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Episdoe 321: All things Saints!
113 Plays3 days ago
Southampton – It may be international break but there are still things happening! We talk managers, directors and much much more.
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Transcript
Podcast Greetings and Winter Tiredness
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 as always today joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach Ingo Finch.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing mate, you alright?
00:00:28
Zak
Yeah, I'm not too bad, mate. I'm not too bad. ay Hello. As you can tell from the fact about to yawn, it's just weird vibes. like Everyone I know seems to be tired this winter. It's a It feels very hibernate-y for a lot of people, including the news that, you know...
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It's... Yeah.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look.
00:00:46
Zak
Sorry, including just like, you know, the news and stuff in general, right? Like,
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, right. i thought Sorry, i was waiting Yeah.
00:00:51
Zak
As in like, sorry, as in like sports news and things, like we've kind of got out of the way all of the all the complicated stuff, right?
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. specific
00:00:57
Zak
So like, you know, oh my God, all the managers have been fired.
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:00
Zak
And then like you're hoping that something would happen over the international break. And other than the announcement of of Rob Edwards for Wolves and Middlesbrough, extremely bad blood their response to that.
00:01:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just... is It's just like the calm before the storm.
00:01:12
Zak
Yeah, other than that, like there's a bunch of managers that are seemingly... like making any moves for anybody and everybody's now weird.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's all it
Young Players' Physical Demands
00:01:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
is. But look, despite that sort of lull, mate, I've gone through and scraped through and I've got some news and stuff to talk about. Nothing like breaking or groundbreaking, but there's there's bits happening for us to talk about.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, I'm going to start, I guess, with the some of the bad news. Jay Robinson has had to withdraw from the England of the 19 squad with a minor calf injury, which is not what you want to see, is it?
00:01:53
Zak
Didn't this happen last time as well, if I remember rightly? I wonder if it is just the amount of football he's playing, considering what he was playing previously, and obviously the jump up from sort of young to senior football.
00:01:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:02:04
Zak
like You're seeing it across the board, not just with Jay Robinson, but like I think it's like Lamin-Yamal has just had surgery. There was a lot of upset with the Spain squad about that.
00:02:14
Zak
I think that's more to do with Barcelona and Spain hate each other, but it's it can't yeah has to be said that you've got a lot of sort of younger players that are being played younger and younger.
00:02:25
Zak
Like can't remember which team it was most recently that ended up starting like, want to say one of the top ones, but started somebody, you know, like 15 or whatever. And they're lower and lowering and lowering the age.
00:02:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Liverpool had like a 16-year-old playing for him.
00:02:36
Zak
Yeah.
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's crazy. And, you know, when you talk about the physical step up to the senior game, you're right. I bet that it's a huge toll to take on you know, what is a body that's effectively still forming and still growing, right, at that age. It's, uh, it is mad to think about, like, he's only, what, 18?
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's just...
00:02:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Think about what I was doing when I was 18 and, you know, having to withdraw from representing my country because because of my calves, wasn't it?
00:02:58
Zak
I
00:03:07
Zak
was like in a game shop, mate.
00:03:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
What?
00:03:11
Zak
My world was completely different at that point.
00:03:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, but so I hope it is just a minor niggle like it's been said and hope that he will rest up and be good because he's become you know an exciting pivotal part of the squad so you don't want to see things like that affecting him.
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Next up mate, I've got a series
Tonda Ecker's Managerial Role
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
of updates. I don't know if you saw any of this. I kind of missed it initially but have caught up and seen but seen some of the fallout from it.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So TalkSport came out and confirmed that Tonda Ecker had been given the Saints job on a full-time basis and then almost immediately withdrew their statement and erased it from social media.
00:03:56
Zak
What?
00:04:01
Zak
No, I did not see this at all.
00:04:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And since...
00:04:03
Zak
What? This is...
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:07
Zak
good Man, if you're going to say something like that, you need to make sure that you are accurate in what you are saying.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, it
00:04:15
Zak
Good Lord.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah And then there's been like lots of back and forth and there's been loads of updates and the at the end of it the outcome seems to be that it is expected that Tonda will still be the interim manager after the international break and has been asked to prepare the team for those upcoming games whilst discussions with other parties are ongoing but his name is in the mix to be given the full-time job.
00:04:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
So...
