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Episode 439: Matchday Review: Besting Boro to take it to Wembley!
106 Plays1 day ago
Southampton – With all the emotions out of the way and a chance to reflect on the game we sit down and go through a proper match review!
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Transcript
Introduction to the Daily Saints Pod
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg and as always today, once again joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach. How doing mate?
00:00:24
Zak
Yeah, the dust has settled on yesterday. the emotions have calmed down.
Post-Game Reflections and Analysis
00:00:30
Zak
We've all had slightly more sleep. At least me and you have had sleep.
00:00:35
Zak
And now we're here to talk about, you know, the actual meat and bones of the game rather than just like the emotions of it, which, you know, isn't the most flashy and exciting thing apparently.
00:00:37
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:00:49
Zak
But I think we wanted to like at least spend some time focusing on, right?
00:00:52
DailySaintsPod
Absolutely, because at the end of the day, the football is why we do
Lineup Surprises: Charles vs. Downs
00:00:55
DailySaintsPod
it. It's what we love.
00:00:56
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:00:57
DailySaintsPod
So look, let's start at the start as we try to do with these reviews, Zach. And three changes in the team lineup.
00:01:07
DailySaintsPod
We expected Matski to come in for Fellows and Stuart to come in for Laren. I'm not sure we thought that Downs wouldn't start and that Charles would.
00:01:19
Zak
that That was a surprise. I'm not going to lie.
00:01:23
DailySaintsPod
m
00:01:23
Zak
i don't know if it was just fresh for for later, keeping him... yeah I don't know if there was a a potential look into the fact that we might end up an extra time.
00:01:36
Zak
It was a surprising one. I'm not going to lie. That was the one that really kind of threw me. And to be frank, you know, shay Charles stayed on the pitch and then scored the winner.
00:01:46
Zak
So not the worst thing in the world, but like, yeah, it just threw me off.
00:01:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I mean, look, I think, I think, I think, I think Charles is an excellent player and, you know, by any right should be in the starting lineup. It's not slight on him at all. It's just how pivotal we know that Flynn can be as part of our team.
00:02:03
Zak
especially this season as well, right?
00:02:05
DailySaintsPod
m
00:02:06
Zak
Especially under record.
00:02:06
DailySaintsPod
But,
00:02:07
Zak
Yep.
00:02:09
DailySaintsPod
but But as is the way, I looked at it and I went, oh, that's a bit odd. But in Tonda, we trust because that's that's kind of been the name of the game with with what he's done for this run, to be honest.
00:02:23
DailySaintsPod
So, yeah I mean, it was a bit odd. The other changes, of course, exactly what we guessed. So no real surprise whatsoever.
00:02:30
Zak
yeah No, no, nothing nothing shocking. i I think the only thing I was kind of surprised by is if stephen was f Stevens was fit enough for the bench, I'm surprised didn't start this game or even take part in it.
00:02:41
Zak
I don't know if it was just that he still actually got an injury and the bench was just more to have him there better than anything else.
00:02:46
DailySaintsPod
I think that it was more of a token inclusion, if I'm honest. Yeah.
00:02:51
Zak
Interesting.
00:02:52
DailySaintsPod
I don't know. But also in this game, you know, if you're coming back to fitness and you've got the the sort of rust to shake off, is there any point in this particular game with these particular stakes where you can risk being half a yard off the pace?
00:03:09
Zak
you They brought on Wellington, mate.
00:03:09
DailySaintsPod
Right? Like...
00:03:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, in the 119th minute. like
00:03:16
Zak
Yeah, but that's that's my point. you know if you you can You could make that argument, you know but you could have potentially brought Stevens on at the 119th minute for either of the centre-backs. But yeah, I guess it is what it is ultimately, and hopefully he'll be fit for the the final if he plays.
00:03:35
Zak
Simple as that.
00:03:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, yeah, indeed.
Player Performance and Mistakes
00:03:38
DailySaintsPod
But not to slight Nathan Wood because don't think he had a particularly bad game.
00:03:40
Zak
Aye, not at all.
00:03:43
DailySaintsPod
i see I've not... Yeah, it's...
00:03:48
Zak
He is one that gets a lot of a lot more stick, I feel. I'm not really quite sure why. i think, obviously, there have been mistakes and bits and pieces, but ultimately, i think that... I guess what it is, is I think that Manning probably makes more defensive mistakes than him, but it is makes it up makes up for it by scoring goals and assisting quite a lot of goals as well. And I think that maybe because...
00:04:09
Zak
he doesn't have that cushion to fall back on He seems to get a bit more of the flack, right?
00:04:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and definitely as the game sort of went on and we got into the later stages, even in the last stages of 90 minutes, you could tell that Wood was getting tired, that he was struggling to even pass the ball properly. It was it was like notable.
