Joel Veltman
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Joel Veltman verdict after FA Cup defeat to ten Hag’s Manchester Utd #BHAFC

April 25, 2023
But he accepts a challenge still lies ahead to secure a top-seven spot. Veltman knows the ins and outs of European competition from his days with Ajax. READ MORE: SOLLY MARCH'S MESSAGE AFTER WEMBLEY PENALTY MISS He went on as sub in the semi-final against Manchester United. Asked whether the tie can benefit the Seagulls squad, Veltman said: “Yes, 100% it can be a good prep for next season if we make it to the European places. “The environment, everything is good experience for the younger lads. “We have the qualities to end in the top seven. I think we deserve it but we need to work hard for that. “It’s a good thing, I would say, that we have a game quite quickly. It’s another big game. “We’re doing well in the Premier League so we need to focus on that, we have to focus on that because we’re out of the FA Cup. “But I think we’re in a good place in the Premier League, we’re doing well, so time to focus for European places now.”   Get more Albion stories delivered to your inbox every day by signing up to our Albion newsletter Veltman’s former boss was impressed by Albion in the 120-minute stalemate. The defender said: “Erik ten Hag, I spoke to him, he gave a lot of compliments – how we played, where we are now in the Premier League and how far we came in the FA Cup, so lots of compliments. “For now, I don’t care because I wanted to be in the final. “But I think we’re in a good place.” Veltman left the recent win at Chelsea holding his thigh but was a surprise inclusion in the Seagulls’ 20 at Wembley. He went on during the second half in a bid to keep Marcus Rashford at bay. The former Holland international said: “It was kind of a surprise for me as well. “We did some scans and it was not too bad so I was always thinking maybe I could make it. “I trained (on Saturday), which was all good and I said to the gaffer ‘I’m ready to not start but, when you need, I’ll be ready’. “So I’m happy. I was not happy with the extra-time, to be honest! But that’s fine.”
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham admits surprise after defeat to West Ham #AFCB

April 25, 2023
Hammers opened scores after five minutes, Michail Antonio heading home unopposed at a corner, before the away side made it 2-0 on 12 minutes through Lucas Paqueta. Declan Rice crashed home a third from another corner minutes before the break, substitute Pablo Fornals adding a fourth in the second period. Talking to Sky Sports, Mepham shared: “Weird game really. “I felt like we probably felt in complete control, had a lot of the ball, started the game well and then just set pieces killed us. “It’s something we’ve put a lot of work into and we’ve been aware we’re not good enough dealing with them set pieces and today showed again – two balls in the box and two goals and you’ve got a mountain to climb against a very stubborn West Ham team. “We need to do more to make sure we’re not in that position but I felt like that was the difference today. I don’t think in general play there was much in it either way. Just shows the importance of set pieces at this level.”  
David Moyes
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- West Ham’s David Moyes feared potential AFC Bournemouth comeback #WHUFC

April 25, 2023
The Hammers raced into a 2-0 lead on the south coast, Michail Antonio opening scores on five minutes before Lucas Paqueta grabbed a second seven minutes later. Declan Rice made it three shortly before the break, with Pablo Fornals confirming the result on 72 minutes with the fourth and final goal. Despite his side’s relative control of the scoreline, Moyes shared that he had not counted his chickens before they had hatched, pointing towards recent comebacks in the Premier League. Last weekend Hammers came from two behind to draw with league leaders Arsenal, whilst the Gunners themselves overcame a two-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with lowly Southampton“It was an excellent win. Asked about Fornals’ goal, Moyes replied: “I was just thrilled we got it. Because even at three, if they get a goal - more so than ever, we are seeing teams coming from comebacks and we were 2-0 down last week. “We saw Arsenal Southampton, 3-1 and a comeback, you never know at the moment how these things are going.” Cherries head coach Gary O’Neil shared after the game that Moyes had told him he felt the 4-0 margin flattered West Ham, with the Hammers boss believing his side to have been “clinical” with their opportunities. “I thought Bournemouth put us under pressure, had a few opportunities,” he continued. “We were clinical when we got our opportunities. “We got off to a great start in the game and especially after the midweek game, it gave us a real lift. “I thought the players went into the game with a lot of confidence and self-belief from reaching another semi-final and obviously we had a really good comeback against Arsenal last week. “We defended the box very well. I didn’t like that we gave up so many opportunities. We did that part when we had to as well. “I thought Bournemouth had opportunities as well.”  
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil explains ‘real reason’ why West Ham beat Bournemouth #AFCB

