Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on tactical changes at half-time against Wolves #AFCB

February 18, 2023
Marcus Tavernier’s goal shortly after the restart proved to be the difference at Molineux, the 1-0 win Cherries’ first since November, and only their second league victory on the road this campaign. Jefferson Lerma was an enforced change at the break, the midfielder coming off with illness and replaced by Joe Rothwell. Cherries spent most of the opening 45 minutes camped in their own half, with O’Neil’s side unable to make the most of their opportunities on the break. Discussing the game, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I felt the first half, we were slightly more passive than I wanted us to be. “A couple of reasons – we sat a little bit too deep, too early, and we turned the ball over too easily. So we just had to suffer constant phases without the ball. “Under massive threat, the boys dug in. “First half, I felt we could have been better. “We had some real good counter-attacking situations that we wasted, but, yes, second half, couple of tweaks to try and help the boys be more aggressive at half time. “I thought the second half was very good. “Should have probably took more from some of the situations that we had. “Overall pleased, but as always, still things that I would have liked to have been better.” When pressed for the tweaks he made at the break to change Cherries’ fortunes’ O’Neil explained: “We tried to get Dango (Ouattara) slightly higher, press slightly higher up, try and win the ball back slightly higher than we were. “Because although we were well organised first half, and they weren't ripping us apart, it's just a long time to be without the ball. “So tried to help the boys. We had to be aggressive, but the shape first half maybe didn't allow us to be as aggressive as we wanted to. “Second half, just tried to change a couple of things and I thought Joe Rothwell did well when he came on.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil shares players’ cheeky request for time off after win against Wolves #AFCB

February 18, 2023
Marcus Tavernier’s second-half goal was enough for Cherries to record their first win in 10 games, taking all three points via the 1-0 scoreline at Molineux. After a tricky run of results that saw Cherries drop into the drop zone, the win saw the Dorset outfit rise to 17th ahead of West Ham’s fixture with Tottenham on Sunday. Asked what the mood was like in the dressing room following the result, O’Neil quipped: “They enjoyed it. Of course they enjoyed it. “They asked for Monday off, I said no! “You have to win more than one game to get a day off, lads!” Whilst Cherries’ performances have improved in recent weeks, results had not, with O’Neil maintaining that belief was high in camp. “They enjoyed the win, of course, because they've been working so hard the last few weeks and I've been telling them that it's coming. “They have a real belief in the group that that we can cause team's problems. “See, I'm delighted for them because, as I've said before, sometimes I have to come in here and explain how well they've done and how hard they've worked, but today the result makes that easier. “You can see yourself.” O’Neil’s attention has already turned to next weekend, with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in town. “Big game next week,” he restarted. “Let's get ourselves dusted down. “Make sure the boys that had to come off today, or Jeff (Lerma), that was ill, make sure we get them ready to go again because we have another big game.”
Ruben Selles
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Interim manager Ruben Selles provides explanation for Southampton FC struggles #SAINTSFC

February 18, 2023
Sitting bottom of the Premier League table with just 15 points after 22 games, Saints have already sacked two managers this season, Ralph Hasenhuttl in November and Nathan Jones last week. Brought into the club in the summer to work under Hasenhuttl, Selles will now be taking charge of his first league game as manager, currently in position on a temporary basis. READ MORE: 'I want to be the manager' Selles eyeing permanent Saints job ahead of Chelsea test  The 39-year-old made it clear on Friday that he wants the full-time managerial role after spending the campaign thus far in an assistants’ capacity. “Listen, I have my own opinion, of course, some of which I can share with you and some I can not,” Selles told the Daily Echo when asked what he feels has gone wrong for Saints this season.  “The thing is that we also started this week some kind of mentorship group. Because when you develop players, you can not develop 11 young players at the same time. I think in parts of the season, in our team selection, we were not taking into consideration those things.  READ MORE: Saints team news ahead of Chelsea trip with Che Adams a fresh doubt “I think we have a lot of good young talented players, but we need to bring them the best platform to show and to grow into the Premier League level. I think I have a brilliant team, a brilliant bunch of young players, and also experienced players that can help.  “We need to find that connection and that’s what probably hasn’t been there a lot. But it’s not because of one of the players or the other players. It’s because we as an organisation didn’t put it together and didn’t put in the tools to give them the best chance to show themselves and perform the best for the club.” Saints recruitment in the last two windows has seen a raft of talented players arrive, with eight of the new recruits 20 years old or younger. It’s led to great promise within the Saints team but also understandable questions as to whether they can handle the intensity and pressure of a Premier League relegation battle.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on Dominic Solanke’s defensive work rate #AFCB

February 18, 2023
Cherries talisman Solanke returned to action during the side’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle last weekend, the striker coming back from a knee injury sustained in innocuous circumstances during training. With three goals and three assists in the Premier League this campaign, the 25-year-old is one of the biggest sources of goals in the Cherries squad. However, the striker also works hard off the ball, often dropping deep to help his side either win the ball back, or provide a passing option to help drive the side forward. This has not gone unnoticed by Solanke’s head coach, with O’Neil sharing how the Cherries coaching staff were looking for the former Chelsea and Liverpool forward to stay higher up the pitch in order to act as a focal point of the attack. Asked about the one-time England international’s work off the ball, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I think Dom is extremely honest and hard working, as you picked up, and if anything, his tendency would be to come down too much and want to help. “So we do a lot of work with him on the right times to come down. “Obviously always working hard, which is a given with Dom, he always works hard. “We're trying to help him with still making sure that we have a threat at the top of the pitch while we're working hard. “Some of the other lads behind him, pushing him forward sometimes and saying: ‘we don't need you at this moment, Dom. ‘We're fine, you can stay on the top line.’ “So the main thing you have to work with Dom is trying to make him a little bit less for the team, and a little bit more for himself. “But he's been fantastic for us and I like to have him back.” O’Neil also explained how he was also looking for his side to be “more aggressive” during games, especially when defending. He explained: “Disappointed with the goal against Newcastle, but there's been a lot of work going, not only to the back four, of course, but the boys in front of them. “Tendency sometimes in the group is similar to what I spoke about with Dom, really. “There's a real honesty and wanting to help within the group and sometimes that can lead to having a lot of bodies trying to help out behind the ball when sometimes we can still be more aggressive. “So a bit of work on that maybe showed up a little bit in the Newcastle game. We tried to stay aggressive in that. “We need to keep improving that, really, because when you get yourself in good situations, you need to try and have a good shape and a good structure, but try and stay aggressive from that and still carry a threat.”
Marcus Tavernier
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Marcus Tavernier on return from injury #AFCB

