Transcript
DailySaintsPod: Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod with Zak and Greg. I am your host, Zak. And I'm delighted to say the return of the King.
DailySaintsPod: My co -host Greg is back. He is now, unfortunately. No longer enjoying winter sun. But fortunate for all of you, he is back on the podcast. Someone to temper off.
DailySaintsPod: My unending rants, mate. How are you doing?
Greg: Oh, I'm really good, mate. Look, I've gone from a nice week in Majorca, signing up, and now I've just got to get myself ready for a... Uh... six -hour round trip with the kids to our annual away game on Tuesday.
Greg: What's more to like?
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: i've I've heard Birmingham lovely this time of year.
Greg: Yeah. Right. right up there next to the swimming in the sea and watching dolphins in Mallorca. It's, uh, Birmingham and a trip to the Hawthorns. Sights to behold.
DailySaintsPod: Can't believe it. You've managed to miss two full storms. No football in the week. I know that you've caught up on all of my episodes. I appreciate that. But yeah, it's been tough, mate.
Greg: they are Great. You did really well.
DailySaintsPod: It's been hard to to not have someone to bounce. bounce everything off of but you are back
Greg: I really struggle too with... a myriad of cocktails and not having to wear anything other than shorts and a t -shirt it's been a hard life
DailySaintsPod: Sure, sure. It's been a devastatingly hard week for you. However, we are here to review a 4 -1 victory at St Mary's on Saturday.
DailySaintsPod: A game that I was slightly conservative in my approach going into it, just because of their their success against Swansea.
Greg: yeah Which is fair.
DailySaintsPod: uh yeah and on top of that like in the complete contrast of that I saw that Jimmy Cheese was like this is why the 5 -0 is nothing to worry about and he was the one that was right at the end of the day
Greg: Amazing. Uh, I said 3 -1 before the game. And I think at 90 minutes text you saying I'm fuming. I didn't put a bet on and then Wellington saved the day.
DailySaintsPod: You did.
Greg: So.
DailySaintsPod: So, yeah, it was it was one of those things where I tried to be conservative about it. And what I should have done is that if a team comes to St Mary's to play football... At that point, it's on them.
DailySaintsPod: So, you know, that that was ultimately what happened.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: But let's let's get into the start of the game and we'll start talking about the the lineup. so The lineup was a little bit different. to what we expected it to be.
DailySaintsPod: and By that, I mean the defence was exactly as we expected it to be, but there was no Kasper Janda in the middle.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And in fact, he was replaced by Bragg. But on top of that, Caspar Jander was also not... in the matchday squad at all. He wasn't even on the bench.
Greg: Hmm. Yeah, we've learned since, right, that it was a muscular injury picked up in training on Tuesday, which Tonda in the post -match...
DailySaintsPod: So...
Greg: presser labeled as Not too bad, but not great, having not long been back from injury. So that's somewhere between he'll be back on Tuesday and he could be out for the rest of the season, based off of a standard press conference protocol.
DailySaintsPod: That's kind of how I felt in the pre -match presser anyway, with like the one of the two of Larin / Downes will be back this weekend. And I was like, okay, and they will play a part.
DailySaintsPod: And I was like, well, they're not starting. And so I managed to get that right.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: But the Yanda thing is frustrating because he's just come back. He was obviously done probably too many minutes for what the physios wanted, especially that game where he had to come in very early on when Downes picked up an injury.
DailySaintsPod: so yeah I'm not hugely surprised, but it is frustrating.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: I think I saw somebody tweet out there, like, I hope that he doesn't become one of like these players that I, I can think of like the injury ridden Romeo Lavia, the one season he was with us where it was really nice.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And it's like, and then he would go out for a while. I guess Lamina is another example of that. And the reason I say it's like that middle of the park is, is, you know,
Greg: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: we kind of he he really started to build into the games that he was playing he was absolutely absolutely excellent however
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Bragg stepped up to the plate, came in.
Greg: Well, yeah, look I mean
DailySaintsPod: You score a goal, like.
Greg: Peace. It's much easier to say with the benefit of hindsight, but I feel like I genuinely would have said this if I were on the preview. but I have no concerns over Cam Bragg slotting into that position.
Greg: and uh and and had i been here to say that i would have been proven dead right because what is essentially a man of the match performance his first ever championship goal and i pulled out these stats just to back that up mate uh 76 touches total in the game.
