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Episode 402: Championship Roundup!
103 Plays16 days ago
Southampton – Another crazy week filled with surprise results, last minute important goals and all the drama that we love in the championship!
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Transcript
00:00:13
DailySaintsPod
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Saints pod. My name is Greg and as always today joined by my good friend and wonderful co-host Zach. Mate, how doing?
00:00:24
Zak
Hello. Yeah, not too bad. We won a game the weekend. Can't complain.
00:00:30
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, flying high, mate. 12 games unbeaten. But today we're going to do something we enjoy doing and looking through and taking a moment to reflect on the rest of the league and see you know where that puts us and and how...
00:00:46
DailySaintsPod
how the rest of it looks, right? Lots of football happening all the time in the Championship. So nice to take the opportunity to look around at at the wider league and and see what's going on.
00:00:58
DailySaintsPod
And as as as I know you love me, I'm going to go reverse chronologically, alphabetically, otherwise known as the order it's on business for.
00:01:07
Zak
Yeah, yeah. you're just You're just going to do it the way that BBC Sport do it.
00:01:14
DailySaintsPod
Obviously, at time of recording, we do not know what is still to be played with one game left in this game week on Monday night. But it's Pompey, so who cares is where we're at. that They'll probably lose gifted three points.
00:01:30
DailySaintsPod
Happy days next up. So starting on Friday, i a game that made headlines for all of the reasons.
00:01:36
Zak
on
00:01:40
DailySaintsPod
as Wrexham beat Swansea 2-0. and And of course, made the headlines because on Sky Sports Football, you could elect to have the match coverage with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney doing the commentary, which...
00:01:59
Zak
it's It's just Rob Black now, mate. He's made sure to change that.
00:02:01
DailySaintsPod
Rob Mack. Right, sure. Yeah. Anyway, on on commentary for the game, which was all right. I thought they were pretty funny.
00:02:12
DailySaintsPod
This is something we've got opposing views on, so go on, I'll give you the floor.
00:02:16
Zak
I think it's... The problem is, is for a lot of people, it epitomises the complete commodification of football, right? Is that you've got two blokes that don't really know a huge amount who own a football club.
00:02:32
Zak
comment like If Drake and Sollick came out it was like, yeah, I'm goingnna' going to commentate on a Saints game. Like, and again, it's because it's like Hollywood personalities, but it's the whole, you know, between Snoop Dogg and Swansea City. And it's just like a lot of what people like about football is being taken away by the like, sort of injection of...
00:02:57
Zak
like celebrities and people who are going to take the spotlight as owners, as opposed to just an owner being in the background and owning a football club. And you're seeing it with like KSI has bought a team with the sole intention of rising them through the ranks to probably, you know,
00:03:16
Zak
get good TV out of it. And, like, obviously, Brexham were the start of that. I'd argue that Sunderland were the start of it with their with their original documentary. But for a lot of people, it is the...
00:03:29
Zak
Yeah, it's just like the epitome of like, oh man, football is nothing but a product at this point. And I know that you're gonna go like, oh, well, the commentary that they usually have is pretty crap.
00:03:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:03:39
Zak
I'm like, yeah, but the point is, is there people involved in the sport?
00:03:40
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:03:43
Zak
This is just like, we'll just give anyone a go. And this this goes for ourselves, right? Like I am aware that we are content creators. for football, but we live in this space and I find it bizarre when they start going, know, two lads that just talk about football every day like we were mates. Let's like make them the commentators for the game. And I'm like, no, i think that people want to be able to listen to like, you know, and and like as a one-off thing, it's funny, but you could a hundred percent see a future where there's like Tom Brady and these guys talking, and then there's Swansea, and these guys talking. And then like you get to a point where, like well, actually, what's the point of actual commentary? This does better.
00:04:22
Zak
Also, my wife will listen to it. but And it's just, oh, like, mate. And I know that you're like, oh, it's going to be, let's have your take.
00:04:28
DailySaintsPod
look
00:04:31
Zak
But it just annoys me.
00:04:32
DailySaintsPod
Right. It was, mean, first of all, right. It wasn't the only option available, right? If you wanted to go and listen to the normal rubbish that Sky Sports dishes out, that was available on main event. that' That's an important distinction, right? But also, you know, they they were surprisingly knowledgeable about the game, right?