00:04:47
Zak
like, we we kind of discussed this and it makes sense to an extent, right? It's not going to be... I think there will be fans that are very pragmatic about it, but there are a lot of fans that are, rightly so, calling for more experience in the championship.
00:05:01
Zak
We kind of discussed yesterday when I did a profile of him. He actually has more than realised previously. Like, I didn't realise that... I had assumed, I'm not going lie, mate, when I initially saw he was at Barnsley, that that was like a League One appointment, and that was when Barnsley were League One, because the ignorance that I have can sometimes go down to a level of of forgetting that Barnsley ever did well in the Championship, because it's Barnsley, right?
00:05:24
Zak
And that's kind of me, because like you know like they they have some okay players now, and again, like Hummer Morris for Derby, and Cawley Woodrow, who is a name that I am aware of.
00:05:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:33
Zak
So... I knew that like, you know, I didn't think that he had Champions experience, but he actually does. And he has got experience elsewhere. But like, I can completely understand that his first full-time managerial appointment in a senior team, being a team that has gone through eight or nine managers in recent time, they're crying out for stability is not going to necessarily be a popular choice unless he can prove that he can win like five games in a row.
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:05:59
Zak
And even then,
00:06:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:01
Zak
Like what's to stop it from being sort of, okay, so he wins five on the bounce. And then that's that. And I know that probably sounds quite contradictory to how complimentary I was a him yesterday. But like, again, like we're just, I'm just doing research and throwing out the stuff that I found yesterday.
00:06:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:06:16
Zak
And my real opinion of it is I still don't really have a choice for who should be manager. because I just don't know who can fix this problem right now. And everyone has their ideas.
00:06:26
Zak
And it's just kind of like, for starters, we need to attract those names anyway.
00:06:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:31
Zak
And people seem to not quite realize that that's more of a struggle than is taking place. But yeah, the fact... fact that i just that's just some madness reporting.
00:06:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, crazy.
00:06:41
Zak
would be surprised but be surprised if somebody else gets the job and he ends up as assistant, especially if Tron's is going.
00:06:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:47
Zak
However, like to just out and out be like, yeah, he's getting the job. like somebody Somebody got in trouble real quick.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Classic talk sport. Oh yeah, classic talk sport. are They immediately retract it. Like say, it's it's been wiped from existence from their social media, but as you know, nothing stays gone on the internet.
00:07:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adam Blackmore immediately came out and shooed it away, but has since noted that Tonda record had always been viewed by Spores as Will Steele's eventual successor. was just not this quickly.
00:07:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was never the plan, obviously, to be in a couple of months.
00:07:19
Zak
i fly i find I find that fascinating because the entire... Again, like I don't like the use of the word this project, but I thought that, especially with we're still having a three-year contract, it wasn't necessarily like that was going to be... I understand that you've got to start putting in plans right quite early on, but that seems like...
00:07:41
Zak
but too much of a plan long-term as opposed to also having a short-term plan if it didn't work out. Because again, they look like they're scrambling and don't have a shortness proper, which is the thing you always complain about.
00:07:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. yeah I mean, yeah.
00:07:53
Zak
But yeah, apparently they're planning five years in advance. Well, it's not going to do a lot of good if you can't get past month three, is it? oh
00:08:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Baffling, indeed. Right, I've still got plenty more to talk about, including some other thoughts on Eka from some of our squad. But let's take a little break and have a little word from our partners at Bionique.
Ecker's Impact and Opinions
00:08:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
All alright right, mate. And we are back. Yeah, another thing that's come out today, continuing with the thought of Tonda Recke, is, I don't know where it's from, some interview, I think, with The Echo for Finnazaz, where he's come out and said, yeah, since first meeting, Eckke, I was really impressed.
00:09:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
He hasn't made drastic changes, but he was watching and we've tweaked a few things and I'd like to thank him because he's been top level. And then when pushed as to whether he would like to see him given the job on a permanent basis, he said, I will leave that to the experts above me.
00:09:27
Zak
He had no opinion.
00:09:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, no maybe the most controversial part of that statement, Zach, is calling the board experts, right?
00:09:32
Zak
I think. Well, that makes... yeah and still I still can't believe that
00:09:40
Zak
i
00:09:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:09:41
Zak
I still can't believe, mate, that that has all taken place completely without my knowledge. like You stay off social media for like a day or two, and apparently you just miss everything.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:09:54
Zak
but But yeah, like I guess it's good to hear, but it also does feel like, why is that interview being put out there? Why are those questions being asked? I don't know if it's just a case of...
