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Episode 103: MATCHDAY Preview! Saints vs Brentford
56 Plays4 days ago
Southampton – IT'S MATCHDAY! Join us as we preview the Brentford game and ponder how we will get on with a full week with Juric to prepare for the game!
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Transcript
Introduction and Holiday Vibes
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the Daily Southampton part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Greg Elliott, and as always, joined by my wonderful co-host, Zach Ingo Finch. How are you doing, Zach?
00:00:20
Zak
Hello mate.
00:00:25
Zak
It will be Saturday. It will be a bonus episode for everybody else.
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's
Match Day Optimism: Southampton vs. Brentford
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
match day.
00:00:28
Zak
process For us Friday.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:00:32
Zak
and And it's not quite the end of the Crimbo Limbo, but kind of is. And like everyone's back at work, but kind of not. It's a very so very strange vibe.
00:00:41
Zak
But I'm looking forward to the weekend. Even though I've just had a ridiculously large amount of time off, I feel like I need more time off, as always.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:00:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah None of my kids clubs are back on yet, so there is no routine to keep me in line with what day it is and it is throwing me right off. is It's fine, but it's it's it' fine. We're here. It's match day when you listen to this. If you're listening to us on your journey to St Mary's, fantastic. We hope we can lift you up.
00:01:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
heading into the game. And, you know, Brentford's form away from home is poor. We beat them on New Year's Day a few years ago. All things are pointing in a good direction. Right, Zach?
00:01:30
Zak
Sure mate.
00:01:31
Zak
I swear every by the time we get to match day every week you seem to have forgotten everything that's happened over the last light year and I'm fine with that. So far this year not a lot.
00:01:42
Zak
yes
Team Strategy and Injury Updates
00:01:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's the you know it's the first week that Djuric has had a full week with the team to prepare. And I do, yeah, I absolutely do.
00:01:43
Zak
and huh Do you want to hear what some of the players think of that?
00:01:52
Zak
So, Yukadari Singawara was quoted by George Rees-Shulian in the Daily Echo, under the old gaffer, when we stole the ball, we tried to keep it. The new gaffer wants us to score a goal immediately.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
perfect. Something happened on it.
00:02:09
Zak
but that
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
We were too We were too possession based. Now we try and score goals. It's still not going very well, but we're trying.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that that sums it up beautifully. What more can you but more can you say about that really?
00:02:28
Zak
not Not really a lot mate. To be perfectly honest, like obviously we've got some still some injury news. Will Smallbone is never ever going to make another appearance for the club. Jack Stevens is now supposedly out for a while.
00:02:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
He said that he might be on the bench in the presser, so...
00:02:44
Zak
Well, it depends. Do you reckon when Zurich says stuff in the press conferences, he means it? Or is it going to be like Russell Martin, where it's like he'll be involved Saturday and what it actually means is he'll be involved probably in about a month after Saturday?
00:02:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
From watching the press conference in full, Juricius, a man of few words, So I don't think that he's going to waste them on that sort of like mind game.
Manager's Communication and Team Changes
00:03:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like like I waited for the 1030 deadline for the sort of embargo to pass so I could watch part two. And it was two minutes and 31 seconds long in which he answered eight questions. Like don I just don't think that his pace
00:03:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the Prescott if he can apply that same logic to the team and the ball like it's exactly what we're after it's yeah it's fine uh yeah i think that he wouldn't say if we didn't have a chance of having small bone on the bench because it's such a an unexpected part anyway i mean is is it a positive thing that we've got small bone back available for selection on the bench jury's out
00:04:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
clean slates and systems, but from all of my judgements of Will Smallbone, he's at best a championship player, so I don't know but don't know if that is a positive.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:04:15
Zak
We're just going to have to see, Obviously, we don't know if ah ah how the system held people. Obviously, it's ah ah a chance for green slate.
00:04:25
Zak
They've ended a couple of they've endeded a couple of loan spells. I don't know if that's to pull people back in for the team. It seems unlikely. It seems like they're probably going to ship them off elsewhere.
00:04:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
although both of them are 21s right so it was Don Ballard and is it Braggs?
00:04:36
Zak
Yeah.