00:04:50
DailySaintsPod
They've been owners for long enough now to know enough to sort of carry it through with with enough knowledge of the game.
00:04:52
Zak
you
00:04:55
DailySaintsPod
They they pay attention. And for all of these owners that come in and don't do that, there's not something you could accuse these two of, right? They also brought Ben Foster in for for a large part of the game. You know, ex-footballer, ex-Wrexham footballer. Makes sense. They also had Oli Parba in the box at one point, ex-Wrexham footballer. and David Pratton, obviously the presenter of EFL and XSaint. So, like, they they did what they could to mitigate their gaps of knowledge, right?
00:05:26
DailySaintsPod
But yeah, it was undisputedly an entertainment product and a piece. There's no no denying it, but... But you're right, it was better than what Sky normally puts on, so that's why I've got no complaints, right?
00:05:37
Zak
And
00:05:38
DailySaintsPod
If you're going do it, at least do it well. and And do it in a way where if you're a Swansea fan, you're not forced with that down your throat. You've got you know the actual coverage of the game, and that's fine.
00:05:52
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, both
00:05:53
Zak
Well, if that's the case, when they when they do broadcasting for foreign countries and, know, like you'll have Adam and Joe, right, for example, we'll willll we'll do our commentary and people would prefer to watch that.
00:06:06
Zak
And from abroad, it's one of the ways to access it. Like if you're going just out and out sort of commentary like that, make it available for both teams and have that all available rather than just sort of having this Sky commentary team.
00:06:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:06:17
Zak
I don't have less of a problem with that, but it's the fact that they've started with a pair of Hollywood celebrities who, yeah, you're right, they're knowledgeable about it, they get involved in this and the other, but again, it is just epitomising a lot of what people hate about football.
00:06:17
DailySaintsPod
Oh, it's so great.
00:06:34
Zak
And a lot of what people hate about what it's becoming and what Sky are doing. And like, you know, arguably, mate, the bills that we pay have gone to that. You think they did that for free?
00:06:45
Zak
Like, it's just not... Well, yeah, you might. Maybe they did. But like, it's just...
00:06:50
DailySaintsPod
Mate, look, I mean, I'm willing to go out on a limb and state that even if money, I don't know if money or whatever did change hands for it, but I suspect as a solid bit for their documentary, if nothing more, right?
00:07:04
DailySaintsPod
I could see that that's what they would put the effort in for.
00:07:07
Zak
Thank you.
00:07:08
DailySaintsPod
But you're right. And you're right. It's it's it's literally the Disneyfication of football, right? It's literally tailing it up as a product and selling it that way.
00:07:21
DailySaintsPod
But it it was just, it was better than the alternative, which which I'm sure will upset some people. But... I mean, you'd want to talk about ways to bridge the gap financially between the Premier League and the Championship.
00:07:37
DailySaintsPod
And, you know, how do you think you'd get more eyes on the Championship to make the Championship get that higher level of finance out and buy-in than having ridiculous things like...
00:07:47
Zak
Thank you.
00:07:49
DailySaintsPod
As you know, if they'd have had the alternative available and had a Swansea set of commentary and they wanted Snoop Dogg on it, you know, it's the same thing. It's... Yeah.
00:08:02
Zak
Yeah, and I would equally think that that's baffling.
00:08:02
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:08:04
Zak
and You say that, mate, but you've got to remember, they don't want to be in the championship. That's not the goal. And then they go up to the Premier League and then all of a sudden all this kind of like noise goes away and then they've you know achieved what they want to achieve. It...
00:08:18
Zak
I get that, you know, you're going to have to eventually move with the times. I can empathise and understand why people think that it is a bit of a joke. And it is like getting to a point now where you're right, the Disneyfication of everything is infuriating for most people.
00:08:34
Zak
And yeah.
00:08:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, I get it, right? I fully get it. And I understand it's not going to be for everyone. And that, to me, is why it was important that, you know, it wasn't the only coverage, right? Because I understand not everyone is going to enjoy that.
00:08:48
DailySaintsPod
But when it comes to offering more choices and more ways to watch things, I think I likened it with you to, you know, we're both quite big NFL fans.
