Tag: Southampton

  • ‘Southampton’s initial refusal to sell Van Dijk cost Pellegrino his job’

    Southampton’s refusal to sell defender Virgil van Dijk in the close season disrupted their English Premier League campaign, former club captain Matt Le Tissier has said.
    The forer England player said the refusal had ultimately led to manager Mauricio Pellegrino being sacked.
    Southampton dismissed Pellegrino on Monday after just one victory in 17 league games under the manager.
    Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Newcastle United had left them a place and a point above the relegation zone and sealed the Argentine’s fate.
    Le Tissier suggested that the turmoil surrounding Dutchman Van Dijk’s future amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester City had affected the team’s performances early in the season.
    Van Dijk eventually moved to Liverpool in January for 75 million pounds ($104.24 million).
    “I think that was probably something that, looking back with hindsight, the club would probably regret, trying to keep him in the summer,” said Le Tissier, who scored 209 goals for Southampton during his 16 years at the club.

    Read Also: £75m Done Deal! Virgil van Dijk Joins Liverpool in January

    “They tried to do the right thing by the fans, in terms of not selling their best player every season, but sadly that did appear to backfire. That situation probably didn’t help the performances in the first half of the season.”
    Southampton has lost a large number of players to their domestic rivals in the past few years.
    Club chairman Ralph Krueger said earlier in the season that they were keen to end the perception that they were a selling club.
    “That’s life, that’s football, those decisions were made with the best intentions and it didn’t turn out right,” Le Tissier said.
    “It’s now time to move on, appoint a new manager, and get out of the trouble we are in at the moment.”
    Welshman Mark Hughes was firming as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Mauricio Pellegrino as the south coast club’s manager.

    NAN

  • Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Harry Kane scored a Premier League record 37th goal in 2017 on Tuesday in Tottenham Hotspur’s game against Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

    The England forward thus toppled a 22-year-old record held by former England striker Alan Shearer.

    Read also: Kane suffers angle ligament damage

    The 24-year-old Kane headed in Christian Eriksen’s free kick in the 22nd minute to overtake Shearer’s 36 goals in 1995 with Blackburn Rovers.

    Kane had equalled the 36-goal tally while scoring a hat-trick in Spurs’ 3-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

    NAN

  • Pellegrino says Southampton must keep fighting for points

    Pellegrino says Southampton must keep fighting for points

    Southampton must continue to fight for every single point in the English Premier League, manager Mauricio Pellegrino said on Monday, following Saturday’s narrow 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

    Moroccan midfielder Sofiane Boufal ran almost the length of the pitch to score a stunning 85th-minute goal at St Mary’s Stadium to score.

    It helped the Saints post their third win of the season.

    Goals have been in short supply for Southampton — Boufal’s wonder-strike was their eighth of the season — but Pellegrino said he was happy with the team’s style of play.

    “In football in the Premier League you have to fight for every single point,” the Argentine manager said.

    “We play a very difficult team and to beat them you have to do a lot of things. I am happy with how we play and we have to continue,” he added.

    “To sustain and to win games you have to play well. You have to play better than the opponent… This is our job and I will repeat that the attitude of the players is right. It’s good.”

    Southampton, who are 10th in the league with 12 points from nine games, travel to 12th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion in the league on Sunday.

    NAN

  • West Brom sweat over injuries after Southampton defeat

    West Brom sweat over injuries after Southampton defeat

    West Bromwich Albion defenders Jonny Evans, Craig Dawson and midfielder Gareth Barry will undergo scans this week after sustaining injuries during last Saturday’s 0-1 loss to Southampton in the English Premier League.

    Team captain Evans was taken off with a groin problem while Barry was withdrawn early in the second half due to a back strain.

    However, manager Tony Pulis is most concerned about Dawson, who has sustained a knee injury.

    Read: Liverpool Vs Man United: EPL resumes with rivalry fixture

    “I’ve been at the club nearly three years and it’s seemed like we’ve rarely had an injury.

    “But now we’ve got these problems, and also Oliver (Burke), James Morrison and Hal (Robson-Kanu) back at home as well,” Pulis told the club’s website (www.wba.co.uk)

    Pulis said all three players will be assessed ahead of 13th-placed West Brom’s match against league leaders Manchester City on Saturday.

    Read Also: Injured Moses may miss five matches   

  • EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    English Premier League on Saturday was action pact as expected as 17 goals were recorded from the seven matches that were played.

    Incase you missed the matches including the star match of the day at Stamford Bridge in the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, read below some of the things you might have missed.

    Chelsea 0 – 1 Manchester City

    OPTA FACT

    • Kevin De Bruyne has scored nine of his last 11 Man City goals from outside the box, including each of the last four.

    A game which didn’t quite live up to its billing – not helped, of course, by Alvaro Morata limping off in the first-half with a hamstring injury. After a goalless first-half, Manchester City’s control greatly increased and Pep Guardiola’s playmakers began to make deep incisions into a shuffled Chelsea’s defence.

