Jaidon Anthony
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Jaidon Anthony previews important Newcastle fixture for Cherries #AFCB

February 10, 2023
Eddie Howe returns to the Vitality Stadium having lead Newcastle to the top four and the League Cup final, whilst Cherries’ recent run of eight games without a win seeing them drop into the relegation zone. Anthony scored Cherries’ only Premier League goal since the World Cup break against Nottingham Forest, the only point they have mustered since November. Previewing the fixture with the Daily Echo, Anthony shared: “You have seen every game in this league is tough. “On the run we’re on, you can see that it’s never going to be easy. “They’re having an amazing season and we’ll have a good week to prepare and then we’ll come ready and hopefully get a result out of that one.” A late Kaoru Mitoma goal saw Cherries come away from their last game without any points, Brighton narrowly winning 1-0. Anthony maintained that the side remained confident in their approach, sharing: “We know what we came to do and as a team we want to stick to the gameplan and that will hopefully get us points on the board. “I think we did that (against Brighton) and it’s disappointing in the way we conceded and so late on, but we’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again really. Cherries drafted in three new attackers during the January window, with two of the arrivals, Antoine Semenyo and Hamed Traore, capable of playing in Anthony’s primary position on the left wing. Asked about the increased competition in the side, the winger restarted: “We also had some top players in my position always. “I think in every club you need a lot of options and obviously we’ve had some players leave in my sort of position as well. “I’m always going to fight for my position. I think that will never change. “It’s not really something I can control. The manager has got to pick his best 11 for the team and hopefully I’m in it. “If I’m not, I’ll try and help in any way I can really.” The 23-year-old then commented how he hoped the reinforcements could help Cherries turn their season around. “We hope so,” he added. “We need to get some results and we can see they’ve got some real quality and they add to our squad and our depth. “Obviously we’ve had a lot of injuries as well, so we’ll have some players coming back. Hopefully they can help us and we can get some points on the board.”
Adam Armstrong
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton FC forward Adam Armstrong wants to change Newcastle semi-final atmosphere in league cup #SAINTSFC

January 27, 2023
NEWCASTLE-lad Adam Armstrong insisted Saints will need to “turn the St James’ Park crowd right away” on Tuesday if he is to fulfil a childhood dream of playing in a cup final at Wembley. The 25-year-old boyhood Magpies fan thought he had scored against his former side during the eventual 1-0 defeat to Eddie Howe’s men at St Mary’s on Tuesday. READ MORE: Jones hints at potential Saints departures - but wants incoming signings first His goal was ruled out by VAR for accidental handball just minutes after Joelinton had opened the scoring in the EFL Cup semi-final’s first leg. Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope went on to keep a 10th consecutive clean sheet while his team have not lost at home during the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign so far. But despite the odds being stacked against them ahead of the trip to the North East on Tuesday, January 31 – also transfer deadline day – Armstrong retains “100 per cent” confidence. “We’re looking forward to the next leg because it will be a massive game and we’re only 1-0 down, we’re still right in it,” he told the Daily Echo. “100 per cent, we’re going there with confidence again and we’ve got nothing to lose. It will be a really good atmosphere, I’ve seen it first-hand myself and it’s an unbelievable stadium. “We’re going to have to turn the crowd right away. We do have to start taking our chances because we’re getting a lot now in the second-half of games.” He added: “We’re staying in games at half-time now so we just have to put them away and we’ve stopped giving away sloppy goals, but I know they scored on the counter. “They’ve put a ball across and had a tap in from a few yards, that can’t happen, the gaffer (Nathan Jones) is mad on that. We can’t give goals away but it’s something that we will work on. “It’s nothing to lose, we’ve got to put on a good performance because it’s a chance to get to Wembley. “It’s every kid’s dream to get to Wembley. It’s certainly mine and something I’m looking forward to trying to achieve. “We have to take confidence in everything we can at this point, the lads are upset they’ve been beaten but we’ve got to dust down and prepare for the weekend.” The former England under-21 international’s ruled out goal would have been only his third in all competitions this season and a fifth in a Saints shirt since a £15million move from Blackburn Rovers. VAR overturned the decision after a tussle in the six-yard box between the imperious Dan Burn and Armstrong saw legs locked and the ball bounce into his arm. “That’s football and we’ve seen decisions like that all year, I know it’s handball even though it’s accidental but that’s the rules nowadays,” Armstrong admitted. “It’s harsh but we have to just take it and move onto the next leg. I looked on the big screen after it and it’s hit my arm but you just have to get on with it, it’s one of those things.” 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.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Fulham forward insists they will not take Southampton lightly #FULHAMFC