April 24, 2023
The resounding score-line marked Cherries’ heaviest home loss since defeat by the same score to Liverpool in the Premier League in December 2018. Early headed goals from Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta set the tone, before Declan Rose slammed in a third before half-time. O’Neil tried to change momentum with his substitutions, but Cherries could not pull a goal back, eventually conceding again through an acrobatic Pablo Fornals strike. Asked how he would sum up the loss, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Not good enough in both penalty areas. “West Ham have a couple of real strengths and we weren’t able to cope with them, basically. “Whatever happened in between becomes irrelevant if you’re not able to deal with one of their key strengths. “David (Moyes) said to me afterwards obviously it was a never a 4-0 game. “We obviously dominated the ball. But West Ham have real strengths in that they attack set plays well, they’re physical, they’re good in the air and they can counter-attack. “If you don’t match their physicality in our penalty area for the first goal and even for the second goal, 12 minutes in, 2-0 down, you’ve not been able to cope with one of their key strengths and then you’ve set the game up perfectly for them to sit in as they wanted to and try and catch you on the counter. “And then on the flip side of that, we arrive in the final third, create a lot of chances and aren’t good enough to stick any away at the moment.” O’Neil added: “If you want to look at the real reason West Ham beat us today, it’s because their strengths, we couldn’t cope with.” Cherries slip to 15th with this defeat, five points clear of the relegation zone with six games to play.
Ryan Christie
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie cannot hide his frustration after defeat to West Ham #AFCB

April 24, 2023
Michail Antonio was left unmarked to nod home at a corner five minutes in, with the away side doubling their lead with another header seven minutes later, Lucas Paqueta the scorer. Declan Rice powered home a third after Cherries survived the initial cross at a corner, before Pablo Fornals added a fourth in the second period. Conceding from dead-balls has been a common theme from this campaign. Rice’s 43rd minute strike was the 20th goal let in from either a corner or a free-kick, with Cherries also conceding from six penalties. “It's not a good stat,” Christie replied when it was put to him by the Daily Echo. “At the same time, especially against the bigger teams, we've conceded a lot of corners as well. It probably accumulates to that. “Obviously frustrating to concede a goal anyway, but especially set-pieces, when we work on them every week and we worked them especially on Friday. “So West Ham again, probably a team that were focusing on that stuff like that coming into today's game. “And first one is really cheap. Second one, obviously, just kind of drops and it is a good strike. “Another day, somebody blocks that. “Frustrating, I think just because of the manner we concede in terms of how well we played in the first half.” Asked what the mood in the dressing room was like,  Christie responded: “It's alright, obviously frustrated. “Going into the game, we wanted to get a positive result, especially on the run of form we're on and after last week as well. “Sounds maybe a bit ridiculous, but we played all right first half. It was just two set-plays and an aimless ball in the box that killed us. “Probably makes it a little bit more frustrating. Half time I was going in thinking I couldn't believe we were 3-0 down. “But that's sometimes what the Premier League is, it comes down to each box. “And today obviously not our day, but still a massive week ahead, so can't be too down. We go on to Thursday.”  
Ruben Selles
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton’s Ruben Selles admits disappointment and pride after Arsenal draw #SAINTSFC