00:08:58
DailySaintsPod
I likened it to, like, the Nickelodeon coverage of the Super Bowl, right?
00:09:02
Zak
Yeah.
00:09:02
DailySaintsPod
Like... Like, no, if you watch NFL every week, you're not going to enjoy Patrick Star or SpongeBob hopping up and doing some sort of tactical analysis of the play or like explaining the rules, but you're not the target audience for it. So. Yeah.
00:09:21
Zak
Yeah. like And again, that builds into, okay, not just the Disney vacation, we can say this now, the Americanization of football, which is a thing that we've, you know,
00:09:28
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:09:31
Zak
struggled to criticize in the past due to past commitments, which leave it at that. But it's one of those things where it's it's frustrating for a lot of people, I think. And whilst, yeah, it's funny and it's a bit, if all of a sudden you got to a point where, you know, again, this is the extreme end of the table that probably won't happen. But, like, all commentary at this point is just a bunch of influencers. Maybe they bring on an ex-footballer occasionally.
00:09:58
Zak
All of the owners are just like a wackadoo cast of, like, multiple film stars and this and the other. And the whole thing is is nothing more... like you know People will feel like the the complete loss and lack of identity. And yeah, you're right. like Some of these owners do care. And I think that that they do actually give you know care about Wrexham as the town and the community. But you're starting to...
00:10:20
Zak
you know i don't really think but that Snoop Dogg is paying as much attention. I don't think he really cares about Swansea as much. maybe Maybe that's me being you know a bit cynical. Same with Tom Brady, same with a lot of these kind of places.
00:10:36
Zak
I just think that there's a lot of upset for people, right?
00:10:38
DailySaintsPod
that's the That's the important difference, right? That's the important difference, right? Is because... there are lots of owners that come in and have no connection, right? and And we struggle with that to some degree because although Dragons, you know, did that one interview in the summer, largely I would say he is, yeah, like he keeps, you know, the the communication's an issue.
00:10:53
Zak
at one interview you're right.
00:11:00
DailySaintsPod
But that's not what, in this particular instance, Rob and Ryan have done. If you go and ask any Wrexham fan if they are happy about the ownership, the way that they have gone about it, is, you know, it's the right way to do things. And sure, it's come with the cash injection, which is, you know, just as anything. But also, like, they have built solid connections to the community and not, like, absolutely rinsed their fans for, you know, trying to squeeze every penny out of them to bridge the gap, right? it's
00:11:31
DailySaintsPod
It's that context that's important. And that's, I think, why it's kind of the sensible... You're right. it's It's still the Americanization and stuff, but that that stuff is inevitable.
00:11:43
Zak
but this is this is This is what people are mad about.
00:11:43
DailySaintsPod
I liked that it was offered... But look, I liked that it was offered as a choice. it's not always going to be for everyone. i wouldn't watch every game like it, right? It was nice as one-off and I liked that it was a choice, but I'm not saying that I'd sit and watch that as a way to watch football.
00:11:59
DailySaintsPod
I'm just saying it's nice that it's there to some degree or or it was, you know, fun as a one-off.
00:12:00
Zak
Yeah.
00:12:05
DailySaintsPod
and And, you know, like I say, that's what you can take away because this was a Welsh derby, right? Swansea and Wrexham. And, but actually, it was it really? It was, could have easily been Snoop Dogg versus Ryan Reynolds Rob Mack in, in like a roast battle. And you do, it'd be the same, same output for that market, right? It's, yeah.
00:12:30
DailySaintsPod
But, uh, yeah.
00:12:31
Zak
I don't know, man. yeah If all of a sudden we we get SpongeBob and Patrick Starr commentating like an Arsenal-Man City game, people will say, and I quote, the game is gone.
00:12:39
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:12:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Sure, right? But the people that be saying that are not the target audience for that product, right? That is an effort to get kids into football. Now, like you know, my son does grassroots football and I go down to to the local football facility and I see how many people on a day-to-day basis are involved in playing football at grassroots level.
00:13:08
DailySaintsPod
football doesn't need that boost to kids yet, right? But there are markets that it wants to grow into, I'm sure. the you know There are eyes that watch...