December 31, 2022
FULHAM forward Bobby De Cordova-Reid insists they will not take Saints “lightly” and added “you can’t look at the table too much,” ahead of the New Year’s Eve clash. Nathan Jones’s charges will visit Craven Cottage (3PM kick-off) in the Premier League for the final match of 2022, sitting bottom of the division. A point could lift them above Nottingham Forest only but there is still 66 points to play for before the end of the season at St Mary’s versus Liverpool in May. De Cordova-Reid netted the opener for Fulham in their 3-0 demolition of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Boxing Day – a fixture that Saints lost 1-0 and brought forward the end of former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. However, despite sitting ninth in the division as Aleksander Mitrovic powers them home week after week, the Bristol City product insists they will not take anything for granted. “You can’t look at the table too much, we all know it’s tight between a lot of positions,” he told club media ahead of the meeting. “We know they will come with a lot of energy, it’s a young squad. But at the same time, we are in a good position and we have to take confidence from our own performance.” De Cordova-Reid added: “We don’t take anyone lightly, first and foremost we have to look after ourselves and concentrate on what we do on the pitch. “If we put in a performance we are happy with then ultimately we can get three points We’ve got a lot of confidence going into the game so hopefully we can put in a performance.” 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.
Tommy Elphick
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Tommy Elphick on Crystal Palace game #AFCB

December 31, 2022
CHERRIES will look to “really stamp what we’re about” on their encounter with Crystal Palace this weekend, according to Tommy Elphick. The Eagles visit the Vitality Stadium with Cherries unbeaten in their last two games at home, two victories over Everton prior to the break for the World Cup. Palace and Cherries both returned to Premier League action with defeats, the Eagles unable to muster a single shot on target in a 3-0 defeat to Fulham. That defeat to their London rivals saw two red cards for Crystal Palace, James Tomkins and Tyrick Mitchell suspended for the trip to the south coast. Asked for his thoughts on Palace, first team coach Elphick shared: “They're a dangerous team. “They've got some really, really top players, some real individual quality that's right up there with the best in the league. “So we're coming back off a break right now and looking to get players back and getting embedded into what we are doing. “So I think it's a game that we have to make about us. “With the tight turnaround, high energy, we've been accustomed to fast starts over the years at home. “If we can make it like that and really stamp what we're about on the game, then I'm sure we'd be fine.” After defeats on the road at Newcastle in the League Cup and Chelsea in the league, Cherries return home to the Vitality Stadium for the first time since defeating Everton 3-0 in November. Looking forward to seeing the home faithful again, Elphick shared: “Yeah, it'd be lovely, especially with the circumstances as well. “It's the first time that the manager is going to be playing at home as well since he's been named and we saw the reception he got at the end of the Everton game. “And we did end on a real high here with the last two games, the last two home games that we had, we played some fantastic football. “Obviously with the ownership as well, it feels like there's a real good atmosphere and hopefully use that to our advantage tomorrow.”
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- ‘Always a tough game’ – Southampton boss’ verdict on Fulham #SAINTSFC

December 30, 2022
SAINTS boss Nathan Jones has warned of the threat provided by Fulham leading scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic ahead of his side’s trip to Craven Cottage this weekend. The Serbian striker notched his tenth league goal of the campaign as Fulham cruised past nine-man Crystal Palace 3-0 on Boxing Day.  Mitrovic’s impressive return to the Premier League comes following one of the greatest Championship campaigns of all time as the 28-year-old scored 43 times in Fulham’s successful promotion last season. READ MORE: Saints' Stuart Armstrong urges for calm with 'worst thing' losing belief Three of those strikes came against Jones’ Luton Town, the new Saints boss knowing all about the threat this Fulham team provides after watching his former team get thrashed 7-0 by the Cottagers in May. Now sitting 9th in the Premier League table, it’s been a far more successful start to this top-flight campaign than the last one when Fulham were relegated with barely a whimper. “They have had real continuity there,” Jones said of Marco Silva’s side.  “They’ve gone up, they’ve come down, they’ve had a good way of playing, a lot of players who have been there regularly, been there for years. So they’ve got a lot of continuity.  “Always a tough game, they have a goalscorer that scores whatever league he plays in. It will be a tough game, it always is. We had two tough games against them last year, we were better at home, they were categorically better away. So it will be a tough game. “They’ve probably shed a few players, added a little bit more quality, and just kept that continuity. They’re a good side so it will be a tough game.” Mitrovic was a doubt to face Crystal Palace after returning from the World Cup with an ankle issue, but having played 85 minutes of the victory at Selhurst Park, the Serbian international should be fit and available on Saturday. 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.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals he was aware of Cherries’ strong record at Stamford Bridge #AFCB