April 22, 2023
The Spaniard made some big calls over the course of the 105 minutes of football at Emirates Stadium, which saw the home side steal a late point. Charly Alcaraz and Theo Walcott had opened the scoring for the visitors while goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Duje Caleta-Car saw a two-goal lead in the closing stages. But Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka – with Saints operating in a five-back defence for the entire second half – netted in the final three minutes of regulation time to level. READ MORE: 'Will probably determine' - Walcott accepts significance of upcoming Bournemouth game It kept alive Arsenal’s title hopes ahead of their meeting with Manchester City next week, while Saints missed the chance to climb off the bottom of the Premier League table. “I feel disappointment because of the two points we dropped at the end but very proud of the effort and the togetherness that the boys showed,” Selles admitted, after the match. “Sometimes it can feel like a disappointment because of the result but I think we need to go out of the stadium with our chests out. We put in a good performance. “We know what we need to do, we know the solutions in every single moment and they showed that they want to play and they want to fight for each other. That’s why when we went to our fans because they were very proud of us.” He added: “I think it feels like two points dropped because I think we were staying with our plan, we were doing what we wanted to do. “And I think it’s a double feeling. The feeling of dropping two points that will help us a lot but the feeling that we can do it against any opponent.” It was another positive result against ‘big six’ clubs after wins versus Chelsea and draws with Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United already this campaign. Saints now need to show the same fight against the so-called lesser teams, if they are to make up the points deficit and survive with just six fixtures left to play. “I think the desire is there,” Selles insisted. “What we need to find is solutions that put us in the best position and I think we are getting there. “I think the performances we’ve had in big parts of the game have been good performances in the last two but if we had the same behaviours as we had today with the finishing action then we would be talking about something different today.” Up next for Saints is AFC Bournemouth – who have managed to race nine points clear of Saints with this weekend’s game still in hand for them. Saints beat the Cherries away in October. “We always talk about habits. And our habit is to review the game, talk to the players, have a good recovery, have a good day off, and then coming in the third day we will prepare for the next game,” Selles said, looking ahead to the visit of the Cherries. “They will have the time for themselves and then we just go again. It’s just about habits and how we work, there’s nothing new in the season, it’s just about let’s go and take the very best from today for the next game. “My assessment is that I want to be fighting for survival until the last day and then making it on the last day - or hopefully before. That’s my assessment.”
James Ward Prowse
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- James Ward-Prowse tells Southampton what they must do after surprise Arsenal draw #SAINTSFC

April 22, 2023
The St Mary’s outfit missed a chance to climb off the bottom of the Premier League table after Arsenal scored two late goals to draw 3-3 on Friday evening. The result follows points taken against Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal already this campaign – with south coast rivals AFC Bournemouth up next. With the teams also fighting relegation still to play this weekend, Saints are not just three points adrift of safety with Thursday’s clash with Cherries looking huge. Speaking to Sky Sports after the Arsenal game, Ward-Prowse said: “A great game to play and incredible atmosphere and you can definitely feel a positive feeling here. “We took our chances really well and we knew they'd come on in the second half. It's a good point to come here, but we are disappointed not to take all three. "It's a massive blow, but we have to take a lot of positives from it and I was surprised to see eight minutes at the end, a strange amount to be added on. But we have to defend better.” He added: "We lost our identity a bit and Ruben has definitely got that back on track with the high aggressive press. I think we tired towards the end and we came up against a world-class side. "We need to follow it up with good performance and good results. We always get good points against the so-called good teams but need to follow it up in following games." Saints have been beaten by Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Leeds United and West Ham United already in 2023 - while the opposition were in 19th.  "There is still a lot of football. We've got to keep believing," Ward-Prowse concluded, however.  Saints host AFC Bournemouth at St Mary’s on Thursday night with the Cherries already nine points clear of their counterparts ahead of playing this weekend. Ward-Prowse and the squad then visit Champions League-chasing Newcastle United on Sunday and face relegation rivals Nottingham Forest following that.
Ruben Selles
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton’s Ruben Selles responds to questioning over strikerless tactics #SAINTSFC

April 16, 2023
Ebere Eze scored both goals for the Eagles as they piled the pressure on Saints, who are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table and four points adrift with seven games to go. Selles has started each of the last two matches – a 4-1 home defeat to Manchester City – without a recognised number nine, with the likes of Joe Aribo and Charly Alcaraz filling in. They have failed to score in the two games, with the exception of substitute striker Sekou Mara, who netted a consolation effort versus City. However, asked if it would have helped having a natural forward on the pitch against Palace, Selles insisted: “No, I don’t think it would make any difference. “The way we arrived into the chances indicated that we don’t need a natural striker. “Joe Aribo is a player who played as a striker in the final of the Europa League last year and that is why we chose him today to play in those spaces. I think he helped us a lot. “We arrived to the situations but didn’t make it. Unfortunately, when they arrived into our box they made it and that was the difference today.” Saints did create chances to threaten the Eagles, with Theo Walcott hitting the outside of the post in an even first half. Alcaraz hit the post from range towards the end of contest. The Spaniard added: “We keep working on those things, working on the final third and the finishing actions – but we will not make excuses. “If we are not able to score those situations, we need to be able to – as a team – defend the situations better and not concede the goals. That’s the balance we need to make. “Of course, we need to be more relentless with the finishing actions in the final third and more relentless in dealing with situations in our own third.”
Frank Lampard
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chelsea boss Frank Lampard hails ‘fantastic’ Brighton and worst Chelsea performance #CHELSEAFC