00:04:38
Zak
Yeah, right camera brag so like that kind of you know, I did like the the transfer Conversation, uh, that was very fun, which was essentially a planning to bring in some new faces.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
canum bragg
00:04:51
Zak
I don't know maybe uh squads too big What about a strike of apps like squads too big
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah and we haven't
00:05:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
but having a meeting next week to discuss it which is like well i mean we'll be almost a week in and a half into the transfer window by then is this another case of poor planning from the board or is it actually more that our squad is way too big and by that point they're hoping that some of the some of it will have moved on uh to allow for the growth in the areas we need sort sort of
00:05:27
Zak
The fact that they the fact they've booked a meeting in a week in advance is a good ah ah good sign. The fact that the meeting probably wasn't booked, I guess they just wanted him to concentrate on the Brentford game.
00:05:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah right it makes sense to chuck it in the middle of a cop game week when ticket sales suggest that nobody cares so
00:05:39
Zak
That's the least what my understanding would be, to actually have a full week, not like disappear.
00:05:47
Zak
Depends, they might they might be
00:05:51
Zak
ah ah That was a very, very, you should share that anecdote with the with the class when you get a chance mate, because I've never seen you so baffled. but Like, wow, they seem to really be baiting us on social media to go to this game.
00:06:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
and like
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Well, I mean, I haven't purchased tickets to attend yet. And so actually I hopped on to see it prompted me to hop on and see if my seats were still available. And, it turns out mine and many thousands of others are still available. So clearly a combination of performances in the season and the price point, uh, of upset a lot of people because I calculated nearly 10,000 seats.
00:06:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the home end still available and that's with seven blocks closed for the game already so I think I sent you the screenshot of the block I sit in which was effectively just available tickets so
00:06:40
Zak
That says a lot, don't it really?
00:06:50
Zak
Yeah, um not really surprised people are starting to to vote with their wallet with the way that things have been. and it's you know Premier League football is what people really care about. People know you don't tend to go far and at least the FA Cup, I don't think anyone's really bothered about us playing Swansea.
Fan Discontent and Sponsorship Mention
00:07:21
Zak
ah
00:07:24
Zak
i'm I'm hoping that the the financial shock of stuff like this will be the wake up call to them that they need. I do not have a lot of faith in that though, just because of like, again, sort of everything that the Sports Republic have done on a non business side.
00:07:40
Zak
has been terrible and now they're like hang on the non-business side of this business that we own is not performing well and this is now having an effect on the business it's like yeah guys got so you're running a football club not like you know not a venue but they seem to think that sometimes but maybe we'll have to we'll have to see maybe if we if we have a good run of games and attendance will bounce back up but like i don't really blame anyone what one has spent a load of money to go to a cup game midweek to be perfect on this.
00:08:10
Zak
I feel like a lot of people who are only attending to the season tickets, like to actual games.
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I remember the days, yeah, I remember the FA Cup used to be a cheaper outlet to take the kids and take the family to watch games. I mean, I might be completely misremembering, but it used to be like a 10 or a ticket and a five of for kids as like entry level access. So, you know, 22 pound 50 is a pretty sharp increase on that. And I don't blame people for not Not wanting to deal with that. Uh, and I mean, as mentioned, I'm still on the fence as to whether I'll go down or not. So we'll see how that plays out. Uh, yeah, uh, very much depends. Right. We're going to bring it back to the game and get onto to some more team news and predicted 11s, but first a message from our partners at Zencaster. So here at the global sports podcast network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery platform and Zencaster came out the clear winner.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
with 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those ums and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description and learn more about Zenkaster. Okay, so I guess a couple of key talking points before we get into the the actual predicted 11.
Player Suspensions and Line-Up Predictions
00:09:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Matthew Fernandez out suspended is gonna be Difficult, right?
00:09:38
Zak
in any of these situations, but thanks man, up put it you this is your chance for people to prove themselves. The problem is it's historically, whenever that's happened this season, it's not gone well.
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:09:51
Zak
maybe it's Maybe finally we can see that Cameron Archer tool pool, like one by one by one that we've wanted. Who knows?
00:09:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Down's questionable as well. Maybe less impactful. knowing that we'd probably bring big Lez in to fill that role who's who has seemingly stepped up the last few games definitely brings more confidence.
