Alex McCarthy Southampton
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy reveals how close he was to joining Liverpool #SAINTSFC #LFC

December 1, 2022
SAINTS goalkeeper Alex McCarthy has revealed he was close to signing for Liverpool before a call from Harry Redknapp persuaded him to instead join QPR.  The 32-year-old is now into his seventh season at St Mary’s and has lost his number one role to summer signing Gavin Bazunu, who has played every Premier League minute this year. McCarthy, a Reading shot-stopper at the time, was a wanted man across the Premier League in 2014 and had played under then-Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers with the Royals. He reveals being stood at a train station ready to head to Merseyside when another former Saints manager gave him a call. "The move to QPR was strange because I'd worked with Brendan before at Reading and he wanted to bring me to Liverpool," explained McCarthy on the Yours, Mine, Away! Podcast. "The morning I ended up going to QPR, I was about to get on the train to Liverpool but then I had Harry Redknapp call me.” McCarthy’s proposed move to Liverpool had been to provide competition and support for first-choice goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. "I knew at Liverpool I wasn't just going to go in and play, obviously he couldn't guarantee me any football,” McCarthy admitted. “But Harry Redknapp called me and obviously he knew about Liverpool and said there are definitely more opportunities to play here so it was a tough situation. "Working with Brendan at Liverpool or Harry at QPR. I was stood at the train station with my dad and my agent going over it and over it and because I had been playing at Reading, I wanted to carry on playing so I ended up going to QPR and signing there. "I'm a big believer that things always happen for a reason. It took me a while to get into the team and I when I did, I played against Liverpool and had to go off with a quad strain so I was out of the team again and Rob (Green) was doing well so it was a weird one. "I had a chance to go to Liverpool but chose to go to QPR. I was there for a season, we got relegated and then I went to Crystal Palace." McCarthy spent just one season at both QPR and Crystal Palace, only playing a total of 10 Premier League games before moving to St Mary’s in 2016. He has now amassed 131 appearances in a Saints shirt but had to wait two seasons until he truly emerged as a number one goalkeeper. McCarthy extended his contract to remain with Saints last year and the deal was finally confirmed by the club this summer, when his previous was due to expire. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more.
Trent Alexander Arnold and Virgil Van Dijk
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Virgil Van Dijk admits Brighton had a surprise element with new manager in thrilling draw #LFC

October 4, 2022
But he recognised Reds were again caused problems by a “good” Seagulls side who created plenty of chances. He said things could have been worse for his side as they emerged with a 3-3 draw. Two Van Dijk headers from set-pieces gave the Reds their narrow win over Albion at Anfield three years ago. Since then, the Seagulls have won one and drawn two in front of the Kop. They continued that fine record under the guidance of new boss Roberto De Zerbi. Van Dijk was given a torrid time at the back as Liverpool conceded three at home in the league for the first time since losing 4-1 to Manchester City in February, 2021. He said: “We tried to find out really what they were doing because obviously it was a new manager, so we had no idea really what to expect. “But they started fast, scoring two goals quickly. “In the end we fight back, 3-2 and then you have to make sure you take it over the line because they were good today. “They created chances, made it very difficult for us, and we concede.” Van Dijk spoke about the problems Albion caused from a Liverpool perspective. He said: “A lot of runners in behind, not much pressure on the ball, things we have to do much better. “We say we all do it together, we attack together and we did that obviously very well against Ajax, and we did that well in a couple of moments, but Brighton are a very good side. “I think if you look at the results we have had against them over the years, a lot of them were close, it was always difficult. “But today definitely it was they were in a good moment and made it very difficult for us, and also could have actually gone worse.” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said his side could have won but did not deserve to. He admitted: “I cannot say I was 100% convinced that we would not concede a goal when we were 3-2 up. “We should defend all three goals better, no doubt about that, but in different areas, not just in the last moment. “The 3-3 feels like a defeat even though it is not, and we have to fight through this.” It was almost a dream debut for new Seagulls boss De Zerbi, who said: “I am very happy for the game. Very proud. We played a very good game. We had the possibility to score more.”
Jurgen Klopp Liverpool
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Jurgen Klopp believes Parker did ‘outstanding job’ at Cherries and outlines his transfer strategy #LFC #AFCB