00:13:20
DailySaintsPod
that will watch things like Welcome to Wrexham that don't watch championship games. And so if you can put that out there as an alternative and get some of those eyes in, that's where you make the money. So it kind of makes sense. But but that's the important bit for me is that it's as an alternative and not not take it away from, you know, the five-star coverage we usually expect from Sky Sports and don't moan about at LAUGHTER
00:13:49
Zak
I know there's nothing you can do to stop it. I think that I just share the sentiment with many that like it is degrading it to a level where, where people not be able to recognize it.
00:14:01
Zak
And that, you know, a lot of people are against the idea of becoming like NFL and it feels more and more like that as the years go by. And, you know,
00:14:11
DailySaintsPod
But if you don't think that within the next five years that the championship playoff final comes with a halftime show, you're kidding yourself. like
00:14:21
DailySaintsPod
if
00:14:21
Zak
Oh, but area games this week.
00:14:25
DailySaintsPod
Anyway, Wrexham pick up the win in the game.
00:14:30
Zak
In the Welsh derby that had nothing else going on whatsoever.
00:14:32
DailySaintsPod
the Welsh army...
00:14:35
Zak
plus
00:14:36
DailySaintsPod
Against the run of play, it's fair to say.
00:14:38
DailySaintsPod
Swansea had huge amounts of the ball, huge amounts of shots, huge amounts of opportunities.
00:14:44
Zak
Much to our detriment also.
00:14:45
DailySaintsPod
Correcting one, 2-0. Yeah, to our detriment, potentially. I mean, other games and other results in this weekend might have brought other teams closer to us.
00:14:56
DailySaintsPod
So... But, you know, in the the current affair of things where chasing down Wrexham is the the easiest target, three points for them.
00:15:08
DailySaintsPod
But, you know, the Saints team coming out and saying that they sat in the hotel St. Rogers Park and watched that together as a team on Friday night. And maybe that's some of the motivating force that puts in the performance that we get on Saturday. So...
00:15:23
DailySaintsPod
I don't know if they were watching the Ryan Reynolds coverage. Let's put it that way. that is a discussion for another day.
00:15:29
Zak
laate that's That's what I assumed you meant by that. Oh, dear. Right. oh right On Very, very, like, almost an hour.
00:15:38
DailySaintsPod
Right. Yes. Anyway, moving on. Early kickoffs. Coventry City 1, Southampton 2. We covered in detail and at length yesterday Big kind as So if you want to hear our thoughts and opinions on that, go back and give that a listen if you haven't already. Other early kickoffs, Middlesbrough won, Bristol City won.
00:16:04
DailySaintsPod
97th minute equaliser from Bristol. Middlesbrough are dropping points in that that chase down of Coventry in. You know, what turns out with the result against us could have been, you know, a real good boost to them, right?
00:16:20
DailySaintsPod
Moving within five points.
00:16:21
Zak
Yeah, the middle sport manager kicked off at injury time. And I just think at this point, like, there's point, Winton, about that. We've we've had type games where there has definitely been more added time on than there should have been that we've lost.
00:16:34
Zak
And we have definitely had games where there's been more added time on than we should have won.
00:16:34
DailySaintsPod
Okay.
00:16:38
Zak
If everybody, including our own team, stopped spending so much time, time wasting throughout the game, they wouldn't constantly have to add up and rack up minutes, would they? So, things are roundabouts, to be perfectly honest.
00:16:52
DailySaintsPod
That goal from Bristol though incredibly against the run of play in fact was their only shot on target in the entire game
00:16:56
Zak
Okay.
00:17:00
DailySaintsPod
the the know we hate XG and it not being a real stat but it tells the story in this game of Middlesbrough with maybe the highest XG in a single game I've seen in a long time of 2.5 against the Bristol You know, the the epitome of points dropped, really, is is is what you can feel from a last-minute equaliser in a game like that.
00:17:28
DailySaintsPod
But good point for Bristol. Keeps them i
00:17:32
Zak
Yep.
00:17:34
DailySaintsPod
in in in the mix. i mean, it keeps them in 14th.
00:17:40
Zak
Mate, at this point, that's in the mix.
00:17:41
DailySaintsPod
Arguably, most of the...
00:17:42
Zak
Again, like there's still a couple of games.
00:17:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:17:44
Zak
there's There's quite a few games left this season, and a lot anything can happen. Yeah, okay, you've got to take take take into account form. But if you're taking into account form, Coventry City should have beaten us on Saturday and didn't. So...