December 27, 2022
CHERRIES’ solid record away at Stamford Bridge is something Gary O’Neil is “aware” of even if he does not believe it will have any bearing on the latest meeting between the two sides. O’Neil’s charges travel to London to face Graham Potter’s Chelsea in the first Premier League game following the break for the World Cup tomorrow (kick-off 5:30pm). Despite Chelsea’s status as a top-six club and the perception of Cherries as plucky underdogs, the Dorset outfit have won three of their five trips to the Bridge in the Premier League. Glenn Murray’s late winner in 2015 arguably marked a turning point in Cherries’ first top-flight season, victory marking their first in nine league games under Eddie Howe. Cherries’ last visit to Chelsea saw another late winner, Dan Gosling’s 84th minute strike eventually awarded after an agonisingly long wait following a VAR check. In their past three games with the two-time European champions, Cherries are unbeaten, with their last win at Stamford Bridge sandwiched between a 4-0 rout at home and a 2-2 draw in their most recent meeting. Asked if he was knew about the stat, O’Neil replied: “I am aware of it. I don't believe it will help us much in the next one, but, yeah, I am aware of it. “As you rightly say, tough place to go. Top side, obviously. Big club, top coach, fantastic players. “And, yeah, they're expected to win basically every game they play, aren't they? “So, it'll be a tough one for us, but as always, same sort of answers for you, really. “We get the boys ready, get them well prepared, and I go there expecting us to be competitive and expecting us to get a positive result.” Aside from Cherries’ record at Chelsea, O’Neil was also reminded of his visits to Stamford Bridge as a player. In nine trips to Chelsea, he tasted defeat each time. He did point out the mitigating circumstances, with the then-midfielder frequently tasked with marking generational talent Frank Lampard on more than one occasion. He joked: “Nine games, nine defeats. It's a good record. “I mean, I remember playing well there a few times and I've sometimes I've seemed to be given the job of tracking Frank Lampard. “I remember doing it really well sometimes and then he’d just pop up in the 70 or 80th minute, and he's smashed one in the bottom corner. “And you'd be like, “Ahh, I've lost him once, and he scored.” “But I've not lost there yet, as a manager. So that's good.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes Chelsea will keep improving under Graham Potter #AFCB #ChelseaFC

December 25, 2022
CHELSEA will keep on improving “every week” Graham Potter is manager, according to Gary O’Neil. Potter swapped Brighton for Chelsea back in September, with the former Ostersunds manager struggling to find his feet at Stamford Bridge. The Blues last won a Premier League game back in October, with Potter picking up just 11 points in his eight league games in charge, although in Europe Chelsea have cruised through to knockout stages of the Champions League. Asked for his thoughts on Potter at the Blues, O’Neil shared: “I think that every week that Graham's there, I expect them to get better. “He's obviously a good coach. He has a style that has stuck for years, so a new group of players obviously need to adapt to that and learn it. “So I would think the break has been beneficial to him in sort of getting the players where he needs them to be. It’s difficult. They have changed formation quite a lot. “It's a difficult one to prepare for because, a newish manager that had a real set style at Brighton, but what he's done at Chelsea hasn't followed on from that too much, structure wise. “So, we'll prepare the best we can, make sure the boys are ready for what might come their way and give it a real good go.”
jesse marsch leeds united
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Leeds United’s Jesse Marsch labels AFC Bournemouth ‘very lethal’ #LUFC