00:10:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:10:05
Zak
you know I'm not saying that people ask, but it would it doesn't surprise me. feels a bit like fluffing it up if he gets the job being like, well, all the players back him.
00:10:17
Zak
You should back him too because the players back him.
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:10:19
Zak
And yeah, I don't want to be you know accusing anyone of anything because that's not how journalism works. there's There's a lot of give and take and lot of trust. And I know lot of people have had criticism for sort of Adam and Alfie but mainly that's due to the fact that it's like, well, I can't just immediately give up all of the information I know straight away, or otherwise I will not be trusted with it in the future, right?
00:10:41
Zak
So I don't really blame them for any of that kind of stuff, but sometimes, you know, you do wonder what part of it's like playing the game and stuff, right? And with these kind of like, it's it's interesting that, It's very interesting that sort of he's receiving high praise, but at the same time, I don't remember a single conversation about Juric that wasn't Suleimano being like, yeah, i'm really glad he let me play again.
00:11:03
Zak
i but That was it, right?
00:11:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it.
00:11:04
Zak
i don't I don't think a single other player talked about him.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
that
00:11:07
Zak
We just had a bunch of players that either wanted to leave, tried to leave, or successfully left. Like...
00:11:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's it
00:11:14
Zak
A man that has also now lost his job.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:15
Zak
The two managers break that got Champions League football after being with us have shockingly been fired from their jobs within the first sort of couple of months.
00:11:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who saw that coming? Also, I didn't write it down on my list, but I guess it's worth mentioning. i think we touched on it briefly before, but come it's come out that Will Steele's actually like in conversations with Norwich, that he might just go immediately there.
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that'd that'd be interesting, wouldn't it?
00:11:43
Zak
I think what would be fascinating from that is is if they do well off the back of it. And then then there will be a conversation as to whether or not it was you know the right right...
00:11:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:52
Zak
Because again, like it's trying to find... a lot of people that seem to think he's tactically incompetent, I'm not really sure that's true. i think that he's had to try and adapt to the players that he has.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, don't think that's true at all.
00:12:03
Zak
I think that he said he would try and adapt his tactics and has desperately, but it's not paid off. And, you know, you always said it looked, you know, there was unfortunately, he's either looked like a genius or insane, depending on how things played out. And more often than not, they played out rotten.
00:12:20
Zak
They might play out slightly better at Norwich, who knows?
00:12:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, wait.
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, more often than not, it's a very thin line between idiot and genius, right? like Or eccentric and genius, I guess, is is where you would say. But yeah, like I think we've both said, no ill will to Will. a
00:12:41
Zak
I have no ill will for Will.
00:12:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I hope he does well. And if he does go to Norwich, it will certainly make for an interesting... story the rest of the season, won it one way or another, however it plays out.
00:12:52
Zak
Especially when they're one of the only teams we did actually batter, right? Because we battered them in there in the cup.
00:12:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:57
Zak
so So that's probably one of the reasons as well, is that, you know, you always hire the manager that beat you, just like if you're Liverpool, you you sign the player that scores the fastest hat-trick ever against you.
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:13:07
Zak
So, yeah. Maybe it'll work out. But then again, also, isn't Russell Martin still in the but running for both Norwich, now Swansea, because people have said Swansea, and also us.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:19
Zak
a And it's been very interesting to watch Rangers fans interact. Because Rangers fans don't need to convince us, right? They know because we told them.
00:13:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:29
Zak
But it's very interesting. know you've seen, Greg, any of the interactions between Swansea fans and Rangers fans. Yeah.
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:13:36
Zak
That's taken place.
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate,
00:13:37
Zak
so Somehow, I miss the Tonda Eckhart stuff about our club, mate, but I don't miss conversations between Swansea and Rangers fans. So, maybe...
00:13:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ma you're just too deep in the rabbit hole.
00:13:46
Zak
Apparently so.
00:13:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Couldn't see the forest for the trees. That's all it was.
00:13:49
Zak
Literally.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah.
00:13:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, it's it's such a fascinating series of like so much intrigue coming into and coming out of this international break with the manager situation.
