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Episode 237: The plane to Spain!
121 Plays18 days ago
Southampton – We have the list of names on the plane and it looks... eerily familiar? We talk about that, Wrexham, familiar faces and much more!
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Transcript
Introduction and Personal Reflections
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott and as always joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
How you doing mate, you alright?
00:00:24
Zak
Yeah, that's too bad. I'm struggle-busting today a little bit. I had a wedding yesterday, today which was absolutely lovely. But like all weddings, it's kind of the day after you're very much like, oh, that socialization took me out a little bit.
00:00:37
Zak
Which is why we barely have been able to talk amongst ourselves about the topic we're about to chat about today. But I'm looking forward to it, so it should be go
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's
Southampton Squad Travels and Lineup Analysis
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
it. Well, we the team has travelled on the plane over to Spain and all those other rhyming words, apparently. that we have been We were told that we would get a clearer picture of what the squad might look like with this squad line-up for Spain. and Zach, you feel like anything's been cleared up?
00:01:08
Zak
it pretty much looks the same as it was before right like uh it i i i will admit the few conversations we did have yesterday because you sent me the the list of who was going on that plane and i sat there you know briefly and had a look was like i can't can't see who's missing i looked again looked again eventually was like wait isn't this just the same squad and you were like no yanny b's missing and i was like Well, that makes that makes a lot of sense. That makes why you not makes sure like sort of makes sense as to why he's not really been involved so far. And clearly, we're probably going to hear the news about that coming up soon, right?
00:01:46
Zak
But, yeah.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you would have thought so.
00:01:49
Zak
But other than that, is a isn't it almost the same as the other preseason far? three season so far
00:01:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, kind of. I mean, a couple of knocks apparently to Matsuki and Flynn Downs.
00:02:05
Zak
Dibbens as well, right? That's why Dibbens is not there.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Diblin, yeah, that's right. so some look Some interesting names on the list, right? Did anyone expect Ben Brown and Diaz to be in the picture?
00:02:16
Zak
just...
00:02:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Really?
00:02:17
Zak
After his performances so far in preseason, And... and Yeah, it's it's it's what's confused me. Like, I feel like if if the three the three young lads have been brought in place of the three lads that are out injured, realistically, this is not a hugely different, like, squad to the squad that's been involved pre-season so far.
00:02:41
Zak
So I feel like instead of providing clarity, if anything, it's raised more questions. Yeah. The fact that I don't know if by that there was meant to be more of a statement around who has been brought in the sense of things like Ramsdale and like Erivo and people that were kind of said to potentially be leaving.
00:02:59
Zak
So that's the only ones where I'm a bit like, hang on, this might be a bit sort of... It's just it's just baffling, mate. i'm just i just feel I feel more confused than before, right? That's that's where I'm at with the team sheet that's gone.
00:03:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It's like you say, it's just more of the same. don't,
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
dont know I don't know if it's clear at all. Maybe we'll we'll get that clarity with like the starting line-ups.
00:03:26
Zak
Thank you.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe we'll get something from the friendly that we're not expecting.
Fan Engagement and Ticketing Issues
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know That is today for £5 at 10 o'clock in the morning on Saints player, if that tickles your fancy.
00:03:41
Zak
Yeah, that's let's talk about that another time.
00:03:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
But...
00:03:44
Zak
i'm still ah ah You mentioned before, actually, no, we're going to talk about it now. I'm stressed about it. You mentioned it before, right? i As a season ticket holder, Greg, I think you should get more benefits.
00:03:55
Zak
And I think that a subsidized ability to watch the team during preseason... for like two quid or something like that, would be a nice benefit that they could add on that isn't really going to harm them.
00:04:05
Zak
Because I think that would probably encourage more people to watch it than people that wouldn't, right? Because I think Fiverr for 10am on a Wednesday is a bit bit steep, right?
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:04:17
Zak
Like I'd rather have a coffee is where I'm at. And i I mean that the nicest possible way because like it's a friendly game. It's not going to be you know, it's not going to be anything other than It's not going to be the highest quality of football.
00:04:30
Zak
I just think it's ah ah it feels a bit money grabby. That's where I'm at.
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much so. The same with the Espanyol game on Saturday. That's also being streamed on Saints Player at cost of £5.
00:04:43
Zak
Unless you're an Espanol fan, in which case you can get your tickets and go, which is a bit weird.