00:17:56
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, absolutely. But yeah, it's a good point for them. Two points dropped for Middlesbrough and yeah, in a time where the opportunity to take those extra points would have counted more so.
00:18:10
DailySaintsPod
And the last early kickoff on Saturday, Oxford won, Charlton won. Charlton again, ninety fourth minute equaliser with a penalty.
00:18:21
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:18:21
Zak
NPL Penaltino. That's what I've seen it dubbed somewhere.
00:18:25
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:18:30
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:18:30
Zak
To low languishing teams not scoring goals from open play.
00:18:30
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:18:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. But look, that is a point, really. Let's not do any for team any favours. Both right down there at the bottom of the table in in the mix.
00:18:48
DailySaintsPod
Charlton's almost enough to put them out of it, but kind of close enough that it might still play, right?
00:18:55
Zak
Yeah, to to be fair, that one point for Charlton from for a goal difference and points perspective means that Blackburn will need to get sort of two wins and they need to lose twice to leapfrog them and even then put them on point on on par.
00:18:55
DailySaintsPod
18-20.
00:19:07
Zak
So I think that it is actually significantly better for Charlton because if Oxford had won that game, you know, it takes them out of it. But last, they did not.
00:19:18
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, look, a really tight battle at the bottom to see who's going take that those last two relegation places. Really, you'd say anything from 17th down, Preston down is is in that danger zone, right?
00:19:36
DailySaintsPod
There's only one bad week away from from falling down there.
00:19:37
Zak
much.
00:19:42
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:19:43
Zak
You've got to feel bad for Preston as well, because at one point they were in, like, playoff places.
00:19:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. It shows the crazy ups and downs of the league, doesn't it?
00:19:49
Zak
It's a really big change.
00:19:52
DailySaintsPod
Is how close it is.
00:19:53
Zak
Yeah? Both them and QPR. both Both were sort of in playoff places, and now, towards the sort end of the season, we're really starting to see, you know, some real big moves that
00:20:06
DailySaintsPod
Hmm. And then moving on to the next game, Birmingham won Sheffield United won Blades had a player sent off quite early on in the game, went 1-0 behind, equalised just before half-time, and yeah, 1-1.
00:20:28
Zak
It's wild, I always think.
00:20:29
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, not a bad result to claw back a point when you're a man down, to be fair. But Birmingham will, I guess, feel like that's points dropped, especially, you know, they're also in this mix, down in ninth now, four points behind us after that.
00:20:47
Zak
like our first game against Coventry, isn't it? Our first game against Coventry, red card. We should have gone on to win it and then ends up being a draw at the end. So frustrating all round.
00:20:57
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and a point for Sheffield United in, I don't know, spotty form for them, but based on where they were early on in the season, fifteenth on 50 points, I mean, that's got feel...
00:21:12
DailySaintsPod
I mean, at least they are out of that fight where they were much earlier on, right? Not where anyone would have predicted them to be at start the season.
00:21:19
Zak
Just thinking like the 75% chance of them winning the league this year, that that that like supercomputer pad at the beginning of the season, and looking at at where they are now.
00:21:25
DailySaintsPod
that Yeah.
00:21:29
Zak
And that's even with the additions of like Phillips and Bamford and a bunch of other players. Bamford really been on form for them since he signed for them. And you know we almost went back in for rings. I'm kind of glad we didn't look in at his form for them. Yeah.
00:21:43
DailySaintsPod
Mm. Yes. Uh, crazy stuff. Uh, moving on Lester one, QPR three, uh, man, Lester one, uh,
00:21:58
DailySaintsPod
They are struggling at the moment, aren't they?
00:21:58
Zak
Well,
00:22:01
Zak
shout out to Roddy Edwards, who managed to score for QPL, like Saint. But yeah, Leicester is... the
00:22:08
DailySaintsPod
Goal and an assist, by the way.
00:22:10
Zak
Yeah, it's... I don't know what you're saying. Like, they they they like draw, draw, draw, loss, draw, win. Thought they'd finally managed to get some momentum, just lost again immediately.