    When Kevin De Bruyne eventually gave the visitors the lead, after a well-timed pass from Gabriel Jesus and scything move, it was a goal they thoroughly deserved. And, ultimately, it was an advantage they protected well: Chelsea mounted a vague response, but all the best chances in the remainder of the game fell to City.

     

    Saturday’s round-up, as Tottenham run over Huddersfield and Manchester United continue to click through the gears.

     

    Huddersfield 0 – 4 Tottenham

    OPTA FACT

    • Harry Kane now has 13 goals for club & country in September 2017; his best ever goal tally in a single month of his career.

    A real lesson. Huddersfield have begun Premier League life well, but this was not David Wagner’s best day: Huddersfield played into Tottenham’s hands, got caught too high up the field three times inside the first half-hour and conceded as many goals in the first half as they had in their previous six games.

    Spurs spent most of the second half well within their comfort zone, but two goals from Harry Kane (who is now just 14 goals short of Teddy Sheringham’s Premier League record for the club) and Ben Davies capped a performance in which they played some of their brightest football of the season. Moussa Sissoko added a fourth from close range in second-half stoppage-time.

    Goals: Kane 10′, 23′, Davies 16′, Sissoko 90′

    Bournemouth 0 – 0 Leicester

    Bournemouth certainly started like a side determined pull out of the relegation zone before the international break. Jermain Defoe had the clearest opportunity, but slammed his shot against the crossbar. Eddie Howe’s team were the better of the two and certainly posed the tougher questions but, oddly for two teams who don’t exactly specialise in clean sheets, this proved a stalemate.

    Goals: *Tumbleweed*

    Manchester United 4 – 0 Crystal Palace

    OPTA FACT

    • This is the first time that Marcus Rashford has assisted two goals in a single game for Man Utd.

    Exactly the start here that Palace didn’t want. Only three minutes had passed when Marcus Rashford knotted up Joel Ward before setting up Juan Mata to open the scoring. Ten minutes before the break, an impressive Manchester United performance was further rewarded by their second, Fellaini scoring after good work from Ashley Young. Fellaini would double his tally just after half-time and Romelu Lukaku scored a late fourth for his seventh goal in as many games.

    Goals: Mata 3′, Fellaini 35′ & 48′, Lukaku 86′

    Stoke 2 – 1 Southampton

    OPTA FACT

    • Saido Berahino is now without a goal in 31 hours & 23 minutes of Premier League football (Stoke & WBA combined).

    Stoke have quietly begun to go off the boil, having not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal in August and having not led in any game at all since their 4-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup. Mame Diouf gave them the lead here, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner on 40 minutes.

    It wasn’t all good news in the first half, though, as there was still time for Saido Berahino to miss a penalty. His wait for a first Stoke goal continues. Fifteen minutes before time, Maya Yoshida acrobatically converted Shane Long’s flick to score only Southampton’s second goal away from home this season. Peter Crouch would have the last word, though, scoring late against his old side to win Mark Hughes three overdue points.

    Goals: Diouf 40′, Crouch 85′- Yoshida 75′

    West Brom 2- 2 Watford

    OPTA FACT

    • Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored 3 goals in his last 7 league games, as many as in his previous 57.

    Despite losing, Tony Pulis would have been greatly encouraged by the improvement he saw in his side last Monday at Arsenal and West Brom initially built on that here, scoring twice in three first-half minutes through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. A first goal of the season for each and the first time since May 2017 that Pulis’s team had scored more than one in a game. Abdoulaye Doucoure pulled one back before the interval and then late, late into second-half injury time, Richarlison headed in Jose Holebas’s free-kick to steal a point.

    GoalsRondon 18′, Evans 21′ – Doucoure 37′, Richarlison 90′

    West Ham 1 – 0 Swansea

    OPTA FACT

    • Swansea have never kept an away clean sheet at West Ham, conceding 75 goals in 32 games in all comps (W2 D7 L23).

    Not a first half that gave anybody great reason for cheer; these really are two sides struggling for confidence. It didn’t really improve in the second period, either, and this game – if anyone chooses to remember it at all – become more notable for Slaven Bilic’s curious substitutions; Javier Hernandez’s withdrawal, in particular, proved unpopular with the home fans.

    Still, West Ham mounted a late siege and, after Andy Carroll had hit the bar minutes earlier, Diafra Sakho (remember him?) finished well to snatch the points. A relief for the home fans, less so the ones who (quite understandably) decided to leave early.

    Goals: Sakho ’90

  • EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    EPL Results: Man City, Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea win matches

    Man City vs Crystal Palace 5-0

    Palace held Man City out until the 44th minute before Leroy Sane broke the deadlock and a quick fire double by Raheem Sterling deflated the visitors’ initially stubborn resistance.

    Late goals by Sergio Aguero and Fabian Delph completed a 5-0 route, making it the third time City hit five or more in three successive games.

