Graham Potter Brighton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Graham Potter praises team efforts in FA Cup win versus West Brom #BHAFC

January 9, 2022
Graham Potter said he was happy with Albion’s comeback from a goal down to beat West Brom 2-1 in the FA Cup third round this afternoon. Albion fielded a strong side but found themselves one nil down before substitute Jakub Moder levelled the scores with a cool near-post finish 81 minutes in. Brighton were denied by former keeper David Button on several occasions. But Neal Maupay secured the victory in extra time to continue his strong form and take Albion into the next round of the cup. The opening stages saw West Brom put Albion under pressure, with Potter’s side taking some time to find their rhythm with a slightly rotated team. Danny Welbeck was played in by Pascal Gross but saw his effort saved by David Button one-on-one. Meanwhile Enock Mwepu came off in the first half with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Alexis Mac Allister. Neal Maupay also had a glorious chance when he was poked through by Welbeck, but the Frenchman was denied by Button on the verge of half time to keep it all square. It would not take long for West Brom to ruffle some Albion feathers, with Karlan Grant slipping a ball into Callum Robinson who slotted past Scherpen just two minutes into the second half. Albion were given a life line back into the game 69 minutes in when Cedric Kipre was sent off for two yellow cards in the space of a couple of minutes, the second for a pull on Trossard’s shirt. Two Albion substitutes combined when 17-year-old Evan Ferguson played a ball into Jakub Moder, who finished expertly at the front post past David Button. Cucurella’s introduction also made a noticeable difference on the left-hand side. Ferguson almost scored a first senior goal when he was played in and dinked just over, with the ball landing on the roof of the net. Evan Ferguson looked sharp on his senior debut Albion continued to apply the pressure to West Brom with David Button making a number of smart saves from Albion’s long range efforts to take the game into extra time. But Albion's one man advantage would pay dividends, Jakub Moder found space on the right-hand side and turned provider with a pass into the area which was well left by Leandro Trossard for Neal Maupay, who continued his good recent form with a smart finish into the near post eight minutes into extra time. Evan Ferguson also had a goal pulled back for offside after a pass through from Moder again, but the youngster strayed well offside. The closing stages of the match were straight-forward for Potter’s men, who were left with an abundance of space against West Brom’s tiring legs. Potter applauds Albion's travelling support who were in fine voice Potter said they knew it would be a tough match but he was happy to progress in the cup. He said: “It was hard work, we thought it would be and knew it would be because of West Brom’s quality and style of play. They’re very competitive so we had to compete with that, which we did. “We conceded against the run of play I thought from pretty much their only chance and the response was good. But in the end, really nice to go through and I’m happy to go through. “We will try our best in the FA Cup, it was important for us to go through today, we wanted to win. We picked a team with that in mind, to win. “As you can see from results in the competition, it’s not straightforward but we had a good mentality. The away support was fantastic and we’re delighted to go through.” The fourth round draw for the FA Cup takes place after tomorrow’s games at 4.50pm.
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley assistant Ian Woan’s verdict after FA Cup shock defeat against Huddersfield Town #BURNLEYFC

January 9, 2022
IAN Woan admits Burnley need a win following their FA Cup defeat against Huddersfield Town. Jay Rodriguez put the Clarets in front after 28 minutes, heading home after getting on the end of Ashley Westwood’s pass. But the Terriers hit back through Josh Koroma, who slotted home from Sorba Thomas’ low cross 16 minutes from time. And inside the final five minutes, Matty Pearson completed the turnaround with a clinical header. Woan – who took charge of the side after manager Sean Dyche tested positive for Covid-19 - admits the result is hard to take. “We need wins to bring a bit of a smile to the lads’ faces. They feed off wins,” he said. “That’s what football is all about. The win today was needed. We planned really diligently and put out the strongest 11 possible.” “It’s very disappointing. Huddersfield came out strong in the second half but the game should have been all over at half-time. “If there had just been a little bit more belief it could have been all over.” The Clarets are back in action on Saturday, January 15 when they welcome Leicester City to Turf Moor (KO 3pm).
Sean Dyche Burnley
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Burnley boss Sean Dyche’s verdict on Leeds United defeat #BURNLEYFC