00:10:10
Zak
Yeah, he's a player I hope we don't lose. I'm not surprised that Cornet's going back to West Ham. Just didn't work out. is what it is. Big less initially I was kind of like probably send it back in January, seems to have turned around his form actually playing in a position that seems to be more familiar to him in ah ah in a role that seems to be better for him. And not with the instruction of simply handling the ball for the handling the ball's sake. So yeah, you know, I think it is again, it's like any situation like this, you just hope that whoever will come in
00:10:44
Zak
will do the work, but he is a a quality cracking player and I'm sure we'll miss him regardless. You just don't want to put too much emphasis on one player.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. So let's, uh, let's get into predicted 11s and start at the back. Uh, Ramsdale in goal is presumably where we're at. T pterodactyl glove or not.
00:11:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. it is Yeah.
00:11:07
Zak
is what it is. I can't see McCarthy or Lovely being picked, so that feels like the name that we will always know so long as there are no injuries.
00:11:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, and then you think we stick with the back five or switch it up to a back four.
00:11:23
Zak
I mean, so far, we've picked a back five. I don't see them changing that just because we've lost. I don't think, yeah. We would change that because of losing Matty Fernandez.
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:34
Zak
I imagine it will be would Wood, Bjarne, and Taylor Harbour-Bellis again.
00:11:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:41
Zak
Carl Walker-Peters will play somewhere. I don't know whether he'll bring back Sigouara or keep Brie in. Brie did a good job.
00:11:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Stick Carwin is preferred right and bring Manning in on the left.
00:11:49
Zak
Nothing.
00:11:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Feels like man has been unlucky to miss out.
00:11:53
Zak
i Yeah, it's it's the but I think Djuric seems to have not, don I don't know, like Manning and Archer as much, right? That seems to be what I've seen.
00:12:04
Zak
Obviously, I think I'd probably prefer that. I just don't think that's going to happen from what we've seen historically. I mean, historically, being what, like three games, two two games in a week or whatever, but
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
two games in a week. Yeah. I mean, it's, I think it's so hard to tell because you just don't know how much of it is down to fitness, tiredness, knocks. I think, I think that the preferred combo for me would be Carl on the right and Manning on the left.
00:12:22
Zak
Well again, like a full week of preparation as well.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
rich, if you'd told me that at the start of the season would make me actively laugh out loud. So really says a lot of the position. would didn't have the best game against palace seem to struggle.
00:12:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he keeps his place or do we see the long-awaited return of Bellacott Jack?
00:12:47
Zak
That is true. We've had a it's a week of training. The problem is, is how do you, you know, does he get a full 90 after not playing a professional game in God knows how long at this point. So I wouldn't really be surprised if maybe he does 45 minutes here or there, but I couldn't see him getting a full game. But maybe I feel like there's been a lot of build up to it, but this was like how there was a lot of build up to tool pool that kind of lasted significantly more weeks than it probably should have. However, it's a different manager. It could be he's impressed this week in training. Jorik chucks him in and it's single swim time, right? He wants them all to be fitter than they are. I know that sometimes that's not the best way to go about it, but I wouldn't be surprised either way.
00:13:33
Zak
I can't, as you pointed out, like we don't know what's going on behind the scenes, tiredness, all that kind of stuff. I don't know whether he's earned his place back in the team. But I don't understand why you'd keep on the bench and keep talking about it if you weren't intending to utilize that tool at some point, right?
00:13:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah because he'd not played a lot of football before he got really thrown into the deep end and has done a pretty good job reasonably consistently few complaints about him from me but yeah didn't have the best game against palace for whatever reason and could well be down to fatigue at this point maybe it makes sense
00:13:47
Zak
And if if maybe the sort of run of games is caught up with wood, it would make sense. I'm not
00:14:11
Zak
Yeah, it was a couple of our players, didn't it? was We kind of, I'm not saying we got played off the park, but we did a little bit. I feel like if Palace's finishing was better, they could have had more than a few against us. But then I think, again, that just, they had their quality in the final third. And there were a couple of key individual battles that kept being lost. And I don't think there was a lot the manager could do to switch them up, right?
00:14:33
Zak
like the how Jan did not get a yellow card until towards the end of that game. It's absolutely beyond me. But there we are. So, yeah, I can't, you know, I think the defense kind of writes itself.