00:04:34
DailySaintsPod
to me that the energy level was just not there and was just not able to to be put through the game so guess that's something to keep an eye on you know potentially heading into another game that could also go 120 minutes right it's not not guaranteed 90 so hmm
00:04:53
Zak
Yeah. I mean, and again, like we' we've struggled against Hull this season. They've done the double over us, so they're going to be going into the game with a lot of confidence.
00:05:00
DailySaintsPod
a
00:05:03
Zak
But we're going to need to make sure we put the the fittest squad out and make sure we manage that, especially as we don't know how quickly all of that can unfold.
00:05:13
DailySaintsPod
Indeed. Right, moving on to the game then.
Middlesbrough's Strong Start
00:05:16
DailySaintsPod
Obviously, Middlesbrough came flying out of the gate to us and scored in the first five minutes. And I mean, even before before that, in the opening of minutes, they it had been basically been all borough, right?
00:05:30
DailySaintsPod
They were coming. That was their second or third chance.
00:05:31
Zak
Oh, yeah. It...
00:05:35
Zak
It was sort of almost frustrating screaming, sort of keep the ball. And they seem to just not quite manage to do that for, but they yeah, they just they were just all over us completely and utterly.
00:05:48
Zak
And obviously this time they they managed to take one of their chances. I think they would probably just lament the fact they didn't take more. Yeah.
00:05:57
DailySaintsPod
And I thought it was a very clever finish, very nicely placed, horrible to to watch, obviously, as a Saints fan, because it just kind of P-rolls in.
00:06:04
Zak
Oh, yeah. Horrible.
00:06:09
DailySaintsPod
There was just nothing it seemed anyone could do about it. but
00:06:12
Zak
That it was like by the time Peretz noticed it was there, it was in the net.
00:06:15
Zak
So...
00:06:20
DailySaintsPod
you you know, we've conceded a few goals where it's like, oh, we're just we just closed them down quicker. But even in this one, like, there are are two players immediately stepping out to close him down.
00:06:32
DailySaintsPod
It's just one of those things. It was the the sort of perfectly weighted shot to just lift it around the leg of I think it was Stewart that was coming in for the block and just, yeah, neatly tucked in the corner.
00:06:45
DailySaintsPod
And then the way I kind of felt and remembered after the game, the rest of the first half also, we were under the cosh, but actually having watched back the highlights now, obviously we went basically straight up the other end of the pitch and nearly put it in their net with Ross Stewart, an excellent delivery from Manning.
00:07:06
DailySaintsPod
And the chance where I was already celebrating, I was already off my feet.
00:07:10
Zak
Yeah, that was the one.
00:07:10
DailySaintsPod
I was jumping. And it's just, I guess, really unlucky. I'm still not entirely sure how that went to the outside of the post.
00:07:21
DailySaintsPod
Just almost like connected with it too much, I guess.
00:07:26
Zak
Yeah, it just wasn't to be, was it? That's kind of the only way that I can explain it.
00:07:31
DailySaintsPod
no and And then we we did sort of kick on and and have a few other chances in that half. right It was definitely a more balanced first half than we saw in the first leg at Middlesbrough. There was a lot more end-to-end stuff.
00:07:51
DailySaintsPod
we They had a couple of half chances. We had a couple of half chances. But But it was, i mean, it was it was a solid half from from both teams, right?
00:08:02
DailySaintsPod
It was just like a a good game all around.
00:08:02
Zak
Yeah.
00:08:06
Zak
We had a tie, put it that way. Like we we really, in comparison to, you know, The other game where Millwall kind of got beaten, just got beaten, we we we fought one of the hardest battles I've ever seen for at St Mary's.
00:08:20
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:08:20
Zak
And yeah, with everything else that went on, obviously it fired everything up and raised tensions massively. But the the noise from that first goal will probably stay with me for for a long, long time.
Ross Stewart's Role Amidst Injuries
00:08:31
Zak
because, you know, from, you know, Ross Stewart, and I'm just really happy for him considering the injuries that he's had and the fact that he's been able to play what I consider to be an integral piece of the puzzle this season, especially where, you know, he he started that to do that under still, right?
00:08:31
DailySaintsPod
Mm-hmm.
00:08:50
Zak
And then obviously, unfortunately, had another pretty pretty bad injury, but has come back into the side and and very much cemented his place as one of our, you know, goal-scoring strikers, a thing that we've we begged out for the whole of last season.
00:09:02
Zak
And it will be interesting to see what happens with his contract situation at the end of the season.
00:09:12
Zak
Yes.