February 17, 2023
Summer signing Tavernier was one of Cherries’ standout performers before the World Cup break, the former Middlesbrough man coming into his own on the south coast just before the Premier League paused midway through November. When domestic football restarted, Tavernier was absent, with the winger sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old made his return to competitive action off the bench during Cherries’ 1-1 draw with Newcastle, having missed eight games. Discussing his rehabilitation, Tavernier told the Daily Echo: “I can't thank the physios enough off for getting me back this quick. “It was going to be a little bit longer, but I'm happy to be back now, playing and doing what I love. “It was a hamstring injury. “ It was one which we didn't expect. We didn't think it was as bad as it seemed, and then the scans and the MRI came back and it was a lot worse than we presumed. “But like I said, the physios have been nothing but great. “They helped me through the process and they've got me got me back for this game (Newcastle). “We pencilled it in as soon as I was injured and we worked towards it. And here I am now.” Cherries have struggled for points in the absence of Tavernier, with their draw with Newcastle producing just their second point since Gary O’Neil was appointed on a permanent basis. “It's been hard to come by at the moment, to get points,” restarted the Leeds-born attacker. “It's been tough, but it's good to get one on the board and with a strong performance as well from the whole team, it's great. “We’ve got a few more lads back now from injury and a few more to come. So it can only get better from here.” Tavernier then went on to detail how he found watching on from the sidelines as his side struggled on the pitch. He explained: “That’s been the toughest part for me. “It's probably been the longest time I've been injured and the worst thing is just watching and not being able to have an impact on the game. “But I feel like I'm back now and I can only have that impact I had beforehand and help the team.” The World Cup break and injury came at the worst time, with Tavernier scoring twice and producing four assists in his last three appearances. “I feel like it's probably the best form I’ve been in my life so far,” he continued. “But I'm happy now just to be back playing again. Hopefully I can get that form again and contribute to the team.”
Jordan Zemura
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – Jordan Zemura backing Bournemouth to ‘kick on’ after Newcastle draw #AFCB

February 15, 2023
JORDAN Zemura is backing Cherries to “kick on” after an improved performance against Newcastle. Left-back Zemura played the full 90 minutes as Cherries shared a point with Newcastle, Marcos Senesi’s opener cancelled out by Miguel Almiron just before the break. Whilst Cherries are still without a win in seven Premier League games, performances in recent weeks have improved. However, late goals conceded at home to Nottingham Forest and Brighton meant hardly any points were produced for the efforts Cherries put into the games. Discussing the Newcastle game, Zemura told the Daily Echo: “I feel like you can see that our performances have been improving. “Obviously, last week was quite tough to take, a 1-0 defeat to Brighton, especially at the last bits of the game. “(Against Newcastle) you could see that from the lads we were switched on from minute one and then just working for each other, giving it our all. “It’s annoying to concede the goal right before half time, but definitely something to build on. “But we need to start turning these performances into wins because at the end of the day, they’re what’s needed most.” The Zimbabwean international then went on to explain his confidence in the side improving further, pointing to returnees from injury and new signings bedding in. Dominic Solanke and Marcus Tavernier both made their return from injury, the attacking talents noticeable absences in recent weeks. “I think you can see it from that Nottingham Forest game at home. Our squad was quite bare, a few players were injured and now people are coming back in. “The likes of Junior (Hamed Traore) coming in, Tavs (Marcus Tavernier) coming back from injury, Dango coming in. “It makes a big difference. “Players like that can affect the game. “And I think you could just see the squad start to start to really kick on a little bit now.” “It’s only a matter of time. “I think you could see from all of the boys, the players from injury coming back in, it’s a very strong unit, a very good dressing room. “Fredo (Ryan Fredericks) coming in, hasn’t played the last couple of weeks, out with injuries, he just comes in, fits in nicely. “It's nice to have those players coming back in and affecting the game. “To the players starting, you have to be on your A game because people are there to come in and take your place. It’s a good environment. Solanke almost made a goal scoring return to the side, the striker’s flicked effort cleared off the line by England international Kieran Trippier. Zemura added: “It’s fine margins. They clear the ball off the line in the 95th minute, inches before it goes in. “We could be here celebrating three points against one of the best teams in the league.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil hoping to welcome back more key players from injury ‘ahead of schedule’ #AFCB

February 13, 2023
Cherries welcomed back both Dominic Solanke and Jack Stephens to the starting XI for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle United. Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Fredericks were also introduced from the bench for their first appearances since November. In recent weeks, Cherries’ list of substitutes have included a handful of inexperienced players from the under-18s side. But at the weekend, O’Neil had nine first-team players to choose from, with a number of players still yet to return from injury. “We still have key players to come back, of course,” O’Neil told the Daily Echo. “Still Brooksy (David Brooks), Lew (Cook), Lloyd (Kelly) and Illia (Zabarnyi). “So still four massive players for us that are missing. But the group is in a good place. “And when they start to tire on 78 minutes and you have the full backing of the fans and even from the first minute to be honest, the fans were excellent. “So I’m pleased for the lads because I’ve spoken about it since I took over.” He added: “It’s important for the players. You can see we have a group that are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they’re performing at their maximum. “It’s been tough for them at times, because we’ve been a bit short with injuries, so they’ve had to suffer some tough results. We have a group that is a lot, lot stronger now.” Asked if the four players he mentioned are close to returning, O’Neil added: “They’re slightly different and a couple we’re hoping to get back ahead of schedule. “A couple are doing really well. Obviously I’m hopeful to get them back as soon as possible.” Cherries go to Wolves on Saturday.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones does not feel he has given reason for burned bridges with fans #SAINTSFC

February 11, 2023
The Welshman concedes it is a results business and again implores that picking up wins will be the only way fans will be fully behind him as boss. Saints welcome relegation rivals Wolves to St Mary’s on Saturday, February 11 (3PM) with ground to make up on the rest of the teams in the fight. Wolves, Everton and Leeds United have all picked up points in the last matchday and Saints risk being cut further adrift without a result at home this weekend. Jones, who has come under fire almost unanimously from supporters following his post-match press conference after a 3-0 defeat to Brentford last weekend, was asked if he must repair relations with fans. Some enjoyable quotes from Nathan Jones today, as a few more were ticked off the bingo card. #SaintsFC💬 "I could have stayed in a mining community, been a PE teacher and had a nice life, married a nice Welsh girl. Beautiful. I didn’t. And that’s nothing against Welsh women." — Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) February 9, 2023 “I don't think I've done anything personally against anyone so I don't know if I've got to build any bridges,” he responded. “It is about wins, it is about them seeing a team out there that can win football games because that is what they can get behind. It has been a tough start, then we turned a corner and have had some tricky results now. “Results will always change it, it doesn't matter who you are if you don't get results then you're under pressure. There are other PL managers who are more experienced in the PL than me who are having tough times as well.” Jones added: “It is part and parcel of the game, others who have been very successful have only got to have one or two defeats to be under pressure. I understand the pressures. “I believe categorically I am the right man for the job and I am enjoying my job here. It is tough in terms of the situation but tough situations call for tough people.” This week also saw the latest fans’ forum held at St Mary’s, ahead of the FA Youth Cup match on Tuesday evening, and the talk was dominated by manager talk. Sport Republic CEO Rasmus Ankersen, joined on a panel by Saints CEO Martin Semmens, chairman Henrik Kraft and managing director Toby Steele, defended the decision to give Jones more time. "I accept these things,” Jones said, asked about the forum and its response. “I was very happy my board backed me in terms of certain stuff. “They would see a lot more that is going on in the recruitment process, in the positivity in any area I have, they see the work on the training pitches and how I've dealt with situations that have occurred and they're happy. “The big thing is results and that's what we have to change. We're not shying away from it and I've accepted full responsibility. Not once have I passed the buck, dug anyone out or passed the blame onto any individual ever in my career." Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton manager Nathan Jones refuted claim of training ground bust-up #SAINTSFC