Greg: 62 out of 65 passes were successfully completed, 7 into the final third, 2 accurate long balls, 1 chance created, 7 recoveries, 4 tackles, 6 out of 9 ground duels won, 2 fouls won, 1 shot on target, 1 goal.
Greg: like That's... That's how you step up after... after you know getting sent off in the derby, which we all have a lot of sympathy for, right?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, that's that's the other that's the other thing.
Greg: we We all completely understand as a young man, but to... Take that on the chin, step up, and come back with your next start at St Mary's being... that performance.
Greg: I mean, that there's we know that there's a hell of a player in there. because we've spotted it every time he's played. throughout the latter part of Hot... last season.
Greg: right when when we were saying, well, I mean, how is Oriol Romeo ever going to get a look in with Cam Bragg stepping up to the plate like this? and And that's just continued. And fair play.
DailySaintsPod: The answer was that he didn't. Now he's in Japan.
Greg: Yeah. Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: So, no, yeah, absolutely fantastic performance. You know, it wasn't something we were bothered by. It was more of, again, I guess, just surprise than anything else.
Greg: Mm.
DailySaintsPod: because obviously we didn't hear anything about the potential of Jander being out. Tonda once again keeping press conferences. At this point, you wonder what press conferences are really for, because they never tell us anything.
Greg: Uh, because they're a contractual obligation mate and nothing else
DailySaintsPod: No, I know. It's just, it's so frustrating because sometimes you really hope that you'll hear something.
Greg: whisper
DailySaintsPod: And obviously, I guess we did get a bit of information in the fact that that Flynn Downes ended up coming on with the 75th minute for for what, like a quarter of an hour, if that. So you know he got some minutes back in the tank.
Greg: that's building back minutes right getting himself back up to to where he's going to want to be
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: but...
DailySaintsPod: replacing a James Ward -Prowse, where for the first time in a long while, he hasn't played almost the entirety of the game. so yeah and obviously the biggest surprise I was hoping that Larin would be back in. I was...
DailySaintsPod: kind of expecting it. But I guess one of the big key indicators should have been the fact that he wasn't even there last weekend.
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: I don't know what's going on there. I feel like they don't want to tell us that the star strike is potentially out maybe longer. But... Dobbin stepped up.
Greg: Doesn't matter, mate, when you've got goals coming from everywhere in the team.
DailySaintsPod: Well, yeah, like that's that's one of the things that's so nice about it, right?
Greg: The...
DailySaintsPod: It's not like we have to be, you know, like when we were playing with Ings and we were really struggling because the only person that could score wasings and it was And then it was absolutely sort of devastating. And it's like, oh, we never really replaced him.
DailySaintsPod: But at the same time, you know, you're you're coming into this game. With, once again, a Matsuki goal who seems to love QPR, where he could have easily picked up a brace had he not absolutely skied his first attempt.
Greg: Hmm. Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: So, you know...
Greg: crazy well look as you you can tell that i'm coming into this game uh making up for being still traveling whilst it was playing and not able to uh watch in its entirety because i've got another stat for you uh Saints now the...
Greg: team with the most unique goal scorers in the championship this season, sitting on 13 different scorers from the squad, sitting just ahead of West Ham, Norwich and Middlesbrough, who are all on 12, which is...
Greg: Which is pretty insane. 13 different goal scorers.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, that's kind of... That's kind of nuts. And and four of those this season coming from Matsky, right? Where, you know, I think you finally have now agreed with me that that isn't a place that's up for grabs.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: That's his place.
Greg: Yeah, very much so. I mean, he chipped in with goal contributions and goals and I mean just continues to grow and grow as a player and solidify himself in that spot.
Greg: Which, I mean, it's the benefit of depth is that I'm still not going to be concerned if I see Tom Fellows on the team sheet over him as the games come thick and fast. but I agree, he's... he's state that claim.
Greg: and made that right side his own.
DailySaintsPod: The fact that he's able to to add goal scoring right to his repertoire is is really important.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: and has been massively beneficial in in this season so far. And obviously, I think it's going to be what they really need to start thinking about now is that if he most likely gets...
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: I can't imagine why they wouldn't. If he gets into the the Asia Cup. in the early beginning of the year beginning of next year. what we're going to do to replace him and and how we're going to, you know, you said, okay, we might start to bring Tom Fellows in a bit more.