00:14:00
Zak
That's what someone described it as to me. Someone described it to us in one of the comments we had about the Marigo round of managers, if of it being just like Game of Thrones in the championship right now. And it kind of kind of is like that.
00:14:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:11
Zak
Because again, even doing the research yesterday, I did not i did not pay enough attention to how many of the championship managers that currently are in jobs have also just managed every other club.
00:14:21
Zak
Like you've got to wonder like how many tracksuits of various different championship clubs.
00:14:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:26
Zak
So then i guess my question there is like, if there is such a merry-go-round of managers with championship experience, do we want that? I don't know anymore. Like what is the worst that could happen if we have somebody that's an unknown quantity, right?
00:14:40
Zak
but Because with a lot of these teams, you just go, oh it's that guy. Yeah, he plays his team exactly like this. i this is the This is the other argument. Experience versus, you know... i don't i don't know what the right answer is, Greg, and it winds me up more and more as the days go by because like I'm st starting to kind of... I'm kind of accepting that Eckhart might end up with the job to kind of...
00:15:05
Zak
because I just don't see us getting anybody else. I don't know how you feel about that. Like you have more thoughts about it than me. I know that you're still a big advocate of Big Sam and I promise you, why would he want to spend time on a football training pitch than a beach at this point?
00:15:18
Zak
He spent so many times trying to rescue clubs that didn't care about him. The last I remember being lead, so that didn't end well. Like what makes you think that he would want to come and take on this challenge, you know?
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I don't know, mate.
00:15:30
Zak
Other than vibes.
00:15:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Honestly, i don't know i don't know what the answer is either. I don't know what I don't know if there's a name out there realistically, you know, sort of joking aside that inspires the confidence, not only to bring the players together and get them to sort it out on the pitch, but also that brings the fans together. Every name I can see is divisive for one reason or another.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I just don't think that's any good.
00:16:02
Zak
Well, I think some people have said sort Carrick because it's just a kind of did all right at Middlesbrough, unknown quantity to us, doesn't really have any affiliation with us, could be slightly better.
00:16:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
a
00:16:14
Zak
But that's got to be better than like Gary O'Neill, right?
00:16:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like, it just it just doesn't, like, it yeah, it just doesn't excite me, you know?
00:16:17
Zak
But at the same time, you just seem so disappointed by that.
00:16:24
Zak
but
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:16:25
Zak
But we had so we had an exciting appointment in Will still, and look how this has ended up.
00:16:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:16:29
Zak
Oh, this is good.
00:16:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
learn But look, if if Tonda's going to get all three games in in a week, you know, in the seven-day period after the international break,
00:16:30
Zak
He's never really you know managed here. Yeah.
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
If he gets three wins from three, you can't he can't change that, right? So he's got he's got the perfect job interview lined up for himself, right? If he goes on a massive streak, like, you know, we're talking about going back in time to 2024, the start of 2024 for when we won two games in a row.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we come out of that game week, when was the last time we won five games in a row? right You see all of this nonsense from the United fan who wants to cut his hair. If I had started not cutting my hair until Saints won five games in a row, I'd be looking like like Forrest Gump at the end of his run.
00:17:20
Zak
I was going to say Hagrid, mate, but, you know, each to their own, I guess.
00:17:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
well Look, my reference base is clearly much older than yours. What can I say? Hagrid's Hagrid's maybe fair. Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate.
00:17:36
Zak
but
00:17:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look.
00:17:36
Zak
its it's it's tough right this is the problem that is at the moment is that I think that one of the other problems I've got is like the last couple of managerial races we we we didn't struggle to put out podcasts or or know what to talk to because we're just bashing through all of the lists at the moment I'm just like don't know if that's even worth talking about don't know that name is worth talking about is this person going to come in probably not
00:17:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it?
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:18:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we need to do a profile on Steven Gerrard? Does anyone not know who he is?
00:18:04
Zak
laughing
00:18:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like...
00:18:06
Zak
Does anyone not know who Steven Jarrett is? Is he going to come to us?
00:18:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:09
Zak
Probably not. Are we that arrogant to think that we're going to Frank Lumpard still?
00:18:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:13
Zak
Are people insane and think that that is something that anyone would want just because he has a slightly bigger budget? Like, oh, it's, yeah.