January 3, 2022
BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche admits his side are low on confidence following their 3-1 defeat at Leeds United. Jack Harrison, Stuart Dallas and Dan James were on target for the Whites, while Maxwel Cornet scored his sixth goal of the campaign with a stunning free-kick. Dyche’s men remain in the Premier League drop zone, having won just one league match this season. “I spoke to the players about that weird feeling that creeps in, usually when results are not going your way and everyone is looking to someone else to do the next thing,” said the Burnley boss. “When we talk about confidence and winning and results, you find when you’re in a good moment, the game becomes fluid, both defensively and in attack. “At the minute it’s like we’re waiting for someone to do their job and if it goes wrong we’re not active, we’re not anticipating.” Dyche, whose side are two points from safety but with a game in hand on Watford, was complimentary in his assessment of Leeds. He added: “I don’t want to discredit Leeds. They played forward, they worked hard. “Leeds try and play, but a lot of it was played straight, getting forward and running hard, playing that physical game with an edge to it. “Their first goal came from that. It came from a clearance and their lad (Harrison) runs it down like his life depended on it. “That’s sometimes the edge that it takes and we weren’t there for that, that kind of feel, for the whole game.” The Clarets are back in action on Saturday, January 8 when they host Huddersfield Town in the FA Cup third round (KO 12:30pm).
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Sirki Dembele agrees with Gary O’Neil on Crystal Palace loss #AFCB

January 1, 2022
SIRIKI Dembele agreed with Gary O’Neil’s summation that Cherries’ 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace was “the worst” the head coach had seen his charges play. Lackadaisical defending from Cherries allowed the Eagles to score twice from corners, Jordan Ayew nodding home unmarked before Eberechi Eze slotted home from the edge of the area. Throughout the contest Cherries were unable to lay a glove on their opponents, with Crystal Palace in control throughout. Dembele was introduced as a first-half substitute in place of Philip Billing, the 26-year-old making just his third Premier League appearance. The result now means Cherries have picked up four points from their last eight Premier League fixtures. Asked if he agreed with O’Neil’s comments, Dembele told the Daily Echo: “I think we've been playing well with him, to be honest. “And what he said, I think that is probably true for today's game. “We haven't played like that in a long time, and I agree with that.” A smattering of boos followed the final whistle, with Dembele understanding but keen to ask for patience for the rest of the campaign. He restarted: “I think sometimes you’ve got to look further than what's just happened. “You know, it's a long season, you’ve got to wait and see what happens next, because it's very easy to get on people's back straight away. “But I think if you keep supporting, there'll be some good moments.”Prior to his substitution against Palace, Dembele had only played 40 minutes for Cherries across four cameo appearances. He played 52 minutes against the Eagles, more than doubling his total for the season. Cherries have made no bones about their intention to strengthen their squad, meaning there will have to be departures as the Dorset club with the full compliment of 25 players already registered. Asked about his future, Dembele responded: “It was very good to play as many minutes as I did today. “I want to play football. Here, if I get a chance to play, I play.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl praises ‘unbelievable’ Saints fans #SAINTSFC

December 29, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl was full of praise for the St Mary’s crowd after they helped carry their side over the line in their Premier League draw with Tottenham. Saints’ energy and frantic defending was matched by fervor in the crowd, with the St Mary’s faithful fully behind their team as they battled for a share of the spoils against a persistent Spurs side. Hasenhuttl revealed that he believed that the atmosphere was amongst the best he had experienced at St Mary’s since arriving in 2018. The Austrian stated: “I’m very tired after the game, but happy, super happy with what I have seen. “I am so grateful for the fans in the stadium. The atmosphere we had here today I think was one of the best since I have been here. “It was unbelievable. They pushed us, they were fighting with us, they were pushing us until the end after our fantastic first-half.” "Overall, especially our home form, this is much better. "We love to play now here with this crowd, it wasn’t always there and it wasn’t always like this, but we get more and more atmosphere and more and more positive support from the fans because we deliver. "We try to give them all our passion and all our effort and we really appreciate them." Also receiving praise from the boss was the Saints side, as Hasenhuttl’s side more than matched Spurs despite going down to ten-men. "After our fantastic first half, even with ten men, we deserve to get something because we had been so good,” continued Hasenhuttl. “We were fighting and working hard, against all the issues we had, with the COVID cases forty-eight hours before a game, where you do everything, you’re one man down for nearly sixty minutes, and you play with Yan Valery as a centre-back in a back-four. “I cannot be more proud of seeing a team with one man down, fighting so hard.” The points means Saints end 2021 on an unbeaten streak of three games, with the side taking five points from three tough fixtures. The result was sweetened by the fact that Norwich and Watford failed to make up any ground with defeats to Crystal Palace and West Ham, Saints’ last two opponents. Saints rise up to 13th in the league table, ahead of another crucial game in the relegation picture when they host Newcastle on Sunday.
Jan Bednarek
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Jan Bednarek after scoring Southampton winner against West Ham #SAINTSFC #WHUFC