00:09:17
DailySaintsPod
like starts from the club of we just need to see where we're at before we commit to any next season stuff. We've got focus on the task at hand, which, you know, is is is fine, I suppose. It is what it is. But yeah, would say on the whole, although it was a much more balanced half than than the first leg, Middlesbrough, I think, was still the the the better of the teams in the second in the first
First Half Analysis and Equalizer
00:09:42
DailySaintsPod
half.
00:09:43
Zak
Yeah, I agree with that.
00:09:43
DailySaintsPod
but But crucially, I think, we we, like I say, we still got that header scrappy goal from a corner, but, you know, we piled on at the far post. I was watching YouTuber earlier, whose name I will find momentarily, who did an excellent breakdown of the game and was saying that actually it's so clear why Southampton are good at set pieces.
00:10:06
DailySaintsPod
It was Jacob Horsall, I think we've talked about the channel before.
00:10:09
Zak
Yeah, he's told he's talked he talked about the tactical revolution under Ecker earlier in the season.
00:10:10
DailySaintsPod
And
00:10:14
DailySaintsPod
yeah he was saying, like, it's no surprise, although it looks scrappy, it's it's very deliberate. that There are four Saints players who have crowded towards that back post who are all jumping to win that header for the second ball.
00:10:27
DailySaintsPod
and And that's why it ends up in the goal. And I think i think it was vitally important that that equaliser came before halftime because I think you could see... you could see the game plan. Middlesbrough what happened in the first leg. They knew that they were going to tie and we were going to come back.
00:10:45
DailySaintsPod
And so they were hoping that they could get one, maybe hopefully even two goals and then just stick 11 men behind the ball and defend. But because we got that equalizer in the first half, it meant they couldn't come out in the second half and do that.
00:11:00
DailySaintsPod
And,
00:11:13
Zak
You know, at one point, their goalkeeper, you know, the ref had a word of their goalkeeper for keeping it a little bit too long. Something that we ourselves would later get carded for, you know, in the closing but minutes of the game.
00:11:22
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. I mean, in, in the first half, the time wasting was egregious, right? It
Time-Wasting and Referee Decisions
00:11:28
DailySaintsPod
was, it was noticeable. It was long. And I like, even the later in the game, one all right. The, the thing, the controversy that we talked about with the ball boy,
00:11:41
DailySaintsPod
let's not forget that started because Matt target threw a ball away because he was trying to waste some more time, which, you know, it is what it is. And like, to be fair, it is frustrating and infuriating as it has happening in the game, but credit to the referee where it's due, we got six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half.
00:12:01
DailySaintsPod
And that felt right how much time wasting there had been.
00:12:03
Zak
yeah
00:12:03
DailySaintsPod
And, But yeah, we we get into the break level and, you know, despite the nerves and the tension, do it it always felt like the second half was going to go more our way because it felt like the same template that we'd set up.
00:12:22
DailySaintsPod
in that first leg, right? We knew that we had the fitness advantage.
00:12:25
Zak
Yes.
00:12:28
DailySaintsPod
We have better depth off of the bench, I would say. We knew that, you know, something was... We were going to be pushing for it. And because, you know, they were going to have to play at us and not be able to sit and defend, it was...
00:12:40
DailySaintsPod
We were going to be able to get in and get those chances. So...
00:12:44
Zak
I'll tell you what, though, I was i was surprised to see Sienza then come back out after being clattered the first half. And, you know, I understand he was going down easy. Part of that also makes me think it might have just been because of the injury he was carrying for a vast majority of that game. And I will be
Injury Concerns During the Game
00:12:59
Zak
waiting in anticipation to see what the outcome of that is, right? Because we haven't heard anything yet about pretty much any of the players. Because, like, Adozi, I think you were pointing out, his arm was always looking the wrong way at one point.
00:13:10
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I mean, it yeah, it was just, it was hanging limp when he when he was being treated by the the physio.
00:13:11
Zak
Yeah, yeah.
00:13:15
DailySaintsPod
and to To me, that is, that's a shoulder that's come out of his socket.
00:13:16
Zak
But... Yeah...
00:13:19
DailySaintsPod
And it's, which is some unfortunate.
00:13:19
Zak
yeah
00:13:22
DailySaintsPod
in fact, my sister-in-law turned to me in the game and was just like flashbacks of the last playoff final when Brooksy ended up trying to lift the trophy in a sling. Like...
00:13:32
Zak
yeah i almost said you know Yeah, you're right. That's mad. I did forget that he picked up that injury in that in that game. Either way, I was extremely surprised to see him come out for the second half because he didn't he was able to run and he he must have fought through some some quite severe pain to be able to do all of that, to be perfectly honest.
00:13:41
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:13:53
Zak
But I'm you know i i'm guessing he he wanted to play on and they had the faith in him to be able to do it.
00:13:54
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:13:58
Zak
I just hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the the latter half, right?