00:18:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
than I don't mate. Right. Anywho, I have still got... some talking points left on my list. So let's get back to that. But first, let's have a little break and hear a message from our partners at Zencaster.
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and Zencaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automat automatically removes all those uns and ours, it's super easy to start podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently.
00:18:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zencaster.
Paul Trollope's Departure
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, mate. So speaking of the merry-go-round of managers and assistant managers in the championship, we we touched upon it briefly yesterday in the in the profile episode, but Trolls is gone.
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Paul Troll up now to pass the club, right, to go and join Rob Edwards?
00:19:18
Zak
Is that being properly confirmed now?
00:19:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, it's been... It's been probably as confirmed as I think it's going to be, right?
00:19:23
Zak
this is This is like... the This is like the other day when you were talking about Edwards being properly confirmed, that it wasn't actually until yesterday that we we saw, because that's when we got the, again, extremely well-worded by a PR person, but also trying to make sure they knew how mad they were about Edwards leaving Middlesbrough.
00:19:44
Zak
So, but it doesn't huge it doesn't hugely surprise me if that's the case.
00:19:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:19:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank
00:19:48
Zak
Like, he was the second under Edwards when he was sitting for his time at Luton, right up until, obviously, he went to
00:19:56
Zak
when he was got rid of and then Charles ended up leaving and then didn't want to go down to League One and Edwards wasn't there anymore. Edwards was at Middlesbrough and already got the job here. So, like, bringing a loyal lieutenant wouldn't surprise me, right? It's like Russell Martin without Matt Gill.
00:20:12
Zak
So, yeah, I guess we'll have to see how that goes. But i I just can't see the appeal at the moment of wanting to go to Wolves. I understand that there are very...
00:20:23
Zak
prolific club i know that they the ownership had a lot of you know ideas right and a lot of sort of initial buzz around them to try and make wolves like a champions league team but if you look at the state of them now you know they've basically done an us right like they've asset stripped Constantly. Like, look at Konya going, and great eight no east so you've got a guy that's gone to Manchester United, a guy that's gone to City, some of the best players that you've got, and then, shockingly, you're not doing that great anymore.
00:20:54
Zak
It's just like it's like watching us, except we managed to do a couple of seasons before everything fell apart, whereas they've just decided to capitulate in one giant go.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:03
Zak
And it's really, really sad.
00:21:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I...
00:21:04
Zak
And why you'd want to join that, I don't know.
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't understand the appeal myself. I think I would have stuck with Borough, but I guess there's ties to the club and is what it But yeah, not...
00:21:15
Zak
I'm meaning more towards me.
00:21:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:18
Zak
I can kind of get Rob Edwards. You played for him for a little bit, right? Still, though, they're very Middlesbrough Wolves, exactly...
00:21:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:26
Zak
like exactly best of friends right so i can understand why people are calling a snake and this and the other and there have been some funny videos where it's like oh rob edwards outlined his uh his reasons for leaving middlesbrough and then it's just that like old like vine i think it was of the guy being like i'm a slippery snake it's just it's just that for like a minute solid right
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
amazing yeah no I don't know but look I mean guess at the moment with trolls as well right there's uncertainty right you don't know who the manager is going to come in with you don't know if he's going to have an existing relationship if he's going have to start from scratch or he's going to Wolves with Rob Edwards like it's familiarity right yeah
00:22:07
Zak
Yeah, there's also a human element to it, right, as well. And this, again, wouldn't surprise me if Eckhart ended up staying on in some sort of assistant role, because if if he does well enough, but at the same time, that would leave us without somebody to run the under-21s, which it kind of worries me more than him being an assistant, really.
00:22:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure that they'll have the next man up somewhere along the line. Okay.
00:22:34
Zak
Yeah, here's here's hope for me. Sports Republic have really done a number on our confidence in their abilities, haven't they? so
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
that That is it. And the last thing I've got written down on my list to touch upon is that someone else is now the favourite for the technical director job at Juventus that was previously linked with Johanna Spores.
Juventus' Offer to Marco Ottolini
00:22:56
Zak
Interesting.
00:22:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Marco Ottolini, now the bookies favourite to take the role, has apparently been approached by Juventus. So, i mean, I guess good news.
00:23:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
What did I
00:23:09
Zak
Depends on what your opinion of him is. Like, it might just be that, obviously, with everything going on behind the scenes with Will Still, it's like maybe he's literally just been too busy to even think about having or interviewing for another job or whatever.