February 11, 2023
Staplewood Campus has been host to brawls and arguments between players and staff members, according to now said to be untrue whispers. Jones came under increased pressure following a sixth league defeat in his seven games as boss at St Mary’s and Monday saw the biggest media flashpoint so far. Some supporters claiming to have training ground sources reported suggestions of disputes and altercations but when they were put to Jones, he denies the sort. “That’s a non-story. There’s nothing like that,” he insisted, speaking ahead of the visit from Wolves. “I mean, to be fair, I've been in groups, very successful groups, where they are and there’s aggression on the training ground, but here is a good group. “It's a group that gets on, it's a group that's honest and that's one of the positive. They're working hard, our running stats and our aggression stats are up. So they're working hard and it's a good group. “Everyone looks in when you're not winning games and stuff but it's not that, we just haven't been good enough in games, and I take full responsibility for that.” Jones added: “And that's the only thing. If we were getting results this would be a more wonderful place because it already has a good atmosphere. There is a good spirit in the changing room, around the camp and there's good competition and there's no issues like that.” One of the players said to be involved in such arguments was Duje Caleta-Car, who became an easy suggestion after he was involved with the B team last Friday the day before a Premier League match. Saints CEO Martin Semmens, at Tuesday's fans' forum, revealed the Croatian international was removed at half-time of the under-21s victory due to a minor injury. Asked to clarify Caleta-Car’s situation for supporters, Jones told the Daily Echo: “It was a precaution. Some changes we make are precautionary to look after players and that’s first team or B team. Duje has trained fully since. “We felt because of the suspension he was deconditioned, so did we want him to travel to Brentford and sit in the hotel? There’s only so much you can do there, or do I say to him he gets match minutes so he is better equipped and ready for if selected to play against Wolves. “We had a conversation and he made that choice, I didn’t have to coerce him in any way and as it was he felt his hamstring because certain conditions might not have been exactly the same and so on. That’s why we brought him off.” Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones believes he is the right man for Southampton job #SAINTSFC

February 10, 2023
Asked a two-pronged question on whether he is up to the task and whether he thinks bridges have been burnt with supporters, he responded first with: “I’m not sure.” Later in the press conference, in a second section embargoed for print publications, Jones was asked to clarify exactly which part of the question he was referring to. With Saints bottom of the Premier League after 21 matches, seven of those under his stewardship (six defeats), and a bizarre string of comments after Saturday’s heavy defeat – anything was possible. Jones moved swiftly to confirm: “I categorically think I am the right man for the job because I know the work I do. “If others, outside influences or anything, feel that I don't know. But if you ask me I categorically think I am the right man for the job. I know what I can do and what I do on a daily basis and I know what we need.” Jones’s demeanour during the media conference, previewing the visit of relegation rivals to St Mary’s on Saturday, was noticeably different. Although many of the core messages were the same – a belief in God helping him through, a desire to be an aggressive, front-footed team and a smattering of both defiance and insecurity in one’s own decisions – Jones seemed more reflective. “I think every situation is unique but look, I went to Luton. I was homesick when I went to Luton when I was a player,” Jones’s anecdote began.   “The manager left, David Pleat left, my next move was then to go to Spain. No logic in that because I’m homesick in Luton and then I decide to go to Spain.” He added: “I enjoy a challenge, I want to be the best version of me. I could have stayed in a mining community, been a PE teacher and had a nice life, married a nice Welsh girl. Beautiful. I didn’t. “I want to test myself on every level. And that’s nothing against Welsh women,” he joked. “I want to test myself, I have always wanted to test myself. I wanted to test myself and be a player and survive. “I knew I wasn't brilliant as a player but I was the fittest human being in history. I thought ‘I’m going to cling onto this dream and get as high as I can’. While I was doing that I then took coaching badges and learnt of people, and I wanted to be the best coach in the world. “That’s what I wanted to be. I learned to develop, then it came to a point where I thought I could be a manager. I didn't set out to be a manager but then I loved it. Love the pressure, loved it when the team won, got more enjoyment out of my team playing well than me playing well when I did. “Now I’m hurting like anyone else, like any Southampton fan. I'm not saying I’m a bigger Southampton fan but my life depends on it now. So I don't go to the pub after and stuff like that but my life depends on this, and I love the pressure, I love the challenge.” Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
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.”
Gao Jisheng Southampton Owner
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton chief explains decision to keep manager Nathan Jones #SAINTSFC

February 8, 2023
Ankersen was also joined on a panel in the Aspire Lounge at the stadium by Sport Republic’s Henrik Kraft and Southampton’s Martin Semmens and Toby Steele. The board members faced supporters’ questions on a range of topics but, despite attempts to move the conversation on, much of it was dominated by Jones’s future. The manager has been called into question after six defeats in his first seven Premier League games was followed by a bizarre string of comments in his post-match press conference at Brentford. After Jones admitted ‘compromising’ in his methods during the first months of his tenure, Saints fans bombarded the club’s media with Jones out messages. Ankersen, speaking at the fans forum, responded: “It’s no secret that if you keep losing games, at some point you hit the point where it’s enough. “From the inside, we have a lot more reference points, we see the work that goes on every day. “As long as we see that the work that Nathan is doing at the training ground is high quality, then we have something to believe in, and believe that he can turn it around.” He added: “Nathan has been a part of selecting these new players and selling the project to them. I think it’s fair that he gets time with these new weapons he now has. “When we hire and fire managers it’s never a one man show. We discuss. We thought it was the right decision when we hired Nathan. I understand the frustration with the results. I promise you we are working really, really hard to get out of this. “I would lie to you if I said that I’m completely happy with the performances. I had hoped to see more improvement, but if we didn’t feel that Nathan could improve these players, he wouldn’t be here.” Ankersen, who was pictured present at first-team training on Tuesday and was leading on the club’s recruitment in January due to the absence of a head of recruitment – despite Sport Republic’s initial plan to avoid hands-on involvement, has himself faced criticism. “We have no problem admitting mistakes. The ego won’t get in the way of this decision. We will do what is right for the club,” the Dane said. “As I said, I’m starting to repeat myself a bit here, we try to do what we can to make the right decisions for the club. If we think the right thing is to change the manager, we will change the manager. “We have a belief that we can improve with what we have now, we will keep believing in that until we don’t believe it anymore. “I don’t think the players are being poorly managed. There are lots of variables that go into the performance of a football team. It’s a league where everyone gets better all the time, it’s a very competitive league.” Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
Jordan Zemura
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Jordan Zemura excited by new arrival Dango Ouattara #AFCB