00:14:02
DailySaintsPod
That's the thing, right? And because there was there was chatter around me and we were talking about it and that it was surprising that we didn't make really any of the changes as early as you would have expected, right? So we we come out in the second half and we we seem to be have the better of the chances.
00:14:20
DailySaintsPod
Manning puts one just wide, right? I think it was side oh it was the deflection off of Aelin that nearly... I mean, my sister-in-law, I saw her arm go up to celebrate because she thought it was in from where we were sat, like the opposite side of the goal. But, you know, then, then you know, we catch them on the break again, right? This Stuart with an excellent piece of hold-up play, this is the penalty shout where where Leo gets pulled down. Yeah.
00:14:51
DailySaintsPod
And on the replay, I mean, on the video replay, it looks more of a penalty to me now than it did in the stand. Because I said to Darren Wynn, is he falling over? He just needs to get the ball and shoot. He's one-on-one. Like, he can finish in that situation so well. He's just gone down so soft. It's frustrating. but Yeah, yeah don't I don't know. I would say, of all of the penalty shouts in the game, that was the least penalty.
00:15:21
Zak
Yeah, that's something it does ramp up, I'm not going to lie.
00:15:24
DailySaintsPod
But I've seen lots of neutrals saying probably should have been two penalties each. So...
00:15:30
Zak
Well, yeah, they want the ref wanted to keep the flow of the game going, you know, especially is the the other problem that you've got is that the instant there's a shout, the entire team jumped on him, especially with us being in home fans, meant that the entirety of the stadium jumped on him as well.
00:15:43
Zak
so like, I can kind of get it.
00:15:44
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:15:46
Zak
i also partly agree that potentially having VAR has maybe made Premier League refs more reliant on it than they should be.
00:15:55
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:15:55
Zak
Because they can't have that that feedback immediately, which means that that is going to cause an issue probably longer term across the pyramid.
00:15:56
DailySaintsPod
There's definitely an element of that.
00:16:04
Zak
But that'll be that.
00:16:05
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:16:06
Zak
What i wanted to ask you, Greg, was, so, Flynn Downs coming on for Matzki.
00:16:12
DailySaintsPod
yeah Yeah, that's the first change.
00:16:14
Zak
That was the first change.
00:16:14
DailySaintsPod
It was an odd one, wasn't it? I mean, umm think we talked about it over text and speculated, like, this is an odd change, but I guess if he was planned to come on for someone else and then Matski went down and took a knock right, then maybe.
00:16:30
DailySaintsPod
But, but yeah, it was a it was a bit of an odd one, but I think it was... It was a slight change in shape that came with it, so maybe we'd done some work on it. It was it was to solidify that middle of the park to give us the option to move forward. it gave it it did mean we moved Che Charles up into like the number 10 role, which you know seems he seems to be very comfortable playing.
00:17:02
DailySaintsPod
but I mean, he's such a versatile player, hes but he's more or less happy to play wherever you play him on the pitch, more than capable of making a fantastic appearance at fullback or probably even centre-back. so happy to bang him in for fun at the other end, intentionally or otherwise. But what did mean that was that we moved Azaz out on the right, which is not where he's particularly effective. Yeah.
00:17:26
DailySaintsPod
But I can't remember whether we talked about it on the show last night or after the show, but I kind of feel like there were penalties in mind with some of these changes, right?
00:17:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:38
Zak
Yeah, that that is what you that is what you said, because I i kind of agreed with Glenn from TSP that I was
00:17:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
Substitutes and Tactical Changes
00:17:44
Zak
baffled that we didn't bring fellows on because Target looked knackered.
00:17:48
Zak
And we could have easily just completely overwhelmed at that point.
00:17:48
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:17:51
Zak
But you're right. If at that point you're thinking penalties, who are you?
00:17:53
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Who do you want taking a penalty?
00:17:54
Zak
Are you going to want the guy that skied every chance he's had this season or the guy that has like become one of our top goal scorers, if not currently our top goal scorers?
00:17:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. yeah Yeah, the guy who's... and And, you know, you talk about football making poetry, right? Finnazzas burying a penalty against Middlesbrough in the playoff semifinal is is just one of those things that, that you know, is seems to seems to have been written in start. So I think there was an element of that about the changes. There was definitely...
00:18:23
DailySaintsPod
not expectation of extra time penalties, but definitely like mitigating to allow for it to happen. because even So that was at the 66th minute, which, to be honest, for us is late for a change, right? We normally expect a couple of changes around the 60-minute mark.
00:18:41
Zak
Yeah, i was I was a bit surprised at that point, especially where people were looking leggy. But again, as you said about penalties...
00:18:47
DailySaintsPod
a But then then we Then I think what happens, this is this is my reading of the meta chess game of football, right? So I could be completely wrong and there could be other lot of underlying facts to it. Then what we do is we wait for Borough to make their changes, right? To show their hand so that we can react.