November 4, 2022
LEEDS United boss Jesse Marsch is wary of “very lethal” Cherries, with the Whites manager believing Gary O’Neil has done a “great job of taking them out of a moment early in the season where they looked like they were in trouble”. O’Neil’s charges travel to Elland Road this Saturday (kick-off 3pm) with a view to earning a first win in five league games. Leeds recently ended a winless streak of their own with a dramatic victory away at Anfield, a late 2-1 win their first in nine Premier League games.   Despite Cherries’ recent results, Marsch believes that his side’s next opponents are “actually improving” under O’Neil. The two sides are within breathing space of each other in the league table, with Cherries one point – and one position – above Leeds, in 14th, although the Yorkshire outfit do have a game in hand on their Dorset counterparts. Previewing Cherries ahead of this weekend’s game, Marsch shared: “Bournemouth, in general, I know that they haven’t gotten a lot of results but if you look at their metrics, they’re actually improving as a team and I think they’re more and more in matches. “We believe that they are very lethal in counter attacking situations and so they defend very hard, they defend sometimes a little bit deeper. “They sometimes like to press a little bit higher but get into a deeper block and they’re very intensive in some of those defensive moments. “And they’re very quick to get into the counter and it showed in the Tottenham match and in a lot of their matches lately. “I think the manager’s done a great job of taking them out of a moment early in the season where they looked like they were in trouble, to making them stronger and making them clear on exactly what their play model is.” Whilst victory against Liverpool slightly eased pressure surrounding Marsch’s future at Elland Road, defeat to Cherries would see the sharks circling once again. Under-fire Marsch has noted Cherries’ flexibility in shape, with the Dorset club frequently switching between five and four at the back under O’Neil. “Who they play and exactly how they play,” restarted the American. “They have some variability, they played five in the back in the last game and defended five in the back, sometimes they build with five but defend more with four so we have had to prepare for a few different things. “But we know that in the end, we have to know them but we have to be ready to perform at our best. “That’s a big focus this week, knowing the opponent but making sure that we are ready to be at our best.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals his son Carter-Jay puts aside Tottenham loyalty to cheer on Cherries #AFCB

October 28, 2022
THERE will be a conflict of interest in the O’Neil household this weekend – with Gary O’Neil’s Cherries set to take on Tottenham Hotspur, the team his son Carter-Jay supports. Antonio Conte’s Spurs side arrive at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with both sides without a win in their last three fixtures. Despite Carter-Jay’s split loyalties, O’Neil senior insists that his son will be supporting his charges at the weekend. O’Neil commented: “He wants us to win, he said. “He's keen for Bournemouth to win. So, yeah, that was nice of him!” O’Neil, who was a boyhood Millwall fan, represented Spurs’ fierce rivals West Ham United during his career, as well as another London club in QPR. Explaining how his son ended up following the Lilywhites, O’Neil shared: “My wife's dad was a big Spurs fan and obviously I'm fairly busy at weekends, generally, so he started going to Spurs with my wife’s dad. “I was keen for him to go and watch. And, yeah, he loves it. It’s a nice stadium, so I thought I'd send him to a nice stadium to watch his to watch his football. “I've been a couple of times with him. Not as often as you would like to, but yes, occasionally if the game (doesn’t clash). “I think last year we went a couple of times on a Sunday. He loves his football, but yeah, he'll be pushing for a Bournemouth win, like the rest of us.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl believes ‘Unique’ Crystal Palace ‘can hurt every team’ #SAINTSFC #CPFC

October 28, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl admits Crystal Palace provide a "unique" test for his side this weekend, and is wary of the threat they pose in matches at Selhurst Park. Saints travel to London looking for the win which would see them leapfrog Patrick Vieira's Eagles in the Premier League table. Hasenhuttl's men have had mixed fortunes at Palace in recent years, with a win, draw and loss in their three games there since the Austrian took charge in December 2018. While Palace were well beaten 3-0 at Everton last weekend, they have proven tricky to beat at home this term. Of their six fixtures at Selhurst Park, three have ended in victory, one in a draw and two in defeat, against Arsenal and Chelsea. Discussing the challenge Saints face this weekend, boss Hasenhuttl said: "It is a team that, especially at home, has had some good results this season. "They are, at home, at the moment, very strong and had some good results in the past. "They are, I must say, a team with massive quality. We had some tough fights against them in the past and we know how tough it is there. "But we had also some good results there. I remember a win and I remember last year a draw. It was a good away game from us last year." He added: "They are unique. This is a typical Crystal Palace team at the moment that you are always expecting. "When you see the goals they have scored this season - super, super goals to score. Fantastic goals with beautiful counter-attacks. "They definitely have the quality to hurt every team. "But we have also shown in the past they have some parts they don't like. Especially when you set them under pressure, they are able to make some mistakes. "You can definitely win some balls and score some goals against them." 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. Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil itching to rectify Saints defeat away at West Ham #AFCB