February 8, 2023
The Burkina Faso international joined from French side Lorient last month and made an instant impact with an assist in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on his debut. Ouattara again played the full 90 minutes on Saturday, during the 1-0 loss at Brighton. Discussing his early impressions of the 20-year-old, Cherries full-back Zemura told the Daily Echo: “Him no English, me no French. I think Siriki (Dembele) was helping him out quite well and Noa (Boutin), the young lad. “But he’s a great lad. He’s only 20, he’s come over here and just been smashing it. “When he first came in, we could see the talent that he had and the qualities that he possessed. “There’s going to be a lot to be excited about for the fans, having him for the next couple of years. It was good to see him get an assist (against Forest).” Asked how much English Ouattara understands, Zemura added: “All he knows is ‘back post’ and then he says ‘back post’. “When we scored (against Forest), I don’t know what he said to me but he said something in French. ‘Bon’ something, I don’t know what he said to me, but he seemed happy!” Discussing the lift a new arrival such as Ouattara can bring to the squad, Zemura said: “Definitely. Even when he came in to training, you could just see, oh this is different. We’ve got David Brooks on his way back, Marcus Tavernier on his way back, Dom (Solanke) on his way back. “Those players, that gives you a big buzz because you know the qualities that they have and you just think to yourself, once we get everyone back in and we’re all competing in training, it’s going to be something to really look forward to. “It’s a good camp.” Former Cherries defender Mathieu Baudry has been back with the club in the past couple of weeks, the Frenchman helping Ouattara and fellow French speaker Hamed Traore settle in England. Baudry is contracted to Swindon Town, but is currently recovering from a serious knee injury. Asked if boss O’Neil has tried to communicate in French to Ouattara, Zemura said: “The gaffer speaks no French! It’s all English, but it’s all hand gestures.” Ouattara and Traore were among six January arrivals at Cherries with Matias Vina, Darren Randolph, Antoine Semenyo and Illia Zabarnyi also recruited. Cherries, still seeking a first win since O’Neil became permanent head coach in November, host Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday (5.30pm).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on debutants performance in defeat against Brighton #AFCB

February 6, 2023
CHERRIES boss Gary O’Neil was “pleased” with his new signings’ performances during the defeat to Brighton at the weekend. O’Neil handed starts to January addition Antoine Semenyo and Hamed Traore at the Amex as Cherries were downed 1-0 by Kaoru Mitoma’s late header. Semenyo played the full 90 minutes, the Ghanaian international coming close to opening his account around the 69th minute mark whilst one-on-one with Brighton keeper Roberto Sanchez. Traore caught the eye before being replaced by Ryan Christie on 60 minutes, the Ivorian clearly tiring. There was another debut handed out late on into the game, Matias Vina brought off the bench for his first taste of English football. Asked for his thoughts on his new charges’ performances, O’Neil responded: “Yeah, I was (impressed with the new signings.) “Thought Dango was excellent as well, and obviously there are other good performances in there from the boys that have been here longer. “But yeah, I was pleased with the new lads, pleased with how they settled. There were some positives.”O’Neil then went on to point how there were key players still sidelined with injury, believing that performances and results would improve when Cherries return to full strength. Players currently out injured include talisman Dom Solanke, star attacker Marcus Tavernier, and captain Lloyd Kelly. Despite six new signings in January, O’Neil was forced to name three members of Cherries’ development squad, with Ben Greenwood and Euan Pollock joined by Max Kinsey-Wellings,  young centre-back. He continued: “We have still got three young lads on the bench at the minute. “We have some injury issues, so I expect it to improve further from where it is. “The only centre-backs that we have, are on the pitch. The only two we have. “Dom (Solanke), Tav (Marcus Tavernier), Lloyd (Kelly) Jack Stephens, Lewis Cook. “Lots of people that can still come in and add to what we already managed to produce a good performance with today.”
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton manager Nathan Jones admits ‘compromising’ methods due to players capabilities #SAINTSFC

February 5, 2023
A REFLECTIVE Nathan Jones revealed he believes he has “compromised in certain principles” during his tenure at Saints, following a 3-0 defeat to Brentford. The manager has overseen six defeats in seven Premier League matches since his appointment with his side rooted to the bottom of the table. Jones was subjected to chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing,’ and ‘get out of our club,’ from the visiting supporters at Brentford Community Stadium. The Welshman came out firing and named supporters, players and the height of the Premier League as potential reasons why he has deviated from what he knows. “I’ve compromised in certain principles because of personnel and the way people want to play and so on, and I’ve compromised because of fans and so on – it’s a few little things,” he said. “But no more, I’ve been very successful playing a really fluent style and tried to implement that at Stoke but couldn’t because of certain things. I came back to Luton and was successful playing an aggressive, front-footed side. "Statistically, there weren’t many better in Europe in terms of clean sheets, defending your box, balls in the box, XG and all those things. Pound for pound we were the best because we were spending next to nothing and getting results,” Jones added. “I’ve gone away from that, maybe because it’s the Premier League, maybe because of certain players and internationals, I’ve had to compromise on certain things but no more.” Asked if he has listened to outside noise, Jones responded: “No, not at all. We’ve thought what have we got, because at the end of the day there are certain players in the building we have to work with. “Now we’ve got a little bit more aggression and firepower and so on. We will be able to step that up. There are a few little things but I haven’t listened to outside noise, now I will live and die by my own philosophy. “I was recruited to transfer certain things into this football club and I haven’t at the minute, but I will.” Asked by the Daily Echo what he meant when listing supporters as a reason for compromising, Jones answered: “Not just because of fans, I’ve compromised because of certain things. The chants have come after my decisions so it’s nothing to do with fans. “Certain things like fans and outside noise have come in afterwards. I’ve gone away from what brought me to this football club and that’s the disappointing thing. “One reason has been players and secondly it has probably been you’re in the Premier League and you want to be fluent. “You want to make sure that players are in a system which suits them to get the best out of them, now we have a little bit more of what we need to do to be us.” Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones responds after four different Southampton fan chant at Brentford #SAINTSFC

February 5, 2023
SAINTS manager Nathan Jones responded to chants of ‘sacked in the morning,’ from his own supporters by saying: “The fans saw a performance that justified those sayings.” The Welshman felt the force of both barrels during a 3-0 defeat at Brentford Community Stadium with both sets of supporters plotting his downfall. Saints supporters cycled through four different chants, including ‘sacked in the morning’, ‘get out of our club’, ‘your football is s***’ and ‘don’t know what you’re doing’. Jones was asked for his verdict on the chants after the match, in a press conference in which he had already admitted ‘compromising’ on his methods due to multiple factors. “The fans saw a performance today that justified those sayings and that's fine. All I can say to them as I understand, I totally understand,” the boss responded. “To be fair, they’ve sung that at any point I've made a substitution. Now, if we keep Romeo Lavia on the pitch with a booking, they were a counter-attacking side so we were at risk. Was Romeo Latvia running the football game? “Was he was out-battling and dominating everything, so was it justified? If it was, they were watching a different game to me.” Jones added: “They’re entitled to their opinion. As I said, I’ve got broad shoulders so I take everything on myself because, at the end of the day, I only look at myself and I look myself in the mirror and I think ‘have I done the best I can be’ and, to be honest with you, I can be better.” Don't miss a moment with our Saints morning briefing email. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article on the Daily Echo. Your support means we can bring you the latest breaking news, exclusive Saints features and coverage - and much more. Digital subscribers get unrestricted access to all of our stories, our dedicated app including e-version of the newspaper, and an advertising-light website. If you want all the latest articles delivered straight to your inbox you can join the thousands of subscribers who are signed up to our newsletters. They include our popular daily morning news briefing, breaking news, crime and court, and Southampton FC bulletins - plus business, heritage and our what's on newsletters.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil says Bournemouth should have got something against Brighton #AFCB