00:19:10
DailySaintsPod
is is what I think was happening there. So they bring off Conway in the 73rd minute and Strelak in the 83rd minute and make their changes. And then almost immediately after that, we see Stuart for Larrin, the expected subs, right? Stuart for Larrin, Leo for Adozi, the subs you would have expected to have seen at some point in the game.
00:19:37
DailySaintsPod
They're like the sensible ones, the like for like. Like said, Leo, it was amazing that he managed to play as many minutes as he did considering. and And we know what Stewart's fitness is. And we know that Laren is effective off the bench. We know the combination of Laren and Adosi is effective off the bench. We've seen it at the Hawthorns, right? It's... And it it seems yeah our changes were always going to be more effective. And so that is why I was surprised that we left them so late.
00:20:10
DailySaintsPod
And that to me is the only two reasons I can think of were tactical chess, wait for them to you know make their move first so they don't have the option to react.
00:20:21
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, well, if if we're going to give Laren time, at least he can have an hour because it's probably, all or sort of 55 minutes because it's probably going to go to to extra time, right?
00:20:38
DailySaintsPod
But I still would have preferred us to make those changes a bit earlier and just try and get it done properly in regular time, if i'm honest. it It was a bit too cautious for my liking.
00:20:46
Zak
Yeah, it was...
00:20:49
DailySaintsPod
But but I'm not the manager of a team unbeaten in the league in 21 games. So I don't know if my opinion really counts.
00:20:59
Zak
its It's what we always say, mate. like you know we're with We're just two two two blokes that enjoy watching our team play football and talking about it. I don't ever necessarily think that... you know i think we've gotten quite good at guessing.
00:21:13
Zak
i think that our guessing has, uh, our guessing sort of win rate has gone up, uh, because, you know, of experience, but ultimately, yeah, you're right.
00:21:18
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:21:22
Zak
I think that, you know, the a combination of factors that we probably didn't have in our head due to the emotions running high, with a reason that things happened when they did, right? Like, I still think bringing like Laren and a dozy on for the last five minutes of normal time meant that they'd already decided extra time at that point.
00:21:40
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, for for sure.
00:21:40
Zak
Uh,
00:21:42
DailySaintsPod
and But like we we were still putting it on, right? second half, we were still coming and creating chances, and it was pretty end-to-end game, but we definitely had considerably more of the game than than they did.
00:21:50
Zak
you
00:21:58
DailySaintsPod
You know, we had the the chances. i don't I think at one point you text me saying that Middlesbrough had just managed their first shot since like the 32nd minute or something.
00:22:08
Zak
Yeah, it was like 32nd, and then they had one in like the 63rd, and then they didn't for a really long time until little bit of a spell in, I want to say, the second half of extra time.
00:22:20
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:22:21
Zak
But that was the other thing, is that you know we had the fitness because on top of the squad depth.
00:22:26
Zak
I genuinely think like... I know that we've talked a lot about, you know, does us coming down from Premier League have some advantage. Everyone seems to think we've got hundreds to million pounds worth of players.
00:22:37
Zak
Didn't feel like it at beginning of the season. Felt, if anything, like we could just sell them all.
00:22:38
DailySaintsPod
No.
00:22:41
Zak
But, you know, the...
00:22:41
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Well, there's discussions we had about that in the postseason for sure, because...
00:22:45
Zak
Yeah, and the ability to, like, bring off Ross Stewart and bring on Lahren, who was just up for it, 100% willing to continue to run. you know, Downs, who was very, very fresh and was able to run.
00:22:57
Zak
Dozie, who was just annoying...
00:22:57
DailySaintsPod
Downs, who, by the way, I actively noted went out of the way to almost immediately kick someone, almost in an effort to like get him into the game and make himself feel better.
00:23:11
Zak
Yeah, I feel like we should focus on those parts of our team at the moment. Like...
00:23:15
DailySaintsPod
hello don't mind it well I don't mind playing like that, playing with your heart on your sleeve.
00:23:17
Zak
know...
00:23:20
DailySaintsPod
And, and you know, that fired him up enough that in in stoppage in extra time, he made that incredible run and beautifully timed tackle from one of their breaks, right?
00:23:30
Zak
Yeah, that that was that you know that there are there are bits and pieces that that win games.
00:23:32
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:23:36
Zak
And if you if you want to paint the narrative of this game, that is one key interception that definitely helped.
00:23:45
Zak
Yes.
00:23:46
DailySaintsPod
But look, we we get that chance.
Extra Time: Physical and Tactical Challenges
00:23:48
DailySaintsPod
You know, as the the stoppage time board goes up, we've got, I think it was five minutes added on. And then right on, as the 90th minute hits, Caspiander makes a massive interception in the middle of the park.