October 20, 2022
GARY O’Neil “can’t wait for Monday” after suffering a first defeat of his Cherries reign to Southampton, with the interim boss already looking to bounce back against West Ham. Che Adams’ ninth-minute header was all that separated the two sides, with Cherries bombarding the Saints’ box in search of an equaliser in the second-half. Defeat marks a first loss in seven for Cherries, with O’Neil’s unbeaten start to life as a head coach coming to an end. O’Neil does not believe a first loss will impact Cherries, sharing: “I've been asked already whether I think I'll learn more about the boys now after this. “And my resounding answer to that is no. “(I know) exactly what they're going to give. “Can't wait for Monday. “Boys will be the same. We go again. “They've given everything, stayed on the front foot, 1-0 down at home. “Tricky team that was well organized. “They gave absolutely everything. “Fans stayed with them to the end because of that. “The way the performance went, they couldn't have been any more front foot. And that sums up the whole seven games for us, really. “I judge them on that. They gave it all again and if we go and do the same, we'll continue to be competitive.” Analysing the game as whole, O’Neil remained pleased with his side on the whole. He continued: “Frustrated with the result, frustrated with the goal. Pleased with large parts of the performance. “Just fine margins. They score their header, we miss a couple, we arrive in their box a lot. “Obviously, the way the game went, it was never going to be clear chances because Southampton were deep. “Generally at that point, trying to work our way in, a few things fell to us. They blocked a few, we missed a few. (One) hit a hand. “So, yeah, I stick to my word with the lads. I judge them on what they gave, and the performance and we were competitive again.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss accepts importance of midweek clash with rivals AFC Bournemouth #SAINTSFC

October 18, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl accepted the importance of Wednesday’s clash with Cherries but insisted he retains “all the belief” in what Saints are doing. The St Mary’s side visit the Vitality Stadium five points behind their fellow south-coast Premier League rivals after 10 matches. Cherries, first managed by Scott Parker before Gary O’Neil took over on an interim basis, were firm favourites for relegation with bookmakers before the season began. They were defeated 9-0 by Liverpool but are the only team in the division to remain unbeaten since. Saints, who are in the bottom three with eight points, must start picking up victories and crucially against teams they are likely to be competing with come the end of the season. "For us, it's a Premier League game and an important one,” Hasenhuttl said, asked if there is any added incentive given the locality and shared objectives of the clubs. “We go there and I think we know that they are in good shape at the moment, but we go there like we have always gone into in the past with all the belief in what we are doing to make it a good evening for us.” The meeting comes off the back of a 1-1 draw with West Ham United, at St Mary’s, that ended a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League for Hasenhuttl and Saints. It could have been a first win since the August victory over Chelsea, after Romain Perraud put Saints ahead and Che Adams squandered two big chances. "For everybody it is very frustrating because these are the moments where you can make a big step forward,” Hasenhuttl admitted. “But it would still be a long way to go. There's no guarantee that you win games but it makes it a little bit easier. And then you can definitely play a little bit calmer but we are never in the situation." He added: "Let's say every point we get is a point gained and we know that we need every point. “We are now going to Bournemouth and then against Arsenal so another two games this week. We have to be ready for the Wednesday game, immediately focus is on the game and hopefully we can get a win there."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits Fulham game was expected to be challenging for Cherries #AFCB

October 15, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O'Neil expects Fulham to provide Cherries with a "tough afternoon" at Craven Cottage tomorrow, with Marco Silva's men posing "lots of different strengths that control you". The two newly-promoted clubs have made impressive starts to life back in the Premier League, currently sitting in eighth and ninth in the table after nine matches. O'Neil's charges head to the capital on a five match unbeaten run, while the Cottagers have stumbled to back-to-back defeats, against Newcastle and West Ham. Looking ahead to the contest in west London (3pm), O'Neil said: "It’s a real challenge. They’re a good side. "They have a real defined way of playing that they stick to. But within that they have lots of different strengths that control you. "They play through their shape really well. They obviously have (Aleksandar) Mitrovic, who is a massive threat, if they decide to go direct and crosses and set pieces. "They are a threat on the sides with tricky wingers. They’re a good side. "It’s going to be a tough afternoon for us, for sure. But one that we’re well prepared for and hopefully we can go there and give a real good account of ourselves again." Fulham's three wins this season have come against Brentford, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. They also picked up points with draws against Liverpool and Wolves.