00:22:21
Zak
It's... I guess it's a... a lesson as to what happens when you have ownership that, you know, so some small event can happen and it can switch the entirety of the way that your football club goes. The trajectory of winning the Premier League to potentially dropping down to League One in in less than a decade is kind of insane, really, isn't it?
00:22:44
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, and that, you know, with the results around them, firmly pushes them down into 23rd place, you know, with a fight on their hands to get back up after that points deduction. Huge win for QPR, though.
00:22:58
DailySaintsPod
are Four losses for them before this. Takes them up into 16th and kind of almost just about out of it. But... Yeah, absolutely massive result for them.
00:23:11
DailySaintsPod
And like you say, not one that you would put on the form sheets, but but yeah, turn them over.
00:23:18
Zak
That's what it is. that that
00:23:18
DailySaintsPod
drop Huge win in the context of the season for QPR. Next up, Millwall 1, Blackburn 2. Yeah. another game with with teams around us dropping points, right?
00:23:36
DailySaintsPod
Millwall would have been expecting to beat Blackbird, I would have thought.
00:23:39
Zak
Yeah, well, but once you get a player sent off, it can go over two ways, right? Either is, as Nathan Jones said, harder to to fight against 10 men than 11, or alternatively, the team kind of collapses and the goals start going in.
00:23:55
Zak
And obviously, it took them a while after the sending off before Blackburn broke through, but once they did, it didn't take long to get a second. Because at that point, you know, you need to try and do something, or otherwise, you should know, that's it.
00:24:05
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:24:06
Zak
Wild really, it sucks for me Will.
00:24:08
Zak
Couldn't happen to a lovelier team.
00:24:13
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. Two goals in five minutes for Blackburn turning that game on its head. But like you say, against 10 men, they had the the run of the game, the run of play, 20 shots from Blackburn in that. And yeah.
00:24:28
Zak
I jest, it's just one of those things where I can see currently
00:24:28
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:24:34
Zak
the the the gate the teams around us, we want them drop points where it went right to help to help ourselves.
00:24:38
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:24:40
Zak
I think my only big fear with the... If we do manage to get to the playoffs, I think that my big fear of be coming up against Ipswich, which is why I'm almost hoping Ipswich managed to pip that second place because I genuinely think from a mental fortitude to my point of view, we we owe Middlesbrough.
00:24:58
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:24:58
Zak
We owe Middlesbrough. Again, like this is this is a point dream.
00:25:00
DailySaintsPod
I saw someone on social media saying it would be fitting for Middlesbrough season to drop into the playoffs and then have Vinasaz score the winner against them in the playoff
00:25:13
Zak
Probably be good for Finnaz as well, considering most people thought that he left to a worse club. But yeah, I know that these are, again, pipe dreams of us just assuming we're going hit playoffs.
00:25:24
Zak
That might not be the case.
00:25:26
DailySaintsPod
he's
00:25:26
Zak
Because again, it feels like we're due something at some point.
00:25:29
DailySaintsPod
still...
00:25:30
Zak
And that's what we kind of thought Tuesday and maybe even Saturday. But we're hanging in there, whereas a lot the teams around us are dropping points, which is good think.
00:25:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, so still mathematically less likely than the likely, but belief the that the form we're on instills is where it comes from, right?
00:25:44
Zak
Yeah.
00:25:48
DailySaintsPod
But again, huge win for Blackburn. Again, fighting for their life down the bottom.
00:25:51
Zak
Master phone for Blackburn.
00:25:53
DailySaintsPod
That pulls them out of the relegation zone. by those three points specifically. So, you know, very tight.
00:26:01
Zak
By the skin of their teeth.
00:26:04
DailySaintsPod
Very tight at the bottom and really anyone's guess at the bottom as to who will be going down. Very interesting stuff.
00:26:16
DailySaintsPod
Next up, Norwich 2, Preston North End 0. Again, good win for Norwich. Keeps them...
00:26:23
Zak
Yeah.
00:26:25
DailySaintsPod
Middle of the table keeps their form running. That's four wins on the bounce.
00:26:28
Zak
One of the teams that I am actually worried about us playing against, to be perfectly honest.
00:26:35
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, one of the harder fixtures we've got coming up, I think.
00:26:37
Zak
Mm-hmm.