August 30, 2022
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp said Scott Parker was doing an “outstanding job” at Cherries and insisted: “In a club like Bournemouth, you need backing from everybody.” The Merseyside manager, a winner of the Champions League and Premier League at Anfield, saw his side dish out a 9-0 hammering to Parker’s side on Saturday. The result equalled the Premier League record for biggest margin of victory, as well as the joint-highest defeat for Cherries as a club. Prior to the game, Klopp described Cherries as a “proper team” for the way they earned Championship promotion last season, as well as outlining his respect for the Dorset outfit in his programme notes. Klopp was also seen comforting Parker on the touchline during the record-equalling result – a gesture which was described as a “touch of class” by former England midfielder Jermaine Jenas on Match of The Day. Parker admitted to the Daily Echo the defeat had been the toughest day of his career in football, as either a player or coach. Asked by the Daily Echo whether he felt sympathy for Parker, and whether he had spoken to him after the game, Klopp replied: “We spoke, of course, but not about that. He didn’t moan or whatever about the situation. “But when you look at the other two teams who went up (Fulham and Nottingham Forest) and you look what they spend. “Then you look at Bournemouth and you think, okay… What will happen there? It’s not about the squad is not strong enough or whatever, not at all. It’s just the league is a really tough one. “Especially I think in a club like Bournemouth, you need backing from everybody, because it will be difficult. “It’s clear in the moment when you have the promotion – then it’s already clear, the problems start now.” Parker joined Cherries after leaving Fulham in June 2021, signing a three-year contract at Vitality Stadium. He guided Cherries to the Premier League last season, finishing second behind Fulham in the Championship table. “I think he is doing an incredible, absolutely outstanding job arriving there and getting promoted immediately in a league where Fulham is flying away, Nottingham Forest were flying – that was a big one,” continued Klopp. “Yes, I have a lot of sympathy for him.” Cherries’ next top-flight test comes against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Vitality Stadium on Wednesday (7.30pm).
Scott Parker Fulham
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Honest Scott Parker will tell players when it’s time to ‘move on’ after embarrassing 9 – 0 loss against Liverpool #AFCB #LFC

August 27, 2022
BOSS Scott Parker opened up on what he described as the "hardest part of the job", admitting: "Football is ruthless at times." With the end of the transfer window fast approaching, Cherries are working tirelessly to improve their squad to give them the best possible chance of staying in the Premier League. But on the other side of the coin, the only way new arrivals can be accommodated is for other players to be let go, due to Premier League squad registration rules. There are currently no vacant spaces within Cherries' 25-man list, which will have to be submitted after Thursday's deadline. That means players will either have to be loaned out or sold, or will be ineligible to play in league fixtures, until January at least. Asked how he has developed the ruthless streak required of disappointing players by either leaving them out of a team or selling them, Parker told the Daily Echo: "It's difficult. Of course it's difficult. "It's the hardest part of the job to be honest with you, whether that's on a Saturday when you have to name a squad of 19, 20 players and there’s certain players who have worked hard during the week but are not in it. "It's not an easy part of the job. And then also the part of the job where you need to get to and where you need to go and when you step up levels in the Premier League, the levels are absolutely huge. "There’s a combination of a lot of things. Us as a football club, what's best for us in the development of the football club and how we move forward. Players, their personal feelings towards that. Do they want to play? Don't they want to play? They want game-time. "I'm a manager that is always very honest with players, so if I don't feel that someone's going to get playing time, then I'd rather give him a heads up on that to obviously move on. "If I don't think a player is for me and is not for us at this present moment in time, then again it's an opportunity to move on. "This is a hard part of the job, but football is ruthless at times and this is just part and parcel of it, of what you have to do sometimes." The likes of Siriki Dembele, Jamal Lowe, Emiliano Marcondes and Jack Stacey have been linked with moves away this month. Asked if it makes it more difficult because some of the players who could move on played a key role in the club clinching promotion last season, Parker added: "I was a player for 20 years in it. It was the same with me at certain moments. "At Spurs, I came off the back of an incredible season at Spurs and AVB (Andre Villas-Boas) came in and wanted to go another way. "In football and modern day, the way we are, you need to accept what the positions are in the game we're in, really. "So, of course, I have nothing but huge respect and appreciation for every single one of my players, for sure. "But like I said, the levels go up. And for us to evolve and for us to improve and try and stay in this division, these are the decisions and the actions which probably need to take place at certain times. "While they're not easy, this is what sometimes you have to do."
Scott Parker Fulham
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Scott Parker on Anfield ‘challenge’, transfers and Nat Phillips #AFCB #LFC

August 26, 2022
BOSS Scott Parker’s message to his squad ahead of Cherries’ trip to Anfield is clear – to ‘try and challenge’ Liverpool, rather than find the experience ‘daunting’. Parker will travel to Merseyside as the last manager to record a Premier League win away at Liverpool, with his Fulham side the last team to beat Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at Anfield back in March 2021, a 1-0 victory. Liverpool are yet to record a win this season, with Klopp’s charges tasting defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United on Monday. Their first home game of the campaign ended in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, with the away side opening scores. Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Parker shared: “These are the games that certainly when I was as a player and even now, sitting here as a coach, these are ones you thrive off, really. “You're going up in boxing terms, pound for pound. “They’re elite in everything they do. And you need to adopt an attitude, which is you want to go and try and challenge that. “You want to relish that opportunity and try and get the better of that, rather than the opposite, really. And I think that's probably the main message. “That was certainly the main message before when I’ve been to Anfield, certainly the way I thought about playing against these big players in these big teams. “It was one I embraced and one that I look forward to, really. So, yeah, I need to give that message to the team, really. "And these players, which is very new to some of them, the Premier League, Anfield, Man City away. “These are all big challenges, but ones they need to embrace and look forward to. “The other option is you find it very daunting, you find it very difficult. "And that's the polar opposite to what I want, really. So, yeah, we need to (It’s cliché), but we need to enjoy it. Of course we do. “We need to enjoy it in a real positive way. We need to establish ourselves. We need to show our qualities, for sure. “And while they may be limited and while they may be very difficult, is certainly something we need to embrace in that sense.”