Ashley Barnes Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Mike Jackson demands more of the same from squad and Ashley Barnes calls out refree decisions #BURNLEYFC

May 21, 2022
BURNLEY caretaker manager Mike Jackson wants no change in mentality going into Sunday’s relegation decider against Newcastle but admitted his players must manage the emotions of the game. After Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, Burnley go into the final day of the season outside the bottom three on goal difference, knowing if they can match Leeds’ result away to Brentford they can look forward to another season in the top flight. That would complete a remarkable turnaround with Jackson having won three and drawn two of his seven games since replacing Sean Dyche, but the pressure has been on at Turf Moor for some time given the predicament they were in, and Jackson said Sunday would be no different. “I think every game we’ve had since I’ve been here, they’ve said it’s a must,” he said. “We must get something out of this game or that game, and the lads have been delivering. The performances have been strong. “In the Villa game at home we made some errors, we made an error for the goal last night, but the players have had that around them now for the last six or seven games, they’re used to living in that and that will stand them in good stead. “We know Sunday is going to be emotional. We’ll try and take that out of it, use some of it, take a bit of fire from it and go and attack the moment again.” Jackson called Burnley’s performance at Villa Park an “absolute masterclass in defending” as they battled to take a point, going ahead through an Ashley Barnes penalty before Emi Buendia brought Villa level after a move that began with an apparent foul throw from Matty Cash. But it was another display that told Jackson his players are handling the pressure. “I think that’s where they’re at their best,” he said. “When I watch that game back, some of the work put in, the details we’ve worked on and been focusing on. “If you take all the noise out of it, we’ve come away with a point. We still have to get some sort of result so it’s not really changed anything. “We’re in a little bit of a better position and we’re just looking forward now.” Burnley conceded a contentious penalty in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat by Tottenham for a Barnes handball, but were denied a spot-kick of their own at Villa Park for a similar incident involving Lucas Digne. Barnes pointed to both that, and Cash’s foul throw, in calling for greater consistency from officials. “The consistency of the VAR situation and the referees, the decisions, they have to improve,” the forward said. “We were waiting five minutes at Spurs for a decision and the same yesterday. They were exactly the same, his probably more clear than mine, but because my arm was stretched out they gave it. The decisions are vital. “You’ve seen the throw-in as well that leads to their goal. It’s a hard one to take, he’s on the pitch when he threw it.” Barnes was in the Burnley squad when they suffered their last relegation eight years ago. The 32-year-old was also part of the side that earned European football in 2018, but said avoiding the drop this weekend would be a high point in his Clarets career. “It would be a huge achievement from where we were,” he said. “To win three games in 20-odd, that’s not good enough, that’s relegation staring at you. The lads have done well to turn it around and hopefully now we can get this final win at the weekend, get out of there and be safe.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss unaware of Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell’s Kayne Ramsay comments on loan recall #SAINTSFC

January 20, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl has admitted that he was unaware of Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell’s comments alleging that Saints only made him aware they were recalling Kayne Ramsay the night before a game. Last week, youngster Ramsay was moved from his season-long loan spell at the League One side to Scottish Premiership outfit Ross County – where he made a substitute debut last night. He was scheduled to face Charlton Athletic with the League One competitors, where he had made 15 league appearances, but instead did not feature. Following Crewe’s fixture, Artell said: “Tuesday night I received a call from Kayne’s agent that he was being recalled by Southampton and I’ve not heard from Kayne since. It is what it is and we move on.” Crewe Alexandra boss David Artell (Pic: PA) Following up, the Railwaymen confirmed to the Daily Echo that this was the official line from the club regarding Ramsay’s move and that they had to rejig their tactical plans for the clash. However, Hasenhuttl has admitted that he had not heard Artell’s comments or knew if Ramsay was indeed recalled in such a manner. “I haven’t heard about that,” the Austrian told the Daily Echo. Kayne Ramsay will spend the rest of the season at Ross County (Pic: PA) “Normally it shouldn’t be that short term and for sure this is not perfect. What exactly the fact is I have no idea and I will ask about it.” Ramsay was not the only player to have his season-long loan spell cut short at a club before being moved elsewhere. French 22-year-old striker Dan Nlundulu also switched locations, moving from League One Lincoln City to Cheltenham Town in the same division. Dan Nlundulu scored for Cheltenham Town on his club debut at the weekend (Pic: PA) Hasenhuttl continued: “The thinking behind this (the moves) is that they should get the gametime to play on a regular basis, because they wouldn’t have the chance to do this and this is why we send them on loan and keep them playing football – it’s important for them. “I know about all the decisions and they are all in agreement with Matt Crocker (director of football) and with the coaches down there.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton CEO Martin Semmens discusses club’s sporting project in detail with regards to multi-club network #SAINTSFC