00:24:04
DailySaintsPod
And that's it. We're through three on three. And you think, oh my God, is this really it? And then Laren shoots first time with a good, powerful shot. And their keeper pulls off a decent save, to be fair.
00:24:15
Zak
Very good save, kept it in the game.
00:24:16
DailySaintsPod
Nothing wrong with the shot. It wasn't straight at the keeper. It forced a save. Yeah. And then, yeah, the moment nobody wanted extra time. Everyone around me making sure that they'd put long enough on their parking, checking bus timetables to make sure, chats of, if I'd have even contemplated extra time, maybe I wouldn't have bought the five-year-old. Yeah.
00:24:45
Zak
Me and you going, oh, no, we're going to have record a podcast at like one in the morning. I'm sure that's going to be fine, right? We won't be both tired the next day and have work to do.
00:24:55
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, but that's it, yeah.
00:24:55
Zak
yeah
00:24:57
Zak
Shame it didn't snow, mate,
00:24:59
DailySaintsPod
Oh, yeah, my wife texted me and said, look, getting the kids to school tomorrow is your problem if you're coming home that late. And, yeah, and, but look, we get into extra time.
00:25:09
Zak
eh? It's not every day, is it?
00:25:13
DailySaintsPod
And I think more of the same continued, right? It was... I would say it was more cagey than the second half. There was definite signs from both sides of not wanting to make a mistake as much as wanting to push on and score.
00:25:31
DailySaintsPod
like While still pushing forward and trying to create the chances, there were was definitely some some hesitance throughout.
00:25:37
Zak
but There was some caution, but there was also slowing down from both sides as everyone was just knackered.
00:25:38
DailySaintsPod
Hmm. Yeah.
00:25:44
Zak
And you could see that.
00:25:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:25:45
Zak
You could physically see like the ball being passed between two players less than like a metre away from one another, just Just because, you know, to try and slow the pace down. and it's It's frustrating because you want them to go at it, but you know that they need to kind of build the energy back up again to go on the attack, which is exactly obviously what we managed to do later on.
00:26:06
DailySaintsPod
yeah A couple of key moments jump out. Dozie, despite only having one arm, you know finding the ball falling to his feet after sort of bobbling about in the area and banging a shot that also forced another good save from their keeper. Also from from the rebound, from the parry from the keeper,
00:26:06
Zak
But yeah, it was it was it wasn't exactly...
00:26:27
DailySaintsPod
Taylor Harwood-Bellis on the replay about three centimetres away from getting his foot on the rebound and scoring it. Would have known a huge amount about it, apart from, like, obviously trying to kick the ball.
00:26:38
DailySaintsPod
But that would have been something. And then, yeah. What? Lahren has a half chance where he can't quite get it out of his feet.
00:26:48
DailySaintsPod
And... the The whole section of where I'm sat is like, oh, no, that was it. That was the chance. Like, is it, you know, at this point, Borough have gone up and had a couple of half-decent shots as well.
00:26:58
Zak
Yeah.
00:27:03
DailySaintsPod
And it's, oh, is it really going to come? And then, she you know, the ball falls out to Shea Charles and he puts it across. And somehow it just rolls into
Charles' Winning Goal
00:27:12
DailySaintsPod
the net. Yeah.
00:27:15
Zak
Look, it's not the first time we've we've had an accidental goal, right? this
00:27:22
DailySaintsPod
by Shea Charles in his post-match press conferences. Yeah, it was a cross shot.
00:27:28
Zak
i As I pointed out yesterday, it wasn't a shot. It was a, as you also pointed out, it is a cross. It's a cross that went into the goal. It's fine. It wasn't expected. And again, it's a combination of both. I said it was a mistake. You said it was perfectly placed. Maybe both. but Both things at the same time can somehow be true, even if that's you know not not not quite right.
00:27:51
Zak
But for Middlesbrough, yeah, heartbreak at that point.
00:27:53
DailySaintsPod
What it really is, mate,
00:27:57
DailySaintsPod
is it was the result of tired legs because it was a slightly over-hit cross for where he was actually aiming it towards Laring.
00:28:00
Zak
yeah
00:28:06
Zak
Did you see the touch map for Shea Charles, by the way?
00:28:07
DailySaintsPod
And yeah, yeah. Ridiculous.
00:28:11
Zak
The one with the 75 touches where it's like almost every single corner of the entirety of the pitch. or you know If you measured that pitch out in squares, he would have touched nearly all of them.
00:28:17
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. This is what mean. You can just
00:28:23
Zak
like It's nuts.
00:28:23
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, just insane, which is why you know you can't question his inclusion in the starting XI at all, really, because it's like the perfect problem, isn't it?
00:28:31
Zak
Now.