00:04:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's...
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. it sir It's baffling. Speaking of interesting, I guess... Moving a bit on.
00:04:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you see the Wrexham tickets have made it all the way to general sale?
00:05:03
Zak
Yeah, that's interesting.
00:05:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and I mean, seeing as how quickly we sold out games last season, are we a bit surprised by that?
00:05:14
Zak
Yeah, and no. i think obviously it's going to be a big game. They want to kind of maybe entice people back who would have maybe not wanted to go last season for understandable reasons. So, you know, putting out for general makes sense.
00:05:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's still quite a lot of tickets available. It's interesting.
00:05:39
Zak
Yeah, we'll go see. like Again, we did we did really well. We did really well on pre on on on season tickets, right? They banged on about this. They were like, we beat our record of the last summer in the championship and this and the other. But I still think they've got some convincing to do to win back the people that you know, if you go casually and you saw last season, I think that there are people that I know that are so checked out like They would call themselves a Saints fan, and then you ask them, and like you know i i one of my friends is like, i don't even know who Matty Fernandez is. And I, for starters, criminal.
00:06:09
Zak
second Second, it's because they are that checked out with the game that they aren't even... They're not even caring, not like wanting to go, not... you know And I think that they've still got to do a bit of work to win those people back.
00:06:21
Zak
But it is slightly surprising.
00:06:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I must stand slightly corrected because I hovered over the one section where there were quite a lot of tickets. There's 500 tickets.
00:06:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But actually the rest are sort of dribs and drabs. I would say there's less than a thousand tickets total left for sale.
00:06:36
Zak
Yeah, but again, like that's where I'm at, is it's convincing those sort of those final people. But it will probably sell out, and it will probably sell out sooner rather than later as people start to kind of tune in. and start you know i think people are starting to get excited again for football, and you know people are starting to forget. But there are going to be those people that I think it's going to take a while. It's going to take a couple of wins, and a lot of noise around the team before i think some people come back and whether or not you know you want to call those people glory hunters or whatever you know that is the reality of the people paid to come to be entertained not necessarily coming to is their gluttons for punishment like us right like you didn't see you know did you even manage to see a win at st mary's last season like you see the one
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah but Yeah, I was at the Everton game.
00:07:23
Zak
Right, and then, yeah, and all the games that I went to, you can see a win, but like, you know, I go to support my team, but, you know, I understand that there's people that that isn't how they interact with football, and maybe that'll be the case.
00:07:34
Zak
But I i have no have no worries that it's not going to sell out, put it that way. But it's interesting that there are, they they did kind of get general sale to the point that there was enough left, even by this point, because I'd have expected them to sell
Squad Lineup Trials and Player Fitness
00:07:47
Zak
out. But what do we know? We just switched to two lads chap that chat football, mate.
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it. Look, right. We've detoured massively from what our aim was to talk about.
00:07:55
Zak
yeah let's go back.
00:07:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let's get back to it. But first, a message from our partners at Bionique.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. So yeah, moving back to the the squad that have gone away, Zach. Do you think then that with that statement of it will become clear, do you think that the starting lineup he names today for this friendly is likely to be pretty close to where we're going to be come the Wrexham game?
00:09:01
Zak
I'm not entirely sure because we really... He kind of said he was going to try out some tactical things, right? So I'm guessing he's going to try some things out this week and see what is probably... like What is going to be the best thing he can take into the Wrexham game.
00:09:16
Zak
So it it could be that today's starting lineup and today's formation and the way that we play ends up being... how we play at Wrexham, but I'm not going to go out on a limb and be like, yes, it's definitely, because I think that there's still a couple of opportunities for him to decide how he wants to be.
00:09:32
Zak
But I think that of the personnel that we have, unless we're bringing in another midfielder, says a lot, but like one of the you know stranger things is if you count Kaya Sander as a twenty under 21, you've got Dylan Moody, who's and another goalkeeper.
00:09:47
Zak
So they've brought in essentially like a fourth goalkeeper, which you know we were talking about whether or not they've replaced goalkeepers, and they they haven't. Ramsdale has been brought... you know i did I'm kind of surprised by that because I'd expect him to kind of actively work on a move, but then nobody's really put a bid in for him yet.
00:10:02
Zak
And then you've got Cissé that's you know a midfielder. and that's all see you know so if you you're looking And you're looking at who's missing, and apparently that's all because of injury. So then I'm kind of trying to figure out if that's all because of injury, would they be additions to this squad?
