Gao Jisheng Southampton Owner
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton owner Solak reiterates importance of Saints identity as community #SAINTSFC

June 4, 2023
Club chairman Henrik Kraft also moved to confirm that the charity’s operations will be unaffected this season despite relegation from the Premier League. Saints Foundation aims to support people in need in Southampton’s communities with health, education, equality, employability and pathway projects. Solak, who made a sizeable donation to the foundation at their 2022 charity dinner and also donated his directors’ box for disadvantaged children to enjoy during the season, discussed the club’s charity in an interview with the Daily Echo. READ MORE: Sport Republic detail Saints plan to win Championship with key incomings explained “I think it’s hugely important, we believe that the club is community and a club without community doesn’t mean anything,” the Serbian businessman said. “The people who love the club and support the club are coming to the games and they are the blood flow of the club. We connect back with the Saints Foundation and we have great plans for the future of the foundation.” Solak added: “We have to be a little bit focussed now on the football but the more success you have on the pitch, the easier it is to achieve your goals as well. I think we believe the foundation is a great thing. “For me, I took this box and I was super happy to receive photos of the kids enjoying the box at the games, I was really happy that they could enjoy the games with the best food and drinks – but hopefully they were not giving them my wine! “The happy faces for me are absolutely why we work and why we do what we do, it’s hugely important to continue to support it and we hope that the building of a bigger and more successful football club will lead to a bigger Saints Foundation too.”
Kyle Walker Peters
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Walker-Peters shows confidence in Russell Martin to help Southampton get out of Championship #SaintsFC

June 4, 2023
Walker-Peters himself faces an uncertain future at St Mary’s following relegation from the Premier League with a number of top-flight clubs looking at him. The 26 year old will likely depart after three and a half years on the south coast, during which he earned two England caps back in March last year. Saints are looking to appoint Swansea City boss Russell Martin to replace the outgoing Ruben Selles and remain confident of doing so despite a compensation-related delay. READ MORE: Sport Republic detail Saints plan to win Championship with key incomings explained Walker-Peters spoke exclusively with the Daily Echo ahead of the final game of the season and was asked what a new man in the hot seat will have to do to help the club bounce back from relegation. “I think it will be important for him to really have an identity,” he said. “How you're playing to chop and change every week with a young squad is quite hard. “They're already young and learning how tough it is to play in the Premier League, to play in the Championship next season. And if you're changing style every week, it's even harder. “So I think, yeah, whoever the new manager is will need to ensure that he has an identity and tries to build some consistency from it.” He added: “I think there's going to be a lot of changes within the club, so I'm not really sure what the vision is as a player but I can assume their main focus will be to get back into the Premier League. “I try not to read into any rumours. I try to stay away from that and what’s going on over on Twitter, and I think the club will inform us when they're ready.” Martin has been managing in the Championship over the past two seasons and Walker-Peters admits he does know a few fellow players who have worked under him. “I believe he's a coach that likes to have the ball,” Walker-Peters continued. “He's really focused on possession and he's used to the Championship, so I'm sure he'll be able to help the squad if he does end up coming here. “Other than that, I don't know too much about him. I know he was recently a player so he'll know how a lot of the players in the team are feeling. And I think if that's who the club wants to take the job, I'm sure he'll be the right man.” Like teammate and club captain James Ward-Prowse, who was open about how much he enjoyed working for the Spaniard, Walker-Peters sympathises with the departing Selles. Although he was just returning from injury in Selles’s first two matches as boss, Walker-Peters played every minute bar one of the final 14 games of the season. “I think Ruben was put into a position which was really tough, but he took the job and he's given us absolutely everything to try and help us stay up,” Walker-Peters said.   “It will be really sad to see him go. I think I've said in a few meetings before, from the first session he took with me, I knew how good a coach he was. “I knew how determined he was to succeed at Southampton. Really disappointed for him. I'm disappointed that I won't be working with him next season.” Walker-Peters probably does not know who he will be working with at all next season – it is difficult to guess where he might end up beyond St Mary’s. The versatile full-back can play in most managers’ systems and would improve most squads either as a starter or backup. Although he cannot disclose anything more, he is honest about his ambitions. “It's tough for me to say right now but I'd be lying if I didn't say I want to be playing in the Premier League,” Walker-Peters admitted.   “I want to get an opportunity to represent my country again. That's a really big goal of mine, so yeah, those are my personal goals – but the most important thing is giving fans something to cheer about (in their final game vs Liverpool, which finished 4-4)."
Vincent Kompany
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley manager Vincent Company signs Taylor Harwood-Bellis on loan from Manchester City #BURNELYFC #MCFC

