was for.
00:18:00
Zak
It was really weirdly angled. Like, it was just, he had a conversation with the ref alongside Stevens, and then he was carded. But it wasn't, obviously, again, you pointed out, like, Sky loves to just randomly chop and change halfway through when you're trying watch something.
00:18:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. just Just genuinely awful coverage. Really upsetting. The the commentator called Buzunu Buzuma for the first half.
00:18:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh my god.
00:18:24
Zak
we've been that We've had this round before where you can tell when we're not the first on the foot like first on the bill, right? And also on top of that, you can tell when you've got the commentators that aren't fans of either team that are reading a fact sheet in front of them and have clearly read his name for the first time this season and didn't realise until somebody corrected him halfway through.
00:18:48
Zak
And I could have a go at that, but also, like, mate, we still can't pronounce the striker our under-18s, so who the hell are we?
00:18:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:54
Zak
Like,
00:18:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Sorry, mate. You mean Oya Kunle? Hmm. Hmm.
00:19:03
Zak
Well, we shouldn't be that proud of that, if I'm totally honest. But, you know, I just, yeah I think that, yeah, like the fact that we're laughing and we're joking is just, it's just such a mood change.
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:19:13
Zak
And it's so nice. Like the mood
Potential Managerial Changes and Future Outlook
00:19:15
Zak
switch from the weekend. It's just, you know, we're still not out of the woods. Like we still have no permanent manager. I've not only seen and some people be, so far though, the good news is that the consensus is every time anyone has said anything positive about Eckert, everyone's response is, don't say you want to hire him.
00:19:33
Zak
I don't know.
00:19:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, mate. Well, let's let's talk a little bit more about that and talk about our good vibes heading into the weekend and wrap up. But let's have a little break and hear a message from our partners at Zencastr.
00:19:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:20:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, mate. I don't know if you've seen this. it's It came out whilst we've been on air. Obviously, the press immediately asked on the record, hey, so how's that for a job interview? And his response was really plainly, just looking forward Saturday. Other than that, it's not mine, is it?
00:20:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
Fan Engagement and Atmosphere
00:20:32
Zak
Yeah, I mean, I very much doubt that they're looking into candidates in this than the other. And I think it's come out since then that Solek was the one that made the final decision on Steele. Apparently, Ankersen was there for some reason tonight.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:45
Zak
i So who knows how how how we're going to feel today.
00:20:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
basically the whole board were there right from what i can see
00:20:51
Zak
which is interesting because maybe if they turned up every week, it wouldn't have been, you know, they've been able to see and have a bit of, have a huge conversations and maybe give it the old Maracanis treatment, right?
00:20:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:21:02
Zak
Just come and, come and scream it with a ton of words. But the fear could do all of them. Although, I don't think they need any more of that. I think they they desperately need the fans. And the away fans were fantastic today. were all you could hear for the first hot like half.
00:21:16
Zak
They obviously got a little bit quiet towards the end. Not their fault, to be clear.
00:21:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, that's it.
00:21:21
Zak
It was just like, for the first time, Loftus Road in forever had like, oh, this is football happening.
00:21:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nervy.
00:21:27
Zak
But yeah,
Clarification of Rumors in Team Dynamics
00:21:28
Zak
so like another quote from him from Eke tonight was like, tonight everything from tomorrow onwards nothing because we have to confirm the biggest challenge from where we come from. We want to become a winning team.
00:21:39
Zak
And Jack Stephens has come out spoke to the media and as I said, like...
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:42
Zak
It's quite difficult that we haven't really had or seen the leadership that we would expect from, you know, the fact that we've had a lot of armour coming out and doing it all has said a lot.
00:21:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:21:52
Zak
Maybe there, as you pointed out before, maybe there was something to that, falling out with the captain and the manager. and
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, he's come out an explicitly he come out and explicitly denied it, right, in this press post-match presser.
00:21:59
Zak
Maybe Stevens feels like he could do.
00:22:06
Zak
Well, I've only seen half of it, so that's good.
00:22:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he says... Yeah, so he says, I'm open to criticism and opinions of me on the pitch, but when people question my character, that really hurts because it's so far away from the truth.
00:22:09
Zak
Yeah.
00:22:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
I had a great relationship with Will, and we still have a good relationship. Absolutely no issues, and hopefully that can squash all those horrible rumours because it's never nice when it's said about you. Hopefully
Euphoric Celebration and Hopes for a Turning Point
00:22:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
we can put that nonsense to bed.
00:22:29
Zak
okay, then we've got to take it at face value. and that's And that's what I'll take it at. It's like, look, it's it's just been...