00:26:38
DailySaintsPod
But we will will talk about that when we get to it, for sure. But yeah, it's... Yeah, good win for them. Not great for Preston s slipping down the table. But you would think probably just enough to stay out of harm's way. I don't know, man. It's...
00:26:52
DailySaintsPod
It's really tight down there. it's their Their form falling off cliff from the early stage of the season. Five losses and a draw from their last six. Not looking great for them.
00:27:06
DailySaintsPod
But, yeah. Next up, Sheffield Wednesday nil, Ipswich two. Man. Sheffield Wednesday, man. Like...
00:27:18
Zak
What do you say at this point?
00:27:20
DailySaintsPod
What do you say? Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:24
Zak
It took a while to get there, but the result was the result that basically everybody expected.
00:27:30
DailySaintsPod
yeah 16 shots, six of which on target for Ipswich, 33 touches inside the box against Sheffield Wednesday's eight. You know, just just came there and peppered them and, you know, Wednesday did their best hold off, but...
00:27:48
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, obviously already relegated Sheffield Wednesday, just looking to see the season out at this stage and have been for the longest time.
00:27:58
Zak
very much just their own vibes in it.
00:27:58
DailySaintsPod
the The worst hand. Yeah. and Yeah, it was picking up the the points they'd expect to pick up, sticking in touching distance of that second place with Middlesbrough dropping points.
00:28:13
DailySaintsPod
only Only nine points now between Coventry and Millwall in fourth. that That top pack. is not as clear-cut as it could be, right? You'd think that there's sort of a decisive enough lead for Coventry based off the quality they've got to go on and secure automatics for sure, but...
00:28:36
DailySaintsPod
I don't know, man. It's only like one one or two bad game weeks of these like games in quick succession in a row away from the whole league flipping on its head, right?
00:28:47
DailySaintsPod
It's not not as done and dusted is as it could have been at this point.
00:28:52
Zak
Yeah. It's kind of nuts that it's going down to the wire as much as it is across the board, right?
00:29:00
DailySaintsPod
Hmm. It's the joy of the league, I think, is is always pretty nuts. Stoke 3, Watford 1 next.
00:29:15
DailySaintsPod
Stoke looking to sort of hit back at the form that they were getting to at the start of the season.
00:29:18
Zak
yeah was Yes, that all those, right? Stoke, QPR, Bristol, Preston, teams that were kind of proper up there in the the playoff spots. And then, yeah, sort of just fallen down into mid-table where we kind of predicted them at the beginning of the season.
00:29:29
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:29:33
Zak
So it's like, I guess it's lucky that they they had the kind of games they did early on, right? to
00:29:39
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:29:39
Zak
To be able to deal with what's come now, unfortunately.
00:29:43
DailySaintsPod
Yeah. But look, I mean, Stoke getting that win, only six points behind us and only you know nine points off of those playoff spaces. You can't write that off.
00:29:54
DailySaintsPod
You can't write
00:29:55
Zak
This is also true.
00:29:56
DailySaintsPod
Them, Watford, Norwich, Swansea, all well in the fight. Like, again, one good week where you take nine points and you're one of those or two of those other teams doesn't, and it's you're suddenly sitting a lot prettier, and it's still...
00:30:15
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, crazy how how close it can all become and anything can happen but as as these fixtures get congested. It's a solid win for Stoke against Watford, also in this mix, right?
00:30:28
DailySaintsPod
So against the team, that if that's their ambition to get to the playoffs, they're going to need to get the points against. But...
00:30:36
Zak
Otherwise, that'd be two Steele brothers fired in a year in the championship.
00:30:36
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, crazy. a
00:30:43
Zak
Come on, it's Watford, man. Like, what am I going to do?
00:30:46
DailySaintsPod
It's very, very, yeah, feasible.
00:30:49
Zak
And also, former St Sam Gallagher scoring two.
00:30:50
DailySaintsPod
then...
00:30:52
Zak
It's not leather. as well Never forget our ex-players.
00:30:54
DailySaintsPod
Yes.
00:30:58
DailySaintsPod
And then last up, West Brom 3, whole city nil, maybe showing that that point in the week was better than it felt, especially feeling like we didn't really deserve it.
00:31:11
Zak
They are clearly coming back to, you know, trying to, they've realised where they are. They've realised what they've done. They've had complete merry-go-round of managers, including a little experiment from the MLS.