December 28, 2021
JAN Bednarek says Boxing Day football is “just craziness” as goals flew in across the Premier League and admitted that Saints knew their supporters “expected an enjoyable afternoon in London”. The Polish international’s headed winner during the 3-2 at West Ham was one of 28 goals scored across six fixtures – with three other matches postponed due to COVID cases. He connected with James Ward-Prowse’s deep free-kick for his second notch of the campaign – and his second in just three matches, after opening inside three minutes versus Leicester at St Mary’s. Defensively, it hasn’t been the 25-year-old’s most solid season with Saints, as Bednarek battles with opposition in his centre-back position from Mohammed Salisu, Jack Stephens and Lyanco. Read more But in the absence of the latter two, the Pole stepped up to ensure he’d be the man to leave the lasting memory on Saints’ travelling support in the capital. Jan Bednarek rises highest to meet James Ward-Prowse's free-kick at London Stadium (Pic: PA) “I think it was an enjoyable afternoon in London,” Bednarek told the Daily Echo, speaking after becoming the match-winner. “That’s what the fans expected with the Boxing Day entertainment, a lot of joy watching this match in tough times. “We got the three points and that’s what we wanted and what we needed, we are happy with this.” He continued: “I think it’s just craziness (Boxing Day games), we just wanted to enjoy our football and that’s what we did, we just wanted to win the game with a bit of joy and that’s what came today and we are happy with this. Saints' travelling support were treated to a Boxing Day feast (Pic: PA) “We will take these three points and we don’t have much time to recover but we will do everything to be ready for Tuesday.” Although Bednarek has been no stranger to putting through his own net more times than he’d like to recall, he posted his fifth Premier League goal in his 112th appearance at the London Stadium. He’d already became Saints’ first centre-back to get on target this campaign. “I’m happy to help the team in the opposition box,” Bednarek added. “It’s important for a centre-back to score a few goals in a season and that’s what I needed. The Pole's goalscoring atoned for a couple of defensive errors (Pic: PA) “I’m happy with that and to improve this aspect. But we have to keep on going, to build up momentum, hopefully we will get another three points on Tuesday.” Despite showing the fight required to pick up maximum points against a West Ham side that are targeting back-to-back European qualifications under David Moyes, a few points of concern were raised. Notably, the second-half tendency to ship silly goals continued with Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma both bagging equalisers, and looked like they were to add to the 16 points dropped from winning positions already this season. It took substitute Michail Antonio just 180 seconds to net past Fraser Forster in the second-half (Pic: PA) But the Saints defender is unmoved and insists there’s nothing to worry about: “I think just the opposition have enough quality to create the chances and take them. “Every team in the Premier League has the quality and sometimes we can’t avoid for them to create chances and to create goals. “It is what it is, thankfully today we scored more than them and got the three points.”
Neal Maupay
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Neal Maupay reveals reason for subdued reaction to Brighton’s 2-0 win over Brentford #BHAFC

December 27, 2021
Neal Maupay has revealed why did not celebrate his superb goal against Brentford. The striker found the top corner against his old club to secure a 2-0 success at the Amex. Maupay told Sky Sports: "They are the club who gave me my chance four years ago. Nobody wanted to sign me in France. “They called me and asked me to come over to England. “I didn’t know anything about England. “I respect them so much. Everything they have done for me, everything they have done for a lot of players.” Victory ended a run of 11 without a win, most of which have been drawn. He added: “We haven’t won in a long time. Everyone was talking about it. “It was a good performance overall from the team and we are really happy to get that win finally. “I think it’s crucial for us. When you don’t win in a while people start talking. “All of a sudden you’ve got a bit more pressure, even though we just tried to stay focussed on our goals. “I think that will give us some rest. BRIGHTON 2 BRENTFORD 0 - HOW IT HAPPENED “It’s a busy period, a crazy time. “It’s a good night for us but we need to recover quick and get back to work.
William Smallbone Southampton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl admits Southampton player Will Smallbone earned a ‘deserved chance’ #SAINTSFC