00:10:15
Zak
or with or is there Or have there been people that have taken their place? So when you say Bereton Diaz is a surprise, is it because... you know Flynn Downs is out, so we brought in Bereton Diaz? Or is it a simple case that we have brought in the youth to replace those that are injured? And that's what I'm most sort of curious about, is when they say these three people have missed out, have other people taken their place?
00:10:38
Zak
Or would they have come in addition to what's in this squad? and i
00:10:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they will have been replaced because I think 26, which is the number they've named, is what they said would be the squad that's travelling. How much of a concern are these injuries this early on?
00:10:53
Zak
Well, no.
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Is this a sign that these players just aren't up to the physical ask that Will's demanding?
00:11:00
Zak
Not necessarily. like You can't necessarily control injuries. You can control it by fitness. But like we already saw that Matsuki has been quite physical. We've always known Downs to kind of, you know, recently gets a yellow card basically every single game. That's that's an ongoing joke.
00:11:15
Zak
a And Tyler Dibbling, I've no idea. He had an injury for a bit of last season. It might be that he partied a little too hard. But like I I would feel it would be doing them a disservice saying they can't handle it and that's why they've been injured.
00:11:31
Zak
like It could easily happen to any of these guys.
00:11:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:11:33
Zak
and yeah it You could put it down to maybe the conditioning is different. you know We don't know Matsuki was unknown to the Turkish league. That could have been a completely different change of pace to how...
00:11:44
Zak
he would have been training with the Southampton squad, you know, Downs has had injuries, you know, for throughout last season and ridiculous amounts of bouts of food poisoning until he changed his chef, right?
00:11:56
Zak
ah ah And so, youre so like, yeah,
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Was it but to chicken livers?
00:12:01
Zak
something Something uncooked and ridiculous that he kept eating and then kept making him sick.
00:12:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or something stupid?
00:12:07
Zak
But it's like, you know, maybe maybe the physicality is the reason that it's happened. The way that they kind of described them the week before the training camp was a bit sort of like, oh, that's just a small thing.
00:12:22
Zak
I'm very surprised they're now missing out on a whole week because of it, because that feels slightly more like it's, you know, it's not just a small thing.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:12:30
Zak
And it will would be interesting if all of a sudden we find out Matsuki goes on loan, if we find out that someone's putting a bid for Flynn elsewhere. and of course Dibbling goes, then maybe we'll realise that the injuries weren't really injuries as much, but also I can't really see that happening.
00:12:47
Zak
I'm happy to be corrected. But yeah it just seems a bit... It seems like if the whole thing was supposed to provide more clarity... by providing we we were course sort of umbing and ahhing about who was going to be kept and who we're going to try and sell and it feels like the clarity is by the way this is the squad for next season now get used to it is it just that we have to like it and lump it and there are going to be players there that we personally don't think are good enough but we just need to get over that because they are going to be the players we have available somebody was talking on twitter about how like
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:17
Zak
you know, oh it's it's ridiculous. we've We've got, the squad looks basically exactly the same as the the squad before. And it's like, well, yeah, no one, and then and it made and that also made the point that it's like, nobody wants to buy them. And I'm like, well, yeah, so how are they going to go? They're all under the contract, you know?
00:13:33
Zak
so maybe it is just, we're having to make the best with who we have.
Young Players and Squad Depth
00:13:37
Zak
Yeah. Yeah, ah it's it's kind of maybe it's just a bit of a a tougher reality pill to swallow, right? That, okay, you're right. This is actually our squad.
00:13:47
Zak
Does this squad still do really well in a championship? Yeah, probably. so I guess this we can only deal with lots of developers.
00:13:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's going to be there it's going to be really interesting to see what comes out of these friendlies. And, you know, we'll be watching with bated breath, I guess, to to see how they play out, how they go. well The problem is you can't read a lot into preseason.
00:14:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
One name that we've not really talked about this season, but I think we probably thought was going to be a slightly bigger part of this season, or maybe hoped, is Dom Ballard.
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's see.
00:14:21
Zak
Yeah, that's... I think the...
00:14:24
Zak
Is he just not ready for the squad? Is that what people think? Is that what Stilwell thinks?
00:14:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, possibly.
00:14:29
Zak
Is it, you know, is it he wants more...
