Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl on social media reaction to his comments #SAINTSFC

January 11, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl responded to a number of social media frenzies between supporters, that were started after sections of his media answers were posted, by saying: “The problem is people are not listening.” The Saints manager’s press conferences have been watched keenly over recent weeks following the controversial postponement of the St Mary’s clash with Newcastle United. Hasenhuttl’s comments that there should be more transparency about who is and isn’t available, and why, caused arguments between Magpies and Saints fans when shared by social media publications. Since then, the Austrian also revealed that the Premier League had discussions over the eligibility of newly-signed players in postponed matches and later labelled it ‘a lottery’ whether his own side would have enough numbers remaining to play on Tuesday. Che Adams is set to make a Saints return following a bout of COVID (Pic: PA) Each of those caused a similar online fracas, with opposition supporters who had only received a slice of the story via social media posts thinking Hasenhuttl had been out of order. Day 8 in the window and toon are already causing havoc 🤣 got #SaintsFC crying with Hasenhuttl spitting his dummy out.. Burnley fans crying accepting their relegation fate and us mags are living la vida loca.. you love to see it 🤣⚫⚪ #NUFC — Tom Atkin (@yorkshiremag93) January 8, 2022 But with sites such as Twitter only allowing for a certain number of characters in a post, it’s easy for us all to miss out context or take only a snappy bit of detail and then it’s portrayed not exactly as the speaker intended. The 54-year-old admitted it is frustrating when people do not listen to all of what is said, and react only to the snippet they’ve seen. Asked by the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl explained: “Yeah (it is frustrating), but the problem is that people are not listening. “They take a part of the interview and then say ah ‘it is like a lottery’, but it is, coming here in the morning you never know who is missing and this is right. “But I have never spoken about postponing a game, you know us, as I said we have had two injured goalkeepers and signed another one before cancelling the game as we have a goalkeeper, we could have made the argument yeah with one out with COVID and the other injured but we didn’t do this. Saints signed 40-year-old Willy Caballero as emergency cover (Pic: Stuart Martin) He continued: “We try not to do this at the moment, you never know what happens in the future – suddenly we have 20 cases and when you have no players any more we will also ask for postponing a game. “But at the moment we try everything to play and I think this (is how it) should be, we have tried to do this. “I have not spoken about thinking of cancelling a game on Tuesday, we have two right-backs missing and none (available) at the moment but we never spoke about thinking the game would be postponed because we have injuries and a few COVID cases.” After being directly asked by a journalist after the FA Cup third round win at Swansea City on Saturday if there were numbers enough in his depleted squad to play, Hasenhuttl explained that, now, you can never be sure. Ralph Hasenhuttl faced the media before and after Saints' win at Swansea City (Pic: PA) This was then portrayed in different ways on social media and opposition supporters took an implication of him wanting the match postponed. However, Hasenhuttl – who claimed he felt it was important to be able to speak honestly with media, following his FA charge for comments made after James Ward-Prowse’s red card at Chelsea in October – insists he is undeterred from speaking his mind. “It should be possible to speak honestly in the media about your thinking,” he added. “And if this is not happening anymore and things are getting turned around for, I don’t know what reason, to get some clicks or some traffic to social media platforms, then we have another problem. “But not the problem of being honest.”