    Southampton vs Man United 0-1

    Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, converting the rebound after Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster parried his header from Ashley Young’s cross.

    The result maintains United’s unbeaten start to their league campaign, although they are second in the table, behind Manchester City on goal difference.

    Their latest victory was not routine as Southampton piled on the pressure in the second half, and United’s Marouane Fellaini had to clear Oriol Romeu’s header off the line

    Leicester City vs Liverpool 2-3

    Simon Mignolet saved Jamie Vardy’s penalty to clinch a thrilling 3-2 win for Liverpool at Leicester city

    The goalkeeper capped an eventful game after conceding the spot-kick having also been in the spotlight for Shinji Okazaki’s controversial strike.

    Mignolet appeared to be held by the forward when he netted just before the break after Leicester trailed to goals from Mohamed Salah and Philippe Coutinho.

    Jordan Henderson made it 3-1 before Vardy netted but he was then denied from the spot by Mignolet.

    Stoke vs Chelsea 0-4

    Blues continued to show there is life after Diego Costa with another Premier League victory at Stoke, with Alvaro Morata scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.

    Morata, the club-record signing bought to replace Costa, was on the scoresheet again early on before Pedro extended the lead on the half-hour mark.

    Both goals came from defensive mistakes by Stoke, whose manager Mark Hughes had demanded a response from his players following the disappointing midweek defeat at Bristol City in the Carabao Cup. He did not get it, with Morata rounding off the win in the final quarter-hour.

  • Liverpool falter again

    Liverpool falter again

    Liverpool’s hopes of securing an English Premier League top-four spot suffered another blow on Sunday after a goalless draw against Southampton, following James Milner second-half penalty kick miss.

    It was a match the Anfield faithful will want to quickly forget after their team had 65 per cent of the possession.

    They also had eight shots on target, as against none by their opponents.

    Liverpool rarely tested visiting goalkeeper Fraser Forster even at that.

    Their best chance to score came in the 66th minute when they won a penalty kick after Southampton’s Jack Stephens was judged to have handled Lucas’ delivery.

    Milner, who had not missed from the spot in the league since November 2009, saw his effort saved by Forster who dived low to his right.

    Some seconds earlier, the England goalkeeper had approached the midfielder as he attempted to place the ball on the spot, and the tactic worked in the least.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the draw moves Liverpool up to third, above Manchester City who are on 70 point but have a game in hand.

  • January transfer Transfer fees stop Southampton from signing Musa

    January transfer Transfer fees stop Southampton from signing Musa

    Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that English Premier League club Southampton attempted to sign Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow in the January transfer window but were put off by the striker’s asking price.

    It is no secret that The Saints were in the market for a frontman in the winter transfer market and announced the capture of Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers two weeks ago for a cut-price £4 million fee.

    During negotiations with representatives of Musa, Southampton admitted that they had limited funds available in their transfer kitty and offered to acquire the Super Eagles skipper for 10 million euros (or approximately £7.5 million ), an amount deemed insufficient by CSKA Moscow.

    Churchill Oliseh, the elder brother of Super Eagles manager Sunday Oliseh, was giving the task of convincing the Nigeria international to accept the proposal from Southampton if they had met his valuation.

    Musa, 23, has been linked with a possible move to Leicester City before the market closes while Manchester United have unofficially approached his United Kingdom – based agency, it has been claimed.

  • Southampton chase Ogenyi Onazi

    According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Southampton are on the trail of Lazio youngster Eddy Onazi.

    The Nigeria international has been credited with several interest from the English Premier League since the January transfer window.

    And if those reports should be taken at face value, the Saints will have to beat Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Everton and Newcastle United to the signing of Eddy Onazi.

    The 21 – year – old appeared in all of the Super Eagles matches at the 2014 World Cup.

    He is still tied to the Biancoceleste until June 30, 2016.

  • Schneiderlin undecided  over Southampton stay

    Schneiderlin undecided over Southampton stay

    Morgan Schneiderlin has held talks with new Southampton boss Ronald Koeman but is unsure if he will remain at the Premier League club.

    England trio Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have left the south-coast outfit ahead of the 2014-15 season and France midfielder Schneiderlin has also been linked with a move.

    Schneiderlin, who represented his country during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, revealed that he has been in contact with Koeman, but gave no assurances that he will not join the St Mary’s Stadium exodus amid speculation that Arsenal could lodge a bid for the 24-year-old.

    He said: “Yes he [Koeman] called me about a week ago, but what was said will stay between us.

    “He wants me to stay and we’ll see. I don’t know yet. I still have three years’ contract at Southampton. Nothing has happened, I am going to relax and go on holiday and we will see.

    “We have a lot of money coming in to the club and now it is up to the board to spend this money.

    “I have seen how many players left the club. It is the club’s choice and I have nothing to say about their choice.”

    Southampton defender Dejan Lovren’s future is also in doubt, with Liverpool said to be keen to sign the Croatia international after taking Lallana and Lambert to Anfield.