February 5, 2023
GARY O’Neil insists he is “fully comfortable” with his position, adding: “I’m not interested in answering questions on my future.” Cherries fell to a late Kaoru Mitoma goal at the Amex Stadium, losing 1-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion. It marked an eighth game in succession without victory for Cherries since O’Neil became permanent head coach, losing seven. Asked how he assesses the situation, with Cherries now slipping to 19th in the Premier League table, O’Neil told BBC Radio Solent: “There’s a long way to go. Same again next week, let’s try and win a football match.” Asked if he is confident he will get the time to turn the club’s form around, O’Neil added: “I’m not interested in answering questions on my future, I'm fully comfortable with the situation as it is.” Speaking later in his press conference, assessing the contest against the Seagulls, O’Neil said: “We should have got something out of the game. “I thought the performance was good and I’m disappointed for the lads that they don't take any points. “I think we kept Brighton at bay. Of course, they dominate the ball, that’s the way they play. “They create some chances, of course. They're a good side, but I thought we were a real threat. “I thought we arrived in attacking areas a lot of times during the match. “My only criticism from there would be we have to score at least one goal from the situations that we create. “And today was one of those days where we didn't quite manage it.” He continued: “Then we get caught with a late goal, which there was a foul in the build up to as well. “Lewis Dunk throws (Matias) Vina to the floor by his arm. So I was surprised it was given, but disappointed for the lads because they gave a lot and they deserve some points.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on penalty shouts against Brighton #AFCB

February 5, 2023
CHERRIES boss Gary O’Neil believed his side should have had two penalties during their defeat to Brighton at the Amex. The Seagulls edged past their south coast neighbours 1-0, courtesy of Kaoru Mitoma’s 86th minute header. O’Neil and Cherries were left frustrated by the match officials for two incidents that they perceived as spot-kicks. In the first-half January recruit Dango Ouattara appeared to be shoved from behind inside the box, the Burkinabe winger nipping ahead of Brighton defender Pervis Estupinan. Estupinan was at the centre of the controversy for the second incident, Ryan Christie’s cross clearly striking the Ecuadorian’s hand, which was tucked into his side. Asked for his thoughts on the penalty shouts, O’Neil responded: “I think they're both penalties. “Let's go second one first. “I'll point you in the direction of Jefferson Lerma at Newcastle. “I've seen both images back, they're exactly the same. “Ryan Christie's cross, it's going directly to Dango in the middle of the goal and hits (Estupinan) on the arm, which is in the exact same place, maybe slightly further away from his body than Jefferson Lerma’s was at Newcastle. “I don't want to complain, I'm just going to give you my thoughts on it. “The one in the first half I think is a foul. “I think I've heard coming together as a term to describe it, but Dango gets in front of the defender and then there is contact. “I thought it was a foul. It is what it is.” O’Neil also believed there to be a foul in the build up to Brighton’s winner, with debutant Matias Vina seemingly hauled down inside the box off the ball. He explained: “On Vina, Lewis Dunk throws Vina to the floor by his arm.”Cherries’ head coach then went onto insist that it was down to his side to improve, despite his thoughts on the decisions made by match official Craig Pawson. “We need to make sure we improve, make sure we score goals ourselves. But that's what I thought of the three incidents.”
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss Nathan Jones provides explanation for set-piece woes #SAINTSFC

January 23, 2023
NATHAN JONES has attempted to explain his side’s set-piece frailties after Saints were once again punished for failing to deal with a dead-ball situation on Saturday against Aston Villa. A tight encounter at St Mary’s was decided with just over 12 minutes to play when Saints lost concentration defending a free-kick and allowed Ollie Watkins to ghost in and score the only goal of the game. Saints have already conceded five Premier League goals from set-pieces since Jones arrived in November while they lead the division in set-piece goals conceded this season, excluding penalties. And asked whether he feels the issues are due to personnel or defensive structure, Jones responded: “It’s a bit of both. We need to be more aggressive. Are we aggressive? I mean, to be fair, before we came in, we looked at it and we knew we needed to improve it.  “Size-wise we’re not the biggest - we’re probably one of the smallest Premier League sides in terms of a squad. We’ve got to be really, really organised, really aggressive, really structured. Which we are in terms of the work we do. “I couldn't have been any more aggressive yesterday in the way I went about certain things but we got blocked today naively. Two people got between two centre-halves and it can’t happen. It just can’t happen. "It almost cost us last week (vs Everton) where zones weren’t in the right place. So when the ball comes in, it looks like it's a free header but it's not. That ball should land on a zone but the zone wasn't there. “I've come from a level and levels below that where it’s Land of the Giants. So you have to be really good. If you to League Two, League One and Championship everyone is bigger and stronger and you have 6ft and 7ft. That’s not the case here, but we’ve got to be better. “It’s just moments," the 49-year-old continued. "We defended three or four and then we went to sleep on one. We want to be disciplined, show aggression, be bold and clinical - those are the four things we ask for constantly but it was discipline which let us down today.” This same problem plagued Ralph Hasenhuttl's team last season as only Leeds United conceded more times from set-pieces, excluding penalties, than Saints.  “It's a massive number that we’ve conceded and we shouldn't do that," Jones added in reference to Saints' league-leading inability to defend set-pieces.  "It's not like people have been really clever - people are going against the process. If we are more disciplined and are aggressive in our zones then we won’t concede. The club I came from, we were the best in the league at it. You don’t suddenly become bad. You’ve still got to defend your box and that’s what we’re not doing.” 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.
Che Adams
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Che Adams believes recent wins have made Southampton ‘realise we’re a good team’ #SAINTSFC

January 19, 2023
SAINTS striker Che Adams has reflected on a huge week for the club and manager Nathan Jones after three wins in seven days helped his side regain ‘self-belief.’ Adams and his teammates have endured a torrid first half of the campaign, sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League table at the turn of the new year and in the midst of a six-game losing run in the league. Jones replaced Hasenhuttl in November but the change seemed to make little impact as Saints failed to win any of the new boss’ first four league games in charge. But victory at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup seemed to spark a mini-revival, a sentiment supported in style days later when Saints shocked Manchester City to reach the EFL Cup semi-final stage. And finally last weekend, Saints claimed perhaps their biggest result of the season so far as they edged past relegation-rivals Everton thanks to James Ward-Prowse’s second half double. The win was Saints’ first in the league under Jones and has helped alter the feeling around the club - and within the squad. “That’s all it took for the team to have that self-belief and realise we’re a good team,” Adams told the Daily Echo of the effect the last week has had on Jones's squad.  “It’s down to fine margins, but with the games coming so fast we knew we could build some sort of momentum and hopefully that continues now. Being back home at St Mary’s with the fans, everyone can get behind us now. We’ll put on a good game.” Saints will be looking to keep their positive momentum going on Saturday when Aston Villa travel to the South Coast. “It’s been really good, really positive," Adams said of Saints' preperation for the upcoming Villa clash. "Building off a hard and intense week, everyone is really looking forward to the weekend again. “The gaffer is really intense and still wants to put his spin on things and to have us working as a team as well. It’s nice but especially when you’re winning you just want the games to keep coming and building that momentum.” 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.
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Lloyd Kelly on AFC Bournemouth loss at Brentford #AFCB