00:23:24
Zak
Although it would have shown, like, it would have been a really easy time for him just, like, jump ship at that point. i don't So I don't know whether or not it's the... incentivisation of Sports Republic that is kept in here or like him wanting to see the job through because this was our big worry with them in general, right, is that they can't seem to keep their people.
00:23:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I believe it.
00:23:46
Zak
You know, we had that with Jason Wilcox, obviously Manchester United. i would arguably say that Juventus is probably more prolific in my opinion. But the the issue is is they've had a lot of off the field and on the field issues for a long time now.
00:24:00
Zak
So is it just a case of it's not actually as an attractive job role and that's why you turned it down? Or is it that Sports Republic pulled their finger out and actually went, look, we'll keep you and this is what we'll do and this is what you'll get backing and this, that, other?
00:24:14
Zak
Because... It's just a bit of a weird one. But it's difficult to say whether it's a good or a bad thing because do you put all of this down to spores and the recruitment? Because we've said this before, some of the recruitment has been really good and some of it's been poor.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:24:26
Zak
and And you don't know necessarily unless you're going to get a known quantity. They tried to get a known championship quality in Danny Ings and look how that's gone.
00:24:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
No. well
00:24:33
Zak
So, hope that good.
00:24:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think for me, stability is the most important thing. if you're going to rip the playbook up completely and start from scratch, it's just it feels like the worst possible time to do it.
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
think the stability of spores and... I don't think his vision has played out yet, but I haven't seen enough to disprove it either. Right.
00:24:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we talked about the recruitment a lot. And I think that more of it's positive than negative. you know, does that mean it couldn't, you know, that doesn't, isn't say it couldn't have been better, but that doesn't mean that, you know, it's all bad, right?
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just, uh, an unfortunate situation we found ourselves in at the moment. But, I think it's going to come good, and I think when in the long run, when we look back on this transfer window, we'll probably have a much more positive vibe on it than we do currently, to be honest, is the hope.
00:25:30
Zak
I think you're right. And it's got to be better than our Premier League transfer window, where like you've got Ben Brereton-Diaz kind of out on loan now, Sugawara out on loan.
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
So... Yeah.
00:25:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:38
Zak
He's doing well, but like again, i'm I'm baffled by the reasoning and decision-making behind that move, because supposedly it was to make sure he got he kept his place in the in the Japanese national team.
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:51
Zak
But they are there are championship players that are in that in that team currently. There are also players in like domestic leagues that are in that team currently. So I just don't really necessarily buy that line.
00:26:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:26:03
Zak
but then so then And then who else have you got? You've got like Cornet, which like need need I say more.
00:26:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah disaster
00:26:10
Zak
You've got Suleman that came back and ended up somehow getting ridiculous amount of money for him. But then elsewhere, you've got Ben Bereton-Diaz, who's currently on loan to Derby because we weren't able to ship him off.
00:26:21
Zak
And then some of the decisions that were made that some people said were bad if they ended up being all right for us this season. Like, we signed Ryan Fraser permanently that I think a lot of people were kind of forgotten about until the day of deadline day, right?
00:26:33
Zak
it was like, oh, Ryan Fraser's still here because of how much Newcastle dragged their heels and vice versa.
00:26:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:38
Zak
Taylor Harbour-Bellis on a permanent, you know, there was... That transfer window is considered considered significantly more disastrous, you know, even with the Aaron Ramsdale thing, because the Aaron Ramsdale thing, while good at the time, has put us in such a horrible position like but RE goalkeepers right now that I genuinely wonder if it was worth it.
00:26:56
Zak
Because, you know, OK, maybe we didn't get the worst record of Premier League of all time.
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:27:01
Zak
That's basically it.
00:27:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But would it have been but would have been better to actually make a signing of a keeper that would have stayed in the championship and would be better than the two we've got?
00:27:08
Zak
Yeah. So then so then if you if you put that window down as actually our most disastrous, this window has had, okay, Damien Downs hasn't hit the ground running the way we'd like.
00:27:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:17
Zak
Finizaz has finally scored a goal. So that means, you know, that's probably more than Corneia did, right? You've now got Kasper Yander looks like a fantastic signing who has had criticism for even coming to us.