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, what, he went out on loan last season, right?
00:14:31
Zak
and Yeah.
00:14:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
To a League 1 club? And didn't score and then came back? Is that right?
00:14:41
Zak
ah ah remember I remember... If I remember rightly, he came back to to injury. Yeah.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:14:45
Zak
Let me just double check entirely. So yeah, went on. So August, 2024, went to Blackpool and then he was sidelined for several weeks and was recalled.
00:14:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's right.
00:14:53
Zak
And then he went out to Cambridge and then scored, yeah, scored for them.
00:14:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:14:58
Zak
But yeah, like when you're looking at, you're looking at numbers, you know, in sort of three loans he's had, you know, 10 appearances for Reading, 18 appearances for Blackpool, 17 Cambridge,
00:15:12
Zak
He scored three for Reading, one for Blackpool, and two for Cambridge. So six goals out of 47. ah ah you And then, you know, we have up front, we have Armstrong, who as much as we thought wasn't going to go anywhere, looks like he's probably staying, regardless of how well he did with West Brom, was our top scorer for the championship season.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:15:33
Zak
You've got Stuart, who had...
00:15:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Scores goals in the championship for fun, historically.
00:15:37
Zak
Yeah, you've got Stewart, who wants to make a name for himself. He did all right for Sunderland, has had a really rough season and a half. If he disappeared and transferred, would be the end of it.
00:15:49
Zak
But he's not. He's here. You've got Archer, who has been really, really sharp in pre-season.
00:15:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Prolific, would say.
00:15:56
Zak
yep, we've just bought a new striker, an American striker, Downs.
00:15:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:02
Zak
And as much as we don't like the fact that Ben Brereton-Diaz realistically is more of a striker than anything else... he's there too? Do we need like a sixth, seventh person to potentially...
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah no
00:16:14
Zak
And that's the problem. and That's the reality of the situation. I don't think i think it's just that there is a lot of competition in in place for that. They don't want to take the risk, which is why they've bought an extra player. and It's now time that they're investing into their previous you know investments. and you know Unfortunately, that means that some people are going to miss out. If this was you know if he had the same sort of level of profile in sort of the midfield and defence, would he maybe get more of a go Maybe, but unfortunately his position is striker and we are about to go into a season where it is going to be incredibly important that we, that we, you know, win games and score goals.
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's an interesting demonstration how the step up from the the youth team to the men's team, even at the lower levels, is a difficult step up.
00:16:53
Zak
And,
00:17:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not a clear-cut transition.
00:17:03
Zak
No, but he's also 20. Like, I understand that people, i know that he's been around and people have expected him to be knocking on the door since he was sort of 18.
00:17:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:11
Zak
There are some players that developed significantly earlier. There are some players that developed later. You know, you look at the someone like Wayne Rooney coming through at 16 and then his career is much shorter than most people thought. And then you've got sort of, you know, some players start a little bit later.
00:17:24
Zak
i don't think it means that it's the end of his career at Saints. But I think that for the level that we want to have players at, clearly they just don't think he's not there.
00:17:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's not there yet.
00:17:32
Zak
And that's not that's not a criticism.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:17:35
Zak
That's just a reality.
00:17:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Okay. I've got another talking point to bring up. But first, a message from our partners at Zencastr. Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform.
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zencastr 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.
00:18:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:18:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and we are back. Another name to mention at the training camp, Zach.
Oriol Romeu's Visit and Nostalgia
00:18:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Aurel Romeu, back in the building.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
the paying a visit to the team, which was not love nice to see.
00:18:24
Zak
He lives up the road.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:26
Zak
He lives up the road, fair play.
00:18:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Literally walked in with his dog and his kid. love it.
00:18:30
Zak
Yep, exactly.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's brilliant to see.
00:18:32
Zak
It's lovely to see. it's It's very sort of reminiscent of other players that have done that. Like when Yoshida came back last season, I think there's a photo of him and like Jack Stevens and Smallbone and McCarthy and all sort of players he's played with, which obviously, that you know they probably had a nicer catch up because bear in mind, it must be a bit weird for like Downs who's just started and it's like, look, it's Romeo.
00:18:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:18:51
Zak
And it's like, yep, ah sure.
00:18:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, the interaction the interaction I saw was very respectful.
00:18:55
Zak
He sure is a guy.