January 18, 2023
CAPTAIN Lloyd Kelly says Cherries’ squad have “got to stick together at this moment”, adding: “We need to make sure we do better individually and as a group.” Cherries slumped to a sixth straight defeat, beaten 2-0 by Brentford in west London on Saturday. A controversial Ivan Toney penalty broke the deadlock shortly before half-time, with Mathias Jensen wrapped up the win with 15 minutes to play. The loss left Cherries 17th in the Premier League table at the halfway mark, on 16 points. “In that first half it was fairly equal,” Kelly told afcbTV, reflecting on the Brentford contest. “We defended well, right up until the (penalty) decision. “Seeing it back, it is difficult to accept, to be honest. “Second half we showed glimpses of good things. “When you get hit with the second goal, it’s just easy things to avoid, to be honest. “Everyone can accept we need to see those moments out and we need to do better, that’s it. “It’s a hard one, but that’s how it is.” Asked how tough it was mentally to concede a second goal whilst pushing for an equaliser, Kelly added: “Everyone knows we need to do better in those moments and manage those moments. “I can say it’s difficult, but we have to do better.” Discussing the importance of the togetherness of the squad during this difficult run, Kelly said: “From the beginning of the season, we needed that, every day. “And especially in the game situations. Of course, you look at where we are and how hard this league is and games coming round, we’ve got to stick together at this moment. “Especially the players and everyone that is involved in this club. That’s what we need to do from now until the end of the season. “We need to make sure we do better individually and as a group, for sure.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil pleased with Cherries’ squad effort during ‘tough moment’ of the season #AFCB

January 17, 2023
GARY O’Neil admits Cherries are in a “tough moment”, but feels they were “unfortunate” to suffer defeat at Brentford. Since moving from interim to permanent head coach, O’Neil has presided over six defeats from six, the latest a 2-0 reverse at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday. Cherries went to Brentford already without Dominic Solanke, Ryan Fredericks, Junior Stanislas and David Brooks due to injury, as well as the suspended Adam Smith. That meant teenage trio Dominic Sadi, Michael Dacosta Gonzalez and Daniel Adu-Adjei were drafted in to make up the numbers on the bench, named in a Premier League matchday squad for the first time. Cherries were then dealt a further blow when Lewis Cook was forced off with a knee injury, with the scores level at 0-0. Brentford soon went in front, the hosts controversially awarded a penalty when Ivan Toney went over under Marcos Senesi’s challenge. Mathias Jensen then put the game to bed in the second half, leaving Cherries just one point outside of the relegation zone at the halfway mark of the Premier League season. “I thought the players were fully committed, gave everything, worked their socks off, right to the end,” O’Neil told the Daily Echo. “When we arrived in their final third, maybe lacked a little bit of quality and cutting edge, but created some decent opportunities. “I didn’t think there was much in the game, against a good side. “Obviously we’re in a bit of a tricky spot, with injuries and as you can see with the bench, we’re a bit short, some kids on there. “For a squad that is in a tough moment, I thought they gave everything, which is all you can ask.” Asked if it is tough to keep the heads of the players up when such efforts have gone unrewarded for six games on the spin, O’Neil added: “I think what I saw (on Saturday) is they’re fine. “They’re still fully committed. Obviously when you suffer a defeat, there’s a day or two where you feel a bit sorry for yourself. “But every time, by the next game, they look ready to go. “I thought they were ready to go on Saturday evening. Competed with Brentford, a physical side, direct, chuck the ball in your box a lot. “I didn’t think they looked like a side that were struggling to commit to what they were looking to achieve. “I thought they were unfortunate to come away with nothing. “Two-nil probably slightly flatters Brentford, obviously a goal on a counter-attack when we were in the ascendancy, probably against the run of play, and a scandalous penalty decision.”
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones reveals Southampton midfielder Moi Elyounoussi has been playing through pain #SAINTSFC

January 16, 2023
NATHAN Jones revealed Saints midfielder Moi Elyounoussi has been playing through pain to make himself available for selection. The Norwegian international has started each of the last 10 Premier League games for the club, and has only been rested twice in all competitions under Jones’s stewardship. Elyounoussi’s versatility sees him deployed wherever the manager needs him, while his attitude and demeanour have been positively noted by multiple members of the club. His latest start came in the 2-1 victory at Everton’s Goodison Park, in which Elyounoussi played as many as three positions before making way in the 85th minute. READ MORE: Luton manager admits Saints target Bree could make move And asked just how useful it is to have a player like the 28-year-old, Jones responded: “It’s always good to have a versatile player. “He played wide left for Norway, he has played for me as a six, he has played as a wide man and he even played as wing-back against Liverpool. “It’s important to have someone you can trust and trust to do a certain job. They might not be as fluent as someone else, but while we’re finding our way, he’s been vital.” Jones added: “He’s been playing through pain in his knee and he had strapping on it today but he shows real character because not everybody does that. I don’t mean at Southampton, in the world. Moi has been fantastic for me.” Elyounoussi’s Saints contract is due to expire at the end of the season but the manager has already revealed he wants him to stay. “That will be dealt with internally, but I would like him to be here at the club for a lot longer,” Jones said. Elyounoussi has played 74 times for Saints, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists, while he also spent two seasons on loan at Celtic before a 2021 return. 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.
Ryan Christie
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie reveals squad is backing Gary O’Neil #AFCB

January 16, 2023
RYAN Christie insisted the Cherries squad were 100 per cent behind Gary O’Neil, sharing how the head coach gives the team “full belief” heading into games. Cherries have tasted defeat in six successive fixtures since O’Neil was appointed as manager on a permanent basis, the Dorset club’s most recent result a 2-0 loss at the hands of Brentford. There was controversy over the penalty incident that led to the Bees’ opener, Ivan Toney appearing to foul Marcos Senesi in the build-up, but Cherries were again unable to truly test their opponents in an attacking sense. Asked whether O’Neil still had the backing of the squad despite the downturn in recent form, Christie responded: “100 per cent. “I think he’s showed since even when he was interim, when we put our run of results together under him, the full belief we have in terms of going into the games, the game plan he sets out. “To come here, if anything, kind of dominate the first half in most parts proves that we're kind of on the right track. We just need to then get the results to follow that. “Supporters, first thing they look at the score sheet, so we understand frustration, but again, we believe we can put a run together, that we can get them back on side.” Discussing the penalty incident that undid all of Cherries’ hard work in the first half, Christie told the Daily Echo: “It's obviously frustrating, the penalty, I don't really want to say too much. “I'm sure everyone else will have a verdict on it as well. “I'd like to see what the guys on the TV think, but it's frustrating when you keep getting these decisions (against you). “We played Brentford at home and in the first fixture, I think there's two handballs that we don't get. “So, yeah, that's been frustrating, but hopefully the decisions start going our way soon.”Christie and co. return to action next Saturday, when they host Nottingham Forest in what could prove to be a decisive fixture in the relegation battle.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones admits First Premier League win was ‘a long time coming’ #SAINTSFC