00:14:46
Zak
I'd find it wild if we go out. I know that we, I still keep seeing rumours we're keeping tabs on Kevin Danso, but I still still seem to think this is just like Saints fans doing the things Saints fans do, which is we're going to bring back this player.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
if they and I think it's safe to say if they're not having a meeting to identify proper targets until next week, that any rumours we've heard up to this point are probably rubbish.
00:15:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
right
00:15:09
Zak
so
00:15:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:15:11
Zak
No, you're right. Agents are just putting stuff out there for where their but their players would like to go.
00:15:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that before that meeting they do have players in mind that they're keeping an eye on, but if it's not actively being spoken about at the club,
00:15:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't see how it could be actively being spoken about outside of the club either, so I just have to hold on and see. What does the midfield look like, do you think? I think obviously if if Downs is questionable, even if he makes it into the 11, I'd want Big Lez there for for security reasons.
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think we see both of them if Downs is fit, or do you think we stick with Big Lez either?
00:15:50
Zak
I think if down just fit both, I think both because you see he's shown that he kind of wants to play with that. And I think defensively sure enough up is important. I don't think a Rebo exactly Sean playing in that position either.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:16:04
Zak
And I think he's had a, he struggled a bit the last couple of games. He's not really, not really done anything hugely wrong, but also not done really a lot right either. Just kind of been there.
00:16:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:15
Zak
So yeah, I'd see them playing both together, but if not, I'd imagine If Downes is injured, he might put a Rebo in again. Because who else have we got, right?
00:16:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm trying to think of who else slots into that, presumably midfield three even. if If, you know, that presumably the first choice is Big Lez, Downs and Aribo.
00:16:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But if Downs isn't fit, who who else slots into that three? Do we, do we see the llama try and survive?
00:16:41
Zak
Is Lalada fit?
00:16:45
Zak
It's a lot of bit enough to play the game again.
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, yeah.
00:16:48
Zak
No new injury concerns, but can he do more than 10 minutes? Who knows? Probably not. Yeah, that's the this this the problem, right?
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do we like slot Tyler Diblin into that?
00:16:55
Zak
This is why I was...
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
sort of more number 10 role in front of the midfield and play off that and see what happens.
00:17:05
Zak
Yeah, no, who knows?
00:17:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know.
00:17:07
Zak
It's difficult to to guess that. it's it's I think, yeah, with Downs being...
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:12
Zak
potentially out. That's the missing puzzle piece for me as to what we do.
00:17:17
Zak
Especially with what options we've got going up front, right? Like obviously
00:17:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And like you say, I hope that we see upfront the, we've been strong advocates of the duo that we think will work wonders in Tallpool and Cameron Archer. So let's, let's hope, but I think realistically based off of what we've seen, it will probably be Tallpool and Adam Armstrong again. So, I mean, would dropping Adam Armstrong for Archer be a bit harsh off the back of Armstrong getting an assist last week and at least being in the right area of the pitch?
00:17:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
is probably the more sensible way to look at it.
00:17:55
Zak
I feel like his assist was that if he wasn't in that box it would have still been a tap-in, right? Like I feel like it was more Carwalker Peter's Bull but then my bias is showing a little bit I think at that point.
00:18:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah to know It'll be interesting for sure. And I'm sure that there will be something in the team starting news that will make us raise our eyebrows in questions because why wouldn't there be? It'll be interesting and we will see. Okay, so we're going to revisit our score predictions and go into a bit more detail about how we think that's going to come about after a message from our partners at the Global Sports Podcast Network.
Global Sports Network and Player Redemption
00:18:40
Zak
The Global Sports Podcast Network is changing the face of football podcasting with dedicated daily content for every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football, a daily Premier League wrap up broadcasted in five different languages. This is your one stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcasts.
00:18:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK, so we're coming into the game with predictions. I mentioned a stat on the podcast yesterday about us winning the first league game of the year pretty consistently in recent history. One of those wins was a 4-1 win against Brentford.
00:19:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Another statistic in our favour, Brentford won 2-0 in their last away league game against Southampton, and they've never won consecutive league visits against Southampton before. And of course, I get to pick up points away from home this season. And yet remarkably, we've both predicted wins instead of predicting us to break all of those streaks in one foul swoop. Still feeling confident on that, was that?