00:19:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, hi, nice to meet you. So it was it was interesting, but but well handled. but
00:19:05
Zak
but Yeah, but they're like it's one of those things where immediately Nostalgia Bates kicked in and you've got two camps, right? You've got the people that are like, oh no, it's just going to be full of people sort of wanting, you know, I think it was no context Saints posted, you know, two fans that equally have valid opinions. One being, I'm really, really annoyed that now what i'm going to see is bringing home memes and the next guy being like, we should break the wage structure to bring Romeo home.
00:19:30
Zak
and And that's just us as a fan base.
00:19:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
right
00:19:34
Zak
We have an obsession with past players.
00:19:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, here's a newsflash on Romelu, guys. He has gone home. He literally signed for his homegrown hometown football club. Like, he doesn't get more home than that.
00:19:45
Zak
do
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:50
Zak
oh
00:19:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, Oriol Mbale was a fantastic servant to the club, an absolute beast in holding midfield. Loved the man to bits. He's not going to come back and play for Saints.
00:20:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we need him? Probably not anyway. We've got a couple of holding midfielders. It's good to see him back as a visit.
00:20:08
Zak
but It it would have would have been lovely. would have been lovely.
00:20:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's lovely to see him back with a visit. but that that's all there is to it.
00:20:16
Zak
here is one...
00:20:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's no other... like It's not 2018 anymore, guys.
00:20:24
Zak
he is one, Greg, that if he did come back, I don't think I would i would be i' be disappointed. But I agree that we do need to take the goggles off a little bit.
00:20:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, but you've got to remember, Zach, that you wouldn't be disappointed if we fielded a team that consisted of Dusan, Tagic, Graziano, Pella, Maya, Yoshida, and Oriel Romelu.
00:20:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... but
00:20:43
Zak
fact you missed one out there, mate, is very upsetting.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, you understand what you mean, but also... Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:48
Zak
And Big Vic. Don't you forget Big Vic. You're right. No, you are right. This is the problem, is that I am also part of the problem. And I'm very, very aware of that.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:56
Zak
You can tell that because I've done some 100% nostalgia-style episodes looking back at some of the careers of some of the players.
00:21:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:03
Zak
and ah ah you know but But, yeah, you're right.
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Put it this way, Oriol Romelu, as a fantastic player, is closer to playing games for the Saints-Legends team than he is to playing for the Saints-Fertie.
00:21:05
Zak
It's not...
00:21:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:21:16
Zak
Mate, you try to see he's getting on a bit. That's not fair.
00:21:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, he's, what, 36? Something like that? Like...
00:21:25
Zak
You're right.
00:21:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
stop It's not... ah It's a young man's game these days, mate. Like, it's not...
00:21:30
Zak
This is true, but the idea that, you know, the idea that you're going to calm the...
00:21:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've done him a disservice. He's 33, but I mean...
00:21:36
Zak
Yeah, you'll cut you the thing is, is it's it's like a couple of players like that, right? Where we thought they were going in past their prime, and it's because they were but we were like, oh, they're past their prime now. And it was like they were approaching 30.
00:21:48
Zak
Like, Tajic was like the same, Romain was the same.
00:21:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:52
Zak
They went, and yeah, like...
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is old age in football terms.
00:21:57
Zak
It's just...
00:21:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Unless you're a goalkeeper, apparently.
00:21:58
Zak
the
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Goalkeepers can, you know, seem to outlast the rest.
00:22:03
Zak
it's It's one of those things where you can he's not going to fit into the scouting profile, right? And unless he had a really nostalgic owner that turned around to Spores was like, you need to sign this guy.
00:22:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
right Yeah.
00:22:15
Zak
Or like the like the stories of, was it Sparky was talking about how like the the owner liked Vestigard because he was tall, and then like the next day turned up and Vestigard was signed and was like, what?
00:22:26
Zak
Like that doesn't, that isn't how we we're running the club currently. And like, you can tell that by all the transfer links.
00:22:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. No.
00:22:31
Zak
I just don't think it's going to be like that anymore. if If we would have already seen it, you know, we, we are the ones people like us, Greg, unfortunately the people that, because we talk about, we perpetuate the rumors, the rumors that circulate and people like Danny Ings still get linked to us a hundred years down the lines.
00:22:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
nine
00:22:46
Zak
None of this is coming from the club or anyone around the club. This is all coming from us because we see a picture of Romeo.
00:22:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:22:52
Zak
We go, I love Romeo.