July 2, 2022
Burnley have completed the signing of Taylor Harwood-Bellis on a season-long loan from Manchester City. The 20-year-old joined City at the age of eight and has made eight first-team appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. Harwood-Bellis played under Vincent Kompany at Anderlecht during the first half of last season and also had a spell at Stoke. He is the Clarets’ third defensive recruit this summer following the arrivals of Luke McNally and CJ Egan-Riley. “I’m buzzing with it. I obviously knew about it for a while, so I’m happy to get it all done - all the medical stuff done - and to get it all sorted,” said the defender. “I feel like this will hopefully be the best season that I’ll have in the Championship with all the experience I’ve got and I’m looking forward to a good season. Hopefully it’s one with lots of success." Harwood-Bellis has also represented England from Under-16 to Under-21 level and even captained the U21 side. Kompany added: "I am looking forward to working with Taylor once again, and I know first-hand the qualities he will bring to the group. "Taylor is a fantastic player and leader with a tremendous mentality that fits within our culture, and he knows exactly what the Championship is all about. “We would like to thank Manchester City for allowing Taylor to join us on loan for the upcoming season." Clarets on social, plus take out a subscription... Keep up to date with our Burnley coverage on social media by joining us on Facebook and Twitter Gain unlimited access to the Lancashire Telegraph website with a premium digital subscription Or if you want the Telegraph newspaper delivered to your door, get in touch with our home delivery team or call us on 0800 953 0227
Vincent Kompany
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Vincent Kompany on what he learned from Pep Guardiola and ‘unbelievable’ culture at Burnley #BURNLEYFC #MCFC

June 27, 2022
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany says it is “massive" to have Jack Cork tied down as the club prepares for a new chapter. The midfielder, who has made more than 200 appearances during two spells at Turf Moor, put pen to paper over a new two-year contract. Kompany is delighted Cork will be sticking around after losing Ben Mee, James Tarkowski and Nick Pope among others following relegation from the top-flight. “That was massive for me,” he said. “I don’t know how much it has been put forward but I can tell you that the culture that has been built here over the years, and I have to give credit to Sean (Dyche) and all the people who have worked in this building with him. “The culture in this club is unbelievable and I would rather start with that every day of the week than with a talented team with the opposite personalities. “We have got a good starting point and that is not going to change. If anything, if I can sharpen it even more I will do so. I want to protect that and that will be at the centre of everything.” Kompany is also keen to have former Liverpool and Wales wide man Craig Bellamy alongside him in the dugout. Bellamy played alongside Kompany at Manchester City and also had a spell working alongside him in Belgium. The Burnley chief added: “He’s one of the rumours that were actually correct, after the pics got out. “He’s someone I have huge respect for. He’s incredibly gifted and he’s a typical misunderstood guy who gives so much. If I can have him with me, I will.” Kompany won four Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad, two of them coming under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. When asked what he had learned from his former boss, the Belgian said: “I met this fantastic coach, the best in the world and the simple thing I took from him was, not a style of football, but that he was the very best at telling his players why they were doing things on the pitch."
Burnley Stadium
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Mike Jackson confident Burnley will bounce back after Premier League relegation #BURNLEYFC

May 24, 2022
MIKE Jackson is confident Burnley can find answers to the difficult questions that await after Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle brought an end to their six-year stay in the Premier League. Relegation means the Clarets must repay a “significant” portion of a £65million loan taken out as part of ALK Capital’s leveraged buyout in December 2020 while also rebuilding their squad – nine first-team players are out of contract this summer while several others will be transfer targets for rivals. There is also no permanent manager – Jackson stepped up from his role with the under-23s after Sean Dyche was sacked last month – so it remains to be seen who will be trying to solve a number of these problems. But asked if he believed the club was in safe hands given their potential financial problems, Jackson said: “Why wouldn’t it be? I can’t comment about all the stuff you’re speaking about. “But there are good people here who want to do well, who want the club to bounce back. It’s about small steps, planning, and making sure you’ve got everything in place to be able to do that.” Captain Ben Mee, James Tarkowski, Jack Cork and Ashley Barnes are among the players who can walk away from Turf Moor, while there will be suitors for the likes of Nick Pope, Dwight McNeil, Maxwel Cornet and Wout Weghorst. Television money made up 90 per cent of the club’s revenue in the latest set of accounts, so the loss of their Premier League status is certain to put a considerable strain on finances and limit their ability to replace the talent that will depart. What the side will look like on the opening day of the Championship next season is a question Jackson cannot answer. “It’s hard to comment on that with what’s just happened,” he said. “You can’t say, ‘This is going to happen’ – I don’t think you can do that. “There’ll have to be a reflection on what’s gone on. Like everything else, it’s small steps, you have to find your way back when things happen like this. You have to take small steps to get yourselves going again and I’m sure that’s what the club will try and do.” Having taken 11 points from eight games and given Burnley the chance to save themselves on the final day, Jackson could himself be a candidate for the permanent job if he wanted it, but in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s defeat the 48-year-old insisted he had little interest in discussing it. “I understand you’ve got to ask the question but I don’t think that’s for now,” he said. “I’m not really bothered about myself at this moment in time. I know how I’m going to feel, I’m going to go and suffer. “I’m more gutted for the group and for the fans. When you work so closely with the group like that, see what they’ve put in and you see them after it hurts you, it stays with you.”