January 15, 2023
NATHAN Jones admitted his first Premier League win was a “long time coming” and says Saints are in a “categorically” different position to a week ago. His side recorded a first win at Goodison Park since 1997 when James Ward-Prowse scored from open play and a direct free-kick to come from behind and win 2-1. Saints remain bottom of the Premier League on goal difference but have now won three in three in eight days, including FA Cup and EFL Cup ties. They could be as few as just one point away from safety by the end of the matchday, which marks halfway through the league season exactly. READ MORE: Stunning Ward-Prowse double secures first Premier League win of Jones era And asked how his first win at top-flight level feels, Jones responded: “Very good, it’s been a long time coming. “I felt it’s been coming with performance levels, even in the (Nottingham) Forest game (1-0 loss) we didn’t play well but we weren’t under pressure. “The Fulham game (2-1 loss) we should have gotten something but for a little bit of defensive naivety. We deserved it today. I thought we were tactically excellent today. “We weren’t really physical so we had to change and go to a back five to curtail the pressure and we went back out there to take the game,” he added. “We had to keep real pace and aggression and make tactical subs late on. Ibra (Diallo) got booked, so we had to sure things up. With the greatest respect, they went land of the giants at the end so we just had to see it through. “I don’t think there’s a question over the spirit of the squad, with what we’ve been through. From where we were after the Forest game, to go bang, bang, bang in three games, it shows the character in the staff and players is there. “We are in a categorically different position to a week ago, but it’s only a small step and we have to build on that. “We’ve got some exciting games coming up, Aston Villa at home which is a tough, tough game, and then back into cup action with three games in just over a week in which the magnitude is massive.” With Jones’s side trailing at the break to Amadou Onana’s header, the staff made a few tactical changes including moving Mohammed Salisu to left-back. “We had to be calculated at half-time, it wasn’t a rant and a rave. We made a few changed and said let’s go after the game,” Jones said. “Getting a goal back so early really helped us and then we did go after the game, but we had to really defend a bombardment today, we really did. “They’re massive and Jordan Pickford kicks it miles. I can’t remember many Premier League sides being bigger than 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.
Adam Armstrong
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton FC forward Adam Armstrong opens up on ‘tough couple of weeks’ #SAINTSFC

January 10, 2023
SAINTS striker Adam Armstrong has insisted that he and his teammates must take responsibility for their struggling season after a raft of criticism aimed at manager Nathan Jones. Armstrong’s goal fired Saints to a much-needed win against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup third round, giving Jones just his second victory since arriving at the club. Despite the eventual win, Saints supporters voiced their frustration with multiple chants ‘Nathan Jones, your football is s***’. But speaking after his winning goal, Armstrong took responsibility for the recent poor form saying 'it’s us on the pitch at the end of the day.' “It’s just football and it happens everywhere, and when things aren’t going well it’s only right – I was a fan once and I still am,” Armstrong said of the criticism following the cup success. “It happens in football but it’s how you react and I thought we reacted well, did everything we had to do and got the win. “It’s us on the pitch at the end of the day, we have to get results and we had to get a win to give the fans a little bit of a boost, as well as for ourselves. “We’ve been down and we have to go again, we have to get the winning feeling back and especially in the league as well. It’s something we’re working hard on but we have to put our chances away.” Armstrong has routinely found himself playing on the wing this season and regardless of position, the 25-year-old now has added competition in the form of Croatian international Mislav Orsic - something he’s hoping will provide everyone at the club with a lift. “We need a boost, we’re not stupid. Hopefully, the additions we get can be excellent and really help us. “I think a win lifts everyone for the whole weekend, I’ve been a fan myself and when you win it makes the whole weekend better. We have to take confidence, work hard and do a job on Manchester City.  “We knew that we had to put on a performance for the fans and give everyone a boost, it’s been a tough couple of weeks. “I thought we were excellent in the second half to see the game out and showed a bit of grittiness that we’ve got in the team, but it’s a massive win.” Armstrong’s goal came from impressive perseverance as he chased down a back-pass and stole the ball from Crystal Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita before tapping into the empty net. “I think it’s risk and reward,” the Newcastle native said of his winner. “Sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn’t but I pressed the goalkeeper and lucky enough it’s come straight to my feet to put into the net.” The 68th-minute strike marked Armstrong’s first goal since becoming a father earlier this season - joining Moussa Djenepo and Che Adams as fresh first-time fathers during the 2022/23 campaign. “It’s been good yeah, I’m feeling good and I’ve been trying to get as much sleep as I can,” the forward said. “First one and the team has been in a tough position so it’s about we react. “We can take a bit of confidence from this and I know we’ve got Manchester City next which is going to be tough, but we have to take every bit of confidence we can.” 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.
Dominic Solanke Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Dominic Solanke on AFC Bournemouth’s poor run of form #AFCB

January 10, 2023
DOMINIC Solanke insists “we’re all in it together” as Cherries look to find a way out of their recent rut, admitting: “We’re not in the best of spots right now.” Since the World Cup break, Cherries have been in wretched form, losing all five of their fixtures. That has seen them slip to 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone, as well as being knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. The latest loss was perhaps the most concerning, falling 4-2 at home to Championship Burnley at Vitality Stadium to exit the FA Cup at the third round stage. The results and performances have seen some fans questioning if Gary O’Neil is the right man for the job, despite having only been installed as permanent boss in November. Prior to that, he had 12 games as interim head coach following the sacking of Scott Parker in August, presiding over four wins, four draws and four defeats. Discussing the idea of O’Neil likely taking the brunt of the spotlight for the recent results, Solanke told the Daily Echo: “As a collective we’re a team, we’re a club. “Manager or players, we’re all in it together. “There’s no blame on either side. “We just all need look what we need to do better and use that to improve.” Solanke was one of two scorers for Cherries in the loss to Burnley, heading in his fourth goal of the campaign shortly after half-time. But the hosts continually shot themselves in the foot whenever they looked like getting back into the cup tie, with individual errors leading to three of the Clarets’ four goals. Reflecting on the latest loss, Solanke said: “Another difficult one to take. “We’re not in the best of spots right now. “Obviously (on Saturday) we made a few errors which resulted in goals, which can happen in football. “We know, especially the position we’re in right now, we need to cut those out as soon as possible. “It’s another game that we’re going to have to just look back and work towards next weekend. “We know they (Burnley) are flying at the moment, so they were always going to come here with great confidence. “They capitalised on our mistakes.” Asked if a lack of confidence among the team was a factor in the individual defensive errors, Solanke added: “Maybe, but these things happen in football. Anyone can make mistakes. “We know that we need to cut the mistakes out. “It’s not where we want to be. “Especially in the Premier League, we know that we can’t be doing that. We’ll look at it back and work to cut them out.” He continued: “We know Burnley are in the Championship, but like I said, they’re flying. When you win a lot of games, you’re always confident. “We see this stuff happening in the cup all the time, lower league teams beating higher division teams. That’s just part of football. “But the cup is the cup. We need to focus on the Premier League now. “We know that in the next game we need to get some points and that’s what we’ll be looking forward to do.” Cherries head to Brentford on Saturday (5.30pm).
Jaidon Anthony
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Jaidon Anthony and Jordan Zemura call for Cherries fan support #AFCB