00:27:29
Zak
Leo Sienza looks like, as you pointed out, Greg, quite eloquently, a diamond in the rough in all senses, where he has been found seemingly from the the pits of football to get an incredible opportunity and is living it up and basically paying back every person that's had belief in him and how he's playing on the football field.
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:51
Zak
So, you know, course, he's all right. you know probably alright, I don't really know, he's probably got a lot to learn.
00:27:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. me I would say he's meat. I would say probably meeting or exceeding the expectations of when we signed him, right? Because he wouldn he was always going to brought in to be a squad rotational centre-back.
00:28:05
Zak
yeah
00:28:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he he had a run in the team where he was more than that. And, you know, definitely more than capable of stepping in to that sort of defensive line, for sure.
00:28:23
Zak
Exactly that. and then And then you look elsewhere, like, you know, Rooslev was basically brought in probably because of the fact that, you know, we lost Kyle Walker-Peters and we also have i lost Sigawara.
00:28:34
Zak
And that was very, very last minute. Like, you know, he was giving interviews in the run-up to the new championship season that he wanted to pay Saints back for... not putting in the performances last year and then just like went, right?
00:28:46
Zak
So there was some last minute and then same with Gillette who apparently we were going to buy and they decided not to.
00:28:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:28:51
Zak
And I'm wondering if at this point it's just injury concerns more than anything else, right? I don't know how how much truth there is to that.
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
potentially
00:28:58
Zak
We won't know until the sort of end of the season. and But yeah, it's not, this season's transfers have not been as disastrous as people have thought. It's just that the results have not paid off.
00:29:10
Zak
And if we have a different manager that all of a sudden can see us through to getting results again, even if we don't quite make it to the playoffs or win now, because of this first 25% of the season that that has kind of ruined it, we'll be in a better position with the signings I think we've made than if we hadn't, you know?
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, fully agree.
00:29:28
Zak
So yeah, maybe maybe you're right. Stability is the most important thing, regardless of the fact that I have a lot of personal opinions around how how our ownership are paying attention.
00:29:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, look, at least at least until we get proof one way or another, right? Or not even proof, but proper evidence to suggest that he is not worth staying, right?
00:29:50
Zak
Yeah. and attach
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Stability and trust in the vision is has got to be better than starting again from scratch from nowhere.
00:29:58
Zak
and not being upset constantly with international breaks every, what feels like two to three weeks now Hopefully maybe we can actually like, you know, keep a run of form together and just, which is good because I'm sick of them.
00:30:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is this is the last one until March.
00:30:11
Zak
I figure i swear, that is what is this, the third? The third in like three months?
00:30:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, this is the third one this season.
00:30:15
Zak
So I can...
00:30:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Crazy. And now, yeah, no more until March. Praise be.
00:30:20
Zak
So I can hear about how Thomas Tuchel's upset with another player and some other player's going to start I don't care about.
00:30:29
Zak
I've got myself in trouble here.
00:30:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay
00:30:30
Zak
Look, I support England during the big moments, the tournaments, that, the other. But I really struggle to find anything about international football outside of that enjoyable, especially where most of the time I watch it and I'm falling asleep before halftime.
00:30:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not looking forward to England versus Serbia or Albania versus England in this international break.
00:30:57
Zak
No.
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
all right.
00:30:58
Zak
I used to like watching.
00:30:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good chat. Right.
00:30:59
Zak
I used to like it when Brogyu was fit enough usually to play for Albania and be like, oh, he played for us. That's about it.
00:31:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, no. I'm right there with you, mate. Right there with you. Right. Anywho, that is all we've got time for today. So thank you very much, Zach, for joining me.
00:31:18
Zak
you, mate.
00:31:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
and talking with me. And thank you everyone for listening on our our little news catch up. That's it for this week. We will be back next week with some more footballing goodness and building back up to the real football when Saints get back on the pitch.
00:31:34
Zak
Thank goodness.
00:31:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We cannot
Listener Interaction and Sign-off
00:31:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
wait. But until then, let us know in the comments your thoughts. Spores, your thoughts on Eker,
00:31:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who do you want as manager? Let us know. We love hearing from you everywhere. In the comments or on the socials. We're on all of them. We're on X, Blue Sky, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. Everywhere. Hit us up. Let us know. Until Monday, though, have a great weekend, everyone, and we'll see you then.
00:32:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, my God.