DailySaintsPod: but there is at least a bit of a presence to his game. that I think it's going to be hard to replace even with fellows.
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Again, like I said, you know, I've always been a Matsuki fan since day one. People are very aware of that. This isn't something that I keep quiet. But it is really is really nice when, like...
DailySaintsPod: you know you kind of write about something. you know they say i don't want like I don't want it to give me a sense of arrogance, but I'm just i'm just really happy for him that he's you know very...
Greg: indeed
DailySaintsPod: He's becoming such an important part of the team. And there was quite a lot of... you know Again, I've seen some sort of people... I've seen some criticism of Leo again. I don't really understand why, because he seems to still create a lot of these goals.
DailySaintsPod: they they they They start with him, right?
Greg: Yeah, I mean he was involved.
DailySaintsPod: they They start with him on the left.
Greg: Yeah, he was involved
DailySaintsPod: If not, it starts with Azaz. But like he he is still involved. It might not be... some of the goals that we saw last season or or some of the you know it might take a hit and then be struck again afterwards in the follow -up. But that doesn't matter if you're still getting involved. and and dealing with it.
DailySaintsPod: So it was just a a really good game. And then obviously... let's get to the Let's get to the big, big, Greg. So the offside goal, I don't know if you saw Lewis Dobbin post about how he it was great to him to get his...
DailySaintsPod: you know it was It was a good game at the weekend and great for him to get his first goal at St. Mary's that he... He then put crossed out. with a picture of you know an emoji with a pinocchio nose it's very funny You should have a look afterwards.
Greg: What the f - feeling like. Right. Look. Let's... Let's get the the mitigation out of the way first before anyone tries to come at us in the comments. right Having looked at it on video replay...
Greg: VAR would give it as offside. right jack stevens is clearly impeding the goalkeeper's line of sight and is in an offside position He attempts to make a play at the ball, but doesn't touch it.
Greg: okay Fair enough. And... Had. The linesman stuck his flag up at that very first moment. That's kind of the end of discussion. Maybe a bit of frustration because line of sight is always a dubious one anyway. But at the end of the day, it it is offside.
Greg: However... in the flip to normal Right. If you make the correct decision. in the wrong way is equally as bad. I mean...
Greg: There's only two things. that could have happened. to make it take that long. for them to make that decision. Right? Either.
Greg: They had no idea. and guest. and panicked. And since when has panicking and getting ended up and resulted in the... Well, we better disallow it to be safe.
Greg: Or... They were swayed by the protests of the QPR players. which is a very dangerous precedent to set. to swing your mind. by a player's appeal because you know we hear about the the problems football referees have with the way they're spoken to by players anyway and the ferocity of appeals.
Greg: if you've change your mind because of the veracity of their appeal and listen to it. I just... It shouldn't take that long to make the the the goal music had finished playing.
Greg: by the time that he decided to stick his flank up his ludicrous amount of time. Uh, The referee had already pointed. to have given the goal. So...
Greg: It's just baffling. It's a case of sure they got the correct decision, but the process was awful. You hear a lot when they make awful decisions in the Premier League and they go on ref watch, pal. Good process, good process. This was the opposite of that. like They accidentally made the right decision in an awful way. that the you know could have Could have skewered the mentality of the... The rest of the game, I guess.
Greg: In the long run, maybe it had a slightly galvanising effect. But... That just... but Yeah, baffling. Baffling to me. other I don't know. What did you make of it?
DailySaintsPod: I'm kind of similar. Obviously in the moment, I didn't really... I didn't see until we kind of watched it back. It kind of reminds me, do you remember...
Greg: To be clear, like, I only believe, like, on first viewing... in the highlights on when i watched it on my phone on youtube in the evening I'm like, that's a ridiculous decision. It's only like...
Greg: watching it on the TV. In slow motion, I'm like, oh, yeah, okay. I can see that he's offside and he's made a play at the ball and he's blocking the keeper's line of sight. Like, he's he's run. and dived literally in front of the keeper you because no argument to be made that he's not a deliberate impediment of the keeper. Buh.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And...
Greg: but
DailySaintsPod: I remember when we had we had a similar goal. choked off during the disastrous Premier League season.
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: right Whereas I think it was against Wolves. I think it was like. everyone thought adam armstrong was going to like make a play and then they didn't and then they looked back and said he did and then they ended up taking that back and said that they didn't
Greg: Yes. I remember.