Oriol Romeu Danny Ings
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton’s Oriol Romeu reflects on quitting social media #SAINTSFC

November 10, 2021
ORIOL Romeu described as “probably the best decision I’ve made,” closing down his social media accounts almost exactly a year ago, adding: “It can affect your game as well, definitely.” The combative Saints midfielder shut down his Facebook and Instagram accounts and stopped regularly using Twitter a year ago this week, although he kept the latter open, “in case I need to say anything or make any statement”.  Footballer social media has become a haven of PR disingenuity with regular paragraph-long apologathons for penalty misses and in-game mistakes – often clearly identifiable as posted by a player relations company, rather than the player his or herself. But it’s because so many are turning their back on the online world and with good reason. In 2019, PFA figures showed that counselling services rose to a record 643, up almost 50% on the previous year. Read more PFA director of player welfare Michael Bennett said social media meant there was "no escape from football". Hi, I've decided to close my Instagram and Facebook accounts. Here's the reason. Thank you for your support!Hola, he decidido cerrar mis cuentas de Instagram y Facebook. Aquí os cuento el motivo. Gracias por vuestro apoyo! pic.twitter.com/yLAf0g6XuK — Oriol Romeu (@OriolRomeu) November 8, 2020 A 2020-21 PFA report, powered by Signify, then identified that 44% of Premier League players received discriminatory abuse of some nature online, and 50% of abusive tweets were from UK based accounts – not bots based in China, Saudi Arabia, Russia or wherever. “Has it been a year already?” Romeu asked the Daily Echo, “it’s probably been the best decision I’ve made.” The 30-year-old continued: “It’s hard because some people may need that for their jobs or their companies but at that point, I thought I didn’t need it and it wasn’t making me any good. Oriol Romeu has developed a reputation as Saints' 'footballing hard-man' for his combative play (Pic: PA) “I don’t need it. I have just seen now the guys when we were in the hot tub or ice baths watching TikToks, Instagram stories or reels. “I am just so pleased I am not there. It doesn’t fulfil me. I don’t enjoy it now. “I would rather spend that time talking to friends or spending time with the family, dog, whatever. “It was a decision that I had already decided but I thought about it for a long time. I am quite happy and I am going to stick to it, at least for another year.” Oriol Romeu has started every Premier League game of the campaign (Pic: PA) Romeu went on to admit that he too had got messages “you probably shouldn’t get”, during his time on his online accounts. His official Twitter account has amassed over 30k followers, but top-end stars who have been subject to abuse, such as the likes of Wilfried Zaha, have up to or more than one million. A heated online atmosphere came to a grim head following the European Championship final at Wembley Stadium this year, when three of England’s players – Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka – missed crucial penalties in the Italy shootout and were subject to countless instances of racist abuse. So how about people leave my name out their mouths please and use their energy to make proper sanctions towards the racism we see and ignore everyday .. not just statements and t-shirts 🙏🏿 — Wilfried Zaha (@wilfriedzaha) April 23, 2021 Romeu revealed: “You get messages sometimes that probably you shouldn’t get, or you get to read things that can affect your mood. “I wasn’t paying too much attention but you still read and see those things. Probably the ups and lows can be more extreme if you are on social media.” He added: “But that’s something you need to control and something you should be aware of. I think everyone does but it can affect your game as well, definitely.”
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ralph Hasenhuttl on James Ward-Prowse return and Ben Foster YouTube channel #SAINTSFC #WatfordFC

October 30, 2021
RALPH Hasenhuttl admits he hasn’t heard of Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster’s YouTube channel but calls on James Ward-Prowse to hit another free-kick into his net – “no matter how many cameras are posted there!” The veteran 38-year-old shot-stopper became an internet sensation last season when he began taking a small camera and putting it in his goal to capture what professional games look like from inside the net. He recorded everything from training sessions, scenes inside the dressing room and his matchday saves and blunders – all edited and uploaded to his channel in a video-log stye edit that all the kids are watching. It hit the national headlines when then-Swansea forward Jamal Lowe scored past the Hornets keeper and celebrated in front of the camera, which, by that point, all the opposition players had heard about. Read more One video on his channel, named Ben Foster – The Cycling GK, shows a clip of him saving