00:28:33
DailySaintsPod
Because who do you leave out? Casper Yander, who's just been an absolute machine for the last three games and grown into the season so much. Shea Charles, who does ridiculous things and has touchmaps like that, or Flynn Downs, who has been...
00:28:46
Zak
They scored some of the the the pivotal goals.
00:28:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, or Flynn Downs, who's also just been excellent and raises the level of the team. But but with the goal, if you know looking at it back and what it really is, is it's it's tired Middlesbrough legs.
00:29:02
DailySaintsPod
If that happens... 15, 20 minutes earlier in the game, that is comfortably getting headed away. But their centre-back's not quite able to get the spring in the step after, you know, 117 minutes football. Yeah, 100%.
00:29:18
Zak
It's two biggest differences we talked about last night that that you spoke about the whole of last season, Nate, which is just height and fitness.
00:29:25
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:29:26
Zak
height and fitness and like, you know, i feel like if Middlesbrough had a little bit more depth with, you know, wouldn't have probably been as much of a struggle for them.
00:29:26
DailySaintsPod
i say
00:29:34
Zak
We are lucky to have that depth massively. So, and on top of that, this isn't like the first game we've had in recent time that has gone on. Like we've played so much football over time, like we've almost got conditioned to it now.
00:29:47
DailySaintsPod
moved
00:29:49
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Football every four days for as long as I can remember. In fact, last Tuesday, may sat at work and go in. Well, I haven't got football tonight. That's weird. As you well know, not a Tuesday that stayed as calm as that for me, but never mind. It's... But that was it. The goal went in, Samaria's erupted, jubilation and noise, just a wall of noise.
00:29:49
Zak
And that hasn't been the case for everyone.
Final Whistle and Celebrations
00:30:16
DailySaintsPod
And then every touch of the ball from that moment on for the last, I think it was five minutes of the game plus stoppage time.
00:30:25
DailySaintsPod
but i don't know. i can't remember how much stoppage time there was, mate. It is all just a blur, to be honest.
00:30:31
Zak
Like five six five, six minutes.
00:30:33
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:30:33
Zak
It was longer than any of us wanted it to be.
00:30:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:36
Zak
in... and in
00:30:37
DailySaintsPod
But rightly so, because as you mentioned, Peretz got booked for time wasting, which was, I've got to say it was egregious, but it was more egregious than the time wasting in the first half that I had already called egregious.
00:30:52
DailySaintsPod
So, you know, you've got to call a spade a spade. It was ridiculous.
00:30:58
Zak
Yeah, like...
00:30:58
DailySaintsPod
But it is ways it's it's what's going to happen when you've been wound up by the other team doing it for the entire game.
00:30:59
Zak
like
00:31:05
Zak
Not only that, it's just it's just what happens.
00:31:05
DailySaintsPod
and
00:31:07
Zak
And they are they are trying to slowly drill it out of footballers. But at the same time, it's it's consistent about the rules, right? Like, you know, their keeper in the first half had a word to, obviously because of the moment in the game and the fact that Prex was taking so long, he gets a yellow card.
00:31:23
Zak
There have been, you know, people moving, throwing up the pitch, down the pitch, all this kind of stuff. they've They've tried to sort out, right?
00:31:29
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:31:32
Zak
Like they've tried to introduce the things like if you kick the ball away, it's an immediate yellow card. But the problem is, is that was enforced really heavily at the beginning of the season and then and then stopped being so. and And that's where these sort of things will always come into consideration.
00:31:46
Zak
because then what is actually part of the game and what isn't? Because if apparently it's just supposed to solely be the football and not all the dark arts, then all the clubs wouldn't do it. And this is where, you know, i know that's rich coming from a Southampton fan, which is weird that we can say that now, but like...
00:31:55
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:31:57
DailySaintsPod
Right. cool Conversation. I mean, look, there's probably a full-on conversation to be had about that. Sounds like a great episode in the period where there's no football, for sure.
00:32:09
Zak
But either way, like, credit to them, because they they did keep going after that.
00:32:09
DailySaintsPod
oh
00:32:13
Zak
They were trying desperately...
00:32:13
DailySaintsPod
but they They threw the kitchen sink at it. They threw the keeper up time and time again and really pushed and really fought.
00:32:17
Zak
desperately to get out, was
00:32:21
DailySaintsPod
And you're right. We're in absolute credit.
00:32:24
DailySaintsPod
look Like we say...
00:32:24
Zak
it?
00:32:24
Zak
Them throwing their keeper up there almost resulted in us getting another goal and somehow they managed to stop that from happening.
00:32:28
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Yeah.
00:32:30
Zak
But honestly, credit to it, because if not, that would have been not, well, it was already quite close to game over anyway, but that would have been completely it at that point.