DailySaintsPod: And it's it's the same thing that I'll always say, which is I would prefer it without VAR. i think that so you know if we had far and it would have overturned it anyway but the thing is, is we don't have fast. Why did it take so long? If it's a, it could be just. number three mate which is just incompetence where he didn't hear the assistant referee say it was offside who Who knows?
Greg: Oh, isn't it crazy that in a world of technology they've got a massive yellow and orange thing to hold up to communicate.
DailySaintsPod: It's it's frustrating.
Greg: Like... We shouldn't be relying on vocal communications through an electronic system before you're using...
DailySaintsPod: No, but maybe maybe maybe it was a simple thing that like didn't see the flag go up, etc.
Greg: the
DailySaintsPod: like there's a bunch of There's a bunch of things. like their job is hard and I don't usually defend referees in situations like this and it was a ridiculous amount of time before we discovered it wasn't.
DailySaintsPod: But again, it's like the trials and tribulations of... If this was VAR, it would have taken like five, ten minutes. We don't have that. and ultimately it didn't cause us a problem right that's that's that's the it's it'll be it'll be different
Greg: Yeah. it's It's easier to accept when you go on to score three more and comfortably win.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Like like the wove the Wolves thing like resulted in Russell Martin and co having to sit down with the refs board, them admit that they were wrong and then just go, sorry.
DailySaintsPod: Whereas this is a thing that happened in a game that, you know, it arguably other than that, there weren't really.
Greg: The... Yeah.
Greg: It gives me... It gives me the same vibe as I saw the the video pop up this week that it was the anniversary of that home game against Sunderland.
Greg: And by saying that, you'll know exactly what I mean. And it's giving me the same vibes as on the Thursday of that week, like five days later, when the dubious goals committee he like took Sadio Mane's first goal away from him.
Greg: that just Just like the Saints admin.
DailySaintsPod: i I forgot that even happened.
Greg: the Saints admin tweeting cheers lads like
Greg: though They'd already printed like the the big...
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, but like...
Greg: print cut out in the echo, the A4 page of all of the goals. Hmm. uh but yeah just
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, ultimately it didn't.
Greg: Same vibes, right?
DailySaintsPod: It didn't have like a huge effect on the on the on the game.
Greg: Like...
DailySaintsPod: And we're lucky that it didn't. The rest of the game, there wasn't really a huge amount. of of like ref decisions that were wrong. It took a bit too long. that That's like the main complaint, right?
DailySaintsPod: Our complaint here is that it should have been... It should have been sorted and decided. quick uh And if it can't be, clear if it's not clear and obvious and hasn't been decided early on, you give the goal.
Greg: Yeah.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: but it was probably the right decision so it's just it's just frustrating
Greg: No. Actually, that's that's why people hate it.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: because it feels like VAR. And people hate VAR.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, and and also...
Greg: And that's why I hate it. so
DailySaintsPod: And also if it if it's supposed to be like a clear and obvious thing and it takes that long.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: stiff It's not clear and obvious then, is it? And that's and I know that that's different.
Greg: Right.
DailySaintsPod: It's a different rule, but it's just it's just that it's just annoying. It's just frustrating.
Greg: Okay.
DailySaintsPod: but ultimately merely it didn't have an effect on the rest of the game.
Greg: no exactly it's like you say much easier to swallow when the rest of the game goes the way it goes And it didn't. It went.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. So, obviously, we've briefly touched on, you know, we get into the the second half. we' very, very briefly touched on Cam Bragg's goal beforehand, which you know took a little bit of a help from a deflection.
DailySaintsPod: However, it doesn't matter.
Greg: So bye -bye. Went in.
DailySaintsPod: It was go it went in.
Greg: Hits the ball at the goal and the ball went in.
DailySaintsPod: It's his goal.
Greg: What more do you want?
DailySaintsPod: There you go. I'm not trying to take anything away. I'm just saying. I'm just saying that deflection helped.
DailySaintsPod: And then obviously...
Greg: I particularly enjoyed... I didn't... Listen to the audio. uh the post -match press conference, so I've read it, but I've read it in Tonda's voice, and if my interpretation of how it read is... is It's maybe like a classic Tondorism funny quote where he said all of a sudden in training this week he started shooting so we saw this one coming.