00:31:18
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:23
Zak
and Now they're back to what we'd kind of expect from them, right?
00:31:27
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:31:27
Zak
If you told me before the season, would West Brom beat Hull, I'd say yeah.
00:31:31
Zak
If you told me a couple of weeks ago, I'd have said no, Hull will batter them. So fair play to them.
00:31:36
DailySaintsPod
Of course, whole having a man sent off in the 36 minute, i not going to play no small part, but already.
00:31:42
Zak
No, no, Greg. Remember, it's harder to fight, to play against 10 men.
00:31:47
DailySaintsPod
Yeah, but that is what they say.
00:31:49
Zak
Oh,
00:31:49
DailySaintsPod
specifically one person said that one time. But yeah, West Brom's first win this year.
00:31:59
DailySaintsPod
Yeah,
00:32:02
Zak
good Lord. That's,
00:32:04
DailySaintsPod
their first win since the 29th of December. So...
00:32:06
Zak
That's...
00:32:08
DailySaintsPod
thank you
00:32:08
Zak
That's... Mate.
00:32:10
DailySaintsPod
Harrowing, right? is They've not been on a good run at all.
00:32:15
DailySaintsPod
But, yeah, solid win. Much needed points, pushing them just about by the skin of their teeth out of their bottom three.
00:32:24
Zak
You've got to feel bad for Oxford, though, who have been absolutely fighting it the last couple of games to desperately try get out.
00:32:25
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:32:31
DailySaintsPod
Hmm.
00:32:32
Zak
And then somehow, West Brom out of nowhere, claw a win. just keep Just keep it over that bottom bottom three, just not allowing them peep outside of it for a while, you know?
00:32:44
DailySaintsPod
yeah
00:32:45
Zak
but yeah, that's the faster the way the league goes, though, doesn't it?
00:32:49
DailySaintsPod
That's it. Westworld will be hoping to take that momentum and and put in their fight for survival and try and make it slightly more comfortable than it is looking at the moment because it's still, I would say, precarious.
00:33:06
DailySaintsPod
But yeah, it's a huge win for them. They will be very pleased with it. And that's it, mate. That is a whole weekend of championship action, would you believe?
00:33:17
Zak
Dang, that's wild. It's, son yeah, and again, like like that week that we had our best ever comeback win, the topic of conversation was some blokes hair.
00:33:32
Zak
And over a fantastic win over Coventry, topic of conversation is Ryan Reynolds having a chat about his team.
00:33:40
DailySaintsPod
Yeah.
00:33:41
Zak
Love it, love modern football.
00:33:43
DailySaintsPod
I don't hate it.
00:33:44
Zak
I say that like not part of the problem, mate. So, hey-ho. Yeah.
00:33:48
DailySaintsPod
Let's carry on flying under that radar at least a little bit. And...
00:33:51
Zak
yeah
00:33:52
DailySaintsPod
Keep doing what we're doing. but it Crazy week in the championship. Still everything up for grabs, right? For for most of the league. I think that mathematically speaking, like as far down as 17th could still get playoffs and as far up as like 12th could still feasibly go down. So maybe even higher than that.
00:34:18
DailySaintsPod
just Just insane with with nine games to play. just Just why we love the league. Lots of last minute drama. Lots of good stuff.
00:34:29
DailySaintsPod
why why we love it so much. So that's it, mate. That's all we've got time for. Let us know in the comments on the socials any of your standout moments from the weekend and your opinion on Ryan Reynolds and Rob Matt doing their commentary. Was it for you? Was it not for you? do you hate it? Do you love it? Look, it feels like it's going to be a divisive one, so I would love to hear all of your thoughts and opinions. Uh, cause we don't agree, which is always a good thing.
00:34:57
Zak
It's fine.
00:34:57
DailySaintsPod
What's his wat is is good.
00:34:57
Zak
It's totally fine.
00:34:59
DailySaintsPod
I love it. Uh, we are daily saints pod everywhere. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X blue sky, YouTube, everywhere. Here's up.
00:35:09
DailySaintsPod
Let us know, uh, And there, why not drop us a like and a subscribe because it goes so far to help us out. We will be back tomorrow to preview our midweek action. Until then, everyone, have a wonderful day and we'll see you then.