January 6, 2022
SAINTS CEO Martin Semmens has explained how a multi-club network could work under Sport Republic and admitted: “We are aware of potential clubs that might come into the mix, but it’s way too early to talk about that.” The plans under Sport Republic, which is an entirely independent investment firm that have purchased Saints, suggest that the St Mary’s outfit could become a centre-piece of a group of football clubs across the world. The ideas are reminiscent of something similar to what Red Bull have achieved, who have successful football clubs based in Leipzig, Salzburg, New York and Sao Paulo. Red Bull utilise their network to frequently transfer talent between teams for relatively nominal fees, as manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be familiar with having coached the German side for two years. Read more In 2020, Hwang hee-Chan, now of Wolves, moved between Salzburg and Leipzig for under £10million, while Dominik Szoboszlai – who is considered one of Europe’s hottest talents – was discovered by Salburg’s reserve team, FC Liefering, moved to the main Austrian team and then later transferred to Leipzig for a cheap price in 2021. Red Bull Leipzig were Champions League semi-finalists in 2019-20 (Pic: PA) Of course, Red Bull began to set up these teams in the mid-2000s and are almost two decades deep into their development, but these ideals are perhaps what Sport Republic and chairman Henrik Kraft are inspired by. Semmens explains how the takeover could benefit Saints, telling BBC Radio Solent: “What they will bring to us is proprietary technology, data and systems that make us better. “They will help us build better scouting and player trading, collaboration and models, but I think more importantly than anything, they believe in the player pathway as we do and a multi-club model allows us to take that forward to a new level. Saints CEO Martin Semmens and managing director Toby Steele “What that means is, if you build a network of clubs and you build the best people and the best data, and the best insight, it gives you that minor advantage that we can gain without spending huge amounts of money.” He continued: “I think together we see an opportunity to build a set of clubs that play in the same way from the same playbook. “To have academies that are similar and develop players in the same way, produce young men and young women to a level that we think fits our level and helps us with that pathway. “So, the other clubs, it's early in its development this project. We are aware of potential other clubs that might come into the mix, but it's way too early to talk about that. Sport Republic lead investor Dragan Solak (Pic: United Group) “But the structure would be they will sit within Sport Republic and we will collaborate with them. But the ownership sits at Sport Republic level.” The production line of Red Bull’s footballing talent speaks for itself, and it’s a list that many Saints fans will be familiar with one way or another. Sadio Mane, Erling Haaland, Joshua Kimmich, Timo Werner, Takumi Minamino to name but a few. Former Saint Sadio Mane was picked up by Red Bull Salzburg as a youngster despite an unprolific season with Metz However, all the talk of multi-club networks and stuff that sounds reminiscent of football franchising can be daunting, so Semmens was keen to stress that Saints’ board operate unchanged – Sport Republic merely exist as external owners and collaborators. “First and foremost, all operations are unchanged as they were yesterday,” Semmens insisted. “They are today and the leadership in the operations here at the same. 💬 Semmens adds that #SaintsFC went looking for owners that had these three things:Good people. ✅Experience in elite sports (cites Rasmus Ankersen). ✅Committed to a plan the 'Southampton way', not buying success but creating it and having a development mindset. ✅ — Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) January 4, 2022 “And then I think the second thing to stress is Sport Republic is a business that will build a network of clubs. “Those gentlemen you mentioned, Dragan (Solak), Henrik (Kraft) and Rasmus (Ankersen) will run that business and they will work with us and support our club and we will work to help and support Sport Republic, but they don't have active roles in the club. Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl will be working under the same Saints board as before the takeover (Pic: Stuart Martin) “If you want to go one level more technical than that, we have an ownership group and ownership board that Henrik and Rasmus will sit on alongside Katharina (Liebherr), myself and Toby (Steele). “We will take care of the club's management at that highest level at that point, but the board of the football club as it stands today is the same.”
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Sean Dyche responds to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s claims over player welfare #BURNLEYFC

December 29, 2021
SEAN Dyche has insisted player welfare is “off the scale” after Jurgen Klopp accused Burnley of putting players’ safety at risk by blocking the return to five substitutions. Klopp has been outspoken in calling for substitutions to be increased from the current three per game in the face of fixture congestion caused by the impact of Covid-19. The Liverpool manager took aim at Burnley this week, saying he was not sure how many of their players are internationals and are resting when “our players play three games”. Dyche has previously said that adopting a five-substitute rule in the Premier League would benefit the big clubs and suggests football has to be careful over the direction it takes. “I keep hearing this term player welfare,” Dyche said as Burnley prepare to end an enforced 18-day break at Manchester United on Thursday. “I’ve got to be honest, I think the welfare of my players here is absolutely fantastic – the way they are looked after. “Health and well-being is top of the list and we do that well here. Add to that the challenge of Covid – the players have got information coming out of their ears over the situation – medical support and the Premier League offering them all the testing programme, so it does make me question the idea of player welfare. “The players have to be careful themselves because the welfare is off the scale for me, personally.” Dyche - who has had run-ins with Klopp in the past - accepts the top clubs have a “lot of demands” on them with league, cup and European commitments. But the Clarets boss said that has always been the case for the top Premier League clubs and their star performers. He said: “I was thinking of people like Frank Lampard, season after season knocking out 60-odd games with England games on top. “I don’t remember too much about player welfare being spoken about then. “Times change, and I like to think against some popular belief that I change with them, but there still has to be a root inside you what your beliefs are in football. “You have to go, ‘Come on, let’s get on with the challenge in front of us. Remember what we are – professional footballers – and whatever comes our way we take it on and do the best we can with it.’ “There has to be a bit of balance to the bigger picture of comments about five subs, three subs, all the rest of it – and just be careful which road we’re going down. “I judge myself on my profession, but I also judge myself on the people who watch our profession and watch our games. “If I was a fan I’d be going, ‘Hang on a minute, footballers get well looked after’. We’ve just got to be a little bit careful to find that healthy balance.” Burnley have had games against Watford, Aston Villa and Everton called off since drawing 0-0 with West Ham on December 12. Dyche says Burnley have had to deal with a “couple of Covid situations” and will make a late decision on whether Maxwel Cornet features at Old Trafford. The Ivory Coast international sustained a thigh injury in the defeat at Newcastle at the start of the month and then tested positive for coronavirus.