Greg: a
DailySaintsPod: Yeah, this is this is the also reminds me of like the... the Lewis Dobbin quote from like beforehand where like we aren't even in fourth gear yet. We haven't even got into fourth gear.
DailySaintsPod: We we haven't even, we you haven't even seen us start.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And I'm like, guys, with we're like a quarter of the way into the season. I really hope you have.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And we seem to have, but obviously. you know we we have that we'd have that right with second goal and then... we end up getting a third with an absolutely fantastic cross into an absolute Schlotterbeck, just what a player.
DailySaintsPod: Like, I'm sorry, but as a replacement for Taylor Howard -Bellis.
Greg: Mm.
Greg: Three million, by the way. Okay.
DailySaintsPod: That is is is, this is where like, okay, it's frustrating that Damien Downs had the money spent on him that he did, right?
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: It's frustrating that, you know, some of the players haven't quite hit the heights we'd like to. And then we just get situations like this where it's like, it just feels like a football manager pool. It genuinely does.
DailySaintsPod: Like, oh, let me just get this random guy that has some pretty good, oh, it turns out he's going to become like a Saints legend in a very short period of time. by just being putting in some fantastic defensive performances.
Greg: The. What I particularly enjoyed about this goal was the way that I... received the news obviously i was like in the middle of traveling home uh like mid -car journey anyway kind of keeping up with the game as best i could also scrolling through Facebook.
Greg: All I got was the Southampton Australian supporters page pop up with Kevin. I'm like. Kevin Schlottbach scored from a corner. And then I got the notification from the Saints app saying, Kevin Schlotterbeck scored from a corner.
Greg: I like it. Yep.
Greg: That's right. uh
DailySaintsPod: Nice.
Greg: Hey, unbelievable. But like you say, just another one of these unique goal scorers coming into play, right?
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: He's second now, right? so
DailySaintsPod: But if you say.
Greg: cold coming from everywhere tonda again in the post -match said that they've been specifically trying to be more lethal from set pieces because that's what they've been lacking and i mean but What could he say?
DailySaintsPod: That's starting to happen, and that's the good thing about it.
Greg: Yeah. They worked on it and it worked. Great. good What more can you ask for?
DailySaintsPod: And then they they unfortunately pegged us back with what was a good goal. I think it it was against the it was against the run of play.
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: like I didn't really feel much any of the match. that like QPR we're going to come back in and like dominate Like, they they for it they had spells of possession, but it was like watching us have possession two years ago.
DailySaintsPod: like it didn't really you know that they they They struggled, I think, a lot more than they probably...
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: We probably were expected them to. And, you know, they had a couple of close calls.
Greg: that's not fair mate they had 12 shots that's more than we ever managed back then Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: True, but like i i there's no there's no huge standout ones that I remember, and that's kind of my point.
Greg: No. Well, here's the thing, right?
DailySaintsPod: is that
Greg: 12 shots, two on target tells the story.
DailySaintsPod: There you go.
DailySaintsPod: and And obviously, it was against the run of play. It was a little bit of brilliance from Kone. And yeah, it was just it was a very it was very much against the run of play. and i kind of thought well we'll probably
Greg: just finished off a second after we scored didn't we that's all it was quality finish that led to it but that's all it means Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Well, yeah, we're just we're just too... too busy celebrating. And then obviously we get towards the end of the game and then they, you know, Matsuki comes off for a dozy who gets another really small cameo.
DailySaintsPod: Dobbin comes off Obama, who also gets another small cameo. And I think, you you know, I know that you listened.
Greg: almost like a comedically small amount of time. but like almost in an effort to mug off every point we've ever made of how can bringing players in for that short amount of time even benefit them or bring them confidence what kind of impact can they hope to make Obama is like the main reason that that next goal happens
DailySaintsPod: The... This is true.
DailySaintsPod: This is true because obviously I talked about that the other day and I talked about that when I did my profile episode on him. I said, I think one of the frustrating things is obviously he had very, very regular football. Then he didn't. He picked up an injury at Stoke.
DailySaintsPod: kind of cut that out completely he came here to kind of regain those minutes and just hasn't had that and you know is is struggling for game time. And I think it's unfair to expect, you know, when I was talking, Lone Watch as well, I was talking about the fact that like, how are you expecting Damien Downs to do a lot in seven games when he has a grand total of 65 minutes?