an Adam Armstrong penalty in the Championship, when the Saints summer signing was the Blackburn Rovers frontman. [embedded content] “I haven’t seen it, no, I don’t know what it is.” Hasenhuttl admitted to the Daily Echo. “It’s an interesting idea,” he continued, before joking, “he wants to see himself standing in the goal! “It’s okay. What I know is that Prowsey had some good free-kicks against him in the last games that they played.” Saints skipper Ward-Prowse hit a brilliant free-kick the last time the two teams met in the Premier League, back in June of the postponed and extended 2019-20 campaign. James Ward-Prowse scores a free-kick past Ben Foster in June 2020 (Pic: PA) It ended a run of 21 games without a strike, with his last coming in the reverse Watford fixture in November 2019. Hasenhuttl added: “So it’s good that he is back in this game, back on the pitch because I think that he is obviously a threat from the set-pieces and free-kicks around the box. “We have to find the back of the net, no matter how many cameras are posted there, this is not interesting to us.” Foster had to strike an agreement with the Championship to allow him to upload the match footage, which would normally be reserved for paying rights-holders, by donating proceeds of the channel to charity Mind. Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster (Pic: PA) If Ward-Prowse is to hit a set-piece beyond Foster on his return from a three-match suspension, unfortunately you might not be able to see the unique angle as the keeper isn’t able to upload the match footage as of yet due to similar issues with Premier League rights. Foster still uploads matchday videos with unique insight to every other part of the footballer’s day-in-the-life, and will likely do so for the Saints visit today.
Alex McCarthy Southampton
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Alex McCarthy talks about pressure and social media ‘negativity’ #SAINTSFC

October 15, 2021
ALEX McCarthy has revealed how he handles “pressure and negativity” from social media after a difficult performance, but admits: “I make mistakes. It will always be a part of the game.” The 31-year-old Saints shot-stopper has stepped up in big moments for the club when needed – and was crucial to the club’s Premier League survival during Mark Hughes’ tenure. But equally, as he says, McCarthy has made his share of blunders and always looks to bounce back. When it comes to social media, that’s where most of the abuse targeted at players finds itself. McCarthy has a Twitter account, but doesn’t use it all that often. Disappointing end to the season, not at the level we demand from ourselves but lots of positives to take from what’s been a very tough season for everyone. We look forward to having you all back with us at St Mary’s in August. Thank you for all the support 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/EoTxSW2ryY — Alex McCarthy (@Alex_Macca23) May 24, 2021 He spoke openly about the pressure of performing and abuse that comes with errors at the top of the game, saying: "There is always going to be pressure and negativity. "There always will be, with footballers it just gets highlighted a lot more. "Some players are on social media, I am but I do not use it a lot. There are games where I do not perform as well as I should have. I will always be the first to hold my hand up. "I make mistakes. It will always be a part of the game. It's about how you adapt and deal with them. "I wouldn't say that I get down about it because I just get my head down, I go through things with my goalkeeping coach and I try to rectify it. Alex McCarthy has played every minute of the 21-22 Premier League campaign (Pic: PA) "I always go into the next game with a fresh mind and ready to improve.” McCarthy has staked his claim again to be Saints’ keeper going forward this season with some good performances, and is likely to sign a new contract and stay with the club. Fraser Forster, on the other hand, is likely to leave – and therefore a transfer will be made that will provide competition to McCarthy, and maybe even a move that takes the number one shirt. For this season, though, McCarthy highlights how it’s a holistic improvement at the back that has reduced the goals going in. "Just as a unit, we are a lot more solid this season. It really was the big topic that we spoke about over the summer," he continued. Happy birthday to me! pic.twitter.com/SsEXR7VVUN — Oriol Romeu (@OriolRomeu) September 24, 2020 "We did not want to concede anywhere near as many goals as we did last term, so we worked on it a lot during pre-season and on how we can be a lot more solid and compact. We've shown that we can do that up until now. "It's quite simple, to be fair. There are times in games when you get overrun and we need the midfield to step in and help, we need that communication," he explained. "It is something that we have worked a lot on. As a unit, you can see now, we look a lot harder to break down and a lot harder to get crosses in against. We're defending for our lives."