00:22:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:37
Zak
it's it the The problem is it's hard to... It's been really hard to believe anything positive. right but
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:22:45
Zak
that's the problem and that's one of the that's why tonight is so important and it might have been scrappy it might have been grim it might have been the worst last 15 minutes of a game i've ever watched in my life but it got over the line that my prediction of 2-2 to draw was wrong your prediction of what 3-1
00:23:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Merle, I was so hopeful that Downs was just going to break away and bury it with his pace, especially when the keeper came up for him. I'm like, oh, this is it. This is the moment. We're going to break the curse properly, hit a decisive counterattack.
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
just It'll be limbs, head into Saturday, buzzing. but I mean, I'm still buzzing. it's just It was nervy and it was hard work, but we got it over the line. and like it feels like Feels like good thing, right?
00:23:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, Eckert, we talked earlier about the stats, right? About the first manager since Russell Martin to go two goals up and whatever. Also, he's now only one league win away from matching Will Steele's record, right?
00:23:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, that could come this week. There's another game. Hmm.
00:23:53
Zak
Yeah, just just I just hope it's the start of something and it's not just the collapse of everything, right? Like, ultimately, we've we've beaten a team that struggled and haven't got a win at home and seemed to be... That first 45 minutes showed you two really, really mid-teams that were really struggling with confidence that were playing each other.
00:24:13
Zak
And then we managed to...
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's a really nice PG translation of what I sent you at halftime.
00:24:18
Zak
Yeah, that is exactly a nice translation of what you sent me, mate.
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right. Hmm.
00:24:20
Zak
Yeah. So, yeah, to have to have the win is, I think, the most important thing. And it does only paper over the cracks. And, yeah, okay, it doesn't mean much at the moment.
00:24:32
Zak
But, like, man, man, was that, like, last, like, that final whistle euphoric for probably everybody involved. All the away fans that spent... God knows how much money going back and forth week in, week out, forever.
00:24:45
Zak
You know,
Concerns about Injuries and Performance Improvement
00:24:46
Zak
us who have had to part with a deluge of just absolutely torrid football for the last year or so.
00:24:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:53
Zak
It's just, well, it's just nice to take the win.
00:24:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
right I want to finish off with a thought about Leo Sienza, but I've just seen, bearing in mind we haven't had official confirmation of from the club on Oro Romeo, Jack Stephens telling the BBC, it's just brilliant, it's a no-brainer, he's such a brilliant footballer and such a brilliant person, I couldn't wait to see him on Monday when he came in, he's going to be so important for us.
00:25:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:25:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
a The cat is well and truly out of the bag.
00:25:25
Zak
That is...
00:25:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:25:32
Zak
Well, I don't know, you Greg, that's not proper. you reckon somebody you reckon nobody's told him it's not been properly announced yet? like
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:25:40
Zak
the The PR person told the other PR person to make sure all the players knew. And then they came and let the manager knew. And that manager got let go. And now nobody actually told him.
00:25:50
Zak
By the way, we've not announced it to the media yet. Because obviously all them are off social media. So that doesn't really surprise me.
00:25:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:57
Zak
But oh that's but's so funny.
00:25:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is so funny.
00:26:01
Zak
Right.
00:26:01
Zak
What a fantastic way to end.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, but just to before we finish, to bring it back to the game, how concerned are we about Leo hobbling off? Do you think he's going to be all right?
00:26:14
Zak
Well, we'll have to see what's said. He seemed to be celebrating at the end and actually happy. So that's a good start.
00:26:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:20
Zak
I feel like if he was devastated, he would have gone down the tunnel and you know, you received treatment immediately. It might just be that he stretched himself a bit much when he scored a wonder goal. And, a you know, I'm just hoping that it's not like when Ross Stewart scored two and then that was it.
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. think
00:26:35
Zak
that's That's what i'm hoping.
00:26:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. The
Optimism and Momentum for Future Success
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
curse of someone starting to play well at Southampton is you snap your hamstrings. I don't know.
00:26:41
Zak
Yeah, and there as long as, yeah, like, long may his reign continue, long may us get a win, hopefully in a more clear and clinical way going forward.
00:26:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:53
Zak
But, you know, it's just nice to get the win, mate. That's where I'm at.
00:26:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. And look, the joy of it all, Zach, is that, as I always say, the games come thick and fast, and tomorrow we get to think about the next one, right? it's It all comes back to St. Mary's and to see if we can really carry this momentum and get a nice home win.
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we'll talk about it at length tomorrow. That's it. That's all we've got time for tonight. Zach, thank you so much for joining me on this late night. Fun recording.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you, everyone, for listening.
00:27:25
Zak
Thank you, mate.
00:27:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
What did you think? How old nervous were you? Let us know on all the socials, in the comments. We're everywhere. We're on X, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Blue Sky, everywhere. Look us up. Hit us up. We love hearing from you.
00:27:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like I say, we'll back tomorrow. But until then, enjoy the win, everyone. Have a wonderful day. Come on, you saints.