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And then obviously that is just made to, as a complete joke, because as much as a dozy, you know, Didn't quite get into the mix as much as we'd have liked. Again, five minutes. But Barmer did. He almost created a goal. he He managed to hit the keeper. And then on the rebound, in the 92nd minute, after Barnaby Williams came on, which was a lovely another another lovely moment as well for Can Bragg. and And then I said to you, Wellington coming on for Manning, what is the actual point? I think is the can't remember the exact phrasing I said to you. I was like, this is 100 % a way. And then he gets his second career goal in a matter of weeks.
DailySaintsPod: on the follow -up from from obama basically always like sending pierce charles into space
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And i I, at that point... One, you're upset because, well, I don't know if you're upset because you said, as like, oh, I should have put a bet on for 3 -1. considering that that was what you thought it was. Well, that was ruined because it ended up being 4 -1.
DailySaintsPod: But it was just like...
Greg: Yeah, he saved the day.
DailySaintsPod: It was sort of one of those things like, Wellington, really? Cool, okay! it was It was really surprising to give like Ryan Manning, I don't know, one minute off. And yeah, it doesn't matter. He came on and...
Greg: How...
DailySaintsPod: 95th minute scored.
Greg: How often do you think substitutes that have been brought on in stoppage time at the end of the game go on to score?
DailySaintsPod: not very often.
Greg: Like that's got to be a pretty rare statistic. Right, Iz.
DailySaintsPod: <unk>s it's things where like
Greg: And... And even fewer of them are left backs.
DailySaintsPod: Nice. Yeah, obviously he just followed up on the follow -up, but it was just one of those moments where my brain broke a little bit, where I was like, look at that!
Greg: you
DailySaintsPod: That just happened. Oh, okay. No, it did. Right. Cool. and then obviously at that point it it feels far more like that you know far more like that 5 -0 win because again even the goal we conceded was very much against the run of play we switched off a little bit if that was a more should I say lethal team, that would have been a thing to worry about.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Because, you know, we weren't we we gave them like a little bit of a... a route back in, but it it obviously we kept them contained.
Greg: That said... and Like a team that we were concerned about having scored five pass. Swansea. you know very recently and Swansea being where they are in the league but at the end of the day
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. Especially as Swansea had a very convincing win at the weekend as well.
Greg: hey
DailySaintsPod: I think they had like a 4 -0 win, including a goal from Ross Stewart.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: So it's not like it's not like they they lost to QPR because they're falling apart in the form table. They lost to QPR you know by merit.
Greg: Nice.
DailySaintsPod: And also on top of that, you've got Pierce Charles, who is a fantastic goalkeeper. He wouldn't be if man he wouldn't not be if Man City hadn't picked him up. right like he wouldn't he wouldn't he would have like Had a really good time at Sheffield Wednesday.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: you know continued to have you know got
Greg: We've talked about the highlight reels he's been having at QPR and we, you know, we managed to score five past him today and four of them counted.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: so it was I mean, it was good. I mean...
DailySaintsPod: It's not really his fault to be clear.
Greg: Summary. No, none of them were his fault.
DailySaintsPod: Night.
Greg: uh St Mary's is just a proper fortress at the moment.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: proper scary place to come. No one.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: We're now, in fact, Zach. unbeaten in 17 league home matches. 17 games in a row without a loss.
Greg: Ursa Mary's.
DailySaintsPod: I think we've also we've also beaten QPR seven times in a row.
Greg: Yeah. So... Just... You know, no one wants to come to St Mary's.
DailySaintsPod: Bye.
Greg: It's a scary place to come.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: And that's finally what I mean. You know... not very recent memory of a time sitting there having one our worst performance of the season against Everton as the only win I saw in an entire season at home.
DailySaintsPod: but Not only that, even a year ago, mate, I went with my dad on his birthday to watch us lose 2 -0 to Preston, which I did not think or know that would be Will Stills' last game.
Greg: Yeah. Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: Like...
Greg: Yeah. And...
DailySaintsPod: Like, that that was as recent as a year ago.
Greg: What a turnaround.
DailySaintsPod: and
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: And then obviously we've had so much happen in between that time, but yet have managed to consistently maintain. you know not getting beaten which has been really really nice and If we can continue the the rise in away form we've had as well, you know, we're we're in and around some really, really tough competition.