00:19:42
Zak
As a set I said, I want to win a full week with the team, Brentford coming into this with pour away form, a poor lano, actually goal to blow the roof off of St Mary's, the small roof that does not a lot when you're sat at the front as we both learned over the last couple of years. But, you know, that would be for me, a huge moment for both him, his confidence just in time for him to end up going back to Turkey.
00:20:09
Zak
there you go that's the that's the sprinkle of non-optimism on there for you that you're a want love from me apparently
00:20:16
Zak
but yeah, that that's, that's how I see. feel like you might finally get that goal and then it will be able to all about defending that lead. And maybe if our male Bellacott check comes into the team, maybe he'll put in the performance to defend that lead. And then then maybe that will be the story is the redemption arc of two players that have kind of, you know, been in and out of the team or on load and come back and have somehow saved our season, uh, before, obviously the week after, whatever the next league game is, we we get bad again. Cause you know,
00:20:45
Zak
It's still only just going to beat Darby's record.
00:20:50
Zak
But this Saturday we'll probably win. That's exactly, that's kind of where I'm feeling.
00:20:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I have three points in some areas.
00:20:54
Zak
I don't know about you mate.
00:20:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, I'm feeling, I still think these sheets too optimistic. I think we might go behind first as well. I just got a feeling that we'll try and start really fast because that's what we do and have done under all three of our previous
00:21:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Try and start fast to get the crowd lifted off their seats and just get caught on the break pretty early on, maybe in the first 15 minutes. but then I think we'll show something we've not really seen a lot of this season, but that's determination and mentality and drives back equalize maybe quite quickly before the end of the first half. And then, uh, a middle of the second half goal in like the 65th minute, uh,
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
maybe from an impact sub maybe Sulamana comes on and that's the redemption arc we're talking about uh yeah maybe that's too optimistic even for me just i'm just feeling it i'm feeling it in my bones that
00:21:56
Zak
they the fact that you think we're scoring twice it took us how long to get our first league goal and it wasn't a great goal as it's happened and it took us so long and you were thinking we're gonna score two i mean and it but I feel a lot of things, mate. You feel five new wins more than anyone else I've ever met. And we get to see what more than a couple... The fact we've even had a couple in the last year shows you what a roundabout, mad sort of season last year was. But yeah, the the idea that it took us like 100 years to basically score a goal, and you think we're scoring two in 65,
00:22:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I reckon so.
00:22:43
Zak
Fine. Fine.
00:22:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look, we're not going to be, we're not going to be trying to keep the ball when we get the balls back.
00:22:45
Zak
I hope that we scored two goals in 65 minutes.
00:22:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to be trying to score immediately and with a week on the training pitch, maybe some of it's been shooting practice. It's like,
00:22:57
Zak
That's a bit optimistic. Now you're getting into mad territory, mate. You know, for a fact, we get to the edge of the box, get scared, pass it around, maybe cross it into nobody and then lose it.
00:23:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think I think a Cameron Archer goal for the equalizer and then yeah, why not? Sulemana with the winner to really commit why he's been given minutes by so many of our managers when none of us can see it.
00:23:22
Zak
So cannot wait to see Cameron Archer not be on the team sheet in your prediction in the wind. And I'll take my one new Paul Onuachi with me.
00:23:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We will
Closing Thoughts and Game Anticipation
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
see. We will see. Look, any win. I'll be happy with. ah It'll be nice to leave St. Mary's feeling positive for only the second time this season since that game against Everton, which I still maintain was probably our worst performance apart from probably Spurs.
00:23:54
Zak
Oh, you're right. it was sir it was As I said, that was the day that I had a a medical procedure that was less than unpleasant. And I still feel like if I have to go through torture to watch Saints win again, I would rather not. but But if I have to, if the universe demands it, fine. That's all I'm at.
00:24:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
it right Well, that is just about all we've got time for today. Hope to see you all at St Mary's and we will look forward to seeing you again on Monday when we're feeling positive and talking about our win off the back of, uh, Europe's first proper home game with proper time to prepare. That's what we're going with. Thanks as ever for joining me, Zach. You've been listening to the Daily Southampton from the Global Sports Podcast Network and we will see you next time.