January 9, 2023
STARLETS Jaidon Anthony and Jordan Zemura took to social media last night in a plea to fans. Cherries’ 4-2 defeat to Championship leaders Burnley in the FA Cup led to an array of boos and jeers from supporters at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. As fans voiced their displeasure at a fifth straight loss, Anthony was the only player to lap the stadium and applaud fans for their efforts. Posting on Twitter, Anthony started: “Trust me, I get your frustrations. “We as players are as frustrated with the way we are playing too, but we do know there’s a long, long way to go in the season and there’s enough talent in this group to turn our fortunes around. “But we can only do it together. We need you more when it’s not going well. “You have every right to voice your opinions but whilst the game’s still going and we still have a chance, why not give us all the help you can, and be loud and proud. “Long way to go and many highs to come, I promise!” Defender Zemura took a similar view, also calling for fans to cut out the boos directed solely towards captain Lloyd Kelly. He posted: “Times like this (are) never easy, when everything feels sticky and things are not falling how you want. “But that’s football, more or less, that’s life. All you can do is stand up, chest out and go again, and keep fighting. “More than enough within this team, and (we) will continue to fight and be counter for. “All in this together, from the team to the staff, to you, the fans. “However disappointed you are with the performance, booing individual players is not on, especially the captain of the team – for that, I cannot stand with! “As a collective that’s fair because it has not been good enough, and we know that! We will continue to work and push each other to be better. “However, we’re in this together and that’s all! “Plenty of games to put things right and enjoy the highs!”           
Kyle Walker Peters
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Kyle Walker-Peters admits ‘To be honest, I don’t blame the fans for booing’ #SaintsFC

January 7, 2023
KYLE Walker-Peters admitted he does not blame the fans for booing in a toxic St Mary’s atmosphere following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Supporters made their frustrations known as Saints slipped to a sixth successive Premier League defeat and a fourth under new manager Nathan Jones. Saints are rooted to the bottom of the table with three massive points going to Steve Cooper’s relegation rivals, while Jones commented after the match how individual mistakes have cost them. It was an assessment Walker-Peters agreed with, as Lyanco gifted Brennan Johnson possession on the halfway line for the youngster to square for Taiwo Awoniyi’s first-half winner. READ MORE: Southampton defender to link up with teammate on new loan The noise inside St Mary’s was deafening on the referee’s final whistle, despite many fans having already filtered out in added time, and well overpowered the travelling supporters celebrating their first away win of the campaign. “To be honest, I don’t blame the fans for booing,” Walker-Peters told the Daily Echo, when asked about the reception Jones and the players received. “I don’t think we deserve much more, of course it’s nice to have their support but they come to see us win and at the moment we aren’t doing that. “We’re conceding sloppy goals and it’s part and parcel of football, so we have to stick together in the dressing room and focus on trying to get a win.” He added: “It’s really disappointing, we keep making the same mistakes in terms of gifting the opposition goals and when you keep doing that, especially with the teams in and around you don’t give yourselves a chance.” Many supporters have already decided they have seen enough of Jones and his management of the Saints squad, despite only arriving in November and overseeing four Premier League games. Despite dominating over 60 per cent of the ball versus Forest, Saints stuck to their long-ball tactics versus a defence with six-foot three-inch Joe Worrall and six-foot four-inch Willy Boly marshalling Che Adams. Walker-Peters, however, has spoken in defence of his new manager and hopes he can help them turn their fortunes around. “Any manager that took the job would have known it was going to be a tough task but he’s up for it and that’s why he has come here,” he insisted. “He is trying to give everything he can to improve us so it’s up to us to stick to his plan and stick to what he wants us to do, and hopefully it improves. “I believe in the squad. We have got a good squad and we have shown that a few times at the start of the season and last season so it’s about getting that winning feeling back and hopefully then we can go on a run of games. “Mathematically it’s not impossible (to stay up), it’s about getting that first win and from there taking it game by game to get some confidence in the squad, and then we can go on a run.” Walker-Peters added: “I don’t think we were terrible (versus Forest), we didn’t have a shot on target but we were in and around their box controlling the ball. The problem was gifting goals, the manager can’t stop that – that’s down to us on the pitch.” 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.
Nathan Jones
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Nathan Jones not concerned by Southampton fan jeers but a ‘little surprised’ #SAINTSFC

January 5, 2023
NATHAN Jones insisted he is not concerned by fan reaction to him at the end of the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, but admitted he is a little bit “surprised”. The Saints boss said supporters pay their hard-earned money and have the right to react however they want, after loud boos at both half-time and full-time on Wednesday. The final whistle of the Forest defeat, a fourth Premier League loss under Jones and a sixth successive for the club, was met with one of the most toxic St Mary’s atmospheres of the season. While Mohammed Salisu sprinted down the tunnel despite James Ward-Prowse bellowing for him to come back, Jones did go around the stadium bowl clapping the fans. And asked if he is concerned by the reaction so early into his managerial tenure, Jones responded: “I can't pre-empt what fans are going to do and so on, that's entirely up to them. “All I can do is try to prepare a team that goes out there and changes results. It doesn't concern me, it surprises me a little bit but that's their prerogative,” he said. “The thing about a football manager, especially where I've come from and getting an opportunity here, I understand the scepticism. Fans have paid their money, they have the prerogative and they can do whatever they want. For me as a manager, you have to be thick-skinned. “You know, it's not the first time that I've been booed, it’s not the first time I've taken stick as a player, manager, coach or anything and you have to show real characteristics that bring you through this because when we come through it, there’ll be proud moments.” Saints failed to record a single shot on target during the defeat, while Taiwo Awoniyi’s winner was the only one from the visitors.  That was gifted by a Lyanco misplaced pass on the halfway line, just days after Saints conceded two set-pieces including an 87th-minute sickener to lose 2-1 at Fulham. Asked if he believes he can change supporters’ confidence, Jones replied: “Results are the only way to change it. You're not going to change their mind without it, but it was a front-foot performance tonight and they worked hard. “We just didn't show enough quality but you had a side out there tonight that worked hard and grafted, that had more situations than Forest and we just didn't show enough quality and then gifted them a goal. “When you give them a goal they can sit in for 20 minutes because they haven't got to chase anything. And that's the problem at the minute because the other day (at Fulham) we were excellent, excellent structure performance. “But gifted two goals from set-pieces, and against Brighton we had loads of possession, gifted Brighton two goals and then there was a strike from distance. So there are lots we can do better and we have to.” 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.