DailySaintsPod: And ironically, only Middlesbrough seem to be the only team that are kind of keeping up with us form -wise. You know, you had West Ham lose 3 -1 to West Brom. You know, Swansea managed to get back on top, but did lose to QPR the week before.
Greg: Mm hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Our really only big hiccups have been... you know we probably should have done get better against both lincoln and bolton we probably should have also not lost a rexen.
DailySaintsPod: and you know that early loss to Watford.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: But obviously obviously you can't win every single game. And if you do, you end up like Burnley that one season where they got promoted and became so overconfident that when they managed that promotion, they went straight back down.
Greg: Nice. It is.
DailySaintsPod: And now you're looking at Burnley now managing to scrape past a draw with Portsmouth. so
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: it's it's it's It's going to be a tough and a weird table. and you know we It was only a couple of weeks ago we were doing, I say a couple of weeks ago, probably the week before last, we were looking at the way that the table was after a championship roundup in midweek.
DailySaintsPod: And already that table now is is drastically changing.
Greg: just going to shake out And we're sitting in a very...
DailySaintsPod: Yeah.
Greg: healthy looking fifth. Five points off the top. Decent. good good stuff you think about
DailySaintsPod: Yeah? And it's it's like one of those things where one of the other teams we haven't even...
Greg: Where we were at this point last season, weren't we like 22nd? And we still came and finished right there in the playoffs, just about nearly automatic. So we've given ourselves that.
Greg: excellent foundation to to keep going and if we can keep up.
DailySaintsPod: I don't mind if we're second mate. i I just want us to...
Greg: but Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: i I honestly, the big takeaway for me is I really want to finish the season where possible in the automatic places. I just don't know if I can handle playoffs again, genuinely.
Greg: Yeah.
Greg: No.
Greg: My wallet can't That's for sure.
DailySaintsPod: No, I don't really want to have to cancel a hotel last minute again.
Greg: Yeah.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: After being re -offered the tickets that I'd won, would you want to go see Hull instead?
Greg: it did
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: and I probably could have. That would have been quite funny. But no, I didn't really want to put myself through that level of pain. And by pain, I mean...
Greg: and No.
DailySaintsPod: you know. Not Payne, because Middlesbrough bottled it, but yeah it's not... I i think Alfie put out, like... 27th of November we play Middlesbrough. That's going to be...
DailySaintsPod: It's going to be a fascinating game.
Greg: It's going to take a minute.
DailySaintsPod: that's gonna be as As you like to say, mate, it's going to be a fascinating game.
Greg: It's going to be a lot.
DailySaintsPod: It's going to be an interesting one. And it's going to be the one that really...
Greg: Oh, it's going to be electric is what it's going to be. the the The quality of football that's going to be on display of those teams both. in absolutely flying form battling it out for that position let alone the other stuff that comes with it and the the needle that is going to be between the fans it's uh
DailySaintsPod: Eh, eh. It is weird that like as much as the South Coast Derby is like the biggest thing, and currently we are the ones with the baring bragging rights, it is weird that this has now created a...
Greg: It's going to be great.
DailySaintsPod: a a new type of derby and I don't know how long this like will last but it's only only last week that I saw like an article that was posted about Spygate ruining their season which was probably one of the funniest things I've ever read because it's like
Greg: yeah
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: Shut up, mate.
Greg: Yeah. Very funny.
DailySaintsPod: You could have been in the flop too and you wouldn't have had to have dealt with that.
Greg: uh
DailySaintsPod: but
Greg: Right.
DailySaintsPod: Hey this
Greg: One of the things that I'm sure we'll talk about more probably in our spare episode this week between games. Uh... a few different contract renewals rumoured to be on the table this week.
DailySaintsPod: Yes.
Greg: but specifically the the one that's worth talking about. tonders in time in charge of 46 championship matches at saints the equivalent of one full season 28 wins, 11 draws.
Greg: seven feet. 95 points. 97 goals scored. That's... It's pretty good form. Right? It's pretty good.
DailySaintsPod: that's That's pretty crazy.
Greg: good stuff
DailySaintsPod: Almost as crazy as the fact that Cam Archer is currently like the best English goal scorer in the top five leagues with six goals.
Greg: Yeah. but it's from so it doesn't count Uh...
DailySaintsPod: So... It's one of the top five leagues.
Greg: Yeah, fit.
DailySaintsPod: Yeah. No, like I get you.