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:54
Zak
Wish he would come back because we want to remember a better time.
00:22:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Also, was like a prospective signing that was coming in for like a and contract negotiation because it's like up for debate and we might like steal him from his his literal hometown club that he's gone, you know, to finish his career with.
00:23:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
if If that was the case and that was why he was there at the training camp, they don't post it all over social media.
00:23:21
Zak
I also think, mate, that like, regardless, you know, you don't you don't bring you don't bring your like your dog and your kid to an interview, right?
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:23:28
Zak
It doesn't matter what type of interview it is, but it overweighed.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. You know you don't strike me as the sort of person that might, so I didn't want to throw that one out there.
00:23:36
Zak
I'm overweight seeing it him sort of embrace Armstrong and Jack Stevens that lot. It brought a tear to my eye, mate, and it was beautiful to see.
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:43
Zak
And regardless of, you know, all of the ridiculous sort of digging into, oh I wonder who they've brought with it. It was just like, it was just nice to see a bit of positivity come out of the camp in general and come out of Saints for the first time in a long time.
00:23:57
Zak
Even if it now means we got a part with, we should re-sign him for the next week. It's fine, I'll take it.
00:24:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:02
Zak
But what a strange couple of days, mate, eh?
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's it. And look, by the time tomorrow comes, we'll have whole friendly match to talk about. Can you believe it? Like, football's inching closer and closer, right?
00:24:12
Zak
Right, so but before we...
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:24:15
Zak
it is. a Before we...
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, 19 days until the Wrexham game, by the way. Like,
00:24:21
Zak
Get in there, mate. Right, before before we we we tidy up, as as obviously you do a lot of asking the questions, I just want to say, is there any names in that sheet that really surprise you?
00:24:32
Zak
And is there any names in that sheet that you're really happy with? And again, my big surprise, Berit and Diaz, I'm happy with.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:38
Zak
I'm happy to see Kaya Sander there. I'm happy to see a Dozie still here. And also, I'm looking forward to this being Jay Robinson's like proper breakout season. That's my my little ones.
00:24:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, the the inclusion of Ryan Fraser is a bit surprising to me. i thought maybe, even with his inclusion in pre-season, thought maybe his race was kind of run with us. But, you know, he seems to be doing bits and getting involved. He definitely sort of showed himself up better than Brody Diaz.
00:25:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But look, a front ah front line of Dozie, Archer and Stewart. with Armstrong to come on, or, you know, with Armstrong in the mix to change it up as a sub.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's some pretty exciting sounding stuff, right? And that's without even seeing, you know, Damien Downs.
00:25:30
Zak
Yeah, was gonna neither of us mentioned our new sign-up!
00:25:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. hello but like that's such I'm excited to see what comes from him, but, like, just already without throwing him into the mix, that's an exciting forward lineup for a championship team.
00:25:42
Zak
There's stuff there, right?
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, there's there's goals in that lineup.
00:25:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
we're going to score a lot of goals this season, I think.
00:25:50
Zak
I really hope that's the case.
00:25:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just whether we can concede less. That's...
00:25:53
Zak
I really hope that's also the case.
00:25:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... I think that a lot of our games going to be really entertaining for the neutral, put it that way.
00:26:03
Zak
That should be, well, for all of those people that are willing to pay the 97 different subscriptions you need, I'm sure that's going to be great.
00:26:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's only one in the championship, isn't it? It's just Sky Sports. That's why it's a better league, mate.
00:26:14
Zak
This is also true.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like... Just Sky Sports and you listen on on Radio Solent and it's just the best league in the world, isn't it? It's competitive till the end.
00:26:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to win all 46 games.
00:26:29
Zak
there it is. here it is i I've accidentally given you too much positivity again, so with that, mate, we should probably end it before your delusions go completely off the rails.
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's coming.
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
like That's it. Look, can't wait for us to lose in our friendly today and bring me thumping back down to a
00:26:44
Zak
Oh, dear.
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
hey But look, that is all we've got time for today. We will be back tomorrow. Thank you very much for joining us. What do you make of the squad? Let us know on all of the socials.
00:26:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, X, Blue Sky. Drop us a comment. Let us know. Is there someone that was dropped that you would have taken? Or are there players that we've taken that you wouldn't?
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let us know. We love to hear your feedback. We will back tomorrow, like i say. But until then, have a wonderful day.