April 16, 2023
The stand-in boss saw his side beaten 2-1 in his first home game back in charge. He had previously overseen defeats at Wolves and Real Madrid but thought this was the most comprehensive of the three. Lampard said: “It was the most deserved. “At the moment, more than defeats, it’s performances I’ve got to talk about. “Wins only come with performance. In terms of performance, that was the most disappointing one, because we were well beaten in the basics of football. “Brighton are a fantastic team, and they can perform like that against anyone in the league. “But we were short. A yard short, a tackle short, a fighting moment short. When that’s not right, you’re not going to win games. “You have the capacity to do that as well as the desire. At the minute, we’re falling short on that. We need to turn it around quickly.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reflects on ‘rollercoaster’ victory against Tottenham #AFCB

April 16, 2023
Cherries picked up a first ever away win against Spurs, thanks to a brilliant last-gasp winner from substitute Dango Ouattara. Having trailed early on to a Son Heung-min strike, Cherries turned the contest on its head with goals from Matias Vina and Dominic Solanke. Former Cherries star Arnaut Danjuma then popped up with an equaliser for the hosts in the 88th minute, only for Ouattara to score in the fifth minute of stoppage time to secure a stunning 3-2 victory. Asked how his heart is after a crazy finale in north London, boss O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “A rollercoaster of last 10 minutes, which was obviously very up and down. “But I’m okay. I’ve settled down now. I’ll enjoy this evening, but have already switched focus to how I get the group ready for the next one. I’m fine.” The win lifts Cherries up to 14th in the Premier League table, now six points clear of the relegation zone with seven games to play. O’Neil’s men have now won four of their last seven matches, and face three other clubs battling relegation in their next three in West Ham, Southampton and Leeds United. Asked how Cherries have strung together their recent run, O’Neil added: “Fine margins on results. I think even today, real fine margins. “I thought the second goal they scored should’ve been given offside and then obviously we score a very late winner. “So fine margins, but the key from our point of view is we’ve kept performances at a real good level you give yourself a chance then, if you keep sticking to what you believe in and you keep performing, hopefully you pick up enough results to make sure that we achieve the goal that we set out to in August.”
Jan Bednarek
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton defender Jan Bednarek on attacking issues after Man City defeat #SAINTSFC

April 12, 2023
Facing the reigning champions, Saints gave themselves a real chance with a diligent and spirited first half display but they failed to take the chances they created before Haaland headed the visitors in front just before the interval. From that point City cruised to victory as Jack Grealish doubled the advantage before Haaland made it 3-0 with his 30th league goal of the season. Sekou Mara got one back for Saints but the renaissance proved short-lived as Julian Alvaraz almost immediately responded from the penalty spot. READ MORE: 'Brilliant' - Man City boss Guardiola has say on Saints approach in eventual defeat The result leaves Saints bottom of the Premier League table, four points adrift of safety and despite any positive moments, it’s concrete results that they need. “Yes, it’s difficult for us,” Bednarek told the Daily Echo when asked if Saints are running out of time to save their Premier League status.  “We have a good game, we have moments when we play very well but I think we’re just not consistent enough. For the first 45 minutes we were very good but I think that’s not enough against top teams in the world. 45 minutes is not enough, 44 minutes is not enough. So this is what we have to learn as a team.  “We need to find a way to play like that for 90 minutes and to do that we need to keep the ball more, we have to have more possession. Because I feel like against those teams, we need to get them tired as well. "Because when they lose the ball they’re sharp enough and fresh enough to take it back and create chances. It’s a big lesson for us and we need to learn. We need to learn, improve, and stay positive. Jan Bednarek watches on as Julian Alvarez makes it 4-1 from the penalty spot. (Image: Stuart Martin) “I think we had a few really good chances that we could turn into a goal but it wasn’t enough because there was no conviction, we were not ruthless enough. And against top top teams, if you have one or two chances, you have to score a goal.” Only Everton have scored fewer Premier League goals than Saints this season while they have averaged less than a goal per game under Ruben Selles. Amongst a number of potential openings, Saints best chance of the first half fell to the feet of Kamaldeen Sulemana who only had Ederson to beat after bursting past Nathan Ake on a one-man counter-attack. But the Saints winger miscontrolled his touch at the crucial moment and City were able to clear. Saints were then brutally punished for their profligacy by Haaland and Guardiola’s expensively-assembled attack. “It’s tough, of course, it’s tough to play against Man City, they are one of the best teams in the world,” Bednarek added. “But I think you have to play with no fear and no respect and just do what you can do and have a good plan.  “I think that’s what we did in the first half. We played really well, we were brave with our high-pressing, I think we were too surprised with the chances we had. "If we were convinced and ready for the chances we had then I think we could have scored a few goals. So that was the main issue in the first half - the quality.  “At the end of the first half, the goal was the issue. In the second half, they had more chances, more space and managed the game really well. We have to keep on going and learn from it - that’s it.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admires Chris Mepham for good performance against Leicester City #AFCB