Greg: and
DailySaintsPod: And then obviously you've also potentially got other, you know, Mannings looking to renew as well, as much as that might upset some people.
Greg: Mm hmm.
DailySaintsPod: I think that that's a fantastic piece of business.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: He has been. He has really stepped into...
Greg: Yeah.
Greg: consistent, innit?
DailySaintsPod: this club. yeah but like it it's i i kind of you know i forget the clubs that he used to play for now
Greg: consistently good
Greg: okay
DailySaintsPod: i kind of just the left back position is just his position. in in my opinion, as much as Wellington's trying desperately to to kind of dislodge him.
Greg: Yeah. Absolutely.
DailySaintsPod: And I feel like... one random goal in his three -minute appearance probably helps that. Don't get me wrong.
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: So we'll just have to...
Greg: especially when the other goal you scored was the you know maybe one of the most ridiculous things I've seen.
DailySaintsPod: I just...
Greg: from the most surprising of sources.
DailySaintsPod: But yeah, I think i think that what what can we, summarising the actual game, because we've got wildly off topic and that's why I've missed you so much, has is the fact that that was just a really solid statement win.
DailySaintsPod: We know it's a team that... People have kind of always expected us to beat because of the history there.
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: It's last season. I still can't go over the fact that they were the first team that Tonda beat on his first game in charge and everyone kind of dismissed it. because it was like, oh, well it's only QPR and it wasn't that good and QPR was struggling at the time.
DailySaintsPod: but to like consistently just I don't know have like almost I don't know if it's a psychological edge I don't know if it's just that we have a stronger squad probably a combination of all those things
Greg: Just unstoppable at home.
DailySaintsPod: it's nice to go yeah it's or it's also just that right like it's It's funny to me that you know that the teams that... that have struck that we've struggled against the teams that... you know, have come to us that that have absolutely zero expectations because probably, like with us, not knowing absolutely anything about Lincoln.
DailySaintsPod: probably know absolutely nothing about us other than the fact that we've been in the news recently, right?
Greg: Hmm.
DailySaintsPod: so So treat us like that way. And yeah, it's just a really, really good statement win. It's more points on the board. It continues our, you know... climb up to the top of the table.
DailySaintsPod: and in the the words of the aston villa admin our ascension to the top of the championship league No, actually, sorry, the Birmingham admin who was mugging off the Aston Villa.
DailySaintsPod: Because unlike you as well, like me, with you only sort of paying attention to Saints news, me just drip feeding you random tidbits around what's going on in the football world. Because unlike usual, you've not been able to just kind of tune into Sky Sports and watch random games this week.
DailySaintsPod: But honestly, mate, it's just fantastic to have you back.
Greg: yeah
DailySaintsPod: And it's been really, really nice to have you back to talk about a great win.
Greg: That's not strictly true because I did get criticised in my week's holiday for... uh spending a solid 20 minutes looking for my sunglasses in the morning and not being able to find them, yet being able to identify an ex -Saints player 100 yards away from a bar as we walked towards the end. Is that Tyler Diblin?
DailySaintsPod: What the fuck?
Greg: and is Uh...
DailySaintsPod: Oh mate.
Greg: So some random football, isn't it? It's got to be done.
DailySaintsPod: Well, you know what can I say? We have our special interests. That is probably all about. all we've got time for today. It has been absolutely wonderful to have you back, mate. uh the conversation flows just a little bit easier when it's not with myself okay Yeah, yeah.
DailySaintsPod: But it's an absolutely fantastic win up the Saints.
Greg: Always good.
DailySaintsPod: We are available on... Facebook. X the everything up. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok. blue sky when I can remember to post that. And... Elsewhere.
DailySaintsPod: and other. Uh... We've been really growing in our YouTube space uh in the last couple of weeks and last couple of months and that's a really big source of growth for us and it's it's fantastic to see so thank you to everybody that's helping out there thank you to all of our loyal listeners who have been you know with us in podcast form since the early days.
DailySaintsPod: As Greg pointed out, we have another game to talk about. However, we'll also have a review to talk about. And unless we want to record it at like three in the morning. That will probably be me solo again.
DailySaintsPod: But up until that point...
Greg: Yeah.
DailySaintsPod: There is going to be a preview that where we both get to talk about the upcoming fixture against West Brom. But yeah, thank you for listening, everybody. Have a wonderful morning. afternoon or evening and we will see you in the next one.