December 16, 2021
WILL Smallbone “deserves to have this chance” says Ralph Hasenhuttl, after the 21-year-old made his first Premier League appearance since suffering an ACL injury in January. The Basingstoke-born midfielder performed well in a cameo appearance during the EFL Cup tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge six weeks ago, but has had to wait patiently as he continues his scaling to full fitness. Smallbone had made the bench for each of the last five fixtures but was yet to be called upon by Hasenhuttl. And although he still looked off the pace at times – as expected, having been 11 months since his last league start – his potentially quality on the ball showed with a free-kick delivery that found Armando Broja early in the first-half. With a shortage of forwards as Stuart Armstrong and Adam Armstrong remained on the sidelines, the Saints boss insists that the opportunity had been earned through hard work at Staplewood Campus. “I was brave to let him start today,” Hasenhuttl said, speaking after the 2-2 draw. “I think he deserves to have this chance as what I have seen in the last few weeks is good. Constantly working hard in the sessions, constantly showing up in the sessions. “That gives me a good feeling for giving such a young lad a chance to play and I must say as well I see the energy to run and fight, it was good. “You can see at the end he was a little bit running out of energy and you have to sub him but it was a good performance today.”
Adam Armstrong
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl gives update on Jack Stephens and Adam Armstrong with pair absent against Crystal Palace #SAINTSFC

December 16, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl confirmed that Jack Stephens was absent from the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace through rotation and not injury, while Adam Armstrong was not ready. Both Armstrong and Armando Broja were racing against time to be ready for the clash at Selhurst Park, with the Albanian successful and impacting the game heavily with a superb strike. But former Toon man Armstrong, after limping off in the first-half at Arsenal, found Wednesday too soon. Supporters were also concerned that Stephens was not a member of the squad, after he had only just returned from a long-term tendon injury suffered back in September. However, Hasenhuttl moved to explain the absences speaking after the match, saying: “Yeah it was rotation for me (Stephens), and for Arma it was too early. “He still has pain in his leg,” the Austrian added. “I was happy that Broja could make it just in time but this was also not so sure, and you can see how important he was for our team. “We need every player at the moment, it can be one time that you are out of the squad and the next game you have to play because we need everyone.” Fraser Forster and Alex McCarthy were also both absent but Hasenhuttl says there could be an opportunity for the former to return versus Brentford on Saturday. He added: “Yes it is also an opportunity, but I’m very happy for Willy today, he did a good job. But yeah we will look for what happens, we are playing against a team that has rested all week.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl heaps praise on James Ward-Prowse’s sublime free-kick at Crystal Palace #SAINTSFC

December 16, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl hailed the set-piece expertise of James Ward-Prowse after he struck in the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and added: “It is such a good weapon we have.” Wilfried Zaha put the Eagles ahead early on and the hosts appeared in control but the Saints skipper was on hand to turn the game on its head with a superb 32nd-minute equaliser. Ward-Prowse curled his effort over the wall and into the top corner from 25 yards to score directly from a free-kick for the 11th time in the Premier League, putting him joint-third on the all-time list. It sparked the visitors into life at Selhurst Park and Armando Broja drilled them ahead minutes later. But Saints had to settle for a point after Jordan Ayew levelled for Palace midway through the second half. Hasenhuttl said of the free-kick: “It helps massively because it was suddenly very calm in the ground here and our fans woke up. “This is what you need in that moment. It was fantastic how our fans were fighting with us and supporting us until the end. It is always a pleasure to have them with us and to give everything we can give them. “For Prowsey, it was a good moment to show his quality and then the belief was there to play how we wanted to play. “We had massive opportunities to score more and, yeah, second half I saw a game from both teams fighting for everything.” Despite a point in London, Saints remain six games without a win and Hasenhuttl admitted they need to try to earn more free-kicks in central areas to help their captain exploit his talent. “It is such a good weapon we have to be more often in a situation where the opposition can foul us,” the Austrian said. “I am very happy to have him in my squad and I am very happy he has this quality. We must give him more free-kicks in this position, I think.” Palace boss Patrick Vieira admitted watching Ward-Prowse find the net from a free-kick was “painful” but acknowledged the England midfielder possesses the ability to cause problems. He added: “It is painful but you have to recognise the quality of the player on set-pieces. “When it is a corner or right free-kick, or central free-kick, we knew that it is one of the strengths of their team. He took his chance really well and in that situation you just have to congratulate the player.”