April 12, 2023
Having played a bit-part role for much of last season, Mepham was a key figure for Cherries during the early months of this campaign. He missed just eight minutes of the club’s first 14 Premier League matches of this campaign, also penning a new contract in September, tying him to the club until 2025. However, following the World Cup break, during which time Mepham competed with Wales in Qatar, he has found himself in and out of the side. That culminated in a four-game run across March and April where the centre-back played no minutes, not even making the bench for games against Fulham and Brighton. Jack Stephens and Marcos Senesi have been the preferred defensive pair, with January signing Illia Zabarnyi the cover on the bench. But following an injury to Senesi, Mepham was brought out of the cold and straight back into action, impressing in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Leicester City, with a couple of vital defensive interventions. Discussing the 25-year-old’s performance at King Power Stadium, after his spell watching from the stands, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “It is because of his reaction to being left out really. “We had everyone fit, pretty much, and we’re going to have to leave two big players out from squads at that moment. “It happened to be Meps for a number of reasons – tactical, what the opposition might bring, some of the other balance that we needed. “He reacted excellently from that moment. “He trained incredibly well last week and the way he approached it sort of made my decision for me (on Saturday), with who we put in to replace Marcos. “You only get a performance (on Saturday) like that if you’ve done the work. “Meps has kept himself ready and when his opportunity has come, he’s able to show what a good player he is.” Cherries climbed out of the relegation zone with victory at Leicester, the fourth time they have collected maximum points in their last eight fixtures. Asked what the mood was like in the dressing room at full-time on Saturday, O’Neil said: “They’re happy in there, they’re enjoying themselves. “A few cups a tea, a bit of music on. They’re having a good time!” “The lads have won four of the last eight games in the Premier League, so they’re in a good spot.” Cherries return to action on Saturday, with a trip to Tottenham Hotspur (3pm).
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham on win over Leicester City in relegation battle #AFCB

April 10, 2023
Restored to the starting XI following the injury to Marcos Senesi, Welsh international Mepham put in an assured performance at centre-half to help Cherries defeat the Foxes at the King Power on Saturday. After being omitted from the squad for the fixtures directly preceding the trip to Leicester, a win over  Fulham and defeat to Brighton, the former Brentford man seamlessly slotted back into the side. Discussing the result with BBC Radio Solent, Mepham began: “It's a massive win. Although we lost last game, I think we're in a good place at the minute. “I think even against Brighton, we caused them some problems, probably not as much as what we would have wanted. “Coming here today, we know it's a massive game and it was important that we were at our 100 per cent best to get anything from the game. “And I thought from minute one, we stamped our authority. “I thought first half especially, we controlled the game, I thought it was in complete control. “And then second half, we knew they were going to come out with a reaction and it was just a case of, could we sustain that pressure and limit them to a few chances. “And I thought we'd done that very well. “I think any game’s obviously important, but when you're playing teams around you, there's a lot of people that see them as six pointers. “It is important and like I said, I think we can enjoy this week. I thought we worked really hard (against Leicester) and now we just need to make sure we keep our foot on the pedal and go again next Saturday.”A peripheral figure under Scott Parker in the Championship last term, Mepham re-established himself as a first-team regular before again losing his spot to Jack Stephens following the break for the World Cup in November. Asked about the challenges of being thrown straight back into the thick of it following a spell out of the team, Mepham replied: “It’s tough. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and mentally, it's tough to go from sat in the stands to starting a game. “But I think one thing I've learned from this when I've been here before is that it's so important just to stay ready. “ I think you drop your standards in training, it will show in the match when you do get called upon. “So I think the way I've gone about it and the way I've trained since being left out of squads, I think it's given me an opportunity to, one, be in the squad and two, do well when I'm called upon. “And I think it's important that everyone sees it like that, however frustrating it is.”