00:32:31
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:32:38
DailySaintsPod
And and it was it was a fight and it was a battle of, of honestly, just two clearly very good football teams. right take Take all of the noise away from it.
00:32:49
DailySaintsPod
Borough were just good both across both games and made it you really good football to watch. And like we said last night, right? Exactly the battle that you would surmise from two teams that across the 46 games of the regular season could only actually be separated by one goal of goal difference because cause it it was tight and it just took those fine margins, right? Fine margins of across the bundled in the net.
00:33:22
DailySaintsPod
And... the
00:33:24
Zak
Yeah.
00:33:24
DailySaintsPod
And that's it, mate. That was all she wrote. The the full-time whistle went. Some areas erupted. The celebrations were raucous. The songs all of the way out of the stadium were loud. They were singing all the way back to the car.
00:33:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Two very excited, very overtired children dragging along for the ride home who did not enjoy being woken up this morning, but but were still buzzing.
00:33:54
Zak
I didn't mate, to be honest.
00:33:57
DailySaintsPod
Look, my son got up for school, went in and said good morning to his mum, came down to get himself some breakfast, and the first thing I heard from the kitchen was, they're by far the greatest team...
00:34:13
DailySaintsPod
And, mate, if that doesn't sum up my household, I don't know what does. Yes, just excellent stuff.
00:34:19
Zak
mate. Yeah.
00:34:21
DailySaintsPod
Creating those memories that that will live on.
00:34:25
Zak
Yeah, they're going to need it if we end up with another almost Derby County record next season. If we go up, that is. We've still got Hull to beat and Hull are going to be a pushover side.
00:34:34
DailySaintsPod
If we even go on. Yeah.
00:34:38
Zak
they their Their transformation this season, in my opinion, has probably been bigger than ours.
00:34:39
DailySaintsPod
No. No.
00:34:43
Zak
And it's going to be tough to beat.
00:34:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, they
00:34:47
DailySaintsPod
they are not the sort of sixth place team you can write off just because they can finish in sixth. And you saw that.
00:34:52
Zak
Even if a sixth place team that has done the double over us, and you saw that at the den, right?
00:34:56
DailySaintsPod
Yes.
00:34:59
Zak
You don't go to the den and get a result that comfortable and that easy without, you know, being a good side.
00:34:59
DailySaintsPod
Yes.
00:35:03
DailySaintsPod
Well, I don't know, mate, because I don't know if you've heard this statistic whilst the game was happening, but actually Millwall have never won a championship playoff in the home leg in their entire club's history.
00:35:17
DailySaintsPod
say
00:35:19
Zak
I didn't know that piece history, Craig, so there we are. But, oh, wow, that's a bit of a...
00:35:21
DailySaintsPod
Okay. the But look, that's it. The the date is set. By the time this episode goes out, we will have the information on the tickets and slightly later on in the day, they will go on sale, confirmed by the club that they will be on sale tomorrow and we will or or today at the time of release of the episode, tomorrow at time of recording.
00:35:45
DailySaintsPod
And... We'll be opening our wallets again and going for that one. I'm looking forward to to the most important game of the season, as they have all been to this point.
00:35:58
DailySaintsPod
But this one, you know, we talked about crunch time and now it now it really is.
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Match Against Hull
00:36:04
DailySaintsPod
And i like you say, i hope that it hasn't cost us, but you understand decisions like leaving Leo on as long as you can, because...
00:36:12
DailySaintsPod
you know, if you don't, and because he's not on the pitch, you don't win, then it's, it's irrelevant, right?
00:36:13
Zak
If you if you don't you don't win that game, how can you get to the next one?
00:36:18
DailySaintsPod
You can't think about the next game because you haven't earned it yet. So, so it, it makes sense in the heat of, of that game.
00:36:22
Zak
Correct.
00:36:27
DailySaintsPod
and so we go on and we will look forward to that game.
00:36:29
Zak
Yep.
00:36:31
DailySaintsPod
And we've got, whole week of the show, mate, to think about it and talk about it. And, uh, Maybe look back at the last time we were at Wembley in the playoffs and and look forward to another great day out, another great atmosphere and hopefully another great game of football.
00:36:51
Zak
Yep.
00:36:54
Zak
For sure.
00:37:03
Zak
at least waste
00:37:09
DailySaintsPod
I'd love to hear all of them. We are Daily Saints pod absolutely everywhere. TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, everywhere. hit us up, let us know. We love hearing from you. Shout out to all of our fans that leave comments. And a huge shout out to the Borough fan base who have continued to give us wonderful levels of engagement.
00:37:32
DailySaintsPod
Genuinely appreciated. We will be back tomorrow to talk some more football. But until then, everyone, have a wonderful day and we will see then.
00:37:55
Zak
Woo!